The Indians followed up an impressive 3-0 sweep of the Rangers by getting swept at the hands of the Diamondbacks. Corey Kluber has now turned in two middling April starts. He is typically a slow starter, so no real cause for concern. Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer, and Josh Tomlin were all knocked around in their first starts of the season, and that could be something to worry about.
Come June or July, getting swept by Arizona may not look quite so bad. Their offense has the potential to make any pitching staff look bad. The Indians own offense slumped last week, but it is good to see Michael Brantley getting big hits again. Francisco Lindor continues making his own case as the best shortstop in baseball.
George Springer hasn’t hit much this season, but he has made his hits count. Few leadoff hitters in baseball can match him when it comes to starting the game with a bang.
#Astros George Springer has four leadoff home runs this season. The #Phillies have four total over their last four seasons.
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) April 12, 2017
Some of the shine is off the Astros after their 3-0 start. They have played close games, but surprisingly the offense has let the team down. Batting champion Jose Altuve is barely hitting .200. Alex Bregman and Yulieski Gurriel have also struggled to lift their averages.
The lineup will come around, and as long as Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers keep pitching well, the Astros will stay atop the American League all season.