Indians Head to Chicago for Short Series Against Cubs

The Cleveland Indians are in Chicago to begin this week, but they won’t be dealing with the White Sox this time around. Instead, Cleveland will visit the Northside of Chicago and will face the Cubs for a brief two-game series.

The Indians hosted the Cubs earlier this season at Progressive Field, and they swept the brief two-game series. Chicago will be looking for some revenge this time around, and the Cubs have gone 25-12 at home this season.

Cleveland remains in second place in the AL Central, but they continue to keep the pressure on the Chicago White Sox. The Indians enter play on Monday night with a record of 39-30 and are just 2.5 games out of first place.

The Cubs come into Monday night with a 40-32 record, but they have really struggled of late. Chicago is currently in a first-place tie with the Milwaukee Brewers atop the NL Central Division.

Game 1: Aaron Civale vs. Adbert Alzolay

The Cubs are -145 in the first game of the series on Monday night, but this might actually be the best chance for Cleveland to get a win. The Indians will send Aaron Civale to the mound, and he will take on Adbert Alzolay of the Cubs.

Civale could be an All-Star this season as he is 10-2 with a sub-3.50 ERA. The Cubs don’t have much experience against Civale, and that should give him another big advantage.

Alzolay has been out of the rotation with a blister on his pitching hand, and it’s hard to know what to expect from the right-hander. He did pitch well against the Indians earlier this season but also took a loss.

Game 2: Eli Morgan vs. Kyle Hendricks

The betting lines are not yet out for game two of the series, but the Cubs will be favored in this one as well. Kyle Hendricks starts for the Cubs, and he is the ace of that pitching staff.

Hendricks is 9-4 with a 4.13 earned run average, but he has been pitching extremely well of late. He has a history of pitching well against the Indians, dating back to the 2016 World Series.

Eli Morgan starts for Cleveland, and he is looking to turn things around. Morgan is 0-1 with a 12.79 ERA, and he will likely be heading back down to AAA when Shane Bieber returns.

Indians Will Have to Score

If Cleveland is going to win any games this week, then they are going to have to score some runs. Jose Ramirez continues to lead the way with 16 home runs and 44 RBIs, but he needs some help.

Cleveland is below league average in a number of offensive categories, and that has to improve as the season moves along. The Cubs have not been hitting well lately, but this team still has plenty of talent.

Javier Baez and Kris Bryant are the two top hitters for the Cubs, and the Indians pitching staff will have to find a way to get them out.