Aviles leads Indians past Rockies 7-6

May 31, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians second baseman Mike Aviles (4) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run against the Colorado Rockies during the second inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Aviles has 4 RBIs in Tribe’s Second Straight Win Over Colorado

The only consistent thing about the Cleveland Indians right now is that they’re remarkably inconsistent.  After totaling seven runs over the course of a four-game losing streak, they’ve bounce back to score 12 in winning their last two.  On Saturday night, Mike Aviles and Lonnie Chisenhall combined to drive in all of Cleveland’s run on a homer and a single apiece.  Trevor Bauer looked good too, letting up  only a pair of runs over six innings while striking out eight and walking just a batter.

The Positives

Bauer bounced back from a rough start against Baltimore to take control of a Rockies lineup that is another one of the best offenses in baseball.  He held them to just four hits and looked confident the whole time.  He’s now struck out eight batters in three out of his four starts on the year.  Chisenhall continued the breakout season we’ve all been waiting for, smashing his third homer and going 2-for-3.  Aviles of course had a strong day at the plate as well.  He’s hitting .280 on the year, giving the team some valuable depth.

The Negatives

Another game, another error for the Tribe.  This time it was David Murphy, botching a throw from right field.  Scott Atchison didn’t look like his usual sharp self, allowing a homer and two singles.  Josh Outman gave up a game-tying homer on the only pitch he threw, which was a bummer for Bauer since it meant he didn’t get the win after his stellar outing.  Raburn went 0-for-4.  It seems like he’s still struggling to get hot.  And Michael Brantley‘s record home hitting streak finally came to a close.

Check It Out

-Bauer threw 70 of his 100 pitches for strikes

-Michael Brantley’s 19-game Progressive Field hitting streak is one more than the record held by Kenny Lofton and two others.

-Mike Aviles has been worth nearly a full win above replacement so far this year, which of course is much more than an average bench player would provide over the course of two months in a limited role.