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GOODYEAR, Arizona. – We finally answered the question. Corey Kluber will make his consecutive debut for the fifth time in a row for the Indians and Trevor Bauer is not happy with that.
Manager Terry Francona announced his starting rotation after Bauer and the Indians beat Cincinnati 8-5 on Saturday in their last spring training home match. Bauer made 6 2/3 innings, pulled out seven and allowed four runs, which is not indicative of the way he launched this spring.
After leaving the match, Bauer did not speak to reporters as he headed for a van to take him back to the tribe's training center.
"Kluber is going to go the day of opening," said Francona. "Trevor will play the second game, Carlos Carrasco, the third, Mike Clevinger, then Shane Bieber.
"We talked to Trev last week. We wanted to make sure that nothing was happening from Kluber. Suppose he is touched by a ghost and he does not lie down. We had talked to everyone in advance just to let them know.
The Indians will start the regular season Thursday against the Twins at the Target Field.
Bauer made six starts in the Cactus League in 28 innings with 32 strikeouts and four walks. When told about Bauer's spring, Francona said, "I think he is well placed to have a great year. He may be a little grumpy today, but he is a good pitcher. "
AP
Indian right-hander Trevor Bauer will start Saturday his second regular season game against the Twins at Target Field.
When asked if there was a debate between Kluber and Bauer, Francona said, "You know what, I do not think we could have made a bad decision.
That's why Carl (Willis, pitching coach) spoke to them last week. We were trying to be respectful. We believe in it a lot. You can not tell five guys that they will be the starters of the first day. We think that what Kluber has done in the course of his career, he deserves. "
Too many people are designated by the team as being his starter for opening day? Of course that's it. It's a 162 game, but the pitcher who starts the first game is almost always considered the best pitcher of the team.
Kluber has just finished a season of 20 wins. He has won two Cy Young Awards. Last year he finished third in the vote. Bauer thinks he would have won the Cy Young last year if he had not been injured. Kluber is where he wants to be. There is nothing wrong with that.
Asked about the importance of starting the opening day earlier in the week leading up to Saturday's announcement, Kluber said: handle after that (for the playoffs). "
Yet, Kluber feels the pull of opening day like any other player.
"The opening day, whether for a starter, a guy in rehab or a guy who hopes to be part of the team, is a deadline for ceremonies, I guess," said Kluber. "But the focus is on the long run of the season.
"It's a fun day for everyone in the sense that the season is starting. But I think everyone is focusing on the length of the season, not a single day. "
Kluber made his third and final start in the Cactus League on Friday night in an 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. He took out seven and awarded two points in 5 1/3 of the heat.
Carrasco, Clevinger and Kluber kicked off their spring season by throwing simulated games in the backcourt instead of Cactus League games against other big clubs. Kluber was pleased with these results.
"Our approach has had some benefits," said Kluber. "No. 1, it controls a little intensity.You can better control the volume at the beginning of the spring training in a controlled environment.
"I think at the same time we say," It's a spring training, we're going to work on things and the results matter little. to the plan you want to work on that day. Whether to repeat your delivery or to locate my fastball, this or that. It is much easier to leave the ship if there is a dashboard, fans and all that stuff. There was this advantage. "
Kluber's first two starts in the Cactus League did not go well. On his second start, he launched three scoreless innings against the Reds before giving Yasiel Puig a grand slam in the fourth inning.
"I know I've dropped some points, but my position and feelings about my delivery (everything) are exactly the facts," Kluber said. "The first three runs (in his second start against the Reds) were about as good as the ones I had felt for a long time. "
As Kluber began his spring pitch on the field, Bauer jumped into the thick of things. Francona, at the beginning of the camp, said that Bauer would not have had it otherwise.
Who had the most difficult path to the opening day? Obviously, it was Bauer. Who has both Cy Young and the record of five consecutive seasons of more than 200 innings with more than 200 strikeouts? It would be Kluber.
This opening day goes to Kluber. Will Bauer get it by 2020? Will he still be Indian in 2020? Who knows?
Yes, it's only a match. But that's really not the case.
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