The Cleveland Indians will look to make it two straight over the host Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday as they continue their three-game series. Cleveland has won all five meetings with Toronto this season, with the last two coming Tuesday and Wednesday.
Inching Closer
The Indians are 58-41 and in second place in the AL Central, three games behind the Twins. The Indians have been solid this season and are in a good spot to take over first place if they can get a run going. Cleveland will be on the road for this matchup where they are 26-20 so far this season. However, they are also favored in this game, where they are only 34-41 this year.
Cleveland has a team ERA of 3.83 this year with 933 strikeouts. Starting on the bump in this game will be right-hander Trevor Bauer, who currently leads the team with his 3.67 ERA, his nine wins, and 170 strikeouts. He has been great for them this season. He allowed three runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings in his last outing to earn the win over the Tigers.
First baseman Carlos Santana has been great for the Indians as well this year, as he leads the team with his 21 home runs as well as his 54 RBI. The team’s best batting average is .292 by shortstop star Francisco Lindor. Lindor has put together another excellent season for Cleveland, not only with his defense, but also with his 16 home runs and 37 runs batted in.
As I said before, the Indians have put together a good season so far and have a good chance to move into first place with a solid run. While Corey Kluber is on the 60-day IL, the rest of the team will look to string together runs to set themselves up for August.
Looking To Deal
The Blue Jays currently sit at 38-64 and are most likely deciding what pieces they can do without as they near the trade deadline. They do have some pieces to build around moving forward but are a long way from competing with the top teams in the league. They will be playing this series at home, which typically is an advantage, but the Blue Jays are just 18-31 at home this season.
Aaron Sanchez will be getting the start for the Blue Jays in this matchup. Sanchez has had a rough season noticeable not only by his 3-14 record but also his hefty 6.26 ERA. Sanchez took a loss in his last outing against the Red Sox where he gave up four runs over five innings.
The Blue Jays will have to move forward building around young talent as they try to rebuild this team. In the meantime, they do have 29-year-old shortstop Freddy Galvis, who leads the team with his .272 batting average as well as his 47 runs batted in. Leftfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr leads the Blue Jays with 18 home runs, although Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is already halfway there with nine despite his late start.
What To Expect
This one is all in favor of the Indians. The Blue Jays are at home, but they have not been successful there, and Cleveland has a dominant arm on the mound. Indians all the way in this one, in a low-scoring final.
