Series Preview: Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago White Sox

Pitching Match ups

Josh Tomlin (3-1, 2.91 ERA, 3.93 SIERA)  vs. Jose Quintana (2-4, 3.67 ERA, 3.63 SIERA)

The Little Cowboy did his thing last time out, that time being the 13-inning battle with the Tigers last week. He got the win and struck out six, allowing a run, though as a game like that wears on guys get more aggressive, so I’m not too hopeful the K numbers will continue. All the same, he’s dependable for six or so and three-ish earned runs. I fully expect a homer or two because it’ll be warm, the Cell is small and he pounds the zone with borderline batting practice. This will be his first time facing the Sox since last year, his first appearance back from UCL surgery. He went two innings to relieve Corey Kluber, allowing two hits. Dunn is probably going to homer off him. Not much of a history otherwise.

The curse of the middling lefty continues on Memorial Day. Not that Quintana is mediocre, he’s just alright, but the Tribe continues to make lefties look like Clayton Kershaw every time out. Quintana was the tough luck loser last time out, lasting into the eighth before the Royals broke the 1-1 tie. He pounds the zone and doesn’t allow a ton of free passes because Don Cooper might eat him, as with all Sox pitchers. It’s part of the Cooper charm. He last faced the Indians on April 13, lasting six innings with six K’s and an earned runs along with eight hits. That was the game Alexei Ramirez hit a walk-off homer off John Axford. It was a bummer. He’s a fine pitcher though, I’d love to have him in Cleveland.

Justin Masterson (2-3, 5.32 ERA, 3.92 SIERA) vs. Chris Sale (4-0, 1.89 ERA, 2.37 SIERA)

There was a time, say a year ago, when this was appointment viewing. Not to say Chris Sale isn’t still dazzling, but Masterson has just been bad this year. He leads baseball in earned runs, his strikeouts are way down and his walks are up, his velocity is down across the board and pitches don’t have the same bite. Even that rough 2012 had him throwing harder. On short rest against the Orioles I was impressed a bit with his start, considering the circumstances,  but it was still a bad outing. He looked good for three and change innings, so maybe the normal rest will allow him to extend that. Last time he saw the Sox he held them to four hits and a walk over 7.1 innings, and this was with Abreu in the lineup. More of that would be nice.

In his first start off the disabled list, Sale was simply dominant, ace-like. He blew the Yankees away striking out 10 in six innings with one hit. You know there was some adrenaline pumping there, as with every Sale start. But this isn’t the Yankees he’s facing, this is the Indians. I can’t believe I wrote that without irony, but really, the Tribe gets to Sale routinely. On April 12th they knocked him out after five innings while scoring three runs, keeping the pitch count high. He’s thrown 62.1 innings against Cleveland in his career with a 4.76 ERA, 65 hits and nine homers, though he’s struck out 68 to pair with 18 walks. He gets the K’s, but he gives up the donkboxes too. Sometimes, a team just has your number, and with Kipnis coming back this game I expect the Tribe to get their man.

TJ House (0-1, 6.43 ERA, 4,75 SIERA) vs. Hector Noesi (0-4, 6.82 ERA,  4.37 SIERA)

House got housed on Friday, an ignominious beginning to his career as a major league starting pitcher. Eleven hits, five runs with a pair of homers lasting six frames, he just seemed overmatched out there. He doesn’t have anything particularly overpowering which means he relies on his defense to bail him out, and that’s bad news with this Indians nine. He needs an out pitch, and I figure he hasn’t found one over the weekend, unless he’s like Mariano Rivera and was blessed by God while playing catch. Having said all that, I’d like for the Indians to get the benefit of the unknown once in a while – I feel like I’ve seen unknowns show up for their first or second start and just dominate the Indians about 100 times the last few years. How about if House gets some of that? Please? Plainly, this is the first time the Sox have seen him.

In four years as a major leaguer, Hector Noesi has thrown a total of 224.2 innings and amassed a 5.73 ERA. He doesn’t strike many out, only 6.5 per nine innings, and gives up more than a hit per frame along with 3.5 walks per nine. He was claimed off waivers from Texas in April and has since made five starts for the Sox, packing a 5.14 ERA in 28 innings. I wouldn’t put it past Cooper to turn him into something eventually, he’s got good stuff with a four- and two-seamer in the low to mid-90’s,a change in the mid-80’s to change pace and some other mediocre breaking stuff, but right now he’s not there. He relied on his fastball as a reliever, he’s going to need to find something new if he wants to start. Bourn and A-Cab have both homered off him in the past. He also walked five his last time out. With House starting opposite, it’ll be a bullpen affair.