The Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox have had an exciting series through three games.
But nothing is going to top Wednesday night for quite some time.
Carlos Rodon was inches away from a perfect game and still ended up with a no-hitter.
For Indians fans, it was a frustrating night that saw the White Sox take a 6-0 lead in the first inning.
For White Sox fans, it was a night no one will ever forget.
The two teams are playing Thursday afternoon and that means fans in Cleveland can move on fast.
But that doesn’t mean glossing over the history seen from Rodon.
🚨 NO-HITTER 🚨
Carlos Rodon becomes the second White Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the last two years!
(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/UfGvFKN5qR
— ESPN (@espn) April 15, 2021
Carlos Rodon’s Magical Night
The hometown broadcast kept advertising the fact Rodon had a perfect game and the jinx was on.
The problem was the Indians offense once again had trouble getting on base.
This is not some new problem in 2021.
As a team, the Indians now own a slash line of .195/.277/.369.
Batting average ranks 29th out of 30 teams. On-base percentage ranks 28th. Slugging percentage ranks 22nd.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) April 15, 2021
Rodon throwing a no-hitter makes sense when considering this offense is only batting .195.
He only had seven strikeouts on the night, which once again isn’t a problem for the Indians.
Bad luck is one fact in terms of balls being put in play and not falling for hits.
But everything has to go right for a no-hitter to take place.
Rodon was throwing up near 100 miles per hour in the ninth inning and the Indians stood no chance.
This is a pitcher who was just non-tendered by the White Sox, only to return and look like an ace.
Was it fun to see the Indians flail around at the plate and on the mound?
No, however, it is important to appreciate moments like this that don’t come around often.
Moving Past the Hitless Night
Ok, so where do they go from here?
The Indians are not going to move past this major problem in one day.
The offense has a serious problem and it may come down to the roster more than what Terry Francona is doing with the talent given to him.
Having platoons at shortstop, center field, and first base is not a great plan for success.
Fans may begin to have actual chest pain if they have to keep seeing Jake Bauers and Ben Gamel in the same lineup throughout the season.
The Indians appear to be taking a long-term approach.
The team is also still 6-5 after the disastrous no-hit night.
So the sky is not falling just yet.
The roster in September, or even July for that matter, is going to look different than it does now.
However, that begs the question of why the front office is opting to go with lesser players at the start of the year.
A night like Wednesday is enough to begin raising major questions.
Add in Shane Bieber having a legendary performance Tuesday just to keep his team in the game and this series in Chicago could finally lead to some early changes.
For now, Indians fans can enjoy the fact they witnessed some baseball history.
Leave a Reply