Cleveland Indians: 3 takeaways from the tough series vs. the Dodgers

The Cleveland Indians picked up a win in the series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it was an eventful series to say the least.

The Cleveland Indians have a knack for having big games to break out of slumps in 2017, yet sustained success has still eluded this club.

The Indians pulled off a dominant 12-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers today after two brutal losses to begin the series. It may have had some fans worried, and rightfully so, but it is still too early to panic.

The Indians are one game over .500 and just two games back of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central with a four-game series between the two teams beginning Friday. Before we look ahead to that crucial series, let’s take a look at what stood out against the Dodgers.

1. Miller is human

Indians “fans” were actually booing Andrew Miller Wednesday night after he allowed runs in consecutive starts for the first time all year. That’s just sad.

Miller has been a constant success since joining the team a year ago, but he was bound to go through a rough stretch at some point. And if his one rough stretch lasts just two games in June, there is nothing to worry about.

We all just got spoiled after Miller entered the series with a 0.29 ERA. Even after his rough series, his ERA is just at 1.60, which is still amazing. And his two sub par outings came against one of the best teams in baseball, who the Indians rarely face. This wasn’t a total meltdown against the Royals or the White Sox.

Related: The helpless feeling of watching Miller struggle

Miller may even have a few more rough outings this year, and will certainly allow some more runs (gasp). No pitcher is perfect, and yet Miller is as close as one can get to being just that. He’ll be just fine.

2. Kluber is still the ace

Corey Kluber recorded his 1,000th career strikeout Wednesday night, become the fastest Indians player to do just that. Yet his feat was overshadowed by the loss against the Dodgers.

What fans must not gloss over is that Kluber went seven innings and allowed just two runs, striking out 10 batters in the process. It was his third start since returning from the DL, and he has been as great as ever in the three games.

The rest of the rotation has had some success throughout the year, but Kluber has set the tone and cemented himself as the ace of the staff. It is now up to the others to follow his lead.

3. Edwin is back in the cleanup spot

Carlos Santana in the cleanup spot was just not working out. Edwin Encarnacion made his return to the spot Thursday and proceeded to go 3-for-3 and come around to score four times.

Encarnacion is now hitting .255, which is good for fourth on the team among qualified hitters. His .367 on-base percentage is first among the group, as are his 13 home runs.

Those who panicked about Edwin did so too soon, as the slugger is finally becoming a dominant force in the lineup. Some expected him to come in and hit 25 home runs right away, but that is just foolish.

Next: Kluber makes history Wednesday night

He is being relied upon to get this offense through its struggles, and appears to be up for the task.