Boston Red Sox: Big four-game series set with Cleveland Indians
By Justin Keene
The Boston Red Sox welcoming in the A.L. Central leading Cleveland Indians into town tonight to start a four-game series .
This will be the first time these two teams meet this season, as it could also be a potential playoff series preview. The Boston Red Sox have a comfortable 9.5 game lead in the A.L. East. The same can be said for Cleveland, they currently have a 12 game lead on the weak A.L. Central.
The Boston Red Sox (88-37) are coming off a weekend series with the Tampa Bay Rays, which they took 2 of 3 while dropping the season finale on Sunday by a score of 2-0. The Red Sox are 7-3 in their last 10 games, while putting up 51 runs and allowing 40 runs against.
Cleveland (71-52) is coming off an 8-0 rout of the Baltimore Orioles while also taking 2 of 3 in their respective weekend series. The Indians are 8-2 in their last 10 games, while outscoring opponents 51 to 25.
Both teams are red hot heading into this series. This will be a very good test and benchmark for each team, as both teams look to be headed to October. If the season where to end today, Boston would be the top seed in the American League, while Cleveland would be the third seed. Both teams wouldn’t play each other until the A.L. Championship series, if both teams where to successfully advance past the first round.
The last time these two teams met in October was in 2016, where the Indians completed a three game sweep of the Sox en route to the World Series. If these two teams where to meet again this October, I would hope that it is a different outcome.
Each team recently has had to place a top pitcher on the disabled list. Saturday, the Red Sox placed ace Chris Sale on the 10-day DL with shoulder inflammation. Sale and the team do not appear to be concerned with the lefty’s injury, especially given the fact that it is his second DL stint in the last three weeks.
Last Tuesday, the Cleveland Indians placed starting pitcher Trevor Bauer on the 10-day DL with a stress fracture in his right fibula. Bauer is expected to miss about 4-6 weeks with his injury, as they need the Cy Young candidate rested as much as possible as they prepare for an October run.