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CLEVELAND ( SALAZAR )
KANSAS CITY ( VARGAS ) |
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| 975 | CLEVELAND | +100 | Ov 8,-110 | +110 | Ov 7.5,+105 | | 976 | KANSAS CITY | -110 | Un 8,-110 | -120 | Un 7.5,-125 |
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| All Games | 9-15 | -9.3 | 11-12 | 4.2 | 0.248 | 0.318 | 0.391 | 0.709 | 5.0 | 0.275 | 0.344 | 0.411 | 0.754 | | Road Games | 5-7 | -3.3 | 2-9 | 3.7 | 0.240 | 0.298 | 0.396 | 0.694 | 3.3 | 0.237 | 0.308 | 0.345 | 0.654 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 2-8 | -6.9 | 5-5 | 3.7 | 0.227 | 0.298 | 0.345 | 0.643 | 5.2 | 0.277 | 0.354 | 0.408 | 0.761 | | Past 7 Games | 3-4 | -2.4 | 6-1 | 5.4 | 0.276 | 0.366 | 0.453 | 0.819 | 7.0 | 0.309 | 0.366 | 0.480 | 0.846 | | Grass Games | 9-15 | -9.3 | 11-12 | 4.2 | 0.248 | 0.318 | 0.391 | 0.709 | 5.0 | 0.275 | 0.344 | 0.411 | 0.754 | | Night Games | 5-7 | -3.8 | 5-7 | 4.2 | 0.233 | 0.306 | 0.409 | 0.715 | 3.9 | 0.251 | 0.307 | 0.366 | 0.673 | | Division | 5-12 | -9.4 | 8-8 | 4.2 | 0.238 | 0.308 | 0.369 | 0.677 | 5.3 | 0.299 | 0.360 | 0.433 | 0.793 |
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| All Games | 4.2 | 0.248 | 0.318 | 24 | 806 | 200 | 44 | 1 | 23 | 0.391 | 100 | 83 | 153 | 12 | 165 | 20 | 14 | 22 | 24 | | Road Games | 3.7 | 0.240 | 0.298 | 12 | 409 | 98 | 17 | 1 | 15 | 0.396 | 42 | 34 | 74 | 6 | 78 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 14 | | Lefty Starters | 3.7 | 0.227 | 0.298 | 10 | 330 | 75 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 0.345 | 37 | 33 | 72 | 3 | 69 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 13 |
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| All Games | 3.69 | 1.441 | 85.4 | 43 | 35 | 86 | 9 | 37 | 88 | 1-4 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | | Road Games | 3.69 | 1.421 | 31.7 | 13 | 13 | 30 | 4 | 15 | 41 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 66.7% |
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| All Games | 16-9 | +7.2 | 13-10 | 5.1 | 0.296 | 0.338 | 0.434 | 0.772 | 3.3 | 0.222 | 0.282 | 0.334 | 0.616 | | Home Games | 9-4 | +4.4 | 6-6 | 4.7 | 0.290 | 0.336 | 0.432 | 0.768 | 2.8 | 0.227 | 0.284 | 0.324 | 0.608 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 8-5 | +2.8 | 9-3 | 5.8 | 0.314 | 0.357 | 0.445 | 0.802 | 3.5 | 0.224 | 0.284 | 0.364 | 0.648 | | Past 7 Games | 4-3 | +1.5 | 5-2 | 5.6 | 0.300 | 0.330 | 0.424 | 0.754 | 3.4 | 0.220 | 0.300 | 0.339 | 0.640 | | Grass Games | 16-9 | +7.2 | 13-10 | 5.1 | 0.296 | 0.338 | 0.434 | 0.772 | 3.3 | 0.222 | 0.282 | 0.334 | 0.616 | | Night Games | 11-6 | +5.4 | 8-8 | 4.5 | 0.300 | 0.339 | 0.418 | 0.757 | 3.2 | 0.217 | 0.282 | 0.328 | 0.610 | | Division | 11-8 | +2.9 | 10-7 | 5.2 | 0.292 | 0.335 | 0.430 | 0.765 | 3.4 | 0.225 | 0.285 | 0.325 | 0.611 |
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| All Games | 5.1 | 0.296 | 0.338 | 25 | 878 | 260 | 52 | 6 | 19 | 0.434 | 121 | 55 | 141 | 21 | 178 | 26 | 13 | 25 | 5 | | Home Games | 4.7 | 0.290 | 0.336 | 13 | 428 | 124 | 26 | 4 | 9 | 0.432 | 58 | 30 | 53 | 16 | 88 | 12 | 4 | 17 | 4 | | Righty Starters | 5.8 | 0.314 | 0.357 | 13 | 456 | 143 | 27 | 3 | 9 | 0.445 | 69 | 31 | 76 | 11 | 90 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 3 |
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| All Games | 1.00 | 0.781 | 80.7 | 9 | 9 | 42 | 3 | 21 | 71 | 6-1 | 9 | 2 | 81.8% | | Home Games | 0.21 | 0.762 | 42 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 9 | 36 | 4-0 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% |
