Home Field Advantage

Don’t look now, Tribe fans, but the scrappy Indians are only a few games back in the AL Central, still trailing the Detroit Tigers (who are amidst a slump of their own). “This is a blue-collar town, and we’re a blue-collar team,” says Jason Kipnis in a boosterific radio spot, and the Indians certainly are working hard to scrape together key wins. They’ll start a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels tonight at 7:05 and then play Detroit over the weekend. The Indians have played much better at home during the 2014 campaign, so here’s hoping the Progressive Field mojo continues, and that the bats knock off any dust or jitters that may have accumulated on the preceding 10-day road trip to Texas, Kansas City, and Boston. Props to the starting rotation, most of whom started the year in Columbus, for keeping the ship afloat despite untold injuries early on. Tickets start at $14. (Allard)