It’s a good thing the Cleveland Indians are in the AL Central, a division that has a number of clubs going through a rebuild. The Tribe isn’t rebuilding, but they do need to overhaul an offense that has struggled all season. Still, the favorite to win the division is hovering near the top and a breakout offensively will put them in a familiar position.
Both teams won their division last season with the Atlanta Braves rising to the top of the NL East. And both are expected to be contenders once again in 2019, so it sets up to be a good one. The Indians and Braves will conclude their interleague set on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball from Progressive Field.
This MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians will be held at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 21, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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Odds Analysis
The Indians’ slow start offensively led to some humbling moments. They were swept in Kansas City before heading to the Northwest and snapping their three-game slide. With a team batting average around .200 this far into the season, you have to expect a breakthrough at some point. And that could be coming soon with Jason Kipnis already back in the lineup and Francisco Lindor due back soon.
While Cleveland’s offense likely cost them a few games already this season, the Braves’ bullpen is, well, shaky. After a group of relievers allowed seven runs in the final three frames of a loss to the D-Backs, the pen has a 5.43 ERA with 36 walks in 59.2 innings. That’s a group even the Indians can hit.
Probable Pitchers
Max Fried has become one of Atlanta’s most reliable starters after another stellar outing in his previous start. The lefty lasted six innings giving up two earned runs, his first of the season, and departed with a 5-2 lead before the bullpen crumbled. He went six innings in each of his two previous starts, surrendering just six hits and one unearned run with nine strikeouts.
In his three starts, Fried has worked 18 innings giving up 13 hits with 12 strikeouts. Including two relief appearances earlier in the season, he’s compiled a sparkling 0.92 ERA across 19.2 innings. Fried will face the Indians for the first time.
The Indians’ strong rotation carried them to a division title last season, and Shane Bieber has kept the group on track despite poor starts from Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco. Bieber turned in another strong outing against the Mariners in his last start, pitching out of trouble to complete six innings giving up just one earned run.
The former UCSB Gaucho is 2-0 on the year with a 1.71 ERA allowing just 11 hits with 22 strikeouts in 21.0 innings. “He battled and gave us a chance to win,” Terry Francona said of Bieber, who walked three last outing for just the second time in his career.
Key Stat
If good pitching stops good hitting, what does bad pitching do? The Braves’ bullpen has struggled this season to a 5.43 ERA over 59.2 innings. The group wasted a solid outing from Fried in his last start giving up seven runs over the last three innings of an eventual 9-6 loss. And it hasn’t been just one guy getting ripped it’s been the entire squad. Six relievers combined to give up five hits, six walks and two hit batsmen to squander a 5-2 lead.
Free MLB ATS Picks
Atlanta’s bullpen and Cleveland’s hitting are areas that have prevented each club from more success at this point of the season. Both will get ironed out at some point and the Tribe is hoping a successful return to the lineup from Kipnis and Lindor takes care of their problem. We should have a good pitcher’s duel between two fine young arms, but Atlanta’s bullpen is cringe-worthy right now and I can’t trust anyone. And the Tribe will face someone out of the pen since Fried isn’t going to go the distance.
MLB Pick: Cleveland Indians 5, Atlanta Braves 4
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