The Indians have the lowest batting average in the major leagues after 11 games, and it isn’t even close.
Instead of fretting, the players are taking the attitude that once they weather this storm, there will be warmer days ahead, literally and figuratively, because despite hitting just .158 as a team, the Indians at 6-5 were in first place in the A.L. Central after nipping the Tigers, 2-1, on another frigid night at Progressive Field.
Solo home runs by Jose Ramirez and Roberto Perez, plus stellar pitching, made the Indians winners for the third straight game. They totaled seven runs and allowed only two in those three games.
“I think it shows there are many ways we can win a ballgame,” Indians first baseman Yonder Alonso said. “I think early in the year to gets wins like this is pivotal and very positive because you understand you can still get the job done.
“We’re winning games right now with obviously our defense and our pitching. No question about it, but I think eventually this will turn and we’ll hit pretty well.”
The Indians had fewer than five hits 17 times last season and won only one of those games (3-2 over Kansas City on Sept. 17 with three hits). They have now won four games on the current homestand and in each of them had exactly four hits. So at least they’re economical.
>> Video: Jason Kipnis on Indians’ stellar pitching and defense
Ramirez, a career .275 hitter, started this season 2-for-33. He showed signs April 9 he was breaking out of his early slump with one hit and two walks, and then in his first at-bat April 10 ripped a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left for a 1-0 Indians lead. The line drive looked like a comet off his bat.
Ramirez hustled down the first-base line on a grounder in the hole at shortstop in the fourth for his and the Indians’ second hit of the game.
Perez was hitless in nine at-bats before facing the Tigers. He ended the drought with a single to left in the fifth inning and then broke a 1-1 tie by smashing the ball over the fence in right center on a 2-0 pitch in the eighth. Closer Cody Allen took care of the rest.
“The advantage goes to the pitcher in cold weather,” said Rajai Davis, who started in center field for the Indians on April 10. “You have that in the back of your mind sometimes. If you don’t hit it right, it might sting for a while.
“You try to not let that fear creep in, but you just have to deal with it. You try to focus pitch by pitch, moment by moment. Anytime you focus on anything external, you’ve lost.”
Stellar infield defense by Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis helped hold the Tigers to one run.
Pitching, defense and timely albeit sparse hitting is taking the Indians through a tough stretch.
“We take pride in having each other’s back,” April 10 starter Josh Tomlin said. “If the starters have a bad one, the bullpen is looking forward to getting in there and picking up the slack. Or the offense is looking forward to picking up the slack and vice versa. That’s the culture and the team we’ve had here for quite a while, now.”
Good teams find ways to win in difficult times, and that is what the Indians are doing early in the season.