Indians Start 4 Game AL Central Showdown

The Cleveland Indians will be in Minnesota this weekend for a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins. Cleveland just split a brief-two game series with the Chicago Cubs, and the Twins recently had their five-game winning streak snapped.

The Indians will come into this series with a record of 40-31, and they remain just 2.5 games out of first place in the American League Central Division. Minnesota has gone just 31-42 on the year, but they are starting to turn things around, it appears.

Cleveland has actually played winning baseball on the road this season, posting a 20-18 record away from Progressive Field. The Twins have managed to go just 15-22 at home, and that is a big reason that the overall record is where it is at.

This is already the third series of the season between the AL Central rivals, but the last time the teams met was on May 23. A lot has changed for both teams since then, but the Indians have managed to continue winning games.

Pitching Key For Tribe

Starting pitching is starting to become a real issue for the Indians, as they will be without Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale for the next few weeks. That means that four Indians starters this series have combined to go just 2-6 on the season.

The Indians still have a team ERA of 4.15, which is right at the league average. The bullpen has been a weapon for the Tribe, and getting an early lead will be a big key throughout this series.

Jose Ramirez continues to be the biggest bat in the Indians lineup, leading the way with 16 home runs and 44 RBIs. Ramirez has been scuffling a bit of late, and this would be a great weekend for another player to break out.

Twins Can Score Some Runs

The Twins are a top-10 offense team this season in terms of runs scored, and there are some big bats in the middle of that lineup. Veteran Nelson Cruz leads the way with a .306 average to go along with 16 home runs and 38 RBIs.

Minnesota had been getting great work from its bullpen over the last few weeks, but that unit imploded in their most recent game on Tuesday. The Twins will have Jose Berrios on the mound in the series opener, and that’s not a good thing for the Indians.

Cleveland Must Win Two

Even though the Indians have a much better record over the Twins, playing an AL Central Division rival is never easy. These teams have split the first six games so far this season, and the Indians need to find a way to steal at least two games this weekend.

Minnesota is playing its best baseball of the season, and the Indians come into this series without their two best pitchers. The Tribe will have its work cut out for them in Minnesota, but this team has continued to find ways to win games all season long.