Series Preview: Cleveland Indians at Arizona Diamondbacks

Pitching Match-Ups

Tuesday, June 24, 9:40 PM EST – Chase Field

Justin Masterson (4-5, 4.75 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 79:46 K:BB in 89 IP over 16 starts) vs. Wade Miley (3-6, 4.62 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 93:32 K:BB in 101.1 IP over 16 starts)

On the surface, this would look to be a high scoring game. Both pitchers have inflated ERA numbers and Miley has been pretty mediocre his entire career at Chase Field, but particularly this season, where he has gone 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA over nine starts. This will be Masterson’s second career start against Arizona, and the Indians are hoping that he gets back on the right track, keeping the free passes down and going deeper into his starts, as the big right-hander has gone seven innings in just five of his 16 starts.

Wednesday, June 25, 9:40 PM EST – Chase Field

Jun 19, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Chase Anderson (57) throws during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Kluber (6-5, 3.30 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 114:27 K:BB in 103.2 IP over 16 starts) vs. Chase Anderson (5-2, 3.18 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 30:11 K:BB in 39.2 IP over seven starts)

The Indians have their ace on the mound for the finale of the short series on Wednesday night, but it may not be as easy as it seems with the Diamondbacks running out their 26-year-old rookie. Anderson posted some impressive numbers before his call-up while in Double-A Mobile, going 4-2 with a 0.69 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and a 38:6 K:BB over six starts and 39 innings, but it hasn’t all been as pretty as his numbers look so far in Arizona. Anderson won his first five starts due to some impressive run support, as the Diamondbacks scored a total of 45 runs to make it easy on the righty. He is 0-2 in his last two starts, but he has allowed just four earned runs over 11 innings. Anderson was a little old for his league in Double-A, but if he is throwing strikes and keeping the ball in the park (which can go for any of the Diamondbacks’ pitchers), he could continue to have success.

The Indians will hope for continued production out of their offense, which is 7th in MLB in runs scored, while leaning on their bullpen, who has the 3rd most innings pitched by relievers in baseball (249.2 IP), to build and maintain leads. While Progressive Field leans on the pitcher-friendly side of ballparks, Chase Field is far from that. The bats will lead to the outcomes, but the adjustments that pitchers make will prove to be the most valuable part of the short series between these two clubs, and all pitchers could be on an awful short leash.