Colorado Rockies: Scouting report on Cleveland and a homecoming for Bud Black and Jack Corrigan

The Indians are without their star left-handed reliever, Andrew Miller, for the series as he was put on the 10-day disabled list on August 2.

The bullpen has guys like Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Zach McAllister, Nick Goody, Dan Otero, and Joe Smith who have done very well for the Indians all season as none of them have ERAs above 3.51 and all of them have pitched in at least 36 games and at least 38 1/3 innings (Smith’s time is split between the Indians and Blue Jays as he was acquired at the trade deadline by the Indians for his second tenure with the team).

However, they have not pitched as well lately as, in August, they have an ERA of 7.53 in 14 1/3 innings of work. Obviously, this is limited sample size as the bullpen has only been used in four games in the month thus far. As a result, their bullpen ERA has gone from 2.77 to 2.97 (from first in baseball to third).

The bullpen, obviously, can be very effective but they have been a bit more vulnerable lately. Also, the Indians only have one left-hander in the bullpen with the losses of Miller and former Rockie Boone Logan to the disabled list (Logan is out for the rest of the season with a lat strain). That lefty is rookie Tyler Olson so the Rockies do have two vulnerabilities that they could pounce on…if they can get the starting pitchers out of the game early.