Cleveland Indians: No more room for error with four games remaining

The Cleveland Indians are running out of time to make mistakes in 2019. Another loss could officially end the team’s postseason chances.

Wednesday night was a total disaster for the Cleveland Indians.

I caught the entire game on the radio as I was driving back to Northeast Ohio from the lovely confines of New Albany, Indiana. Nothing like agreeing to help a friend move.

Tom Hamilton sounded defeated early on and he was right to be that way. Shane Bieber just didn’t have it and the Indians lost 8-3 against a Chicago White Sox team that has been out of the playoff race for months.

Is it time to panic?

I don’t even think there is time to panic with four games remaining this season. One more loss and any panic would transform into sadness and a look ahead to next year.

The Indians enter today 1.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays and two games behind the Oakland A’s in the Wild Card race. The Rays are off today which will eliminate the half-game difference.

The Rays are ending the season against the Toronto Blue Jays while the A’s get four against the Seattle Mariners. The Indians, on the other hand, have one more in Chicago before taking on a Washington Nationals squad still fighting for a home Wild Card game.

The Indians cannot lose another game. It is that simple. The more fiery optimist out there will point out that the Rays and A’s could lose out. Technically, yes that can happen. But it is most likely not going to be the case.

This is also just to tie the Rays. The Indians finish with a record of 97-65 if they win all four to end the season. The Rays need to win just two games to reach that mark and set up a tie with Cleveland. For the Indians to avoid a tiebreaker, without considering what the A’s do, the team needs to win all four and have the Rays lose two of three against Toronto.

Mathematically the Indians are still alive and well. I just don’t expect the 65-94 Blue Jays to put up too much of a legitimate fight against the Rays.

The Indians have surprised us in the past. They have also let us down. Which will it be this time?