Tag Archives: Shane Bieber

Cleveland Baseball Club to host Royals to begin season

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cleveland Baseball Club is set to begin the 2020 season at home as they host the Kansas City Royals for a three game set.

It’s finally here, the 2020 MLB season is starting and the Cleveland Baseball Club are getting ready to face the Kansas City Royals at home. While the Royals do not figure to be the most competitive team, they are a club that can give even the best teams headaches. The top of their lineup has the ability to hit fairly well and has speed to burn. Adalberto Mondesi and Whit Merrifield combined for 63 stolen bases last season. Merrifield may be over 30 now, but he still has the ability to steal bases and force the pitcher to pay attention to him. Cleveland will have to be careful when either of these two get on base.

Cleveland’s pitching staff will feature Shane Bieber, Mike Clevvienger, and Carlos Carrasco when facing Kansas City. The Royals are slotted to start Danny Duffy and Brady Singer with their third pitcher TBA.

Duffy has been hit around a lot by Cleveland with a 5.48 ERA, 1.590 WHIP in 21 games (17 starts). There is the potential that Cleveland’s lineup could take advantage of him yet again on Friday night. There are plenty of switch-hitting and right-handed bats in the lineup that could add to the 13 home runs that Duffy has surrendered to Cleveland batters in the past.

Bieber does not have a great history when facing Kansas City (5.22 ERA and 1.466 WHIP in five games), but he is 3-0 in his career.

Clevinger has been absolutely dominant when facing the Royals. “Sunshine” has a 1.93 ERA and 1.031 in 13 appearances (12 starts) with a 9-0 record.

Carrasco has the most experience facing KC and he has been able to pitch fairly well in his 25 appearances (20 starts) with a 3.90 ERA, 1.243 WHIP, and a 11-7 record.

The games will take place at Progressive Field on the following dates and times.

Friday July 24 7:10 P.M.
Saturday July 25 5:10 P.M.
Sunday July 26 1:10 P.M.

Cleveland Baseball Club sets top of rotation

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cleveland Baseball Club has set the top of their rotation for the upcoming season, going with Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, and Carlos Carrasco.

There is a bit more clarity when it comes to the rotation for the Cleveland Baseball Club. Zack Meisel of The Athletic has reported who will be in the top of the rotation and the order.

Terry Francona has decided to go with Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, and Carlos Carrasco for the first three spots in the rotation. Meisel also noted that the team is yet to decide whether they will go with a five or six man rotation.

Tito is sticking with Shane Bieber as his Opening Day starter. Bieber was given the nod back in March shortly after the injury to Mike Clevinger and Fracona has decided to stick with his previous decision.

The 1-2 punch of Bieber and Clevinger is one of the best in baseball. The duo of Bieber and Clevinger have the ability to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league. Carlos Carrasco going third is not a bad third option at all. Carrasco has shown the ability to be an excellent and consistent pitcher in the past. A return to his 2014-2018 form would go a long way for Cleveland. Additionally, it would take pressure off the fourth, fifth, and possibly sixth spots in the rotation.

If Cleveland can just get something closely resembling that it would go quite a long way. It could mean that their first three starters could be one of the best going in baseball this season. A possibility that would make a world of difference in a 60-game sprint.

Indians bullpen can’t hold lead against A’s

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cleveland Indians bullpen were unable to keep the lead as they allowed 4 runs in the final 3 innings as they lost 7-6 to the Oakland Athletics. Normally this is not an issue as it is only Spring Training, but it is the relievers who struggled that make it quite alarming. 

Oliver Perez, Nick Wittgren, and Hunter Wood combined to allow five runs in 2.2 innings. Oakland collected five hits and walked once off of some key Indians relievers. While this is only one game, Tito could end up having to give these particular pitchers plenty of appearances this season. If they pitch anything remotely close to this it would make fans clamor for the days of Bryan Shaw. 

Now onto some good news. Shane Bieber pitched 4 innings to start the game and allowed only 2 hits and struck out 7. Bieber certainly proved why Terry Francona felt comfortable naming him the Opening Day Starter. 

The Indians had a good 2nd inning at the plate. Cleveland scored 4 runs in the inning. Mike Freeman drove in the first run with an RBI single. Daniel Johnson scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. Jordan Luplow hit a rare homer off a righty to give  Cleveland a four-run lead. Carlos Santana hit a two-run shot in the 6th inning to give the Tribe a 6-3 lead. 

