Cleveland Indians: 3 takeaways from the weekend series vs. Royals

The Cleveland Indians didn’t have a great weekend, but were able to take a game from the Kansas City Royals. Here is what stood out.

The Cleveland Indians had yet another series in which three vastly different games have been played. From lack of life on offense, to a pitching implosion to a dominant performance from both sides, fans were in for a wild weekend.

The Indians only escaped with one win against the Kansas City Royals this past weekend, but it was enough to keep the Indians just one game back of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

It wasn’t too memorable of a series for any player, but let’s take a look at what did stand out from the weekend series in Kansas City.

1. Tomlin continues his solid stretch

Josh Tomlin picked up his seventh loss of the season on Friday, but it came in a game when he allowed just three runs in 7.1 innings of work. It was the offense that let him down.

Tomlin pitched a complete game against the Royals in his prior outing, but his offense put up 10 runs in an easy win for the Indians. Yet the trend of wasting great starts continued when Jason Vargas went all nine innings for the Royals in a shutout.

It was frustrating for fans, but the good news for Tomlin is that he continues to pitch well and remove his name from a potential demotion once Danny Salazar figures things out.

2. Zimmer settling in

Bradley Zimmer only played in two games against the Royals, but did pick up a home run on Saturday in the 12-5 loss. He did not have a great series, but his strikeouts have gradually gone down since his debut.

With the Indians expecting three outfielders back later this month or in July, he must continue to prove he deserves a full-time role. And with the way he is playing combined with his potential, it would be hard to see him demoted.

3. Salazar continues his bullpen work

It is an odd sight to see Danny Salazar appear out of the bullpen, but fans are hoping the new role can help him find his command and return to being one of the AL’s best starters.

He made an appearances in Saturday’s loss, going 1.2 innings and allowing one run on three hits. The game was already lost once he came in, so it was a perfect time to get him some work without too much pressure.

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It is unfortunate he has been relegated to this role, but he was too much of a liability in the rotation at the start of the season. Hopefully that changes as he continues to get more work in relief.