The Cleveland Indians got an unexpected day off Sunday thanks to some consistent rain in Northeast Ohio.
It is still raining at the time this article is being written.
But the rainout did not change the fact the Indians remain in great shape in the standings.
18-14 is good enough for second in the American League Central and gives the team the sixth-best winning percentage in baseball as of Sunday night.
The fact the team was no-hit once again doesn’t look as bad given the standings.
Let’s look at how the rest of the AL Central is doing as Mother’s Day winds down and a new week begins.
To all the amazing mothers out there, we hope you're having an incredible day.
Thanks so much for all you do.
Happy Mother's Day! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NZGQCFvjUa
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) May 9, 2021
The Division-Leading Squad
The Chicago White Sox took down the Kansas City Royals on Sunday to pick up a sweep.
The White Sox outscored the free-falling Royals 21-4 in the three-game set.
19-13 is where the White Sox sit Sunday night.
SOX WIN! SOX SWEEP! pic.twitter.com/BvQHCcP8Lb
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 9, 2021
Such a record, and first-place rank, is great news for fans who may already be fed up with Tony La Russa.
The team is also dealing with a ton of injuries, so the latest sweep proves the veteran manager is doing a few things right so far.
A Close Second
The Indians sit one game behind the White Sox at 18-14 on the year.
In true 2021 fashion, the Indians were no-hit once again Friday night.
They then followed it up with an offensive explosion Saturday night.
No one knows the true potential of this club, but having one of the best records in baseball proves they are not a pretender.
The Fading Royals
What happened to the Royals?
Kansas City has now lost eight straight after having the top record in baseball near the end of April.
First it was the Indians pulling off the four-game sweep.
The White Sox followed it up by sweeping the Royals in three.
It did appear during the Indians’ sweep that the Royals lacked composure at key moments.
Not having a strong pitching staff may doom that club as well.
The Confusing Twins
The Minnesota Twins are 12-20 on the year after originally being seen as favorites to win the division.
That can, of course, still happen.
But the pitching has not looked great and the team as a whole has looked rough following a 5-2 start to the year.
The schedule gets tough for the Twins starting this week against the White Sox, so May could determine this team’s ultimate 2021 fate.
The Major Rebuild
The Detroit Tigers, as expected, are dead-last at 10-24 on the year.
That franchise remains in a rebuilding phase and that is part of the reason why A.J. Hinch was brought in as manager.
Development is the key there over anything else in 2021 and even in 2022.
A minus-68 run-differential tells the whole story there.
For what it’s worth, the Royals are at minus-31.
If the Twins can rebound then the preseason predictions can hold.
For now, the Indians and White Sox are the only true contenders in the Central.
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