The Aftermath: 3 Takeaways from the Indians’ 6-5 Win Over Houston

The Cleveland Indians have a chance to split the series with the Houston Astros after picking up a 6-5 victory Wednesday night.

A professional baseball game is filled with ups and downs, as certain points may cause fans to scream out in glee or conversely cry out in despair.

This held true Wednesday night as the Cleveland Indians held on to a 6-5 lead en route to a win over the Houston Astros in a stadium filled with more bugs than fans. To be fair, there were a lot of bugs.

Carlos Carrasco pitched a great game, logging 7 1/3 innings, with four earned runs and five strikeouts. It was not a perfect performance, but the offense was there to pick him up as he notched his 11th win of the season.

Mike Napoli and Brandon Guyer each drove in two runs, with Napoli hitting a moonshot into the left field bleachers for his 31st home run on the season, making Wednesday another #PartyatNapoli’s.

There was a late-inning scare when Andrew Miller came in during the eighth inning and gave up a two-run home run to Yulieski Gurriel to put the Astros down one run at 6-5, but he recovered and got the game to the ninth, where Cody Allen came in and struck out three to get the save.

The win puts the Indians up 5.5 games over the Detroit Tigers with seven head-to-head matchups between the two teams still to be played.

The Indians and Astros will finish the series this afternoon at 12:10 when Trevor Bauer goes up against David Paulino, who will be making his MLB debut. Nothing against Paulino, but here’s to hoping it is a short outing.

Carlos Santana a Capable Leadoff Hitter

With the playoffs approaching, it is important for Terry Francona to solidify a lineup that has his players in the best possible spot of the order. The leadoff hitter is a crucial spot for any team, and Carlos Santana seems to be the perfect fit for the role.

The goal for any leadoff hitter is to get on base, and Santana did just that Wednesday night. He had three walks in five plate appearances, facing a team-high 28 pitches.

Santana in the leadoff spot may seem odd given his .242 batting average, but his .352 on-base percentage makes him a great option. With Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor and Mike Napoli behind him, the Indians have a great thing going at the top of the lineup.

Andrew Miller Will be Fine

The world of Twitter makes it easy to overreact at the ups and downs of a game. Cue Andrew Miller allowing a two-run home run in the eighth inning, a moment when one would’ve thought the Indians had just finished an 0-162 season based on the Twitter reaction.

Relief pitchers are going to allow runs. Sometimes these will come on home runs. The home run did not even tie the game, so while some frustration was warranted, throwing hate at Miller was just irrational.

He was able to get two strikeouts to get out of the inning anyway, so the damage was limited. The Indians won, so there is no need to dwell with a negative viewpoint.

One thing this moment does is show that Cody Allen is still a great option at the closer spot. This does not mean Miller could not be the full-time closer, but after all the calls for Miller to be the closer, last night’s game was a good reminder for fans just how solid Allen has been in 2016.

A Fifth Starter Has Been Named

Before the game began, the Indians announced that Mike Clevinger will get the start Saturday night, temporarily ending the discussion about the options at the fifth starter spot.

He may be on the hook for an early exit if he struggles early, but it was smart to announce the decision now so the rest of the staff can prepare for the week.

Next: 3 MiLB Affiliates Set for Postseason Play

This does not mean Josh Tomlin is permanently out of the starting rotation, but it would be hard to allow him to start a meaningful game after watching him collapse in August and give up far too many home runs.