
We just posted an article about how the Cleveland Indians looked like a brand new team.
A four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals seemed to signal a shift.
Alas, the Indians were no-hit Friday night by Wade Miley.
What is going on?
The offense went from looking inspired to looking dead in a matter of just over 24 hours.
A few errors and a walk were all that kept Miley from perfection.
So how many times is this going to happen in 2021?
Wade Miley incites a bench clearing incident. pic.twitter.com/5mZ8qeOoiv
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 8, 2021
A Historic Start
The Indians were no-hit by Carlos Rodon just a few weeks ago.
Such a night was likely tough to take in and the offense did bounce back.
Now the Indians have done something that hasn’t been seen in over 100 years.
So, minor correction: #Indians are the 18th team to be no-hit twice in a season.
They are just the third team to be no-hit twice in their first 31 games, joining the 1884 Pittsburgh Alleghanys and 1917 Chicago White Sox, who went on to win the World Series.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) May 8, 2021
At least fans got to see some history in general.
Miley’s no-no marked the fourth in baseball already this season.
Joe Musgrove got the first on April 9 and Rodon got his five days later.
Baltimore Orioles ace John Means was next up earlier this week, only for Miley to repeat the feat two days later.
So it is not just the Indians being no-hit in 2021.
This could signal a trend that pitching is getting more and more elite with each passing season.
But it should also be noted there are years with more no-hitters than others.
2015 had seven all from June 9 on.
Then fans only saw one in 2016 and one in 2017.
So it may be better to look at 2021 five years from now to see the final outcome.
This still does nothing to make Indians fans feel better about the offense.
Is There a Solution?
This Indians team is very weird.
There is a ton of youth on the roster and the offense’s leader, Jose Ramirez, is only 28 years old.
The Indians averaged six runs per game in the Royals series.
So it is not like this no-hitter was a long time coming.
And the lineup was not missing a ton of key pieces either.
So as long as the result is better this weekend there should be nothing to worry about.
This team may just truly be the most feast-or-famine group in baseball.
The good news was the pitching was stellar as usual.
Zach Plesac went eight scoreless innings before Emmanuel Clase came in and had his worst outing of the year.
But there was no chance of winning based on how the offense looked against Miley.
Not a Major Concern
This is just the way this 2021 squad is going to be.
No one needs to be fired and panic does not need to ensue.
If the Indians bounce back the next night, everyone can move on.
And ultimately, fans are getting to see some history in the process.
As long as the Indians stay up near first place, everyone can enjoy the drama.
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