Cleveland Indians tie MLB record for offensive futility

The Cleveland Indians had been on a hot streak of late. Winners of nine of their previous 11 games, they have managed to get just enough from their offense to supplement their incredible pitching. That surge had pushed the Indians to the division lead, but there were still plenty of questions as to whether or not this success could continue.

Those questions got louder after Friday night. Not only were the Indians no hit by Wade Miley, but they became just the third team in MLB history to be no hit twice in their first 31 games.

Cleveland Indians offense continues to be their biggest issue

The Indians entered Friday with a .212 batting average, 13th in the American League. They ranked 11th with 127 runs scored and were 12th with a .682 OPS. Only three players with at least 20 plate appearances had an OPS+ over 100 entering the night.

Miley was not really tested by the Indians’ lineup in his outing, issuing just one walk while striking out eight. The first baserunner did not occur until the sixth due to a pair of errors by Nick Senzel. Franmil Reyes was the closest of any Cleveland hitter to getting a base knock, but his hard line drive was hit right to short.

If the Indians expect to contend this season, the lineup will need to be improved. There are possible candidates in the minors, as Bobby Bradley could slot in at first to provide another powerful bat in the lineup. Owen Miller may not be far behind, adding a contact oriented approach in the middle of the infield.

Interestingly, there is a bit of a silver lining when it comes to the historical context. While the Alleghenys were awful, posting a 30-78-2 record while finishing 11th in the American Association, the same could not be said of the White Sox. That team finished the year with a 100-54-2 record en route to winning the World Series in six games.

The Cleveland Indians offense vanished once again on Friday. They became the third team in MLB history to be no hit twice in their first 31 games.