The Cleveland Indians continue thier home stand with a short two-game series against the Miami Marlins.

The Cleveland Indians will look to turn things around in their second consecutive series against a National League East opponent, the Miami Marlins. Cleveland’s series against Atlanta did not go to well due to the bullpen implosion and lackluster start from Shane Bieber on Sunday night. Luckily they take on a last place Marlins team which should give the Indians a more than fair shot.

Game 1: April 23 6:10 P.M. – Carlos Carrasco (2-2) versus Pablo Lopez (1-3)

Game 1 features two starters who currently have high ERA’s. Carlos Carrasco’s ERA is still over seven and Pablo Lopez has an ERA just under six. Neither are optimal and both pitchers will look to improve upon their rough starts to the 2019 season.

Carlos Carrasco has only faced a couple of Marlins batters in the past, but most of this was when they were on American League teams. Curtis Granderson is 6-14 with two home runs, a double and four runs driven in. Granderson is the only Miami hitter with a positive track record in a large sample size. Although Starlin Castro is 1-2, but that is not enough information to base anything off of. Neil Walker is 0-3 off Cookie and Martin Prado is 1-6.

There are only two batters in the Indians lineup who have faced Lopez previously. Jake Bauers is 0-3 while Carlos Santana is 1-2. Lopez has not gotten very deep into games, his longest start being 5.1 innings. Lopez has shown previously that he is susceptible to giving up runs and Cleveland will need to take advantage of that.

Game 2: April 24 1:10 P.M. – TBA versus Sandy Alcantara (1-2)

The Indians are yet to announce their starter for the second and final game of this series. This could mean a spot start for someone from AAA to keep the rotation intact for the upcoming four-game series with Houston.

Miami will send Sandy Alcantara to the mound in hopes he can turnaround a two start losing streak. Like Lopez, only two Indians batters have face Alcantara before. Kevin Plawecki is 0-1 with two walks and Carlos Santana is 1-2 with a walk. Also like Lopez, Alcantara has been hit hard by good offenses. While Cleveland is yet to live up to expectations at the plate, this series could prove to be a catalyst for an offense that desperate needs to get things going.

Fresh off a sweep of the Seattle Mariners, the Cleveland Indians return home for a three game series with the Atlanta Braves.

This series features two teams coming off opposite ends of sweeps. The Cleveland Indians swept the Seattle Mariners while the Atlanta Braves were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cleveland will look to continue their winning ways against Atlanta who is looking to turn things around on the road. Atlanta’s starters have been flipped for Saturday’s doubleheader. Julio Teheran will start Game 1 while Touki Toussaint will start Game 2.

Game 1: April 20 4:10 P.M. – Corey Kluber (1-2) versus Julio Teheran (2-1)

Due to rain the first game of the series has been postponed and will be part of a traditional doubleheader Saturday.

The first game of the series features Corey Kluber on the bump for the Indians with Julio Teheran taking the hill for Atlanta.

There are a handful of Indians players who have faced Julio Teheran before and the results are not good. Carlos Gonzalez is 1-17 with three strikeouts. Leonys Martin is 0-4. Kevin Plawecki is 1-13 with five strikeouts. Hanley Ramirez is 0-4 with two strikeouts. Carlos Santana is 1-9 with two strikeouts, but has walked twice. Hopefully Cleveland will be able to turn things around in this matchup against a pitcher that has given up a fair share of runs to start the season.

There is only one player in the Braves lineup with an extensive track record against Corey Kluber. This also a person who spent a brief period of time with the Indians last season. Josh Donaldson. Donaldson is 7-19 lifetime against Kluber with one home run and five runs driven in. Corey Kluber will have to bounce back from his last start, a rough outing against Kansas City, to come away with a win Friday. Atlanta is capable of doing damage and Kluber will need to limit that as best as he can.

Game 2: April 20 TBD – Trevor Bauer (2-1) versus Touki Toussaint (1-0)

This is the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader that will take place after the postponed first game.

Trevor Bauer looks to continue his strong start to the season in the second game of the series. Bauer has been absolutely dominant on the mound this year. Atlanta will provide a tough test for Bauer as some members of the Braves have had previous success against him. Josh Donaldson is 2-7 with a double and three RBI’s. Tyler Flowers is 4-9 with a double and a homer. Freddie Freeman is 3-5 with two doubles. Brian McCann is 5-19 with a double and two home runs.

