The Cleveland Indians have won 21 of their last 29 contests to
shave six games off their sizable deficit in the American League
Central and keep the heat on the first-place Minnesota Twins.
The Indians vie to turn up the temperature even more on Friday when
they carry a season-high six-game winning streak into the opener of
their three-game series versus the visiting Twins.
Cleveland began its recent torrid stretch by taking two of three
from Minnesota at Progressive Field on June 4-6.
All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor went 5-for-11 with three
homers, four RBIs and five runs scored in that series.
Lindor carries a seven-game hitting streak into Friday’s series
opener versus expected starter Kyle Gibson, against whom he is
13-for-34 in his career.
“There’s no hate,” the 25-year-old Lindor said of the rivalry with
the Twins. “We’re a brotherhood, but at the end of the day, you
like to beat your brother.”
The Twins open the second half with a 5 1/2 game lead over the Indians in the A.L. Central
Gibson, who served in the opener’s role versus Texas on Sunday,
will receive his first look at Cleveland this season after posting
a 3-9 mark with a 5.46 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in his 18 previous starts.
The 31-year-old has struggled mightily against Jason Kipnis
(14-for-33, 11 walks) and Jose Ramirez (10-for-30).
Although Gibson likely wishes to have recorded better numbers
against the Indians in his career, he has no qualms with where the
Twins sit entering the second half of the season.
“I think if you asked us April 1 if we had a 5 1/2-game lead in the
division at the All-Star break, everyone would be pretty happy,”
Gibson said. “… So perspective is a big thing in trying not to
hang on every loss, hang on every win and trying to remain
consistent.”
All-Star shortstop Jorge Polanco was quick to stress just the
magnitude of his team’s first series in the second half.
“This series is very important,” Polanco said, per the Cleveland
Plain Dealer. “We know how important it is to win the games against
the Indians. As we go into those games, it will be the key to our
hopes for the rest of the season.”
Minnesota hasn’t been shy about flexing its muscle, with its 166
homers serving as a majors-best for a team prior to the All-Star
break.
Cleveland right-hander Mike Clevinger (2-2, 4.44 ERA) will have the
responsibility of keeping the Twins in the park on Friday.
Clevinger recorded his third sterling start of the season in his
last outing, scattering four hits and striking out nine without
walking a batter in six innings during a 4-0 win at Kansas City on
July 3.
The 28-year-old owns a 2-2 record with a 3.05 ERA in 10 appearances
(seven starts) versus Minnesota. He has flustered Miguel Sano
(3-for-14, seven strikeouts) and Max Kepler (2-for-17).
Byron Buxton, who is just 1-for-7 with two strikeouts against
Clevinger, has four hits, four RBIs and two runs scored in his last
three games. That spurt, however, followed a dismal 1-for-21
stretch.
Buxton went 4-for-10 with three doubles and two RBIs as Minnesota
won two of three against Cleveland from March 28-31. He went
1-for-7 in the more recent series last month, although the one hit
was a three-run homer in Minnesota’s 9-7 loss on June 5.