Cleveland Indians: Time to pick up another sweep on the road

The Cleveland Indians were rained out Wednesday night, but have the chance to pick up a third straight win over the Minnesota Twins this afternoon.

No matter what team you follow, there are always going to be those fans who are negative whenever the team loses even one game.

That is true for Cleveland Indians fans, who see mass panic ensue when Andrew Miller gives up a single hit.

A win today over the Minnesota Twins would help quiet some of the loudest detractors, as it would put the Indians back over the .500 mark and give the team its third straight win.

The series was supposed to be four games, but because of last night’s rainout we can consider a sweep if the Indians pull off the win today with Trevor Bauer on the mound.

The Indians will look to build upon the momentum from the first two games, including the 11-4 victory Tuesday night that saw the top five in the lineup turn in a great game. Edwin Encarnacion even hit a home run, so things are getting pretty serious.

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The offense has begun to wake up, but it may improve even further as this may be the last game without Jason Kipnis. He may be ready to return to the team as early as tomorrow, which should only provide a spark, the same way Lonnie Chisenhall did upon his return.

That does mean a player will be sent down, and it looks like that will be Yandy Diaz. He has played well as the starting third baseman, even hitting .231 thus far, but he could work on his defense a bit in Columbus.

Once again, he has done well at the hot corner, but Kipnis’ return allows him to work on his game and get better for a potential late-season return to the club.

But for now, Yandy has one more chance to prove he belongs with a great game today against the Twins.

Next: Edwin slowly heating up

It won’t be easy as the Indians are going up against Ervin Santana, who is 3-0 on the year and has only allowed five hits in 22 innings, but he hasn’t faced this lineup yet so expect a different result.