With last night’s win over the league-leading Boston Red Sox, the Cleveland Indians got a taste of a possible playoff matchup that will determine who gets a ticket to the fall classic. With the Red Sox and Indians both with a chokehold on their division in late August, both seemed destined to clash this fall. Both teams have deep starting rotations with solid bullpens and can support those pitches with power hitters at the top of their batting order.
What remains to be seen is if the Indians or Red Sox will come out ahead in five or seven-game series? Which team will show up? Will Cleveland receive solid support from their bullpen? Will Boston continue to hit at the clip they have been? While the American League playoff picture seems more clear, outside of the West, predicting the outcome of the upcoming fall classic is anybody’s best guess.
While one may be unsure if the Indians have truly recovered from their slow start. Boston has shown they can sustain winning and have built the roster that can compete with the league’s best. The question remains, will the Indians peak at the right time and make that long-awaited championship run and come home with hardware? Or will Boston have the stamina needed to sustain their historic season long into the postseason?
Time will tell, but for now, this year’s fall classic will deliver some choice baseball offerings.