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CLEVELAND ( KLUBER )
KANSAS CITY ( VOLQUEZ ) |
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| 965 | CLEVELAND | +110 | Ov 7.5,-120 | -115 | Ov 8,-105 | | 966 | KANSAS CITY | -120 | Un 7.5,+100 | +105 | Un 8,-115 |
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| All Games | 10-16 | -9 | 13-12 | 4.4 | 0.249 | 0.318 | 0.396 | 0.714 | 4.9 | 0.269 | 0.335 | 0.411 | 0.746 | | Road Games | 6-8 | -3.1 | 4-9 | 4.1 | 0.242 | 0.300 | 0.405 | 0.706 | 3.4 | 0.229 | 0.297 | 0.354 | 0.651 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 7-7 | -2.3 | 6-7 | 4.6 | 0.263 | 0.333 | 0.422 | 0.755 | 4.9 | 0.274 | 0.336 | 0.413 | 0.749 | | Past 7 Games | 4-3 | +0.5 | 6-1 | 6.3 | 0.289 | 0.370 | 0.485 | 0.855 | 5.7 | 0.249 | 0.307 | 0.439 | 0.746 | | Grass Games | 10-16 | -9 | 13-12 | 4.4 | 0.249 | 0.318 | 0.396 | 0.714 | 4.9 | 0.269 | 0.335 | 0.411 | 0.746 | | Day Games | 4-8 | -5.4 | 6-5 | 4.2 | 0.263 | 0.331 | 0.372 | 0.703 | 6.1 | 0.299 | 0.378 | 0.454 | 0.831 | | Division | 6-13 | -9.2 | 10-8 | 4.4 | 0.239 | 0.309 | 0.379 | 0.687 | 5.2 | 0.288 | 0.347 | 0.431 | 0.778 |
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| All Games | 4.4 | 0.249 | 0.318 | 26 | 873 | 217 | 49 | 1 | 26 | 0.396 | 112 | 89 | 166 | 12 | 175 | 21 | 15 | 22 | 25 | | Road Games | 4.1 | 0.242 | 0.300 | 14 | 476 | 115 | 22 | 1 | 18 | 0.405 | 54 | 40 | 87 | 6 | 88 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 15 | | Righty Starters | 4.6 | 0.263 | 0.333 | 14 | 476 | 125 | 26 | 1 | 16 | 0.422 | 63 | 50 | 81 | 9 | 96 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 11 |
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| All Games | 3.67 | 1.415 | 88.4 | 44 | 36 | 87 | 9 | 38 | 91 | 1-4 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | | Road Games | 3.63 | 1.356 | 34.7 | 14 | 14 | 31 | 4 | 16 | 44 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 66.7% |
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| All Games | 17-10 | +6.8 | 15-10 | 5.0 | 0.289 | 0.330 | 0.432 | 0.762 | 3.6 | 0.224 | 0.285 | 0.344 | 0.629 | | Home Games | 10-5 | +4 | 8-6 | 4.6 | 0.276 | 0.322 | 0.429 | 0.751 | 3.3 | 0.231 | 0.289 | 0.343 | 0.632 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 9-6 | +2.4 | 11-3 | 5.6 | 0.298 | 0.341 | 0.441 | 0.782 | 3.9 | 0.228 | 0.289 | 0.378 | 0.666 | | Past 7 Games | 3-4 | -1.4 | 5-2 | 4.3 | 0.238 | 0.264 | 0.377 | 0.640 | 4.3 | 0.235 | 0.304 | 0.374 | 0.678 | | Grass Games | 17-10 | +6.8 | 15-10 | 5.0 | 0.289 | 0.330 | 0.432 | 0.762 | 3.6 | 0.224 | 0.285 | 0.344 | 0.629 | | Day Games | 5-3 | +1.8 | 5-2 | 6.4 | 0.288 | 0.336 | 0.468 | 0.803 | 3.5 | 0.233 | 0.284 | 0.348 | 0.632 | | Division | 12-9 | +2.6 | 12-7 | 5.1 | 0.283 | 0.326 | 0.429 | 0.754 | 3.7 | 0.228 | 0.288 | 0.339 | 0.627 |
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| All Games | 5.0 | 0.289 | 0.330 | 27 | 939 | 271 | 54 | 9 | 21 | 0.432 | 129 | 58 | 159 | 22 | 185 | 26 | 13 | 26 | 5 | | Home Games | 4.6 | 0.276 | 0.322 | 15 | 489 | 135 | 28 | 7 | 11 | 0.429 | 66 | 33 | 71 | 17 | 95 | 12 | 4 | 18 | 4 | | Righty Starters | 5.6 | 0.298 | 0.341 | 15 | 517 | 154 | 29 | 6 | 11 | 0.441 | 77 | 34 | 94 | 12 | 97 | 17 | 5 | 17 | 3 |
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| All Games | 1.57 | 0.829 | 91.7 | 16 | 16 | 51 | 5 | 25 | 79 | 6-1 | 10 | 2 | 83.3% | | Home Games | 1.36 | 0.849 | 53 | 8 | 8 | 32 | 2 | 13 | 44 | 4-0 | 7 | 1 | 87.5% |
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| 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) | 3-5 | L | 110 | 7.5 un | O | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | | 5/6/2015 | CARRASCO(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | DUFFY(L) | 10-3 | W | 125 | 7 ov | O | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | | 5/7/2015 | KLUBER(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | | | 5/8/2015 | BAUER(R) | MINNESOTA | PELFREY(R) | | | 5/9/2015 | CHEN(L) | MINNESOTA | HUGHES(R) | | | 5/10/2015 | SALAZAR(R) | MINNESOTA | MAY(R) | | | 5/12/2015 | | ST LOUIS | | | | 5/13/2015 | | ST LOUIS | | | | 5/14/2015 | | ST LOUIS | | |
