The Cleveland Indians are having an average start to the 2021 season.
An 8-8 start is nothing to worry about and this is about where fans should have expected the team to be so far.
The same is not true with the New York Yankees.
The Bronx Bombers are 6-11 and the high-powered offense can’t seem to do much of anything.
Fans are calling for Aaron Boone to be fired and the whole operation is a mess.
The Indians now have a chance to send the Yankees into a true downward spiral starting Thursday as a four-game series gets underway at Progressive Field.
And for the Yankees:
Thursday: RHP Domingo Germán
Friday: LHP Jordan Montgomery
Saturday: RHP Gerrit Cole (against Bieber)
Sunday: TBD— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) April 21, 2021
Major Problems in New York
All baseball fans outside of New York have to love seeing this collapse.
The Yankees did start 5-5, only to fall to 6-11.
This current slide saw the team lose four out of five at home and fans even began throwing baseballs on the field in some odd act of protest.
So what about the big names?
Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have combined to hit seven home runs, but they also have a combined 36 strikeouts.
Stanton is also batting .158 in his 15 games.
As for the pitching, Gerrit Cole is the only one dominating.
Former Indians ace Corey Kluber has a 5.40 ERA in four starts and is not looking like his old self at all.
Domingo German, who gets the start Thursday night, has a 9.00 ERA in his two starts.
That is great news for an Indians offense that could use a jolt or two in the series.
The Premier Matchup
Saturday, 6:10 p.m. ET at Progressive Field:
Shane Bieber vs. Gerrit Cole
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) April 21, 2021
Saturday night is going to be a must-watch game for all MLB fans.
Shane Bieber and Gerrit Cole are squaring off in what should be one of the better games so far this season.
If either offense can break through it could mean a change of fortune as well.
Taking down Bieber or Cole would be a huge confidence-builder for any lineup in the league.
Indians fans will miss out on Kluber this time around, as he was on the mound in Wednesday’s loss.
Seeking Revenge for 2020
The 2020 season was a weird one and the Indians being swept out of the playoffs by the Yankees in front of no fans is almost easy to forget.
But it did still happen and the Yankees had Bieber’s number in the opening game of that series.
He still went on to win the 2020 American League Cy Young Award and appears to be even better in 2021.
A huge game for the ace would assert his dominance as the best pitcher in baseball and could also be enough to have Yankees fans wondering if they are even remotely playoff contenders this year.
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