Cleveland Indians - Kansas City Royals

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The Cleveland Indians went 71-91 last year and the Kansas city Royals, 69-93. However, these two teams opened a four-game series last night in KC in a battle for first-place. The Indians entered 11-4 and the Royals, 10-5. Last night’s game went extra-innings with the Indians winning 7-3 (10). Cleveland had just THREE winning streaks of at least five games last season but after last night’s win, will go for its fifth straight win Tuesday, after already running off eight in a row from April 3-11. A win tonight would also make the Indians 13-4, which would give the team its best start since opening 14-3 in 1988. Cleveland is batting .326 and averaging 6.8 RPG in its last four games but the Indians’ fast start is due more to the team’s pitching staff this season. The Indians ranked 24th in MLB last year with a team ERA of 4.30 but will enter this game 5th in the majors with a 3.13 ERA. Cleveland opened the 2011 season with back-to-back losses to the White Sox (15-10 and 8-3), with the team’s starters allowing 17 runs. However, in going 12-2 over its last 14 games, Cleveland starters are 9-1 with a 2.03 ERA. Only one starter (Mitch Talbot on April 6) during that stretch has pitched fewer than six innings and not a SINGLE one has surrendered more than three runs. Speaking of Talbot, he placed on the DL on Sunday with a right elbow strain that could sideline him three to four weeks. That gives Jeanmar Gomez a chance to make his season debut plus an opportunity to show that he deserves to stay in the big leagues. Gomez was 4-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 11 starts for Cleveland last season (team was 6-5) and the 23-year-old right-hander was 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 12.2 innings at Triple-A in April. Gomez actually faced KC in three of his 11 starts last year and pitched well, going 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA (team was 2-1). However, he draws a tough opponent tonight in Bruce Chen. Chen (turns 34 this year) and began his career way back in 1999 with the Braves and the Royals mark his 10th big league team. He pitched surprisingly well last season for KC, appearing in 33 games (23 starts), going 12-7 with a 4.17 ERA (team was 11-12 in his starts but also plus-$254 vs the moneyline). He was far from sharp in his 2011 debut (5 IP / 8 hits / 5 ERs), although KC won that game 12-9. However, he bounced back with an excellent start at Detroit in his second outing, throwing six scoreless innings (three hits and seven Ks) in a 3-1 win. He followed that with eight innings of one-run ball Thursday in a rain-shortened 5-1 victory over Seattle to win his SIXTH consecutive decision, going back to last year (Chen last lost back on Aug 23 of last year, a stretch of 10 consecutive starts / team is 7-3). Thursday’s win was the fourth career complete game of his career and second in his last four starts. The Indians struggled vs left-handed starters last year, going 12-28 while averaging only 4.0 RPG. However, they are 5-1 vs lefties to open 2011, averaging a whopping 7.3 RPG. I had Chen in his start last Thursday and really liked what I saw. Let me also note that KC owned an AL-worst 4.46 bullpen ERA last season but this year’s group comes in at 3.81, even after last night’s poor effort. Gomez is much more of an unknown quantity plus I’m not buying Cleveland’s hot start. I’m backing Chen again and expect a comfortable win.

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