Cleveland Indians: 3 takeaways from the Ohio Cup

The Cleveland Indians dropped the rain-shortened Ohio Cup to the Cincinnati Reds earlier this week. Here is what stood out from the series.

Baseball fans in Ohio were able to see the state’s two teams play each other this week, but the weather ruined what could have been an even better series.

The Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds met up for the Ohio Cup, although one game still remains after Thursday’s game was postponed due to rain.

The Reds took two of the first three games, although the fact it was for a trophy didn’t seem to make much of a difference. It seemed like any other series for the Indians, and the team offered up several different experiences for fans in the three games.

Here is what stood out.

1. Cody Allen is human.

Watching Cody Allen blow a save in Wednesday’s game was incredibly frustrating, especially for the fans in attendance who waited out a two-hour rain delay.

It was his first blown save of the season and his first one since last August, so there is no need for fans to worry. Not that it makes the loss any better, but the game was extended thanks to instant replay and the amazing speed of Billy Hamilton. So the Indians were inches away from victory.

Allen is going to have a few rough outings this season, as any reliever does. But as long as they are few and far between, they can simply be forgotten about once the next game rolls around.

2. The usual offensive ups and downs

The Indians scored a total of 12 runs in the three games, but eight of those came in a win on Tuesday. The inconsistency of the offense showed once again, as the one run scored on Monday wasted a solid outing from Josh Tomlin, and the three scored on Wednesday simply weren’t enough.

The pitching can be better, but it is hard to expect consistent success if the pitchers have no room to work with.

The main focus is on Edwin Encarnacion and his struggles, but the whole group is struggling. It is the same story every series, and fans are waiting for the offense to put together a solid stretch. Will it ever happen?

3. Getting excited for the Ohio Cup?

The Ohio Cup has potential to be a big event. It would help if both teams were championship contenders, but being in the same state does allow for some sort of rivalry.

But putting the games at the beginning of the week and playing all four games at once didn’t do much to help the event.

Next: Indians at No. 11 in power rankings

Making this a weekend series in the summer would add to what both clubs are trying to achieve when it comes to getting fans to care about this supposed rivalry. Putting all four games at once in May just seemed like a rushed attempt to get it out of the way.