A Critical Series In Cleveland

State of the Indians

In their third year under manager Terry Francona, the Indians have basically been as expected, pairing great pitching and defense with an occasionally suspect offense. In Kansas City on Sunday, they didn't manage to get a hit on the board until Francisco Lindor bunted for a single in the seventh inning.

Prior to that, Cleveland had won three straight contests. They have played a whopping 22 consecutive games against AL Central opponents, and their 13-9 record during that stretch has enabled them to climb back into the race. As you'll see in the pitching match-up breakdowns, they've got some starters that are rolling along nicely at this point.

Rookie Rumble

Some years, Eddie Rosario's numbers would make him a Rookie of the Year front-runner. But not in 2015, the Year of the Rookie. Rosario will finish behind his teammate, Miguel Sano, in the voting, and both will likely end up below the Indians shortstop Lindor.

The eighth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Lindor has developed just as Cleveland had hoped, rapidly ascending the minors and debuting in the majors at age 21. He has flashed his dynamic athleticism in all phases of the game, batting .320/.358/.485 with 10 homers, 21 doubles, four triples and nine steals on 11 attempts. He's pesky.

Manship Sailing Along

In the first six seasons of his big-league career, including four with Minnesota, Jeff Manship posted a 6.46 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. But now he has found new life in the Indians bullpen. The righty has allowed only 20 hits in 37 innings of work, and owns a 0.97 ERA. He hasn't given up a run since August 22nd.

No Place Like Home?

The Indians have home field advantage this week, but that hasn't really been much of an advantage for them this year. They are 35-38 with a 4.12 team ERA at Progressive Field, compared to 42-39 and 3.39 on the road. The Twins, conversely, have played much better at home but have won three straight series on the road.

PITCHING MATCH-UPS

Monday, 6:10 PM: Phil Hughes vs. Corey Kluber

These two faced off last Wednesday, in a game that the Twins won after ambushing Kluber for four runs in the fourth inning. Hughes was at his best in that game, making up for diminished velocity by consistently hitting his spots and peppering the fringes of the strike zone.

The reigning AL Cy Young winner, Kluber is enjoying another excellent season, but he hasn't looked particularly sharp in either of his outings since returning from a two-week absence due to a hamstring strain.

Tuesday, 6:10 PM: Kyle Gibson vs. Cody Anderson

Gibson did not rise to the challenge in his biggest start of the year last week, coughing up six runs in 2 2/3 innings, but now he'll get another shot. He had a 2.75 ERA with zero homers allowed in his previous six starts, so he'll need to rediscover that form.

Anderson has had a very nice month of September, with a 4-0 record and 1.69 ERA. He held the Twins to one run over 6 2/3 innings last Thursday, though he flirted with trouble by allowing 10 hits. The rookie has allowed two or fewer runs in 10 of his 14 starts for Cleveland.

Wednesday, 6:10 PM: Mike Pelfrey vs. Carlos Carrasco

This match-up is a scary one for the Twins. Pelfrey came up big in his last start, holding the Tigers to one run over five innings in Detroit, but in general he's been terrible on the road this year, with a 5.60 ERA and 1.74 WHIP. Pelf was shelled in his last start at Cleveland back in early August, surrendering seven runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings

Carrasco has quietly emerged as one of the best starting pitchers in the American League. His numbers (180 IP, 14-10, 3.44 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 211/41 K/BB) ought to put him in the Cy Young conversation. He's coming off the best start of his career, a one-hit shutout over the Royals in which he tallied 15 strikeouts.

Thursday, 6:10 PM: Tyler Duffey vs. Josh Tomlin

Tomlin joined the Indians rotation in mid-August and has picked up wins in six of his nine starts since, registering a 3.03 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. Duffey has had a similarly dramatic impact on the Twins' rotation since stepping in around the same time, notching victories in five of his nine starts. Their formulas are quite different – Tomlin a control artist who leans heavily on his fastball and cutter, Duffey unleashing his big curveball at an MLB-leading 37.8 percent clip – but their results have been similar. This should be a good tilt, and depending on what happens in the three games preceding it, the stakes could be very high.