Touki Toussaint is fresh off his 2019 debut against the New York Mets. An outing which saw Toussaint allow four hits over six innings and get the win. Cleveland will need to limit the strikeouts against Toussiant, who had seven against the Mets.

Game 3: April 21 7:00 P.M. – Shane Bieber (2-0) versus Max Fried (2-0)

The final game of the series is in primetime, Sunday Night Baseball and the pitching matchup could not be better. Two young pitchers who have pitched extremely well to start the season in Shane Bieber and Max Fried. Bieber and Fried have both been lights out thus far and will look to keep on rolling while the bright lights shine.

In Bieber’s three starts he has only allowed three runs in 19 innings while striking out 20. In Fried’s three starts he has only allowed two runs in 18 while striking out 12. The two runs that Fried allowed came in his last start against Arizona.

Both pitchers have been stingy to start the year and this could end up being a pitcher’s duel. The first team to score may end up winning the game. Of course that all depends on whether Bieber and Fried can continue their dominant starts and not have a bad outing.

After being the victims of a three-game sweep in Kansas City, the Cleveland Indians are traveling to Seattle to take on the Mariners.

The Cleveland Indians are desperate for a rebound performance after dropping three straight games to the still last place Kansas City Royals. Heading to Seattle may not be the best matchup currently as the Mariners offense has been on fire to start the season. Seattle continues to clobber home runs and the question is not if they will hit a home run, it is just how many home runs will they hit? Cleveland will need to shut down the Mariners offense if they want a chance to win a game this series.

Game 1: April 15 10:10 P.M. – Trevor Bauer (1-1) versus Yusei Kikuchi (0-0)

The Cleveland Indians will get their first shot at Yusei Kikuchi. Kikuchi has pitched fairly well in his first four MLB starts. In 21.2 innings Kikuchi has an ERA of 4.15 and 15 strikeouts. Kikuchi has gotten a lot of outs via ground balls and fly balls. The Indians will to make sure they do not swing at his pitch and wait for their pitch. If that does not happen it could be another long night for Cleveland.

There are two batters in the Seattle lineup with a good track record against Trevor Bauer. Kyle Seager is 8-20 with one home run and six RBI’s. Ryon Healy is 4-11 with one double and four runs batted in. Bauer has had success against others in the Mariners lineup. Edwin Encarnacion is 1-8, Jay Bruce is 1-6, Dee Gordon is 0-8 and Omar Narvaez is 1-10. Bauer has shut down these hitters before, but will need to pitch to near perfection to continue his previous success against a current hot-hitting lineup.

Game 2: April 16 10:10 P.M. – Shane Bieber (1-0) versus Mike Leake (2-0)

Shane Bieber looks to continue his strong start in the second game of the series. Through three games Bieber has allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out 17 batters. While Bieber is performing well his past track record of pounding the strike zone could prove problematic against the Mariners lineup. Seattle is swinging away and punishing opposing pitchers. Bieber will need to make sure he does not leave anything in the middle of the zone, because if he does it will end up over the fence.

The Indians do have some successful at-bats against Mike Leake in the past. Leonys Martin is 4-8, Jose Ramirez is 3-10 with a home run and Hanley Ramirez is 6-12 with a home run and six RBI’s. Jose and Hanley Ramirez are the only two with home runs against Leake. The only other Indians batter with an extra-base hit is Jason Kipnis who is 6-24 in his career against Leake. Cleveland will need to string together some hits against Leake in order to come out victorious Tuesday.

Game 3: April 17 6:40 P.M. – Carlos Carrasco (1-2) versus TBA

The Mariners are yet to name their starter for the final game of the series while Carlos Carrasco takes the mound for the Tribe. The Indians starter has endured a rough and inconsistent start to the year. Carrasco pitched well against Toronto, allowing two runs on two hits in five innings while striking out 12. The other five innings with Carrasco on the mound have been a disaster. Allowing 12 runs on 16 hits with only five strikeouts. It is worth noting that both of Carrasco’s poor starts have been on the road while his good start against Toronto was at home. If this trend continues it could be a rough start for Cookie.

Some Mariners hitters have taken advantage of Carrasco in the past. Jay Bruce has two home runs in nine at-bats. Mitch Haniger is 2-5 with a home run and Ryon Healy is 4-12 with a home run. Kyle Seager also has a home run in 16 at-bats against Carrasco. Carrasco will need to avoid the long ball in order to win Wednesday. Against a lineup that is absolutely mashing right now that is easier said than done.

