CLEVELAND — Slowly but surely the Cleveland Indians seem to be pulling out of their season-long slump. The latest evidence was a 3-1 win over the American League West-leading Houston Astros on Thursday. With the win, the Indians have won eight of their last 11 games and improved their record to 41-44.
The Indians haven’t been over .500 since April 9, when they were 2-1. Their recent attempt to climb that mountain has been fueled by their starting pitching, which has been stellar throughout their current hot streak.
Thursday night, it was rookie Cody Anderson who had his fourth consecutive outstanding start since being recalled from Triple-A Columbus on June 21. Anderson held Houston to one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings. The win improves his record to 2-1 with a 0.89 ERA.
“It’s a small sample size, but obviously his confidence is very high,” said Manager Terry Francona. “It seems like he’s able to make pitches when he has to.”
In his four starts, Anderson has pitched 30 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs and 17 hits. He has struck out 11 and walked three. “I’m not looking at my numbers. I’m just trying to keep us close and help us win games,” he said.