Down the home stretch we go

There are three major tasks left for the Indians in their remaining regular season games:

1. Get home field advantage in as many rounds as possible.   If we hold our tenuous 1.5 game lead over the Astros it would mean that the Astros have to play the Red Sox in the first round and we get to play the wildcard winner.   While nothing is guaranteed in the playoffs I would rather risk playing the wildcard in a short (best of 5) series than having to go through both the Red Sox AND Astros.  We are currently 3.5 down from the Dodgers for best overall record in the major leagues this year.   That seems daunting with only a handful of games but I guess it is possible.

2. Keep guys healthy and get guys healthy.   Right now it doesn't look good for either Michael Brantley or Brad Zimmer.   We need to find a way to get at least Brantley healthy.

3. Set the post-season roster.   Without Brantley and Zimmer and with all the bullpen arms we have, this could be a huge task.  As far as the outfield, we are really short there.   In the playoffs you can deal with one of your hitters being an easy out.  You can even get by with two.  Once you get to three easy outs, however, your run-scoring ability is in jeopardy.   We have too many question marks in our lineup right now.  Diaz, Kipnis, Chisenhall, Guyer, Urshela and the catchers.   You could easily envision three easy outs in that lineup, especially if Diaz wilts like Naquin did last year and, if Bruce struggles against lefties, sometimes four.  While some or all of these could catch lightning in a bottle for a series or two, with the way they currently are and with our Naquin experience last year, it is apparent that we have huge question marks in LF and 3B, to say nothing about our catchers who have been OK recently but represent a huge question mark in terms of hitting in the post-season and no one likes to go the playoffs with question marks.   The bullpen is another question but for another reason.   We have SO many guys who are performing who would you take for your bullpen.   Guys like Tomlin or McAllister could be left off the roster as we look for better matchup guys.  Tito has to be a mastermind and pick the guys (maybe different guys for each series) who will give him the best chance to win crucial matchups late in the game, especially as it is likely that Miller can not be used as he was last year.

These are the points of concern as we head down the stretch.   With us playing the Angels and Twins in two of our four remaining series, we have the competition level necessary to get our guys ready for the playoffs.  Now we just need to make those decisions...and hope that Brantley makes a remarkably speedy comeback and does a Schwarber-like recovery in terms of shaking off the rust, as well.   So, while we have clinched and while THE STREAK is over, we may have more drama, uncertainty and concern now than we had at any time this season.  It can still all work out but, as a Cleveland fan spoiled by playoff runs the last two years in two sports AND knowing how the playoffs can hinge on being as strong throughout your lineup as possible, I want as many cards stacked in our favor as possible when we head into October.