There's Only One October

Take a good look at this.

As long as we don’t kick ourselves in the butt against Detroit, the Tribe really can easily make it to the postseason.

Look at that 11 game homestand coming up against SEATTLE, KANSAS CITY, and OAKLAND. The majority of our remaining games are against AL Central teams with the only games against a top (NYY, BOS, TEX, TB) team oustide the division is a single series in Arlington.

Eventually, a run at Detroit is going to be made. Sure it would be huge to pummel them in the remaining 9 games against each other. That seems unlikely as 6 of them are in Detroit so I assume we’ll play 4-5 or 5-4 baseball against the Kitties.

That means the stretch to me that will determine if the Indians will waltz into October in only Manny Acta’s second season at the helm will be that 11 game homestand.

6-5 won’t do. I’m talking 8-3 or 9-2 baseball is going to have to happen because that is the best chance we have of making up significant ground. And yes, in the AL Central 3 games does feel daunting. When you’re only 58-57 there aren’t going to be too many stretches where you run off big winning streaks so let’s take advantage of the fortune of that homestand and the games in KC immediately following it.

In this playoff push it is imperative that we don’t follow course with the rest of our season. It started out so beautifully then the next period we were terrible.

So, let’s say that 11 game homestand goes great then it would basically negate that by bombing on a following road trip of 10 games to Chicago, Texas and Minnesota. Wait, that Twins series is a weekend. If the race is still on, I probably will have to make the 4 hour drive to Target to be honest.

Basically the Indians have treaded water thus far with that 58-57 mark. A monster run is not needed to make up 9 games or anything. We don’t need 90 W’s.

The other reason why I think the Tribe is in line for a serious run of progression is that players are going to be coming back.

Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Carrasco and Grady Sizemore (maybe) should all provide a nice boost whenever they make it back to full fitness.

We have significant room for improvement should a couple of those players find their form.

I really like the Tribe’s chances right now with the favorable schedule and the definite improvement boost coming from those guys. Also it is clear that Ubaldo Jimenez does give the team a lift. I felt the energy watching him Wednesday night.

There’s only one little issue that I really am super concerned about: the atrocious infield defense. I’m going to leave it at that.

All I know is it’s such an exciting feeling watching the every day drama unfold of a baseball season. The emotion changes every day and thinking all day at work about what is going to happen at night is really unique.

Let’s Go Tribe – take us into October.

 

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