baseball

The Houston Astros scored a flurry of runs to beat the Cleveland Indians 11-3 at Progressive Field. The Astros three game sweep in the American League Division Series ends Cleveland's season earlier than fans had hoped. 

The Indians enter the postseason as underdogs, despite running away with the central division title months ago. It’s a stark contrast to last year, when many experts picked the Indians to win the World Series. They ended up losing early to the Yankees.

WKSU commentator Terry Pluto says the Indians' early 2017 exit versus their improbable 2016 World Series run shows how difficult it is to predict the playoffs in baseball. 

But, he says in baseball, once a team wins its division, anything can happen. "Because then you hope to get hot in October." 

Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis has long been a fan-favorite, but the team has developed a dilemma this season.

"Based on when he's healthy, he plays well. When's he not, he doesn't," WKSU commentator Terry Pluto said.

The American League beat the National League in last night’s All-Star game, 8-6 in 10 innings. 

The Indians sent six players to Washington, their most since 1999.

Catcher Yan Gomes was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, to replace injured Tampa Bay catcher Wilson Ramos. Gomes joined Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley, Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber. Kluber didn’t play after receiving an injection in his knee.

WKSU commentator Terry Pluto said there are a couple of unlikely stars on this Indians team.

It's not your imagination. A recent spike in home runs has hit professional baseball.

In 2015, Major League Baseball's home run rate averaged 1.01 per game (it had been 0.86 the year before). In 2016, it grew to 1.16. Last year it was 1.26.

Theories have abounded as to why, many centering on the balls having been altered, or "juiced."

The Cincinnati Reds have fired manager Bryan Price Thursday morning after the club got off to a historically bad start of three wins and 15 losses this year.

After going 2-4 on the road to start the season, the Cleveland Indians are getting ready for the team’s home-opener Friday. The team's grounds keeping crew has been fighting against cold weather to make sure the playing field itself is ready for the big day.

The Indians did something unusual this year – they sold out this Friday’s home opener even before single game tickets went on sale. WKSU commentator Terry Pluto says opening day in baseball always seems to arrive with much more fanfare than any other pro sport.

Pluto says there would have to be an extraordinary event for a Cavs or Browns home opening game to draw such an interest.

"Maybe the day that LeBron James came back, or perhaps when the Browns came back in '99."

There's no crying in baseball. But for Kay Johnston, there's crying when you can't play.

In the spring of 1950, in upstate New York, 13-year-old Kay Johnston wanted nothing more than to play Little League baseball. But in those days, that was out of the question. Girls weren't encouraged to swing bats and throw balls.

The Cincinnati Reds' first baseman Joey Votto has won this year's Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, honoring MLB players who best exemplify the giving character of Gehrig, a hall of famer who died from ALS in 1941. 

Updated: March 28 at 5:45 p.m.

On Wednesday, the Reds announced it was postponing its 2018 Thursday home opener against the Washington Nationals due to weather. We wondered: Had this happened before? 

The Cleveland Indians are a two-owner franchise. Even casual fans know the majority owner is Paul Dolan, but what about the minority owner John Sherman? WKSU’s sports commentator Terry Pluto thinks it’s no coincidence that the Indians really started winning after Sherman bought a minority stake in the team in 2016.

Winning has no price tag for Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. The team’s recent roster overhaul boosted the team’s payroll to nearly $190 million this season, the second-highest in NBA history. And that payroll could soar to $300 million should LeBron James return to the Cavs next season. Nearly half of that would be spent on a luxury tax for exceeding the NBA’s salary cap.