Cleveland Indians: Get ready for goose eggs in 2021

The Cleveland Indians hosted fans for the first time since September of 2019, and the club went on to treat its paying customers to the biggest squadoosh they could offer, a big, fat zero in the home opener.

That makes two shutouts in four games. Talkin’ baseball, Talkin’ Tribe! Woof!

For those who have been waiting over a year to hear the Mario chime each time a Tribe runner crosses home plate, you’ll have to keep waiting–and then, perhaps you’ll have to wait a little more because on any given day, this lineup is capable of hanging up goose eggs.

Fine. Here’s your stupid caveat. It’s early. Of course it’s early! Games in April do count, though, and the Tribe looks jilted ever since moving out of the warm Arizona air. Sorry for getting testy, but try getting your little kids excited about baseball and then showing them the most boring offense in the world. To this point, Tito’s batting order has been incapable of stringing hits together and when they do get a runner in scoring position, they can’t drive them in.

The Indians have also launched the Cy Young candidacy  o Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd (career era over 5.00) and Royals innings eater Danny Duffy (career ERA of 4.00). These gentlemen wish they could play the Indians every day!

Tribe batsmen have wasted the efforts of Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac and Logan Allen. Each one of these starters have given their lineup a chance to win. Instead, the Indians squandered those starts by losing by scores of 3-0, 3-2 and 5-2.

They scored nine runs on Sunday, but that seems to be the anomaly. Three of Cleveland’s four homers so far this season came in that game, in the final three innings.

Jose Ramirez and Cesar Hernandez seem to the victims of bad luck, but every time this offense struggles, I’m thinking what you’re thinking: Where’s Daniel Johnson? Where’s Bobby Bradley? Heck, where’s Nolan Jones?

You can sell me on keeping Jones down, but Bradley and Johnson should be here. It’s not like they can play at Triple-A right now.

This season looks more and more like a rebuild every day. The Indians won’t say it, but essentially the front office is trying to bring along some guys under the guise that the club can be competitive behind its starting pitching. They’re using this time to figure things out about guys such as Jake Bauers, Jordan Luplow and Yu Chang all the while Bradley and Johnson wait for them to fail so they can get their shot.

It’s hard to crack Bauers, as he just hasn’t played much with the opposition starting left-handers. Luplow homered on Sunday. It’s about all he’s done. Chang’s started in his place. He hasn’t done much, either.

Tribe stars Jose Ramirez, Cesar Hernandez, Franmil Reyes and Eddie Rosario are hitting the ball hard and have been victims of bad luck. I’m confident they’ll hit, but batting orders are more than four hitters.

Unfortunately, I don’t see a change coming, so yeah, every 2-0 deficit will feel like the Tribe is down a 1,000. It certainly looks like it’s going to be that kind of year.