Cleveland Indians: Projecting the three-man Wild Card round rotation

With there being no days off, if the Indians Wild Card series extends to a third game there, best option would be to go their most experienced arm in Carlos Carrasco.

Carrasco missed the Indians’ 2016 World Series run due to a fractured the fifth metacarpal bone but has made two career postseason starts in which he has posted a stellar 1.64 ERA in 11 innings of work with 10 strikeouts and just four walks.

The 33-year-old’s 2020 season got off to a rough start, but he has started to settle in of late as he’s lowered his season ERA to 2.90 after seeing it north of four earlier in the season.

While Carrasco would make the most sense in a Game 3 for the Indians, they’ll also have options if he seems to be off his game early.

As long as they’re not used in the first two games of the series, Aaron Civale and Triston McKenzie who both have had strong seasons’ should be available out of relief and with the season on the line, there’s even a chance the Indians could go to Bieber for an inning of relief.

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

In a win or go home game, however, the Indians need to give the ball to someone who has experienced postseason play and in this case, Cleveland can give to a veteran who has excelled in October.