Okay, the Indians have been swept out of Detroit and now find themselves 4.5 games behind the Tigers with five and a half weeks to go in the season. Things are looking a lot grimmer than they were on Friday, but there are still six games left to be played with the Tigers, so nothing is out of reach.
As long as the Tribe can regroup, starting...oh, I would say starting right about now.
Cleveland cannot say that they do not have a chance, because just when it is needed most, along comes an 11-game homestand against three teams that are out of any postseason aspirations.
Of course, a team with nothing to lose and no pressure can be a tough team to beat by a team that needs to win.
First up in this long stretch of games at Progressive Field are the Seattle Mariners, as the Indians open a four-game series on Monday night at 7:05.
Seattle is 53-72 and buried in last place in the AL West, 18.5 games out of first and losers of five in a row, so if the Tribe misses a chance to take at least three-of-four in the next three days, they will have only themselves to blame.
The Mariners will send Jason Vargas to the mound in the series opener. Vargas (7-11, 4.37 ERA) has faced the Tribe once in 2011, back on April 8 in Seattle (during a series that the Indians swept). In that game, Vargas only made it through 3.1 innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs, to drop his career mark vs. Cleveland to 1-2 with a 10.05 ERA in 14.1 lifetime frames.
Vargas's opponent will be Fausto Carmona, who picked up a big win in Chicago in his last time out. Carmona (6-12, 4.89 ERA) worked into the ninth inning against the White Sox, and gave up just one run on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
A similar effort tonight and the Indians would be looking good.
Carmona faced the Mariners on May 13, and although he did not get a decision, the Tribe won that contest 5-4. In that game, Fausto went 7.2 innings, surrendering four runs on six hits, and for his career, Carmona is 2-3 vs. Seattle with a 3.32 ERA in 43.1 innings.
After tonight's game there will be a day/night doubleheader on Tuesday before the series wraps up with a 12:05 game on Wednesday afternoon.
Let us hope that Cleveland has righted its ship heading into the second-last day-off of the year on Thursday.