The Cleveland Indians have been giving fans somewhat of a roller coaster ride in recent weeks going from stellar play, to struggling, and back to stellar play again. It certainly keeps things interesting and helps to identify those who panic at the first sign of a slump and those who enjoy the natural wave of the baseball season.
The Tribe will close out their final series of interleague play with a three-game weekend series against the Houston Astros. Come next season, the Indians will see them a bit more often as they join the American League West. While an Indians/Astros series will become more common in the future, this will be the first time since 2001 the two teams have met.
Cleveland will send starter Ubaldo Jimenez to the hill on Friday to open the series against the Astros. Jimenez has been strong allowing just one run and five hits in each of his last two outings. It is a far cry from the struggles we have seen earlier this year. In addition, Jimenez is 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA in his career against the Astros.
It is looking like a promising start to the series already.
The matchup:
The Cleveland Indians will take on the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park located in Houston, Texas on Friday, June 22, 2012 at 8:05 p.m. EDT.
Ubaldo Jimenez (6-5, 5.00 ERA) will take the mound for the Indians facing off against the Astros' Lucas Harrell (6-5, 5.07 ERA).
The standings:
Cleveland enters the game with a 36-32 record and in first place in the American League Central. They are 16-14 when playing on the road and have won five of their last 10 games.
Houston comes into the matchup with a 28-41 record and in fifth place in the National League Central. They are 19-16 when playing at home and have won three of their last 10 games.
The series:
The season series is currently stands at 0-0.
Where to watch or listen:
In Cleveland: Television- STO, Radio- WTAM, Indians Radio Network.
Nationwide: Television and Radio via MLB.TV (Television blackouts apply in Cleveland market).
The batting statistic leaders:
Cleveland: Asdrubal Cabrera- .300 batting average, Jason Kipnis- 11 home runs, Jason Kipnis- 41 runs batted in.
Houston: Jose Altuve- .313 batting average, Jed Lowrie- 13 home runs, J.D. Martinez- 37 runs batted in.
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Sources:
All statistics provided by MLB.com
Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Indians fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook.
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