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| 4/21/2015 | CARRASCO(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | NOESI(R) | 6-2 | W | -125 | 8.5 un | U | 7 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 0 | | 4/22/2015 | KLUBER(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | SAMARDZIJA(R) | 0-6 | L | -120 | 7.5 un | U | 8 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | | 4/24/2015 | SALAZAR(R) | @ DETROIT | GREENE(R) | 13-1 | W | 105 | 8 ov | O | 15 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 | | 4/25/2015 | HOUSE(L) | @ DETROIT | SIMON(R) | 1-4 | L | 140 | 8.5 un | U | 8 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 0 | | 4/26/2015 | CARRASCO(R) | @ DETROIT | LOBSTEIN(L) | 6-8 | L | -110 | 8 un | O | 10 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 0 | | 4/27/2015 | KLUBER(R) | KANSAS CITY | VARGAS(L) | 2-6 | L | -140 | 6.5 un | O | 4 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 0 | | 4/28/2015 | BAUER(R) | KANSAS CITY | GUTHRIE(R) | 5-11 | L | -130 | 7.5 ev | O | 9 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 0 | | 4/29/2015 | SALAZAR(R) | KANSAS CITY | VENTURA(R) | 7-5 | W | -115 | 7 un | O | 8 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 1 | | 4/30/2015 | HOUSE(L) | TORONTO | NORRIS(L) | 1-5 | L | +125 | 8 un | U | 11 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | | 5/1/2015 | CARRASCO(R) | TORONTO | BUEHRLE(L) | 9-4 | W | -135 | 7.5 un | O | 13 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 1 | | 5/2/2015 | KLUBER(R) | TORONTO | SANCHEZ(R) | 4-11 | L | -175 | 7.5 ov | O | 6 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 2 | | 5/3/2015 | BAUER(R) | TORONTO | HUTCHISON(R) | 10-7 | W | -120 | 8.5 un | O | 13 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 0 | | 5/5/2015 | SALAZAR(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VARGAS(L) | | | 5/6/2015 | CARRASCO(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | DUFFY(L) | | | 5/7/2015 | KLUBER(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | | | 5/8/2015 | BAUER(R) | MINNESOTA | PELFREY(R) | | | 5/9/2015 | | MINNESOTA | HUGHES(R) | | | 5/10/2015 | SALAZAR(R) | MINNESOTA | MAY(R) | | | 5/12/2015 | | ST LOUIS | | |
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| 4/21/2015 | VARGAS(L) | MINNESOTA | MILONE(L) | 6-5 | W | -145 | 8 un | O | 10 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 0 | | 4/22/2015 | GUTHRIE(R) | MINNESOTA | PELFREY(R) | 0-3 | L | -145 | 8.5 un | U | 6 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 0 | | 4/23/2015 | VENTURA(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | SALE(L) | 3-2 | W | 140 | 7 un | U | 13 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 0 | | 4/24/2015 | DUFFY(L) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | QUINTANA(L) | 2-3 | L | 115 | 7.5 un | U | 8 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 1 | | 4/26/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | DANKS(L) | 3-5 | L | -115 | 8 ev | P | 8 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | | 4/27/2015 | VARGAS(L) | @ CLEVELAND | KLUBER(R) | 6-2 | W | 130 | 6.5 un | O | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 3 | | 4/28/2015 | GUTHRIE(R) | @ CLEVELAND | BAUER(R) | 11-5 | W | 120 | 7.5 ev | O | 18 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 1 | | 4/29/2015 | VENTURA(R) | @ CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | 5-7 | L | 105 | 7 un | O | 9 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 1 | | 4/30/2015 | DUFFY(L) | DETROIT | SIMON(R) | 8-1 | W | -125 | 8 ov | O | 14 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | | 5/1/2015 | YOUNG(R) | DETROIT | LOBSTEIN(L) | 4-1 | W | -115 | 8.5 un | U | 10 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 2 | | 5/2/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | DETROIT | PRICE(L) | 1-2 | L | +115 | 7.5 un | U | 5 