--LHP C.C. Sabathia, who is 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA in his first four starts, will face an opponent he's traditionally had success against when he starts the first game of a three-game series Tuesday in Kansas City. Sabathia is 13-8 with a 3.38 ERA in 28 career starts versus the Royals.
--RHP Paul Byrd says the slumping Indians are mindful of the importance of early-season games. "We know every game counts, that every loss in April is two games you've got to win in September," said Byrd. "So we're not shrugging this off and saying it doesn't matter. It does matter. It's not time to press the panic button, but we have to realize these games are important." --C Victor Martinez has multi-hit games in six of the 12 games he's started, raising his average to .360, which is 125 points higher than the Indians' team batting average of .235.
--OF Jason Michaels, the Indians' left fielder who only starts against left-handed pitchers, is hitting .056 (1-for-18) against left-handers.
--The Indians have only scored a total of two runs in the first innings of their 19 games.
BY THE NUMBERS: 0 -- Number of times in the last 52 years that an Indians pitcher gave up nine runs in consecutive starts, until LHP C.C. Sabathia did it in his second and third starts this year.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I would have booed myself." -- LHP C.C. Sabathia, after he was booed off the field at Progressive Field, when removed from a 13-2 loss to Detroit in which he gave up nine runs for the second consecutive start, dropping his record to 0-3, with a 13.50 ERA.