The first place Cleveland Indians continue their road trip and travel to Kansas City to take on the Royals for a three game weekend series.

Cleveland will travel to Kansas City fresh off a series win against Detroit. The Indians currently sit at 8-4 and atop the American League Central. Through 12 games the Royals are averaging 4.5 runs per game while the Indians are averaging 3.6. Neither offense has performed well thus far, but both will look to turn things around this weekend.

Game 1: April 12 8:15 P.M. – Carlos Carrasco (1-1) versus Brad Keller (1-1)

The first game of the series features two pitchers with 1-1 records. A lack of run support has cost Brad Keller the chance to win while a bad first outing has inflated Carlos Carrasco’s numbers.

Historically Carlos Carrasco has dominated the Royals. The only player with success against Cookie is Whit Merrifield. Merrifield is 7-17 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and four RBI’s. Outside of Merrifield the Royals are 15-86 against Carrasco with 29 strikeouts.

The Indians do not have a lot of history against Brad Keller, so it is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to results. Greg Allen is 2-3, Jose Ramirez is 1-3, Jordan Luplow is 0-3 and Hanley Ramirez is 0-2. Leonys Martin, Roberto Perez and Brad Miller are all 0-1. Cleveland will need to be patient against Keller who has walked seven batters in his last two starts.

Game 2: April 13 7:15 P.M – Jefry Rodriguez (0-0) versus Homer Bailey (0-1)

The Indians called up Jefry Rodriguez for a spot start due to the injury to Mike Clevinger. Rodriguez is expected to be sent down after the start and the Indians will go with a four man rotation in the short-term. Appearing in 14 games with the Nationals last year, Rodriguez did not exactly pitch well. Rodriguez averaged 7.4 hits allowed, 6.8 strikeouts, 6.4 walks and 1.4 home runs per nine innings. Hopefully facing a lackluster Royals offense will be beneficial to Rodriguez.

Only a handful of players have faced Homer Bailey in a large enough sample size. Kevin Plawecki is 3-8 with four RBI’s against Bailey. All three hits are extra-base hits, two home runs and a double. Hanley Ramirez is 5-21, also with two home runs, a double and four runs batted in. Carlos Santana has two hits in 13 at-bats, one of which was a double. Jose Ramirez has two hits in six at-bats against Bailey. One of his two hits was also of the extra-base variety, a home run. Greg Allen also has one hit in three at-bats against the Royals starter. Jordan Luplow and Max Moroff are a combined 0-5 against Homer Bailey.

Game 3: April 14 2:15 P.M. – Corey Kluber (1-2) versus Jakob Junis (1-1)

The Cleveland Indians got exactly what they needed out of Corey Kluber in his last start. Kluber will look to build upon that when facing Kansas City Sunday. Historically Kluber has shut down Kansas City. Lucas Duda leads the Royals in batting average against Kluber. With a .313 average in 16 at-bats, Duda also has one home run against the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Whit Merrifield is 8-33 with one double, one home run and five RBI’s while striking out four times. Alex Gordon is 8-56 with two doubles, two home runs, six runs batted in and 22 strikeouts.

The Indians get a favorable matchup against Jakob Junis. Junis has struggled against Cleveland in the past and could continue on Sunday. Leonys Martin is 3-10 with a double. Jose Ramirez is 5-13 with two doubles and two walks. Carlos Santana is 3-4, Brad Miller is 1-4 and Tyler Naquin is 1-2. The only three Indians batters who are hitless against Junis are Greg Allen (0-4), Hanley Ramirez (0-3) and Roberto Perez (0-1). Cleveland should be able to get to Junis in the final game of the series.

The 6-3 Cleveland Indians travel to Detroit to take on the current American League Central leading 7-2 Tigers in a three game series beginning April 9.

It is a battle for first place in the American League Central between the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers. Currently Detroit is leading the division but the Tribe are hot not their tail.

Game 1: April 9 1:10 P.M. – Corey Kluber (0-2) versus Jordan Zimmermann (0-0)

The first game in the series features two pitchers who have gotten off to two entirely different starts. Corey Kluber has struggled to start the year while Jordan Zimmermann has pitched well. Past performance dictates that both of these trends will reverse sooner rather than later. Later could be this week in Detroit.

