The Indians returned to Cleveland last week and discovered that the sky was not falling. By Thursday afternoon, the sun was out, shining on a ballclub that was searching for a way to swiftly turn the page on a disappointing April.
The Tribe took a major step in that direction over the past seven games, a stretch that was punctuated by a 9-4 romp over the Twins at Progressive Field. That wrapped up a 5-2 homestand that was powered by starting pitching and bookended by a pair of offensive outpourings.
It was the perfect way to forget about the recent 0-6 road trip through San Francisco and Anaheim.
“What road trip?” Indians infielder Mike Aviles said with a grin. “I forgot about it already.”
In the finale of the four-game series against Minnesota, sinkerballer Justin Masterson continued Cleveland’s recent run of strong outings by working into the seventh inning. The Tribe’s lineup matched a season high with 15 hits — left fielder Michael Brantley (3-for-5) and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (4-for-5) each fell a triple shy of a cycle — and set a season high with nine extra-base hits.
Over the past seven games against the White Sox and Twins, the Indians’ rotation combined to go 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings. The offense, which enjoyed a 12-run showing on Friday before the nine-run feast on Thursday, poured out 34 runs on 60 hits — including 26 for extra bases — during the stay at home.
On the winless six-game trip that preceded the trip back to Progressive Field, Cleveland’s starters posted a 5.05 ERA and the lineup managed only 13 runs on 35 hits.
“We’re still inconsistent in some things,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “But we’re doing a lot of things better than we were. This whole homestand, we played with a lead [a lot]. The two games we lost, we lost late.
“I think we’re playing with a little more confidence, a little more purpose.”
That is a good way for the Indians to now head into a six-game trek through Tampa Bay and Toronto.
“We needed this homestand. That’s exactly what we needed,” Masterson said. “Hopefully, that will help carry into this next series, because there’s a lot of momentum with the guys at the plate and guys are still pitching pretty good, too.”
Masterson (2-1) needed only 36 pitches to breeze through the first four innings, and he sidestepped a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth. In the sixth inning, the Twins finally broke through against the Indians’ rotation leader, who slipped in light of a couple missed chances on defense.
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