The Indians will face the Cubs at 3:05 P.M. Saturday. This will be a split squad affair for Chicago.The other half of the team will face the Cincinnati Reds.

Shane Bieber named Indians Opening Day starter

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cleveland Indians have made it official, Shane Bieber is their Opening Day starter.

Bieber will be Cleveland’s youngest Opening Day starter since C.C. Sabathia per Sarah Langs.

This appeared more likely than not to be the case once Mike Clevinger went down with an injury. Clevinger was the only other pitcher who could have been given the nod to start the opener and is no longer available leaving Bieber as the only option. 

Now, let’s not downplay Shane Bieber and his pitching ability. The combo of Bieber and Clevinger is 1A and 1B. Whichever order they are in does not really matter, both are excellent pitchers and are clearly Cleveland’s best. At some point this season the duo of Bieber and Clevinger will help carry the Tribe’s pitching staff.

Bieber had a breakout season in 2019. Biebs went 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.054 WHIP in 214.1 innings pitched. This included 3 complete games and 2 shutouts. Bieber struck out 259 batters while only walking 40 in his 34 appearances in 2019. 

The Cleveland Indians are clearly in good hands with Shane Bieber starting Opening Day. The Tribe could get off on the right foot when they open the season at Progressive Field against the Detroit Tigers.

Indians top White Sox 10-2 in Goodyear

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cleveland Indians played their first home game of Spring Training and defeated the Chicago White Sox by a score of 10-2 in Goodyear.

Well this is nice little bounce back after Monday’s bullpen collapse. The Cleveland Indians were able to handle the Chicago White Sox fairly easily, winning by an eight run margin.

Hitters of note

Francisco Lindor was at the top of the order again, going 1-3 with a run scored in the first inning. It was the first of many runs for the Indians on the day.

Cesar Hernandez got a look at the second spot in the order due to Oscar Mercado receive the day off. Hernandez would go 0-2 with walk and a run scored.

Jose Ramirez is on absolute tear in Arizona. Jose went 2-3 with two runs scored.

Franmil Reyes continues his strong first Spring Training with the Indians, driving in two runs on an RBI double in the 2nd inning. This was one of two doubles on the day for Reyes.

Domingo Santana reached on a surprising infield single in the first inning, which gave Cleveland a 3-0 lead at the time. This was Domingo’s only hit of the day.

Indians top prospect Nolan Jones replaced Jordan Luplow in the game, giving him an opportunity to showcase his abilities. While he did not register a hit, he did walk twice which is to be expected. Jones walks quite often, 96 times in the minors last season. Jones has an excellent eye at the plate and this isa skill that should transition well when eventually makes it to the big leagues.

Pitchers of note

Shane Bieber got the start for the Tribe. Bieber pitched only one inning and did not allow a baserunner. Bieber picked up the win for his lone inning of work.

Brad Hand would come on after Bieber, walking one batter and striking out another.

An interesting 1.2 innings from Scott Moss followed. Moss struck out three batters but also allowed two hits and walked two others.

Chicago’s only runs of the day came off of Kyle Dowdy in the 7th inning. Dowdy allowed two hits and walked one batter on the day.

Cleveland will face the San Diego Padres Wednesday at 3:10 P.M.

Indians need to continue strong play

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cleveland Indians did what they had to do in Minnesota. Win the series. A series loss could have been trouble for the Tribe’s playoff hopes.

Indians got off to a strong start in a very crucial stretch. That being said their work is not done. Taking two out of three against the Twins is great but there is still a long road back. 

Starting Monday Cleveland will face the angels for three games. In their previous matchup the Indians have won all three games. The three game sweep came at an opportune time for the Tribe as they closed the gap on the Twins. Perhaps this series could provide a similar result.

Obviously the two names that the Cleveland pitching staff need to reduce the impact of are Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. That is easier said than done. Trout and Ohtani are both excellent hitters capable of taking even the best pitchers deep. 

Cleveland will have Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac and Adam Plutko pitch this series. All three can limit the Angels offense, they just have to do it. The Indians will need to do their part and score runs early and often in order to come away victorious.

