At this point it is difficult to determine what is going on with the Cleveland Indians. They teeter on the brink of self-destruction yet still are managing to keep themselves in the playoff race. The problem is if they keep playing the caliber of baseball they have, fans will be saying, "we always have next year" sooner rather than later.
Cleveland's best chance at victory in this series comes on Sunday, July 22 as Josh Tomlin takes the mound against Zach Britton. Britton is still trying to recover from a shoulder injury and is not pitching at the caliber he was last season. He struggled in his first start of the season a few days ago against the Minnesota Twins leaving the Tribe to hope he still doesn't have all his stuff back.
It has been an ugly series thus far with the team resorting to promotions such as back-to-back fireworks shows and a replica jersey giveaway on Sunday to lure in the fans. Entertainment has not been happening on the field lately leaving something needing to be done to appease the masses. Lets just hope it will soon be team drawing in the fans again and not the food and parking discounts that were recently announced.
The matchup:
The Cleveland Indians will take on the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field located in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, July 22, 2012 at 3:05 p.m. EDT.
Josh Tomlin (5-6, 5.51 ERA) will take the mound for the Indians facing off against the Orioles' Zach Britton (0-0, 9.00 ERA).
The standings:
Cleveland enters the game with a 47-47 record and in third place in the American League Central. They are 24-23 when playing at home and have won three of their last 10 games.
Baltimore comes into the matchup with a 50-44 record and in second place in the American League East. They are 27-22 when playing on the road and have won five of their last 10 games.
The series:
The season series is currently stands at 3-3.
Where to watch or listen:
In Cleveland: Television- STO, Radio- WTAM, Indians Radio Network.
Nationwide: Television and Radio via MLB.TV (Television blackouts apply in Cleveland market).
The batting statistic leaders:
Cleveland: Shin-Soo Choo- .267 batting average, Asdrubal Cabrera- 12 home runs, Jason Kipnis- 53 runs batted in.
Baltimore: Adam Jones- .291 batting average, Adam Jones- 22 home runs, Adam Jones- 50 runs batted in.
More Cleveland Indians Commentary from Paul Rados:
Roberto Hernandez saga coming to a close for the Cleveland Indians: A fan's reaction
Baltimore Orioles at Cleveland Indians, July 21, 2012: Fan Preview
Baltimore Orioles at Cleveland Indians, July 20, 2012: Fan Preview
Should the Cleveland Indians be sellers at the trade deadline? Fan View
Cleveland Indians at Tampa Bay Rays, July 19, 2012: Fan Preview
Sources:
All statistics provided by MLB.com
Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Indians fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook.
