CLEVELAND _ The Indians entered last week staring at the possibly that a weak showing on the current homestand could tip the scales toward the team becoming sellers at the trade deadline.
A worst-case scenario in a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins could have gone a long way toward fueling the perception that the American League Central Division race is all but over.
A similar outcome against the New York Yankees and the Indians might have found themselves with a nearly insurmountable deficit with the All-Star Game in Cleveland still a month away.
The Indians began this week with a team meeting on Tuesday in which they discussed how Carlos Carrasco had been diagnosed with a blood condition and would be stepping away from baseball activities as he weighs treatment options. As Jordan Luplow eloquently put it Wednesday night, it was a somber reminder of the more important things in life, and how baseball is just baseball. The Indians don't know when Carrasco will return to the team, and they support his taking the time he needs.
The Indians came away from the six-game stretch with a 4-2 record and two series wins. But they didn't make up much ground. They're still 10.5 games behind the Twins in the Central, and it would take some serious faltering on the Twins' part _ in addition to the Indians fixing many of their own issues _ to close that gap by the end of September. In the wild-card race, the Indians remain 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers for the second spot. The Boston Red Sox are also ahead of them, and the Oakland A's are only a half game behind the Tribe.
The Indians are in the thick of that race, but even that one seems to leave the Indians on a treadmill with a steep incline considering the defending champion Red Sox have overcome their disastrous start and are playing better.
But the Indians played well enough this week to keep the front office in a potential state of limbo. Nothing was going to be won in one week. But considering the Indians' trends, their spot in the standings, the time of year and their goal to look toward the future, there was much to lose.
"One, I think our game is a little bit unique in that chatter is fun for fans, probably more so in our game than in other sports," manager Terry Francona said when asked about the rumors that swirl and the potential decisions within the front office. "Maybe I'm wrong. They have the Hot Stove League in the winter. You don't hear that in other sports. People like to talk about it. With the way the wild card is now, it has put general managers and probably ownership in very difficult situations. That's honest. I'm gonna get an opinion. I'm glad I don't have final say, because that is very difficult."
The Indians had a better showing in the past week but still remain rife with question marks. Corey Kluber is slated to be re-evaluated at some point in the next week. As of now, the team doesn't know exactly when he or Carrasco might return. Mike Clevinger is nearing his return and Zach Plesac's terrific early showing help in that regard. And, Trevor Bauer figuring out his woes continues to be a key element.
Offensively, the Indians finally had the kind of uptick in pop for which they've been searching, and it came at the right time. Roberto Perez transformed into one of the best hitters in baseball for a four-game stretch and Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana have maintained their strong first halves to the season. The Indians took two of three from both the Twins and Yankees, which included a four-run comeback against the Twins and a five-run comeback against the Yankees, though the latter ended with an extra-innings loss.
Still, the key element was that after losing so many games because they were punched in the mouth early and lacked the muscle to respond, the Indians were able to punch back. The Indians have a lot working against them. For the past week, at least, they were able to do enough to stave off some difficult decisions.
"So far this homestand we showed who we truly are in terms of hitting the ball hard," said Jake Bauers, who had a rough week but connected for a game-tying home run on Sunday. "We've got a lot of guys hitting the ball hard. Bottom line, you've gotta score runs. That's what we've been doing this past week."