A very important aspect of the series will be who will play third base. Mike Freeman and Yu Chang have been sharing duties although Freeman has been significantly more productive at the plate. It may be wise to give Freeman more time at third at this point in time considering that the Indians are still fighting their way back into the playoff discussion. 

Winning this series has to be the absolute minimum goal for the Tribe. A sweep would be great. A series loss simply cannot happen. Cleveland needs to get it together now and work on fighting their way back into the playoff discussion.

Indians take first place in AL Central

Posted on by
Advertisements

It took some time but the Cleveland Indians have ovetaken the Minnesota Twins for first place in the American League Central.

Remember when the Cleveland Indians were dead and should just give up on the season and immediate future? That no longer applies. After compiling the best record in baseball since June 1st (43-18), the Tribe are atop the American League Central. This is the first time since April 20th that Cleveland has been alone in first place.

One of the important things to look at in the AL Central is the record of the Minnesota Twins since June 1st. Minnesota is 32-39 over the same timeframe that the Indians have been the best team in baseball. Cleveland’s .705 winning percentage certainly shows just that. This shows the trajectory of both teams over a large enough length of time that shows it is more than a blip. Things are coming together for Cleveland while the same cannot be said for Minnesota.

Cleveland made the blockbuster trade of Trevor Bauer and acquired something they desperately needed, offense. The additions of Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes have certainly helped a team that lacked enough of a punch to compete with the best in baseball. Now adding in two power bats to a lineup that is finding their stride just makes this team that much better. These additions have also moved Jason Kipnis down in the lineup. A resurgent Kipnis only lengthens the Cleveland lineup and make them more difficult to face.

Indians offense is being picked up by Jose Ramirez

Jose Ramirez is finally back to being Jose Ramirez. Since June 1st Ramirez is slashing .283/.325/.554 with an OPS of .879. Ramirez has 20 doubles, 13 home runs and two triples while driving in 50 runs and even stealing 10 bases. The Indians offense tends to follow the trends of Jose Ramirez. Ramirez is on fire right now and so is the Cleveland offense.

The “other guys” have been the stars of the Indians pitching staff

Possibly the most unexpected thing about this run is that it is being done without Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco. Currently the top arms in the Indians rotation consist of Mike Clevinger, Zach Plesac, and Shane Bieber. These have been the big three for Cleveland as they have been able to fight back in the division without what were considered their aces coming into the season. This even includes the time when Trevor Bauer was still on the team. In starts by Clevinger, Plesac and Bieber Cleveland is an impressive 36-14. Even if they are not credited with a win, the team is still able to win.

The Indians schedule will certainly be tough in the coming weeks, facing the Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees, Cleveland will have their hands full. The good news is that the Cleveland certainly appears ready for the challenge.

Indians have a big test with Astros at home

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Houston Astros come to town and the surging Cleveland Indians will have quite the test to see just where they stand with the best teams in baseball.

The Cleveland Indians have the best record in baseball dating back in the month of July (17-5). Now the criticism that many have had with that they have faced some sub-par competition. Kansas City, Cincinnati, Detroit and Toronto are hardly world beaters. The only above .500 team they have faced is Minnesota and the Tribe dropped two out of three to start the second half. While it is easy to criticize the level of competition, the best teams in baseball always beat up on weaker competition and at worst keep things even with the best in the league. Cleveland has a chance to do that starting Tuesday at home against Houston.

The Indians have been getting quite the boost from Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor. Ramirez has homered in four straight games and has collected seven extra-base hits in the last seven games. Lindor has five extra-base hits over the same span, two home runs, two doubles and one triple. Oscar Mercado has also put on a show at the plate, slashing .313/.333/.531 with an OPS of .865. This includes his four hit performance in Saturday’s 9-1 victory over Kansas City. Mercado has four extra-base hits over the past seven games, two doubles, one triple and one home run.

Shane Bieber is the only Indians pitcher with a track record against Houston

Shane Bieber will be the Indians best starter against Houston. Bieber is starting Game 1 and will look to build upon his last start that saw him striking out 10 batters in a one-hit complete game shutout in Toronto. The Astros as a team have a slash line of .167/.286/.333/.619 against Bieber over 24 at-bats. Hopefully Bieber will be able to continue his previous success against Houston and get Cleveland back into the win column as they continue chase Minnesota in the division.

