April The Indians struggled at the beginning of the season, losing their first five and seven of their first eight games. They finished with an 8–14 record in April, and were in last place in the AL central for the entire month. One of the few highlights of the month was the Tribe defeating former Indian
CC Sabathia and the
New York Yankees 10–2 in the first game ever at the new
Yankee Stadium. Starting pitcher
Cliff Lee had his first win of the season in that game. Two days later, the Indians defeated the Yankees 22–4.
May The Indians went 14–16 in May, but were in last place in the division throughout the entire month. The Indians struggled on many fronts, including an ineffective bullpen and poor hitting. Several players were sent to the disabled list including
Travis Hafner,
Grady Sizemore, and
Asdrúbal Cabrera. The poor play and injuries allowed many minor league players to come up from AAA
Columbus and contribute to the Indians. A turning point came in the season when on May 25, when the Indians defeated the
Tampa Bay Rays 11–10 after coming back from a 10–0 deficit. The Indians rallied to win 5 of the final 7 games in the month == Season standings ==