While Brian Hoyer winning his first two starts has been momentous, all the rage around campus recently has been about the Cleveland Indians. After rolling during a 10-game winning streak to conclude the season, the “Windians” found themselves with the top wild card spot in the 2013 playoffs. After a tiebreaker matchup between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays had the Rays emerge victorious, a one game playoff was set with the Tribe hosting Tampa, the winner facing the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. Cleveland is expected to start rookie Danny Salazar (2-3, 3.12 ERA) against the Rays’ Alex Cobb (11-3, 2.76) in a game that could feature many pitching changes with both teams in the top half of the MLB in runs.
When asked about the surprising run of the Tribe, diehard fan Bill Bis ’14 responded, “Yea we popping champagne like we won a wild card game.” Clearly, the spurt has made some followers rather excited by their team’s prospects. Bis continued his rant by stating that Indians first baseman Nick Swisher is “the only OSU graduate who [he has] an ounce of respect for.” Another Ignatius student, Senior Drum Major Chris Bambic, said that “a baseball game is no excuse for missing Wednesday night band practice,” but also intended to root on the Tribe.
The key player to watch for the Rays is third baseman Evan Longoria, who once again showed his clutch ability in the tiebreaker against Texas. For the Indians, Justin Masterson will be intriguing, as manager Terry Francona could decide at any moment to put him on the mound, as Salazar will likely be on a short leash. The prediction of the Eye is that the Indians, motivated by their fan base, will advance to the next round. Indians 6, Rays 2.
