The Indians will see an old friend on Saturday afternoon in the Bronx as they face Bartolo Colon and the Yankees in the second game of their four-game series.
Colon, who toiled for the Tribe from 1997 to 2002 (ah, those were mostly good years, weren’t they?) is in his first year with New York and is enjoying a decent season so far. Colon (4-3, 3.39 ERA) has won his last two starts, and had a complete game shutout of the Oakland A’s on May 30 for what has been, up to this point, his best game for the Bronx Bombers.
This will be the ninth time that Colon has faced his former mates. In eight previous appearances — all as a starter — Colon is 4-3 with a 4.00 ERA against Cleveland in 54 innings.
The Indians will send Mitch Talbot to the hill today. Talbot (2-2, 4.18 ERA) was the victim of no support in his last start, against Texas on Sunday. In that one Talbot worked six innings and gave up just two runs in a quality start, but took the loss as the Rangers blanked the Tribe 2-0.
Talbot has been good cumulatively in his last two starts, going 12.2 innings and allowing just three runs, although giving up 14 hits and six walks to go with seven strikeouts.
Talbot has faced the Yankees twice in his career, both times as a starter, and is 0-1 with a 4.32 ERA vs. New York. However, those numbers were accrued on only 8.1 innings worked.
The Indians have somehow remained atop the AL Central, although the lead is only one game over the Tigers, who were defeated by the Mariners in Detroit last night. Chicago lingers 5.5 games back, but the White Sox were stunned last night when Oakland rallied in the ninth inning to win in a game which ended the Athletics’ 10-game losing streak.
This series will continue with another 1:05 game on Sunday afternoon before concluding on Monday night with a 7:05 contest.