Article: That's The Ticket: Bright Stars, Big Series

[Parker Hageman]

If you are looking for a serious series, this is it.

 

Until now, there has not been an important, meaningful series played in Minnesota this late in the season since 2010. With postseason aspirations hanging in the balance and the regular season schedule coming to an end, the Twins begin perhaps the most significant three-game set of the year at Target Field, against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.

 

Of course, the Indians will not make it easy. Over their last thirty games, not many teams have played better baseball than they have. Amassing a 19-11 record, only the Toronto Blue Jays have compiled a better American League record than Cleveland over that stretch. Can the Twins overcome Cleveland’s reinvented brand of baseball and make headway in the Wild Card race?At the trade deadline, the Indians began to ship out their veteran players, trading the likes of outfielder David Murphy, Brandon Moss, Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher and using less known commodities in guys like Abraham Almonte and Giovanny Urshela instead. Those moves were also preceded by the promotion of super-rookie Francisco Lindor in June.

 

Like the Twins whose recent play has been fueled by young players like Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario, the Indians have turned the keys over to the kids.

 

“That’s what we talked about at the (trade) deadline,” Indians manager Terry Francona told reporters. “We wanted to see younger guys, but we also would never sacrifice winning, ever.”

 

Two of the game’s better hitters in the second-half of the season have been Lindor (.356 BA, 3rd highest in the second half), who has cemented his role in the two spot of the team’s lineup, and Michael Brantley (.347, 8th highest in 2nd half), who has hit directly behind Lindor in the order. The pair has managed to do this by pasting fastballs. Lindor has hit an MLB-high .461 off of fastballs in the season’s second half while Brantley has hit .408 (4th highest). The Twins pitching staff would be better served feeding the duo a steady diet of off-speed and breaking balls this series.

 

With Lindor sandwiched between Jason Kipnis and Brantley at the top of the lineup the Indians suddenly have one of the most productive one-two-three combination. Whereas the Twins’ first three hitters are posting a .665 OPS since the break (third lowest in MLB), the Indians have produced at a robust .855 OPS (third best). This all has led to a renaissance of run production for the Tribe: After averaging 3.92 runs per game in the season’s first half, the Indians’ offense has been a much better supporter of the team’s pitching efforts in the latter portion of the year, plating 4.5 runs per game.

 

It has not been just the offense that has improved. Reducing runs scored has been a major factor for the team’s strong second-half. Defensively, the addition of Lindor at short and Urshela at third has given the Indians a significant boost in run prevention. In the season’s first half, the team posted a -1 runs saved. Since the break they have saved 19 runs, the second most in baseball.

 

“We knew that if we got to a point in time that we felt we weren’t making the progress we hoped as a team, that we had a couple of very good defensive options for us in Triple-A in Francisco Lindor at shortstop and obviously Giovanny Urshela at third base,” the Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti told Grantland.com’s Ben Lindbergh. “We felt pretty confident in their defensive ability to come up and contribute at the major league level.”

 

While the Twins’ offense has been better at Target Field, the Indians pitching staff has also been one of the stingiest when it comes to allowing runs on the road in the second half of the season.

 

Since the break Cleveland’s hurlers have averaged 3.69 runs per game while playing outside of Progressive Field -- only the St Louis Cardinals (3.64) have fared better in that time. Leading the way for the Tribe in that time is Wednesday’s starter, Corey Kluber. The Indians veteran right-hander has posted a 7.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the second-half, coming in behind just Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner in that department. Meanwhile, in their three meetings in 2015, Kluber has saved his best and limited the Twins’ lineup to just seven hits in 82 at-bats (.085 BA). Tuesday night’s starter, Danny Salazar, has compiled a 3.10 ERA over his last 69.2 innings while racking up 66 strikeouts courtesy of a mid-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss changeup. Similar to Kluber, Salazar has had plenty of success versus the Twins this year, holding them to a .159 average against while striking out 21 in 13 innings.

 

Oh, and the game doesn’t get any easier once Cleveland turns to the bullpen either. Since the break, the Indians relievers have allowed just 1.1 runs per game -- only the Blue Jays’ pen has allowed fewer runs in that span.

 

Will the Twins separate themselves from the Indians and make headway for their first postseason berth in five years? Regardless of the outcome, this stands to be the most important series to be played on Minnesota soil in quite some time. Make sure to get to the ballpark.

 

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[theBOMisthebomb]

A sweep is needed.

[ThejacKmp]

 

A sweep is needed.

 

Naw, a sweep would be nice.  Two out of three is needed.  If they can then go 5-2 on that road trip (tall order of course but we are at a time of the year where greatness is needed) then they should come into that KC series in very good shape. You can't control other teams but the Astros don't seem like a team that is going to go streaking, especially given six road games and their dismal road performance.

[Parker Hageman]

Tuesday night’s starter, Danny Salazar, has compiled a 3.10 ERA over his last 69.2 innings while racking up 66 strikeouts courtesy of a mid-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss changeup. Similar to Kluber, Salazar has had plenty of success versus the Twins this year, holding them to a .159 average against while striking out 21 in 13 innings.

 

 

I have to say, I'm shocked the Twins were able to get to Salazar like that. They certainly weren't letting him get deep in the count, at least by swinging right away. Gotta do the same to Kluber.