Cleveland Indians: Previewing the weekend series against the Twins
Probable Pitchers
RHP Kyle Gibson (MIN) vs RHP Corey Kluber (CLE)
It’ll be Kyle Gibson starting the series off for the Twins. He was taken out early by the Tribe offense last time he faced them. The Indians rattled off just two runs against Gibson, but he was forced to leave in the sixth inning with 99 pitches.
Overall it hasn’t be a spectacular year for Gibson. He’s just 1-4 on the year with an ERA of 3.45. He’s walking 3.81 batters per nine innings which certainly hasn’t helped his case. His fastball isn’t one that will blow you away either. At an average of only 92.81, it’s pretty close to his 85 MPH changeup. For Gibson, he just happened to keep the Tribe in check on the day he faced them.
Unfortunately for Gibson, things may be a little bit more difficult this time around. When Corey Kluber is the opposing starter. It never seems easy. After his last start, Kluber became the first pitcher in the AL to earn 10 wins. In that outing, he struck out eight and allowed just two runs. It was just another day at the office for the defending Cy Young winner, and he’s on pace to contend for yet another.
RHP Fernando Romero (MIN) vs RHP Carlos Carrasco (CLE)
Fernando Romero made his first MLB start last month and hasn’t shined by any means. A 3.95 ERA and .315 BABIP won’t win the hearts of fans when you’re fresh out of the minors. The Twins need Romero and some of their other young pitchers to step up because Ervin Santana still isn’t coming through that door. Romero hasn’t faced the Indians yet but the Tribe batters have to like his inconsistent strikeout numbers.
Carlos Carrasco looks like he’s found his groove again after another remarkable outing against the White Sox. In his last two outings he has an era of 0.64. He’s allowed two walks in those two games and struck out 21. Before that he has only tossed over 10 strikeouts just once this year. Carrasco did have trouble with these Twins when he last faced them.
The Twinkies ran him out of the game in the fourth inning after he’d allowed six runs. Let’s hope this improved Carrasco will pitch as well as he did, the first time he saw the Twins this year with seven scoreless innings.
RHP Jake Odorizzi (MIN) vs RHP Adam Plutko (CLE)
Jake Odorizzi didn’t have much fun against this Indians team when he last faced them. The Tribe rocked Odorizzi for seven earned runs over 3.2 innings. That increased his ERA against the Tribe to 11.42. Odorizzi has an xFIP of 4.91, meaning he’s expected to only regress further as the year goes on.
Fortunately for the Twins, they get to face a pitcher who is fighting his own struggles. Adam Plutko is the newest victim of the dreaded “Indians fifth starter allows a lot of home-runs” virus. Seven home-runs over four starts is certainly not good, but Plukto has shown promise in those first two outings before that.
Particularly against the Cubs when he worked six scoreless innings with just two hits allowed. His 6.65 strikeout to walk ratio is really concerning right now. If Plutko can lower either his walks or home runs allowed he may be in better standings; because allowing a lot of those two things does not bode well for him.