Thoughts for a Sunday

 Baseball doesn't get much better than the Indians embarassing the Yankees in a series in New York.   Highlights from today:

• The Indians ducksnorted the Yankees to death.   Ahhh, nothing pisses off fans of a money-rich, high expectations team than to be whipped into submission with a wet noodle.
• The Yankees fans booing Gerrit Cole as he leaves the mound.   Really, Gerrit, what the perfect time for a thumbs down and you let the moment go by.  
• The Yankees being beaten by a guy who came into the game with a 2-7 record and an atrocious ERA over 5 for the season.   As someone said, today's game with a matchup between a Cy Young candidate and a guy who pitched like one.  Good on ya, Eli!
• Finally, the icing on the cake was Trevor Stephan, a Rule 5 pick from the Yankees, coming in to strike out the side.   Yankees fans on the edge of insanity by what went on today were likely pushed over the edge with this salting of their wounds.   Gotta love it if you are a Tribe fan!

As if that was not enough, the Rubberducks eliminated Somerset, the Yankees AA team, from the playoffs with a come-from-behind win.   Jose Fermin adding to his case of being rostered this winter with a game-tying 3-run HR in the 8th followed by a George Valera 17-hopper through the left side to beat the shift and drive in the go-ahead run.  Didn't try to do too much, didn't try to hit it out of the park, just got the job done.  Are you watching Andres Gimenez?

I have to admit that, even with things that I had to get done, I spent my afternoon and savored every pitch of the Indians game.   It was just the tonic I needed heading into another week.

Now, all that being said, the Indians are now 73-74.   Thus they are one game under .500 with 15 games left to play.    They have 4 games against the White Sox and 11 games against the Royals and Rangers.  That's right, 11 games against teams with losing records and 4 games against teams with winning records.  Baseball is a crazy thing and anything can happen (look at today!).   However, the Indians should feel some pressure and gird their loins to push to the end of this season as they have a good chance to finish this year with a winning record.   They are not just playing out the season, they are playing for the pride of having the best record possible.  This is a team that has been here all year, not a bunch of September callups with wide eyes.   They can end the season with a push that will get them into next year and I hope they can take advantage of these last two weeks.   

For one of the last times we will be able to say it.  Go Tribe!  (and go Rubberducks!).