Adam Plutko takes the hill for Game 2 and does not have a past against Houston. The only player on the Astros roster who has faced him previously is Aledmys Diaz who did so while with Toronto. Diaz is 3-5 with one home run and one double. Plutko will need to limit the damage and keep the ball in the yard in order to come out victorious against Houston.

Zach Plesac will start Game 3 and he has never faced Houston before. The Indians have won four consecutive games that Plesac has started and he has only allowed six runs over 18.2 innings in that span. Plesac is on a roll but a team like Houston is more than capable of scoring runs early and often.

Shane Bieber dominates in Indians win

Posted on by
Advertisements

Cleveland Indians pitcher Shane Bieber only allowed one hit in a complete game shut out of the Toronto Blue Jays as the Tribe won 4-0.

Shane Bieber allowed only one hit in Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Toronto. Bieber carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Eric Sogard broke up the no-no with a ground-rule double to lead off the inning. While Bieber was unable to complete the first Indians no-hitter/perfect game since Len Barker’s perfect game in 1981, he was still able to finish off his dominant performances. Bieber struck out 10 batters, allowed one hit and walked one over his nine innings of work.

While Bieber was busy not he mound shutting down the Blue Jays, the offense took a little while to get going. The Indians finally got on the board in the fifth inning with Kevin Plawecki driving in Greg Allen with a double.

Oscar Mercado would hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth allowing Francisco Lindor to score and give the Tribe a little more of a cushion.

The ninth inning saw the Indians scoring two more runs. Jose Ramirez scored on a Jordan Luplow groundout and Greg Allen drove in Jake Bauers with an RBI single.

Jose Ramirez went 2-4 on the day as his hot hitting streak continues. Ramirez has collected a hit in 13 of the 16 games in July.

Speaking of hot hitting, Greg Allen is quite productive at the plate. Since returning from Triple-A Allen is slashing .500/.581/.769 with an OPS of 1.350. This is far from sustainable, but it has certainly helped the Indians while Tyler Naquin is sidelined with an injury.

The Cleveland Indians are now only two games back of the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. Cleveland also holds the first Wild Card spot at this moment in time. The Indians will take on the Kansas City Royals for a four game series starting Thursday.

Indians win sixth straight, top Royals 10-5

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cleveland Indians defeated the Kansas City Royals at home by a score of 10-5 en route to winning thier sixth straight game.

Six straight wins is nothing to scoff at. Especially considering they are still climbing their way back up in the standings. With their 10-5 win over the Kansas City Royals, the Cleveland Indians are now only three games back of the Minnesota Twins.

Shane Bieber got the start and things were a bit controversial in the first inning. A very weak balk call on Bieber allowed a run to score. The problem? It was not really a balk.

Bieber settled back in for a while before a single loaded the bases in the sixth. Nick Goody was not able to get out of the inning as Whit Merrifield hit a bases clearing triple to cut the Cleveland lead at the time to just one run. Bieber finished with five runs being charged to him over 5.2 innings. The issue for Bieber on Friday was walks. Bieber walked four batters in the contest compared to just striking six. Combine this with the seven hits allowed and it was not necessarily a good outing for Bieber, even though he does come away with the win.

Indians offense keeps on producing

After finding themselves down 2-1 in the third inning the Tribe got to work at the plate. Tyler Naquin hit a towering shot off the right field foul pole to give the Indians a 3-2 lead.

https://twitter.com/ThisIsIndians/status/1152371460939440128

After Francisco Lindor reached on a double, Oscar Mercado drove him in to make it 4-2. Mercado would later score on a Jose Ramirez ground out.

After the lead was cut to one in the sixth Oscar Mercado came up big again. Mercado singled allowing Naquin to score. This gave Cleveland a bit more room for error. Luckily the margin for error was not needed Friday.

Cleveland would score three more runs in the eighth inning. Greg Allen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Jose Ramirez came through with an RBI single and finally Jason Kipnis hit a sacrifice fly to give the Tribe their 10th run of the game.

Oscar Mercado finished the game with a 5-5 effort at the plate. Mercado is the first Indians rookie since Jason Kipnis in 2011 to finish with a five hit game and is only the 12th Indians rookie to accomplish this feat.

Oscar Mercado and Tyler Naquin are currently leading the Indians in batting average (among qualified players of course). This is a development that many did not expect and may be able the help them make that push in the division race.

Game 2 between the Indians at Royals takes place Saturday at 7:10 P.M.