LEADING OFF: Cleveland plays final home game as Indians

By: The Associated Press Posted: 8:05 PM CDT Sunday, Sep. 26, 2021 Last Modified: 8:05 PM CDT Sunday, Sep. 26, 2021

A look at what's happening around the majors on Monday:

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A look at what's happening around the majors on Monday:

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/09/2021 (1496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Monday:

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LAST TIME

Oakland Athletics players celebrate defeating the Houston Astros after a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. The Athletics won 4-3. (AP Photo/John Hefti)

Cleveland will play its final home game as the Indians, the team’s nickname since 1915. The club will be called the Cleveland Guardians next season.

President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti doesn’t have a date when the Indians signage outside and inside the ballpark will be removed.

“It is a huge undertaking,” he said. “The specific timeline, I’m actually not quite sure of.”

Cleveland hosts Kansas City in an afternoon makeup of a rainout last week. The team will spend the rest of the final week on the road.

After the Oct. 3 season finale in Texas and with no postseason for a team that hasn’t won the World Series since 1948, there will be a transition period before Indians — a name deemed racist by many — is dropped and Guardians appears on new uniforms with logos that were unveiled in July to mixed reviews.

BELTED

The NL West-leading Giants will see how first baseman Brandon Belt is feeling, a day after he was hit by a pitch in the left hand.

Belt exited soon after he was plunked while squaring to bunt Sunday at Colorado. Manager Gabe Kapler said X-rays were inconclusive and that Belt will be reevaluated back in San Francisco.

“From talking to him, he seems like he should be all right, not miss too much time,” Kapler said.

Belt has a .378 on-base percentage and a .597 slugging percentage, along with a team-leading 29 home runs.

The Giants go into the final week of the regular season leading the Los Angeles Dodgers by two games in the division.

BOUNCE BACK?

Dallas Keuchel (8-9, 5.18 ERA) starts for the AL Central champion White Sox at Detroit, hoping to reverse a recent slide as the playoffs approach.

The 33-year-old lefty is 1-6 with a 6.71 ERA in 12 starts since the All-Star break. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner has pitched 59 innings in that span, causing Chicago concern as it maps out its rotation for the postseason.

The White Sox are just 34-33 since the All-Star break. This game is a makeup for a rainout last week at Comerica Park.

ON THE FRINGE

Fresh off a pair of walk-off wins and a three-game sweep of the AL West-leading Astros, Oakland visits Seattle in a matchup between teams in the wild-card race.

Lefty Cole Irvin (10-14, 3.99 ERA) starts for the A’s. It will be his fifth time facing the Mariners this season — he’s lost the previous four.

Chris Flexen (13-6, 3.56 ERA) pitches for Seattle.

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