There are two batters in the Tigers lineup that have given Kluber trouble over the years. Miguel Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos. Cabrera having success is not surprise, he has pretty much punished everyone over the course of his career. Cabrera is a .365 hitter against Kluber in 65 at-bats with three doubles, six home runs and 12 runs batted in. Castellanos is 12-45 with two doubles and two RBI’s. Jeimer Candelario has struggled against Kluber going 1-12 and Gordon Beckham is 1-13.

The Indians feature three batters who have absolutely lit up Jordan Zimmerman. Jose Ramirez is 5-10 with two triples, a home run and five RBI’s. Hanley Ramirez is 10-28 with two doubles, a home run and six runs batted in. Carlos Santana is 3-10 with two doubles, a home run and two RBI’s. The first game will come down to whether each pitcher can limit the batter’s that have had success against him previously.

Game 2: April 10 1:10 P.M. – Trevor Bauer (1-0) versus Matthew Boyd (0-1)

In a similar trend of Detroit’s Jordan Zimmermann, Trevor Bauer has had a fantastic start to the year. The difference here is that it is more likely that Bauer continues his performance on the mound. Another similar theme is that Miguel Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos are the only Detroit batters that give Bauer trouble. Cabrera is 10-29 with two doubles and a home run while Castellanos 10-37 with three doubles and a home run. Jeimer Candelario has also struggled against Bauer, going 0-11.

Of the Indians batters due to be in the lineup Wednesday, only a few have had any sort of success against Matthew Boyd. Jose Ramirez is 5-18 with a triple, a homer and one run batted in. Hanley Ramirez is 2-3 with a home run. Outside of that there is not a lot of previous success. Carlos Santana is 1-13 with a double. Tyler Naquin is 0-1 and Jake Bauers is 0-3. Cleveland will need players to step up and take advantage of a pitcher susceptible to getting beat.

Game 3: April 11 1;10 P.M. – Shane Bieber (0-0) versus Spencer Turnbull (0-0)

The third and final game of the series features two pitchers with not a lot of past history against either team. Overall Shane Bieber struggled against Detroit, but the sample size is quite small. Jeimer Candelario and Nicholas Castellanos both have the most at-bats against Bieber with six. Candelario and Castellanos went 2-6 and 1-6 against Bieber respectively. While as a rookie Bieber may have been too focused on just throwing strikes, this season Bieber appears ready to strike out more batters. The previous focus on throwing strikes led to the occasional poor performance, giving up a lot of hits and/or runs. Perhaps his new approach will bring him success against the Tigers Thursday.

Detroit’s starter Spencer Turnbull has only faced two Indians batters in his career, Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor. Kipnis is currently on a rehab assignment with Columbus with no timetable for his return and Lindor is out for a few more weeks. Turnbull has started two games this season and given up 10 hits and five runs combined. Turnbull has also walked four batters in 11 innings. The Indians will need to be patient against a pitcher who has a career ERA over 5 and make sure to get good pitches to hit. If they can do that there is not a reason that they cannot come out victorious.

After splitting their first home series of the year with the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Indians (2-3) are set for a four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays (3-4).

Game 1: April 4 6:10 P.M. – Trevor Bauer (0-0) versus Aaron Sanchez (1-0)

The first game of the series pits Trevor Bauer against Aaron Sanchez. Bauer is not yet in the win column while Sanchez is 1-0 on the year. Trevor Bauer has some mixed results in a very small sample size. Brandon Drury, Freddy Galvis and Luke Maile are all 1-2, although Galvis does have a home run against Bauer. Justin Smoak is 3-9 with three RBI’s and Devon Travis is an unimpressive 2-13 with one home run.

Aaron Sanchez has shut down Indians hitters in the past quite well. Jose Ramirez is the only Indians hitter with a successful track record against Sanchez. Jose Ramirez is 2-5 with a run batted in. Jake Bauers, Leonys Martin, Brad Miller, Tyler Naquin, Roberto Perez, Hanley Ramirez and Carlos Santana are a combined 6-47. Cleveland will have a tough time getting hits and scoring runs in the opening game against Toronto.

Game 2: April 5 7:10 P.M. – Shane Bieber (0-0) versus Trent Thornton (0-0)

The second game of the series features two young pitchers in Shane Bieber (23) and Trent Thornton (25). Shane Bieber has only pitched two five Blue Jays batters in the past and things did not go well. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernandez, Billy McKinney and Devon Travis are all 1-3 off Bieber. Rowdy Tellez is 2-3 with two doubles. Bieber will have to a better job in this start against Toronto in order to come away with a win.

The Indians batters have never faced Thornton before so there could be a learning curve on both ends. Cleveland could get plenty of hits or be completely shut down. In Thornton’s first start of the year he went five innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight. Cleveland will need to keep the strikeouts down against someone who is capable of racking them up.

Game 3: April 6 4:10 P.M. – Carlos Carrasco (0-1) versus TBA

Toronto is yet to name their starter for Saturday’s game, but Cleveland knows who they will go with. Carlos Carrasco gets the chance to redeem himself after a disastrous first start of the year in which he allowed six runs in 4.1 innings against Minnesota.

Carlos Carrasco has pitched well against Toronto in the past. Justin Smoak is 1-11 off of Carrasco and has struck out eight times. Alen Hanson, Teoscar Hernandez and Dalton Pompey are all 0-3. Randal Grichuk and Billy McKinney are both 1-4. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is 2-7 with four strikeouts. The only Blue Jays hitters with any sort of success comes in a rather small sample size. Rowdy Tellez is 2-3 with two doubles while Devon Travis and Richard Urena are both 1-3.

Game 4: April 7 1:10 P.M. – Mike Clevinger (0-0) versus Marcus Stroman (0-1)

The fourth and final game of the series will have Mike Clevinger and Macrus Stroman on the mound. The Indians right hander nicknamed “Sunshine” has been absolutely dominant against Toronto. Randal Grichuk is 0-4 with three strikeouts. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has struck out in both of his at-bats against Clevinger. Billy McKinney and Rowdy Tellez are both 0-3 and Devon Travis is 0-1. Justin Smoak and Teoscar Hernandez are the only batters with a hit against Clevinger. Smoak has a home run in two at-bats and has driven in three. Hernandez’ only hit is a double.

The Indians do not have a whole lot of success when it comes to facing Marcus Stroman. Brad Miller is 5-26, although he does have a triple and has three RBI’s. Jose Ramirez is 3-15 and has gotten on base with a walk twice. Jake Bauers (0-3), Leonys Martin (0-6) and Roberto Perez (0-4) are all hitless against Stroman. Carlos Santana is 4-14 with two doubles and one walk. Hanley Ramirez is 4-16 with two doubles and has driven in three runs against Stroman. The biggest surprise of all is that Tyler Naquin has four hits in nine at-bats when facing Stroman. Cleveland will have to hope that other batters are able to get hits, because if the past repeats itself it will be a long day for the Tribe.

The Cleveland Indians return home from a rough start in Minnesota and will take on the Chicago White Sox in a two game series.

The season is not off to a great start for the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland only managed to win one game while in Minnesota. The offense struggled and at times appeared non-existent. Cleveland finished their series with the Twins with only 12 hits and five runs while striking out 39 times. The good news is that with the exception of Carlos Carrasco’s start on Sunday, the pitching staff performed well overall.

Game 1: April 1 4:00 P.M. Mike Clevinger versus Ivan Nova

Mike Clevinger gets the nod for the Indians home opener and he will face a White Sox lineup that he has fared well against in the past. Tim Anderson, Adam Engel, Yoan Moncada, Daniel Palka, Jose Rondon and Yolmer Sanchez are a combined 6-50 against Clevinger. Although there are others in the White Sox lineup who have previous success against Clevinger. Jose Abreu is 5-18 lifetime with two home runs and four RBI’s. Jon Jay is 4-6 with one double, one triple and one run batted in.

Cleveland’s hitters have not faced Ivan Nova all that much. That being said, when they have faced Nova they have performed quite well. Leonys Martin is 4-10. Brad Miller is 2-5 with a double and a triple. Tyler Naquin’s only hit in two at-bats against Nova is a home run. Hanley Ramirez is 2-4 with a home run. Carlos Santana is 4-10 with two doubles and one home run. Things should go much better for the Tribe offense when compared to their lackluster showing against the Twins to start the year.

