CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Maybe it's the home cooking. Maybe it's the stout starting pitching. Maybe it's the midges, which danced throughout the summer air on Tuesday night. Maybe it's the blue "Party At Napoli's" T-shirts the team has been sporting. Maybe it's the makeshift Jobu shrine created by Jason Kipnis and Mike Napoli in the empty locker that sits between them.
Somehow, without Michael Brantley, the Indians have amassed a 40-30 record. They have rattled off 10 consecutive wins at Progressive Field. They have outscored the opposition, 56-20 runs in those 10 affairs.
The American League Central is there for the taking.