Leave it to the Cleveland Indians to follow up an embarrassing 11-0 loss on Friday with an equally embarrassing 12-5 loss on Saturday. The Tribe will have a shot at redemption on Sunday when they close the three-game series with the Minnesota Twins against Brian Duensing. The Indians would have had to face off against Francisco Liriano but he was shipped off to the Chicago White Sox in a trade after the game. In terms of career, Liriano's can best be compared to the Indians' Roberto Hernandez sans the hiccup for identity fraud.
After an unbelievably exciting series against the Detroit Tigers, the Tribe has been grossly underwhelming against the Twins. It leaves fans to wonder if they should call it a season and enjoy the games for what they are or continue to believe they have a shot at the postseason this year. I suppose anything can happen--just look at the fall of the Boston Red Sox last year.
The matchup:
The Cleveland Indians will take on the Minnesota Twins at Target Field located in Minneapolis, Minn. on Sunday, July 29, 2012 at 2:10 p.m. EDT.
Ubaldo Jimenez (8-9, 4.97 ERA) will take the mound for the Indians facing off against the Twins' Brian Duensing (1-6, 4.86 ERA).
The standings:
Cleveland enters the game with a 50-51 record and in third place in the American League Central. They are 23-26 when playing on the road and have won three of their last 10 games.
Minnesota comes into the matchup with a 42-58 record and in fourth place in the American League Central. They are 21-30 when playing at home and have won four of their last 10 games.
The series:
The season series is currently stands at 4-3 in favor of the Twins.
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- .295 batting average, Shin-Soo Choo/Asdrubal Cabrera- 12 home runs, Jason Kipnis- 56 runs batted in.
Minnesota: Joe Mauer- .331 batting average, Josh Willingham- 27 home runs, Josh Willingham- 78 runs batted in.
More Cleveland Indians Commentary from Paul Rados:
Cleveland Indians begin to disappoint on the field and off: A fan's take
Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins, July 28, 2012: Fan Preview
Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins, July 27, 2012: Fan Preview
Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians, July 26, 2012: Fan Preview
Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians, July 25, 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.
