The best team in the American League...the Cleveland Indians? With the way the Tribe has been playing lately, it might not be as ridiculous as it sounds.
With all the attention regarding the AL playoff race focused squarely on either the East or West Divisions, the Cleveland Indians have been quietly sitting atop the wildcard standings with a game and a half over the New York Yankees while simultaneously causing the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox to nervously check their rearview mirror after each of their recent losses.
On Aug. 1, Chicago had a supposedly insurmountable 15-game lead in the AL Central. A recent tailspin, however, has put the White Sox a mere 3.5 games ahead of the surging Indians.
The Indians are winners of five straight games (check tonight's game) and have won 30 out of 40 games. They have gone 33-11 since the All-Star break, the best of any team in the majors.
The team has more than a few similarities to the Boston Red Sox in 2004. The Yankees seemed to have a cushy lead over a Boston team that was more than 10 games out of first place. Yet a series of blockbuster moves by Theo Epstein that sent Nomar Garciaparra packing and brought in Doug Mientkiewicz, Orlando Cabrera, and Dave Roberts (a legend in the making for most Bostonians) sparked a tear that brought the Sox within 2.5 games of the Yankees.
The rest, as they say, is history.
If the Indians, like the 2004 Red Sox, make the postseason have a good chance to make noise with their pitching. Their team ERA is a sparkling 3.65, fourth in the majors, and a close second in the AL to the 3.62 mark of the Oakland Athletics.
C.C. Sabathia has gone 8-1 with a 1.99 ERA since Aug. 5 and on Sunday, had a five-hit shutout in eight masterful innings against the Kansas City Royals. Kevin Millwood has been 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last three starts and leads pitchers in the AL with a 3.02 ERA. Scott Elarton's inconsistent beginning has been wiped away with recent performances, going 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA and averaging at least six innings in each game.
The bullpen has been consistent, relying heavily on the dependable arm of closer Bob Wickman. He has a 2.64 ERA and an AL-leading 43 saves. Pitchers Fernando Cabrera, Matt Miller, and Bobby Howry all have earned run average under three.
While pitching is Cleveland's main attraction, one cannot ignore their offense. The lineup is not filled with superstar power hitters, but the Tribe has a lot of up-and-coming and underrated players lending young talent to the roster.
Travis Hafner has been great with his .300 batting average, 26 HR, and 90 RBI. In his second year, and his first since fully taking over for Omar Visquel, Jhonny Peralta has done an admirable job, hitting .287 with 22 HR, and 73 RBI at shortstop.
The Indians started a three-game series with the White Sox on Monday. While Chicago is putting its top three pitchers on the mound, they may end up abdicating their throne over the AL Central.
If Cleveland is still on fire come October, there's no reason its Cinderella season can't have one final similarity to Boston's 2004 run.
