CLEVELAND: By now, the Indians are used to it. Odds-makers have had the Indians down and out since the losses to the starting rotation.
The Indians were expected to get the No. 3 seed. Then they were supposed to lose in the American League Division Series to the Boston Red Sox.
It’s with good reason that this has been the case. Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar are among the best pitchers in the American League, and losing both — along with Michael Brantley — were severe blows to the roster.
The Indians have persevered, but the odds have stayed roughly the same. Or, at least, they’re still weighted the other direction. Per Bovada, the Blue Jays (20/29) enter the ALCS as the favorite to advance to the World Series over the Indians (5/4).
The Indians expected it.
“Pretty much,” said Jason Kipnis on Monday night in Boston when asked if he thought they’d be underdogs again. “We were the underdogs coming out of this one. Nobody predicted we were coming out of this one. I think across the board on ESPN and everybody. Those are the people to prove wrong.
“But we’re focusing more on the people to prove right, the ones in here who are on our side, and we’re looking forward to the next stage.”
Yan Gomes said he hopes the ALDS sweep was enough to remove some doubt.
“It seems like every time we’re put up against a challenge where people are doubting us, we come out way on top,” Gomes said. “Sweeping probably the best hitting team in the AL was impressive in all aspects of it. I think we showed what kind of talent we have.”
The Indians are a team trying to quickly acquire and convert playoff experience into some comfort on baseball’s bigger stages. For many in the Indians clubhouse, this October has represented their first playoff experience, or at least their first playoff series experience. Now, a trip to the World Series is up for grabs.
Players don’t necessarily need playoff experience to perform well. But it is a new experience to play playoff baseball, especially on the road at Fenway Park or, come next week, the Rogers Centre. The Indians are hoping the experience from the ALDS is enough to calm some nerves.
“I do think any experience we get is good,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “And every time we do something as a team, for the most part, other than [Mike Napoli], Coco [Crisp], everything they do, they’re going to learn from and grow.
“And that’s good. We need to do that. It doesn’t mean we can’t win. I don’t think we ever feel like that. But I still think we’re trying to grow and understand.”
One of those players is Cody Allen, who just avoided a 40-pitch save in Game 3 in Boston. Allen had trouble commanding the ball as well as he normally does before finally getting Travis Shaw on a harmless fly ball to right field for the final out.
“Anytime you get in spots like that where you really have to try and slow the game down, just take it really, truly one pitch at a time in an atmosphere like that, on a stage like that, anytime you can come out successful I think you’re better for it going into the next time,” Allen said. “That’s not the last time it’s going to get hairy in the ninth inning.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ.