Cleveland Indians: Previewing the series against the Minnesota Twins

Probable Pitchers

RHP Kyle Gibson (MIN) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (CLE)

This will be Kyle Gibson‘s fifth start against the Indians this year. The starts have gotten progressively worse for Gibson since June. After allowing three combined runs in the first two starts, he’s allowed seven in the previous two starts against the Tribe. The Month of August hasn’t been to kind to Gibson as he’s rocking a 4.56 ERA in the month.

It felt like Carlos Carrasco was on the right track to returning to the “ace-like” pitcher we all know.  That was until he ran into the buzzsaw that is the Boston Red Sox. After the Indians held the Sox in check for two game, Carrasco endured a beating. He allowed five runs in 3.2 innings. Carrasco has also had his troubles with the Twins this year, as he surrendered a three run homer on a rainy night the last time he saw the Twinkies.

RHP Kohl Stewart (MIN) vs. RHP Adam Plutko (CLE)

Here’s a guy the Indians have never seen. Kohl Stewart will be making the fourth start of his MLB career on Wednesday. He’s certainly found a pattern of some sort, as he’s allowed three runs in each of his three starts this year. So at least Indians pitching will know how many runs to hold the Twins to.

Unfortunately that may not be such an easy task. Adam Plutko has run into his fair share of struggles in 2018. He really hasn’t found a rhythm since May despite having remarkable success in Triple-A Columbus. Making the transition to the MLB seems to be elusive for Plutko, but he has a chance to prove himself as long as Trevor Bauer remains on the DL.

RHP Jake Odorizzi (MIN) vs. RHP Mike Clevinger (CLE)

The Indians can’t ask for a better matchup than Jake Odorizzi to close out this series. The team has absolutely dominated Odorizzi to the tune of a 7.85 ERA. The Indians have notched 16 runs against the former Tampa Bay Ray and have made his welcome to the AL Central a nightmare. Odorizzi did pitch a beauty against the A’s in his last start allowing just one run in seven innings, but he still earned the loss.

Mike Clevinger had a rough first inning against Kansas City, where he allowed three runs. But he settled in nicely to work five scoreless innings after that. He’s still looking for his 10th win of the year. The formula with Clevinger seems to be if he can get through the first inning, he’s in the clear. He has a 4.85 ERA in the first inning, that drops off to 1.38 in the second inning. Fortunately, if you’re into those deep splits, Clevinger has a 5-1 record in day games.