The Cleveland Indians got off to a great start in their three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 6-2 win on Friday, June 8. In fact, the Indians are traditionally strong against St. Louis having won 13 of 18 meetings since the inception of interleague play in 1997.
Josh Tomlin was solid allowing just two runs in seven innings while Johnny Damon went deep in the seventh inning. Asdrubal Cabrera, Jason Kipnis, and Michael Brantley all went 2-5 from the plate.
The Tribe will certainly have their work cut out for them on Saturday against Kyle Lohse, but his stats of 5-1, 3.21 ERA are slightly deceiving. In his first seven starts he indeed earned a 5-1 record paired with a 2.08 ERA, however in his last five he has gone 0-0 with a 4.85 ERA. Lohse is 3-6 with a 6.35 ERA during interleague play.
Provided Indians' starter Justin Masterson stays consistent and the Tribe bats stay hot, Cleveland has a strong chance of delaying Lohse's rebound at least by another game.
The matchup:
The Cleveland Indians will take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium located in St. Louis, Mo. on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 7:15 p.m. EDT.
Justin Masterson (2-5, 5.09 ERA) will take the mound for the Indians facing off against the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse (5-1, 3.21 ERA).
The standings:
Cleveland enters the game with a 31-26 record and in second place in the American League Central. They are 15-10 when playing on the road and have won five of their last 10 games.
St. Louis comes into the matchup with a 30-29 record and in third place in the National League Central. They are 13-12 when playing at home and have won three of their last 10 games.
The series:
The season series is currently stands at 1-0 in favor of the Indians.
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- .298 batting average, Jason Kipnis- 9 home runs, Jason Kipnis- 36 runs batted in.
St. Louis: Yadier Molina- .337 batting average, Carlos Beltran- 16 home runs, Carlos Beltran- 44 runs batted in.
More Cleveland Indians Commentary from Paul Rados:
Cleveland Indians at St. Louis Cardinals, June 8, 2012: Fan Preview
Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers, June 7, 2012: Fan Preview
Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers, June 6, 2012: Fan Preview
Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers, June 5, 2012: Fan Preview
Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians, June 3, 2012: Fan Preview
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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