Cleveland Indians finish April in first place in the AL Central

The Cleveland Indians got off to a shaky start but have turned it around to finish April in first place in the American League Central division.

Cleveland Indians fans can take a deep breath and let out some stress that may have built up in the first half of the month.

The Indians have followed up a 5-7 start by winning four series in a row, capped off by an offensive explosion in a 12-4 victory Sunday afternoon. As a note, I have been to two games this season and the Indians have scored a combined 25 runs in those games, so I’m declaring myself the good luck charm.

The win gives the Indians a 14-10 record, which is good for a .5-game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central.

The record is impressive, but it stands out when put in perspective against recent April starts for this team.

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The above tweet sheds light on just how long its been since the team came out of April at such a dominant pace. The dark days of the 2012 season are now luckily behind us.

The 9-3 mark since April 16 has been fun for fans, as the three losses mark the worst offensive performances during that stretch. That means the nine wins have actually been a joy to watch, as enough offense has been mustered to avoid throwing the remote through the television.

The pitching has also been solid, both from the starting rotation and the bullpen, as we all expected.

It is almost difficult to seek out criticism when a team is playing so well. Players like Yan Gomes and Edwin Encarnacion stand out as players who need to have a great May, but the team’s record remains the most important mark of all.

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And as long as the team keeps winning, it will be hard to complain as May rolls on and summer gets underway.