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | | 5/3/2015 | GUTHRIE(R) | DETROIT | SANCHEZ(R) | 4-6 | L | +110 | 8.5 un | O | 6 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 0 | | 5/5/2015 | VARGAS(L) | CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | | | 5/6/2015 | DUFFY(L) | CLEVELAND | CARRASCO(R) | | | 5/7/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | CLEVELAND | KLUBER(R) | | | 5/8/2015 | VENTURA(R) | @ DETROIT | PRICE(L) | | | 5/9/2015 | GUTHRIE(R) | @ DETROIT | SANCHEZ(R) | | | 5/10/2015 | VARGAS(L) | @ DETROIT | GREENE(R) | | | 5/11/2015 | DUFFY(L) | @ TEXAS | LEWIS(R) | | | 5/12/2015 | | @ TEXAS | | |
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| |  | CLEVELAND: CLEVELAND (AP) - While their AL Central rivals jockeyed during the offseason, one trying to outdo the other to improve their chances of winning a World Series title, the Indians watched.
That was the plan.
No, they didn't make any blockbuster trades, sign a big-name, big-ticket free agent or overhaul their roster with new faces. The Indians, who somehow stayed in contention last season until the waning days of September, didn't feel the need to make radical changes. It wasn't necessary.
The pieces are in place for Cleveland to have a special 2015 season.
''The team knows it,'' said second baseman Jason Kipnis. ''We got two winning seasons in a row. We had an 85-win season when we had about three guys playing good. The possibilities are there, the potential is there. That whole last year we never had more than a seven-game winning streak, never really got hot.
''We got the same corps. Same group of guys. We kind of want another chance at this again - and we're getting another chance.''
The Indians return virtually the same team that went 85-77 last season, finishing third behind division champion Detroit and wild-card winner Kansas City, which ended a postseason drought dating to 1985, won the pennant and pushed San Francisco to seven games in the World Series.
Watching the Royals inspired the Indians. And as he prepares for his third season in Cleveland, manager Terry Francona senses a different drive in his players.
They're hungry.
''Our veteran guys are trying to get better,'' he said. ''Our younger guys are excited to prove what they can do. I didn't see anybody just kind of go home and want to kind of keep the status quo. We're all excited about that.''
Francona said they're upping expectations both on performance and results.
''They're kind of at a stage where they're embracing trying to see if we can go up against some of these teams and, not only maybe hold our own, but maybe do a little more than that,'' Francona said.
There's no denying Francona's magical touch. The man who helped end Boston's supposed baseball curse, who got the Indians to the postseason in 2013, has an uncanny ability to convince players buy in to his program and get them to believe they can overcome any obstacles: injuries, payroll, low expectations, the Tigers lineup.
This spring, Francona didn't have to sell the Indians, who haven't won a World Series since 1948, on the idea they can compete. They already know that. Now it's a matter of taking the next step.
''When guys believe they can do it, and then they start to do it, then you see the confidence take over and guys take off, and you can accomplish a lot,'' he said. ''That's part of the fun of the season, to see how good you can get. I'd rather enjoy, as much as we can, the journey.''
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KLUBER UBER ALLES
All Corey Kluber did in his first major-league season was win 18 games, re-write some record books, dominate almost every time he pitched and win the AL Cy Young.
The 28-year-old could do it again.
