Preview: White Sox at Indians
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[April 11, 2017]
The Cleveland Indians play in
front of their fans for the first time since Game 7 of the 2016
World Series and hope for a better result when they host the rival
Chicago White Sox on Tuesday afternoon. The Indians started the
season fast with a three-game sweep at Texas, including two late
comebacks, but gave up 21 runs to lose three straight contests in
Arizona.
“I know it is really early in the year but we feel like we have been
away from home a really long time,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona
told reporters. “We will just go back home (Tuesday) and get the
Central (Division) going and go play some ballgames.” The Indians
are batting just .229 in the first six games and hope to get back in
gear against the White Sox, who have dropped three of their first
five outings. Chicago is only batting .238 after a 4-1 loss to
Minnesota at home Sunday and will need slugger Todd Frazier
(1-for-17) to find the swing that generated 40 homers in 2016. The
White Sox will send a rejuvenated James Shields to the mound after a
solid season debut and he will oppose Carlos Carrasco, who also won
his first start after missing the 2016 postseason with a hand
injury.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Chicago, SportsTime Ohio
(Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH James Shields (1-0, 1.69 ERA) vs.
Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 3.18)
Shields, who suffered through a 6-19 record and a 5.85 ERA with both
San Diego and the White Sox last season, allowed one run and two
hits over 5 1/3 innings to beat Detroit last Thursday. The
35-year-old Californian, who is 18 strikeouts shy of 2,000 and
boasts a 3.90 career ERA, was 4-12 after coming to Chicago last
season and finished the season 1-8 on the road overall. Michael
Brantley is 11-for-33 versus Shields, who is 4-6 with a 4.02 ERA in
18 career starts against Cleveland.
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Carrasco shook off some elbow issues in the spring to
win his season debut, allowing two runs on four hits with seven
strikeouts and one walk over 5 2/3 innings last Tuesday in Texas.
The 30-year-old Venezuelan needs one victory to even his career
record at 46-46 and hopes to improve at home after allowing 13
homers and posting a 4.29 ERA at Progressive Field in 2016. Melky
Cabrera is 9-for-26 with two homers versus Carrasco, who went 0-1
with a 5.09 ERA in three starts against the White Sox last year.
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WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland SS Francisco Lindor has led the way in the early going
with three homers and seven RBIs.
2. Chicago 1B Jose Abreu, who is 6-for-20 this season, boasts 14
homers in 54 career games against Cleveland.
3. The Indians won 11 of the 19 meetings last season as INF Jose
Ramirez totaled 13 RBIs in the series.
PREDICTION: Indians 6, White Sox 2 [© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
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