The Cleveland Indians and we had a different sort of June. While we stumbled our way to a 4-6 finish that evaporated a hunk of the bankroll we had accumulated in the first two months, the Tribe shot its way to the top of the AL Central. The Indians’ 13-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday at Rogers Centre, but Corey Kluber takes the ball on Sunday looking to get a new run started again. He’s favored on the road against JA Happ.
Free Pick
Kluber has one of the bigger ERA and WHIP differentials you’ll see from a guy with as many innings as he’s thrown to this point. His sub-1.00 WHIP is elite and would suggest the ERA wouldn’t be nearly as high as it is: 3.50. And there really isn’t an easy way to explain it. Kluber has allowed only eight home runs on the season, so the long ball can’t really explain how he’s given up so many runs despite such few baserunners. A bit of 
inconsistency, it might be. Kluber has three complete games this season and two shutouts. He’s also had a few rough outings mixed in, but most of them have been very good, especially the last two. He’s thrown 17 innings over his last two starts and allowed just two runs. Toronto has that tough lineup, but it’s heavily right and will of course still be without Jose Bautista. Based on his last couple starts and dominance against right-handed hitters, Kluber should be in for a good seven innings on Sunday.
JA Happ has been a little more iffy as of late. We backed him once a month or so back and that backfired. We’re not taking him to win on Sunday, but just hold that Cleveland offense in check. He’s coming off a strange start in Colorado where he gave up 15 fly balls to just six on the ground, the opposite of what we’ve come to expect from the sinker-baller. So many fly balls at Coors Field sounds disastrous, and Happ wasn’t great, but he did manage to get through five innings having allowed five. He’s got 10 wins and a 1.23 WHIP on the season. If he can stay competitive with Kluber, this one should finish under. We’ll play it for half and look forward to a better July.
Free Pick: Under 8.5 -115
YTD: 15-14-1 +1.07
2015: 31-25-5 +1.09
2014: 45-28-3 +9.02
cleveland indians • cy young • happ • kluber • toronto blue jays