Cleveland Indians: Can the Tribe Finally Turn the Tide Against the Tigers?

Indians youth movement poised to change the expectations

The Cleveland Indians are only 5-10 against the Detroit Tigers this season. I realize that in itself doesn’t signal a changing of the guard. But the Indians moved 4 1/2 games ahead of the Tigers who sit in the cellar of the AL Central–a polar opposite of where they spent the past few years. Was this the series that will be the “turning point” against the hated Tigers? Is the yearly stomping of the Tribe over?

I’m going to stamp it with a resounding yes.

A glance at the Tigers roster and you still see the names that have led them to the division titles, that have won MVP’s, Cy Young‘s, etc. But while the names are the same the results have changed. The once potent Tigers’ offense is no more. The starting rotation doesn’t scare anyone, especially the “kids” in Cleveland who don’t care much about what’s happened in the past.

AL Rookie of the Year candidate Francisco Lindor and fellow rookie Cody Anderson helped lead the way today against the Tigers in a 4-0 victory. Abraham Almonte isn’t a rookie, but he’s new to the party and doesn’t much seem to care who the Tigers were either.

Behind Anderson’s seven shutout innings and Lindor’s RBI triple, the Indians took the series from the Tigers–a small feat in the grand scheme of things. But with four more games left against Detroit, the Tribe can level things out as they move towards 2016. Even the might Justin Verlander was no match for Anderson. Okay, JV wasn’t actually that bad, allowing three runs over seven innings. But it just FEELS different when these two play now.

The Tigers will come to Cleveland for the final four-game set this weekend. The games themselves might not have much riding on them for this season, but the Indians could put the proverbial nail in the coffin for the Tigers and help assure they stay at the bottom of the division.

Yes, it was just two wins over the Tigers, but admit it..they felt good.

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