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| 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) | 5-3 | W | -120 | 7.5 un | O | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | | 5/6/2015 | DUFFY(L) | CLEVELAND | CARRASCO(R) | 3-10 | L | -135 | 7 ov | O | 5 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 1 | | 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 | | | | 5/13/2015 | | @ TEXAS | | | | 5/14/2015 | | @ 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* ========================
Cleveland (9-16) at Kansas City (17-9), 2:10 p.m. EDT
It's been 26 years since a team has gone winless with a reigning Cy Young Award winner on the mound as many times as the Cleveland Indians have with Corey Kluber.
The visiting Indians seek to avoid falling to 0-7 in Kluber's starts in Thursday's three-game series finale against the Kansas City Royals.
Cleveland has lost all six starts by Kluber (0-4, 4.62 ERA), becoming the first team to lose that many since the 1989 Minnesota Twins lost Frank Viola's first seven outings. The right-hander lasted five-plus innings Saturday, yielding five runs and eight hits in an 11-4 defeat to Toronto.
Opponents have fared well when swinging early against him, batting .448 on the first pitch, .545 on a 0-1 count and .444 on a 1-0 delivery. Hitters are at .172 on 2-2 pitches and 1 for 10 on a full count.
Kluber believes his problem is related to pitch sequence.
"I'm not doing that good a job of keeping guys honest," he said. "For the most part guys are hanging out over the plate and when they do that, they eliminate one half of the plate. When you do make a mistake it's kind of magnified."
The Indians (10-16) insist Kluber is fine physically. His run support average of 2.08 is one of the league's lowest.
Kluber went 2-1 with a 1.15 ERA in four starts against Kansas City last year before allowing six runs over 6 1-3 innings in a 6-2 loss to the Royals on April 27. Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer are each 5 for 27 against him, Lorenzo Cain is 3 for 19 and Salvador Perez is 3 for 18.
Mike Moustakas is 11 for 25 against Kluber.
Cleveland finished with 13 hits for the second time in three games in Wednesday's 10-3 rout. Brandon Moss homered and added a two-run double to lead the charge and Mike Aviles went 3 for 4.
The Indians have averaged 5.9 runs in their last 12 games after scoring 3.1 in their first 14.
"You're not going to score five or six runs every night," Moss said. "But the last two weeks we've been a good bit better."
They will look to get the better of Edinson Volquez (2-3, 2.10), who will start for the Royals after yielding two runs in six innings in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Detroit.
The right-hander owns a 12.19 ERA against the Indians for his worst mark against an opponent he has faced more than once. He is 1-2 in three starts versus Cleveland, which he hasn't faced since 2011.
Michael Bourn has the most experience against Volquez among Cleveland hitters, going 5 for 17. Bourn did not start the first two games since the Royals (17-10) started left-handers and figures to return to the lineup Thursday.
Cain went 1 for 4 and scored twice Wednesday in his return from a two-game suspension for his role in a brawl with the Chicago White Sox. Cain is batting a team-best .330.
It's possible that Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar will be activated from the 7-day concussion disabled list. Escobar is 5 for 29 with 12 strikeouts versus Kluber.
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| | Last Updated: 4/24/2024 6:08:02 AM EST. |
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