Player of the Game
During the home stretch of the season, some key Indians have had their struggles, including Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, and Mike Napoli. However – Carlos Santana has not struggled in the least, and he continued his recent tear on Saturday. Santana went 2-3 with a double, a triple, and two walks. In September, Santana is now slashing an absurd .336/.460/.644 in 101 at bats. If Santana had not been so hot to close the season, the Indians’ may have had a much harder time clinching the AL Central.
Feathers Up
In his last regular season start of 2016, Trevor Bauer came through with a strong start for Cleveland, which should give Tribe fans a little confidence in Bauer heading into the postseason. For most of the game, Bauer was very strong, striking out nine in six innings of work. Further, Bauer only allowed two walks, which for him is well-above average.
A day after Francisco Lindor broke out of a massive slump, he continued to hit well, going 1-3 with a two-RBI double and two walks. Though his long slump may have worried some fans, his performance this weekend is sure to ease the nerves of Cleveland-ers as the team approaches the playoffs.
With the victory Saturday, the Indians continued to keep their hopes alive of earning home field advantage in the ALDS vs. Boston, who plays Toronto Saturday night. With a Boston loss tonight, the Indians would lead the Red Sox by a half game.
Feathers Down
While Bauer and Lindor may have quieted the nerves of Tribe fans, Mike Napoli continued his recent woes. On the day, Napoli was 0-5 with a strikeout, which means Napoli is now 13-90 in September, though five of his 13 hits have been home runs.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 6 – Kansas City Royals 3
On Deck:
The Indians will play what could be their final regular season game on 2016 Sunday in Kansas City, where home field advantage in the ALDS vs. Boston will continue to be on the line. Josh Tomlin (12-9, 4.48 ERA) will take on Ian Kennedy (11-10, 3.69 ERA).
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