MLB Playoffs: ALDS, Houston vs. Cleveland, game 3 thread
The Cleveland Indians hope to stave off elimination as they host the Houston Astros in the third game of their MLB playoffs series Monday
For each game this postseason, you will find a “game thread” here on Call To The Pen. This will be a spot that you can count on fans of the game to be around for chat on the game as it happens throughout the MLB playoffs in the month of October, all the way through the World Series.
The two best starting staffs in baseball, per Fangraphs WAR, in the 2018 regular season have matched up for very solid starts to each game so far, but the depth of the Houston bullpen and lineup has won over in each game late.
Down 0-2, Cleveland returns home and hopes that some home cooking and a day off can get their lineup going.
For the Indians
While Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco are legit ace-level pitches, many have overlooked the enormous strides Mike Clevinger has made in 2018. He was dynamic to end the season, and he’s been arguably the best Indians starter over the last two months of the season. He’s certainly the guy that Cleveland wants with the ball in his hand today.
The Indians face a lefty and will put together a change in their lineup to hopefully maximize that, sending Yonder Alonso to the bench and Yandy Diaz to DH being the most notable. Human pin cushion Brandon Guyer gets the start in right while the front five in the lineup remains the same.
The Indians had a pair of games against Keuchel this season, and multiple players had good games, with Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Ramirez each going 3-6, but Francisco Lindor will be key tonight, and he was just 1-6 on the season against Keuchel with a strikeout.
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For the Astros
The Astros send former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel to the mound to hopefully close out the Indians on the road. He’s been very reliable over his career, posting a 3.24 ERA over 8 playoff starts for the Astros. He did struggle as he finished the season, however, posting a 4.65 ERA and 1.65 WHIP over 6 September starts.
Keuchel is a free agent after the season and in his possible final run with the Astros, so he won’t want to be the guy to hurt the team, but how that will affect his pitching is yet to be seen.
The Astros will change up their lineup for this game, inserting Brian McCann and Tony Kemp into the lineup, seemingly focusing on offense in this game over the defense of Martin Maldonado.
The Astros defeated Clevinger twice early in the season, but he is a different pitcher compared to the guy who they saw in May. George Springer and Alex Bregman got home runs off of Clevinger in those early matchups and Yuli Gurriel went 3-6 in the two games, but Clevinger did hold Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve to a combined 2 for 11.
Next. A bold prediction for each playoff team. dark
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