Seemingly programmed because of his consistent performances and composed demeanor, Kluber gives the Indians a long-needed and legitimate No. 1 starter capable of winning every time he gets the ball. He scares opponents and makes his teammates better.
The Indians have discussed a long-term contract extension for the right-hander, who isn't even eligible for arbitration.
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YOUR TABLE, MR. BRANTLEY
Michael Brantley just might be baseball's most unassuming star, and he plans to keep it that way. The 27-year-old's breakout 2014 season - he batted .327 with 20 homers, 97 RBIs and a third-place finish in MVP voting - was followed by obligatory can-he-do-it-again questions.
Francona thinks Brantley might be poised for bigger things. The spotlight will find Brantley, but he's not craving it.
''He's so consistent at a high level that I don't see that going away,'' he said. ''He's so confident in what he's doing that I think he enjoys playing the game and the other things that come with it, I think he could take it or leave it. He has a really good understanding of who he is.''
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BETTER BE BETTER
For the Indians to get where they want, Kipnis (.240), CF Michael Bourn (106 games) and DH Nick Swisher (offseason knee surgeries) need to bounce back and produce more than they did in `14.
No position player is more important than Kipnis, a 2013 All-Star who was injured most of last season.
''He can affect the game so many ways - steal a base, get a bunt down, hit a ball in the gap,'' Francona said. | | KANSAS CITY: KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Every once in a while, Ned Yost will spin a story about his days on Bobby Cox's bench with the Atlanta Braves, back when the organization was winning NL pennants by the fistful.
Inevitably, Yost would start drawing comparisons to his Kansas City Royals - that they were building through the farm system in the same manner as the Braves, and Kansas City would embrace the franchise in the same way Atlanta did if it ever became a winner.
Last year, that narrative finally made sense.
After squeaking into the playoffs as a wild card, the Royals swept all the way to the World Series. If not for a virtuoso performance by Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants, the Royals might very well have been celebrating their second championship.
The postseason run led Yost to draw one more comparison when he arrived in Arizona for the start of a new season, and his players filed into the clubhouse for the first time.
''It definitely reminded me of that feeling in Atlanta,'' he said, ''when you came to spring training every year with the feeling that you have an opportunity to go to the World Series - instead of hoping, you know? And it's a different feeling.''
There is good reason for that feeling, too.
The Royals return most of the pieces from the club that ended a 29-year playoff drought, including one of the best bullpens in baseball history. And the pieces they did lose to free agency have been replaced with what could turn out to be upgrades.
Designated hitter Billy Butler is gone, Kendrys Morales signed in his place. Alex Rios is taking over for Nori Aoki in right field. Edinson Volquez was signed to fill the rotation spot of staff ace James Shields, who chased bigger money all the way to San Diego.
Even though a few faces have changed, the tenants that the Royals believe in have not: They will continue to rely on speed, defense and pitching to chase another playoff berth.
''Any time you're fortunate enough to keep those key pieces, you feel good,'' said Greg Holland, the Royals' All-Star closer. ''Yeah, we lost Billy and Shields and Nori, but for the most part, we're right where we need to be.''
Besides, the back end of the bullpen is still intact.
Kelvin Herrera harnessed his electrifying fastball to become a shutdown seventh-inning reliever last season. Former starter Wade Davis had a historically dominant year as the setup man. Holland further cemented his status as the AL's best closer.
''The way you tilt the field in your favor, in my opinion, is having quality pitching and really good defense,'' Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. ''Those are things that hopefully can show up every single day and perform for you.''
As the Royals approach opening day against the Chicago White Sox on April 6 at Kauffman Stadium, here are a few other story lines to watch this season:
THE ROTATION: Shields was the anchor in 2014, but he struggled mightily in the playoffs. So when the Royals signed Volquez to replace him, it was mostly met with a collective shrug.
Besides, the success of the rotation will more likely be determined by the success of young flamethrowers Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura, both of whom have ace ability.
INJURY BUGS: The Royals stayed remarkably healthy last season. Will karma even out?
Second baseman Omar Infante already missed long stretches of spring training with a bone spur in his elbow that could require surgery next offseason. Left fielder Alex Gordon also got a slow start to the spring after undergoing wrist surgery this past offseason.
