Analysis:
980 Cleveland at Arizona
After getting swept at home by the Tigers, the Indians head out on the road where they are just 14-24 for a brief two-game series at Chase Field against the Diamondbacks. The first game will feature Justin Masterson against Wade Miley. Most of Masterson's starts have been laborious this season as a drop in velocity and a lack of control have made things very difficult for him. For whatever reason, Masterson has been much worse on the road with a 6.20 ERA and a .269/.377/.455 slash line against compared to a 3.56 ERA and a .240/.348/.337 slash at home.
Masterson's starts are a worry for a lot of reasons. The Indians defense is awful, with -51 defensive runs saved. Asdrubal Cabrera, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Carlos Santana have combined for 30 errors already this season and all three will have to play the field without the services of a designated hitter with this game in a National League park. Nearly 60 percent of balls in play off Masterson are ground balls. Surprisingly, Masterson has only allowed six unearned runs in his 16 starts, but the defensive problems are evident in a 34-point spike in batting average against and a 33-point spike in BABIP.
Wade Miley gets the ball for the Diamondbacks and he takes on a team that is just 9-15 against left-handed starters this season. The Indians have the league's fifth-lowest wOBA at .293 and third-lowest OPS at .651 against lefties this season. Miley has had his issues this season, but he's posting a career high strikeout rate and he has been much better since a disastrous April, especially in the K/BB category. Michael Bourn is the only Indians hitter that has faced Miley.
Given Masterson's problems and the emphasis on infield defense that is required in his starts, the Indians facing a lefty in a spot where they're only a slight underdog seems like an inflated price on what Masterson was last season and not what he is this season.
PLAY: ARIZONA
Pick Made: Jun 24 2014 4:56AM PST