Series Preview: Indians vs. Royals

• Well how about that last series? It started out looking like it would be one that we would be talking about all season and ended with a thud, or rather a squish? The second game of the series will be made up with a double header the next time Seattle comes to town, August 22-24. For now, the plan is to use a mutual off-day on September 19 to make up Sunday’s game. Next the Tribe will travel to Kansas City, and should be well rested to make an effort to improve their .500 road record. Hopefully they can also build off of the momentum from Travis Hafner’s walk-off blast on Friday night.

May 16-17, 2011

Kauffman Stadium

Scouting Report

• Cleveland – If nothing else comes from this past weekend, the Indians should at least be well rested to take on division foe Kansas City in a two game set to begin the week. The Indians started off their series with Seattle in dramatic fashion by winning their fifth straight last at-bat win at home courtesy of a Travis Hafner bomb that sent the crowd of 33,000 plus in to a frenzy. Unfortunately, mother nature wouldn’t cooperate and let the Indians build on that momentum and forced the remaining games in the series to be postponed for later in the series. Since winning seven straight the Tribe has gone just 4-5, so hopefully those two extra days of rest will come in handy when they make a four game road trip before returning home to the Jake to for the Battle of Ohio against the Reds. The Indians will also be without the services of Grady Sizemore as he was placed on the 15-day Disabled List retroactive to Wednesday. He can be eligible for activation on May 26 and could possibly be back in the lineup against the Rays on May 27 in Tampa.

• Kansas City –  The Royals are coming off a 2-3 road trip but rain forced their game Sunday to be postponed as well, giving their rotation a bit of extra rest to deal with the Indians bats. The Royals had just eight hits in their two-game series — both losses — against Detroit. Shortstop Alcides Escobar went 1-for-16 on Kansas City’s road trip, and is now hitting just .218 with a .250 on-base and a .263 slugging percentage. Escobar, acquired from Milwaukee as part of the multi-player package for Zack Greinke, has just seven extra-base hits — all for doubles — and has walked just seven times in 39 games.

Pitching Match-up(s)

Game 1 – Josh Tomlin vs. Kyle Davies

• Josh Tomlin  4-1, 2.70 ERA

Tomlin was scheduled to start on Sunday vs. the Mariners, but the game was rained out. The right-hander has been excellent this season, having a quality outing in each of his seven starts.

• Kyle Davies  1-5, 7.08 ERA

Davies has gone five straight starts without a win, losing four times, but with only one stinker in the bunch against the Indians. Davies gave up eight runs in 3 1/3 innings, but also held the Tribe to two runs in six frames in an earlier start.

Game 2 –  Carlos Carrasco vs. Vin Mazzaro

• Carlos Carrasco  1-2, 5.29 ERA

In his first start off the disabled list following a bout with right elbow soreness, Carrasco took a loss against Tampa Bay on Wednesday. Over five inconsistent innings, he allowed four runs on six hits. Carrasco struck out two and walked three.

• Vin Mazzaro  0-0, 4.50 ERA

Called up to replace sore-shouldered Bruce Chen, Mazzaro was shaky against the Yankees. But despite giving up six hits and four walks in four innings, he managed to hold the Bombers to just two runs.

Projected Lineups

Cleveland

1. CF Michael Brantley

2. SS Asdrubal Cabrera

3. RF Shin-Soo Choo

4.     C Carlos Santana

5. DH Travis Hafner

6. 2B Orlando Cabrera

7. LF Travis Buck

8. 1B Matt LaPorta

9. 3B Jack Hannahan

Kansas City

1. 2B Mike Aviles

2. CF Mekly Cabrera

3. LF Alex Gordon

4. DH Billy Butler

5. RF Jeff Francoeur

6. 1B Eric Hosmer

7. 3B Wilson Betemit

8.    C Matt Treanor

9. SS Alcides Escobar