Indians at Royals
The Cleveland Indians haven't exactly set a torrid pace offensively while waiting for players like Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis to return from injury, but the pitching staff has more than held up its end of the bargain. The Indians hope to continue rolling Friday when they begin the second leg of a nine-game road trip with the opener of a three-game series against the struggling Kansas City Royals.
Cleveland is averaging 3.6 runs, ranks among the bottom three American League teams in runs scored (43) and has tallied more than four runs only three times in 12 contests so far, yet the back-to-back-to-back AL Central champions have won six of seven in large part because they have yet to allow more than two runs in any of the victories over that stretch. Shane Bieber and two relievers turned in the latest dominant effort by the Indians in Thursday's 4-0 win in Detroit, holding the Tigers to three singles and a walk. The Royals continued along their worst 12-game start since 2006 following a 7-6, 10-inning loss to Seattle on Thursday, losing for the 10th straight time after giving up a game-tying two-run triple with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning. “What’s happening can’t continue throughout the whole season. It just can’t," second baseman Whit Merrifield told the Kansas City Star. "Those balls aren’t going to fall all year for our opponents. It’s just a matter of when’s it going to turn, and hopefully it’s (Friday)."
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 7.71 ERA) vs. Royals RH Brad Keller (1-1, 2.84)
Carrasco became the first Cleveland pitcher since at least 1908 to record 12 strikeouts through five innings in Saturday's win against Toronto, doing so while allowing two runs on six hits and a walk. The performance was a huge improvement from his March 31 season debut in Minnesota in which he surrendered six runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 frames. Merrifield (7-for-17, one home run) has thrived while Alex Gordon (5-for-35, 16 strikeouts) has struggled against Carrasco, who went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts versus the Royals last season.
Keller turned in his third consecutive quality start Sunday in Detroit, but a lack of run support led to his first loss of the season despite yielding three runs across six innings. The 23-year-old Georgia native has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 10 of his last 11 turns and is 8-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 15 starts since last year's All-Star Game. Keller is 6-1 with a 2.80 ERA in 22 career home appearances (12 starts) and finished 1-1 with a 1.65 ERA in four games (two starts) versus the Indians in 2018.
WALK-OFFS
1. Merrifield's 31-game hitting streak was snapped with a 0-for-6 effort Thursday, one day after he broke George Brett's team record.
2. Indians OF Leonys Martin's three hits in four at-bats Thursday to match the total he mustered in the team's first five road games combined (3-for-16), while his two RBIs doubled his previous season total.
3. Cleveland's 2.57 team ERA ranks second in the majors.