How Indians can top Yanks, make deep run

CLEVELAND — Halfway through the month of September, the idea of the Indians securing home-field advantage in the postseason seemed nearly impossible. The team had just dropped eight consecutive games and was clinging onto the bottom seed of the playoff rankings. Just 11 days later, the Tribe finished the season

CLEVELAND — Halfway through the month of September, the idea of the Indians securing home-field advantage in the postseason seemed nearly impossible. The team had just dropped eight consecutive games and was clinging onto the bottom seed of the playoff rankings.

Just 11 days later, the Tribe finished the season as the No. 4 seed in the American League.

• AL Wild Card Series presented by Hankook Tire, Game 1: Tues., 7 p.m. ET on ESPN

While Cleveland put in a tremendous amount of effort to host the Yankees for the Wild Card Series at Progressive Field, going 9-2 in its last 11 games, the journey to now is only beginning. How can the Tribe make that journey last as long as possible? Let’s take a look:

How do they advance out of the Wild Card Series?
In a three-game series, the Indians are sending a trio of dangerous starters to the mound to face a powerful Yankees lineup. In Games 1 and 2, New York will have to face Shane Bieber and Carlos Carrasco, both of whom finished in the top 15 in ERA in the Majors. And like Cleveland has all season, it will need to rely on its starters to advance to the American League Division Series.

• Tribe sets Wild Card Series rotation order

Bieber is fresh off winning the MLB Triple Crown, owning the most wins (eight), top ERA (1.63) and most strikeouts (122) of all qualified pitchers. He’s on the fast track to winning the AL Cy Young Award and will be a difficult matchup for any lineup. And with the Yankees having gone 11-18 on the road as opposed to 23-8 at home, the Tribe’s home-field advantage may play in its favor. Bieber will oppose Yanks ace Gerrit Cole in Game 1.

Carrasco will then have a chance to relive his matchup against Masahiro Tanaka in the 2017 ALDS, when the Tribe fell, 1-0, to New York even though Carrasco tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The righty will have his chance for redemption after being on a roll in his last six starts this year, owning a 1.66 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 38 innings.

• What comes next? Indians postseason FAQ

And how can Cleveland do everything possible to advance to the second round? If the offense struggles in either of the first two games, the Indians will then send Zach Plesac to the mound in the determining Game 3, should it need to be played. In eight starts this year, Plesac tallied a 2.28 ERA with 57 strikeouts and six walks across 55 1/3 innings.

What does the blueprint for a championship run look like?
The Indians’ blueprint for the rest of the postseason is nearly identical to their strategy for the Wild Card Series: rely on starting pitching. It may seem like all the pressure is on the rotation, but Cleveland’s starters have carried that weight since Opening Day. While the offense finished the year with the fourth worst OPS in the Majors (.689), the starting rotation boasted the best ERA in MLB (3.17) to help carry the club to the postseason.

But the biggest determining factor for whether the Indians can complete a run to a championship will be depth of pitching. Cleveland’s endless starting options has been its biggest strength all season, and with no off-days in either the ALDS or AL Championship Series, the team could use starters to its advantage more than any other playoff-bound club. Aaron Civale will spend the Wild Card Series in the bullpen, but he will shift back to the rotation if the Indians advance to the ALDS. And for Cleveland’s success to continue, it will need the 25-year-old to put his last outing in the rear-view mirror.

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Civale was visibly shaken after his career-high eight-run performance against the Pirates on Saturday. He noted that he’ll have to lean on his teammates and coaching staff to move past that outing and focus on improving for whenever his next trip to the rubber will be. But receiving quality starts from this pitching staff is imperative to Cleveland’s success, as the offense has proven it has not found a consistent groove just yet.

What is one reason for concern?
The Indians’ inconsistent offense is going to remain their biggest concern until the end of their season. While Francisco Lindor, Cesar Hernandez and José Ramírez have started to settle in at the top of their order, the rest of the lineup has not been able to find ways to produce very often. Carlos Santana finished his season with just a .199 average and a .699 OPS, but he punctuated the year on a strong note, going 3-for-3 with a homer and a double on Sunday. Franmil Reyes had gone 100 plate appearances without a long ball before a three-run blast on Sunday.

Along with owning the fourth worst OPS, the Indians had the fifth lowest slugging percentage (.372) in the Majors this year. But the team proved over the past week and a half that it can still manage to find ways to win games despite offensive woes. Can that continue in the postseason? The Indians will have their answers soon enough.