4 Keys to the Cleveland Indians Winning the AL Central

Despite being swept by the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers this weekend, the Cleveland Indians are still within striking distance of first place. With some weaker opponents coming up on the schedule, the Tribe still has a shot at making the 2011 MLB playoffs.

Here are four keys to how the Indians can make that shot a reality.

Key #1: Ubaldo Jimenez's Return to Dominance

Before the July 31 trading deadline came and went, the Indians made a huge and unexpected splash in the market by trading their two top pitching prospects for RHP Ubaldo Jimenez.

Thus far, Jimenez has not pitched up to his ability that he showed with the Colorado Rockies. In his four starts for the Tribe, Jimenez has gone 1-1 with a 7.29 ERA in 21 innings pitched. Needless to say, he has not been impressive during his short career in Cleveland.

If the Indians want to have a real shot at winning the AL Central, then Jimenez must become the ace pitcher that they thought they traded for in July.

Hopefully with some fine-tuning to his mechanics, Jimenez can once again be the dominant pitcher he has been in the past, and help lead the Indians to the AL Central crown.

Key #2: Getting on a Hot Streak

For the past several months of the baseball season, the Cleveland Indians have been treading water in the AL Central. Since June 1, the Tribe has gone 30-41 while dropping 4.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers. During that time, they have not had a winning streak that has gone longer than three games.

An extended winning streak would go a long way towards propelling the Indians back into first place in the AL Central.

The Tribe's upcoming schedule is very conducive for a winning streak as well. They face the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics in their next four series. All three of those teams are at the bottom of their respective divisions.

If the Indians want to gain ground in the AL Central, than it is very important for them to beat teams that are well below their talent level.

Getting on a hot streak is often how a team on the edge of making the playoffs gets the final push they need to make it to the postseason. With the weakness of the teams they will be playing in the next four series, the Tribe has a chance to do just that.

Key #3: Getting Healthy and Staying That Way

This key to the Indians winning the AL Central seems to be a recurring theme for them this season. Numerous key players, including Travis Hafner, Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore and Jason Kipnis have missed significant playing time this season due to injury.

Jason Kipnis is currently the injured player whose absence is hurting the Tribe the most. When the Indians were in the middle of an offensive slump, Kipnis provided the spark that they desperately needed. He started to produce from the two spot in the lineup.

Last week, he was sidelined for a few games with a very mild oblique strain. He was finally cleared to play, but pulled his hamstring when stretching for his first game back from the oblique strain. He is now out for three weeks when the Indians need him the most.

Hopefully, the Tribe will be able to gain some ground in the AL Central while Kipnis recovers from his injury, and will make the final push towards the postseason when he returns to the lineup in September.

Key #4: Avoiding Scoreboard Watching

The current Cleveland Indians roster is filled with rookies and players with limited major league experience. Nearly everyone of those young players has never experienced a playoff run at the major league level.

It is almost inevitable that their inexperience will lead them to feeling pressure and watching to see what the other teams competing in the AL Central are doing every night.

Putting that kind of pressure on any team, especially such a young one, will usually lead to players pressing and going into slumps, as well as making mental errors on the field or while running the bases. That kind of pressure must be avoided if the Indians want to close out their surprising season by winning the AL Central.

It will be important for the veteran players on the team, such as Chad Durbin, Travis Hafner, and Asdrubal Cabrera, to make sure the young players stay within themselves and don't try to do too much on the field.

If the Indians want to challenge the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, then they must avoid putting unnecessary pressure on themselves.