The Indians quietly won 4 of their last 5 games. Don’t look now, but Cleveland is above .500 in June with a 7-6 record. And that’s not the best of it. The Tribe plays 5 more series before the end of June, including this weekend against San Diego. All of those teams have a losing record (San Diego, Colorado, Los Angeles NL, San Francisco, and Cinncinati).
The biggest obstacle will be overcoming the recent additions to Cleveland’s already crowded DL. Kelly Shoppach is already proving he can be a legitimate starting catcher while Victor Martinez deals with his right elbow (out 6-8 weeks). Ryan Garko, moved to the cleanup spot, has raised his average 33 points in the past month. Ben Francisco, used primarily as the number 3 hitter, is batting .308 with 21 RBI’s. Sizemore has 6 hits and 4 homeruns in his last three games. Most surprising of all, Jamey Carroll is streaking out of the 2 spot with 11 hits in his last 14 at bats. The Indians have been looking for a player to step up now that Josh Barfield went to the 15-day DL with a strained left middle finger. Even Shin-Soo Choo is getting in on the action with 5 RBI’s in his last 2 games.
Package good hitting and a strong rotation with a soft upcoming schedule, and you have all the ingredients for a winning streak. I wouldn’t give up on the Tribe just yet. With Cliff Lee on the mound tonight, and C.C. Sabathia taking the ball tomorrow, I like our chances at winning the series against San Diego. Who knows, maybe the Indians can pull off their first sweep since May 15th against Oakland. Maybe this is a turning point.
