After a horrible start to the season in the month of April, going (7-14), the Indians needed a big month in May to turn the year around and for all intensive purposes, save their season and that’s exactly what they got. The Tribe responded with 17 wins in 29 games in the month of May to climb back to within 2 games of the .500 mark (24-26) to start the month of June. The Wahoo Warriors have won 10 of their last 13 games.
3 players made a HUGE impact in that (17-12) month and are as hot as any players at their positions in all of Major League Baseball. Let’s take a look at the numbers that Jason Kipnis, Corey Kluber and Cody Allen put up during the month of May:
All Jason Kipnis did was bat .429 for the month with an on base percentage of .511. His 51 hits for the month are the most in May in Tribe franchise history and the most in any single month since Robbie Alomar in 2000. The “JK Kid” also scored 30 runs while driving in 17. He finished with 15 doubles, 3 triples and 4 home runs, while drawing 17 walks in the month. If he doesn’t win “Player of the Month” for May, there needs to be an FBI investigation into that crime.
Corey Kluber dominated hitters in May holding his opponents to a .233 batting average for the month. He finished with a (3-2) record and a 2.95era for the month while striking out 60 and only walking 6 in 42.2 innings of work while getting very little run support. Kluber has improved his season numbers now to (3-5, 3.52era) after going winless in the month of April.
While the Indians reigning Cy Young award winner was mowing guys down to start games, Cody Allen finally rounded into form to close them out. After going (0-2) and a blown save with an earned run average of 11.57 in April, Allen was perfect in the month of May going 7 for 7 in save opportunities and posting an ERA for the month of 2.35. The Tribe’s closer, like the team, seems to have righted the ship and now has it headed in the right direction heading into the month of June and beyond and that’s good news for Terry Francona’s boys and Indians fans everywhere!
