Sunday was not the best day for the Cleveland Indians.
Shane Bieber allowed a shocking five earned runs and the final was a 6-2 defeat against the Seattle Mariners.
But the weekend itself was filled with plenty of positives.
Here are three that stood out from the series win.
3. Aaron Civale’s Lights Out Start
You wouldn't know unless you watched, but Aaron Civale had the best night pitching in Major League Baseball.
What a treat.#OurCLE pic.twitter.com/6hm8DgCthj
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) June 12, 2021
We have already discussed Aaron Civale‘s amazing start at length over the past few days.
But it is hard not to given just how great he was Friday night.
After allowing three early baserunners, Civale mowed down the next 22 batters in a total of eight innings of work.
He had 11 strikeouts and is now ahead of Bieber in terms of ERA on the year.
Perhaps the craziest thing about Civale is the success he is having without much MLB experience.
It is so easy to look at pitchers like Civale, Bieber, and Zach Plesac and expect greatness.
But all three are very young and Civale’s 13 starts so far this year represent a new career-high.
He has never had a full season of work at the MLB level, which makes his success that much more special.
2. Saturday’s Exciting Walk-Off
This one is a no-brainer.
Saturday’s box score shows a 5-4 extra-innings victory for the Indians.
But it was so much more complex than that.
The game began with Triston McKenzie walking four batters and being pulled before getting out of the first inning.
But the bullpen did its job in what basically became a bullpen game.
That allowed the offense to stage a much-needed comeback.
Bobby Bradley and Rene Rivera had clutch hits in the bottom of the ninth as the bottom of the order came through in a big way.
Then, for those who may have missed it, a simple throwing error gave the Indians the win in the bottom of the 10th.
E-Won.#OurCLE | #WWindians pic.twitter.com/bfkxKQecdW
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) June 13, 2021
It was a bizarre game that may have proved the theory that this Indians offense must need extra motivation to bring home a win.
1. Fans Back In The Stands
Friday night was not only a great win, but it also saw Progressive Field open up again with no capacity limits.
This was a long-awaited move and the Indians responded with two great games in a row.
It was honestly just nice to hear the roar of the crowd again after so long.
Hearing fake crowd noise in 2020 is something fans, and likely players, never want to deal with every again.
The stadium is now open for good and the Indians are real contenders in the American League.
Even going downtown and getting a hot dog at the game is worth the price of admission after the year-plus the world has had.
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