The Cleveland Indians will travel to sunshine state to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the start of a three-game set tonight.
The Indians come into tonight’s game with a record 81-62 on the season. The surging Tampa Rays are 78-64. The Rays have won three in a row. The Rays are eight games of the second wild card spot.
The Indians are 5-5 in their last ten games. But, they are just five games away from clinching the AL Central.
Here are three keys for tonight’s game:
1. Force the Rays to use the bullpen more than they want
The Tampa Bay Rays have been using their bullpens to start games all season wrong. The Indians loss two out of three games against the Rays when they were in Cleveland.
One common theme from that series was the Rays pitching and strategy. For the Indians, force Rays to make pitching changes constantly and that could allow the Indians to tee off the Rays all series.
2. Kluber be Kluber
In Kluber’s last seven games, the Tribe ace is 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA. In his last start verse the Rays (8/31 at CLE), Kluber went seven innings and allowing just two hits. Kluber is in the middle of a race for yet another Cy Young award. It would be his third Cy Young award.
3. Return of the Miller
LHP Andrew Miller was activated from the disabled list earlier today. For the Indians, this is a big return. With Miller returning from the D.L., Miller will be able to get the bullpen back into shape before the postseason. This is the third time this season Miller has return from the disable list.
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