Game 2: April 3 1:10 P.M. – Corey Kluber versus Carlos Rodon

The second and final game of the series has Corey Kluber facing Carlos Rodon. Kluber has absolutely dominated the White Sox in his career. The only White Sox hitter with any success against Kluber is Jose Abreu. Abreu is 16-50 with three doubles, five home runs and 12 RBI’s. The rest of Chicago’s lineup is a combined 23-151 against Kluber. It is more than safe to say that Kluber does not have a problem when facing the White Sox.

The unfortunate thing for the Indians when they face Carlos Rodon is that the only players with home runs against him will not be active (Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis). The only players with a good track record in a large enough sample size against Rodon are Carlos Santana and Jose Ramirez. Santana is 7-21 with two doubles while Ramirez is 7-28 with two doubles, a triple and three RBI’s. Greg Allen, Jake Bauers, Brad Miller and Hanley Ramirez are all hitless in their career when facing Rodon. This game could very well end up like the first two games of the Minnesota series. Low-scoring and not a lot of hits.

The Cleveland Indians travel to Minnesota from March 28-31 to take on the Twins in their first series of the 2019 MLB season.

It is finally here, the first series of the season for the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe will take on the Twins in a three game series over the course of four days. The Indians will be without the services of Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis for this series and possibly several afterwards.

Game 1: March 28 4:10 P.M. – Corey Kluber versus Jose Berrios

The series opener pits Corey Kluber against up and comer Jose Berrios. Twins newcomers Marwin Gonzalez and Nelson Cruz have given Kluber trouble in the past. In 20 at-bats Gonzalez is batting .450 against Kluber with two home runs and six runs batted in. In 29 at-bats Cruz has three doubles and two home runs against Kluber. Eddie Rosario has also got the best of Kluber previously, hitting .280 in 25 at-bats with two doubles and a homer.

The Indians have had mixed results against Jose Berrios. Carlos Santana is 4-9 with a triple and a home run. Santana has also driven in three runs against Berrios. Brad Miller is the only other Indians batter with a home run against Berrios. Others have struggled previously. Roberto Perez is hitless in five at-bats, Leonys Martin has one hit in six at-bats and Jake Bauers does not have a hit in two at-bats. Cleveland will have to hope they can either outperform their previous history against Berrios or get to the Twins bullpen to come away with a victory on Opening Day.

Game 2: March 30 2:10 P.M. – Trevor Bauer versus Jake Odorizzi

The second game of the season pits Trevor Bauer against Jake Odorizzi. Bauer has struggled against the Twins batters in his career. Nelson Cruz is 7-12 with a homer and three RBI’s. While uncertain to start the year, Jorge Polanco has taken Bauer deep three times in 20 at-bats. Eddie Rosario is hitting .333 with two home runs and nine RBI’s against Bauer. Jonathan Schoop has driven in four runs on six hits in 11 at-bats.

The good news for the Indians is that their batters have also had their way with Jake Odorizzi in the past. Leonys Martin is 4-13 with three RBI’s and Jose Ramirez is 4-15 with two solo home runs. Although a limited sample, Jake Bauers is 2-3 with a home run against Odorizzi. Carlos Santana only has one hit in seven at-bats against Odorizzi, a home run.

Game 3: March 31 2:10 P.M. – Carlos Carrasco versus Michael Pineda

The final game of the series has Carlos “Cookie” Carrasco taking on Michael Pineda. Four batters have given Carrasco trouble over the years. Nelson Cruz is 7-22 with two homers and four RBI’s. Jorge Polanco has six hits in 15 at-bats against Cookie. Eddie Rosario is batting .333 in 24 at-bats against Carrasco, this includes two doubles, one home run and two runs driven in. Jason Castro is also another Twins hitter who has had previous success against Carrasco, with six hits in 20 at-bats.

There is only one batter in the Indians lineup with extensive history against Michael Pineda and that is Brad Miller. The good news is that Miller absolutely rakes against Pineda. Miller has seven hits in 23 at-bats including two doubles, two triples and one home run. Miller has also driven in four runs against Pineda. In smaller sample sizes the Indians have had some success, but it is not enough to look into all that much. Leonys Martin is 2-5, Jose Ramirez is 2-3 and Carlos Santana is 1-3.

The injury-plagued Indians will have their hands full over their first three games of the season. Minnesota has had some success against the Indians starting pitchers while Cleveland has had some mixed results overall. It will truly take a team effort to come out with a winning record after the opening series of the season.