SLOW STARTS: The last couple of seasons, the Royals have gotten off to slow starts. They unsuccessfully dug out of a big hole two years ago, but pulled it off last season.
Considering every other team in the AL Central appeared to get better over the winter, the Royals can ill afford to let Detroit, Cleveland and Minnesota and the White Sox bury them.
RESTING SALVY: All-Star catcher Salvador Perez faded in the playoffs in part due to his heavy work load in the regular season, where he appeared in 150 games. Yost intends to give him more days off this year, though it's hard to take his bat out of the lineup.
BASEBALL TOWN: Did the World Series run turn Kansas City into a baseball town again? The club has been overshadowed for decades by the Chiefs, who play just across the parking lot in Arrowhead stadium. How will fans respond to having the reigning AL champions? |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (CLEVELAND-KANSAS CITY) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Indians-Royals Preview* ========================
By KEVIN CHROUST STATS Writer
Cleveland (9-15) at Kansas City (16-9), 8:10 p.m. EDT
Last season, Danny Salazar may have played the largest role in the Cleveland Indians' starting staff getting off to a particularly poor start.
The rotation has been even worse this year, but the 25-year-old isn't to blame.
The right-hander will try to continue buoying the staff in his first May start Tuesday night in Kansas City, where the Indians have won four straight.
Salazar (3-0, 3.32 ERA) was called up from Triple-A Columbus on April 18, and in retrospect, it probably should have happened sooner. He wasn't at his best in Wednesday's 7-5 home win over Kansas City, surrendering four runs and six hits in six innings, but he's struck out 28 while issuing five walks in 19 innings over three starts.
The rotation as a whole has a 5.29 ERA. Last season, Salazar went 0-3 with a 6.04 ERA in five April starts as the staff struggled through its worst month with a 5.04 mark.
He points to more consistent use and execution of a curveball, which he almost never used before, as a way to avoid having starts such as his last go from trying to terrible.
"I'm trying to feel comfortable with it," Salazar told MLB's official website. "Sometimes it's going to be there, sometimes it's not going to be there. It's a new pitch that I'm trying out right now and if I feel like it's working, I'm going to use it."
Salazar is 3-3 with a 5.45 ERA in six starts against the Royals, but he's 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA at Kauffman Stadium. Eric Hosmer is 6 for 12 with a home run and three doubles against him, but Omar Infante (1 for 12), Salvador Perez (3 for 16) and Alex Gordon (3 for 15) have all struggled.
He's trying to help the Indians (9-15) to their first back-to-back wins since taking two of three in a season-opening series in Houston. They beat Toronto 10-7 on Sunday to earn a four-game split, and support has been good at 5.80 runs per game in their last 10.
Jason Kipnis was 4 for 5 with a home run and is 8 for 12 with two homers in three games and three in his last five since going 67 without leaving the yard. Michael Brantley went 2 for 3 and is 18 for 40 in his last 10.
The stretch of recent success at the plate includes dropping two of three at home to the Royals (16-9) from April 27-29.
Kansas City followed that series by splitting four at home against Detroit, but the set ended with two losses. In Sunday's 6-4 defeat, the team's six-hit effort dipped its MLB-leading on-base percentage (.349) under .350 for the first time.
Kansas City is trying to avoid it's first three-game losing streak since being swept in three by Cleveland to end August on a four-game skid.
The Royals could have All-Star closer Greg Holland (pectoral strain) back from the disabled list. He last pitched April 17 and has allowed one baserunner in four innings, so if Jason Vargas is able to get him the ball, the Royals should be in good shape.
Vargas (2-1, 5.95), however, has been a problem in the rotation along with Jeremy Guthrie and Yordano Ventura. Vargas limited Cleveland to two runs and three hits and earned the decision in a 6-2 win April 27, but he walked five.
"It's the third day of May," manager Ned Yost said after Sunday's loss. "These guys work really hard. When they're going through periods like this, they continue to work hard. They'll figure it out."
The left-hander is 4-3 with a 5.05 ERA in 10 starts against the Indians.
Lorenzo Cain is completing a two-game suspension and is eligible to return Wednesday.
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| | Last Updated: 5/6/2024 5:21:40 PM EST. |
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