Goin' All the Way @ the Clip Joint

Zach McAllister

Sadly, Zach McAllister's perfect season is over.  He did, however, throw a complete game six-hitter.  Zach made one mistake and it turned into a 3-run Dan Johnson homer.  The rest we can put on the shoulders of an impotent offense that mustered just two hits.  McAllister (2.42) walked three and struck out the same in going the distance for the second time in 2011.  And, ok, he did give up a solo homer in the 4th, but it was the 6th inning that changed the game.  The two men that came home ahead of Johnson's blast reached on an error and a walk.  Ain't that always the way.  McAllister remains #1 on the minor league depth chart should the big club need a spot start.

Briefly, lest I blow chunks, on the offense.  Cord Phelps: 14-game hit streak over.  Lonnie Chisenhall: one hit in his last 20 at bats.  Jared Goedert: .067.  The final was 4-1.  Enough.

Corey Kluber takes his turn tomorrow at 7:05p as the Clippers continue their series with the Bulls Durham.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

CC Lee pitched two innings and struck out three in a 4-2 Akron loss that also featured Jordan Henry's 17th steal and Beau Mills' first dinger.  Lee (3.00) did allow an unearned run, but the awesome bit is his strikeout rate.  CC now has 43 K's (against just 7 walks) in 30 innings which rattles out to 12.9 K/9.  If you look at his last ten appaearances (17.1 IP, 29 K) the number jumps to 15.1.  Wicked.

The Kearnsian bat work filtered down to Kinston as well, though the little Indians found a way to win, 1-0.  Giovanni Soto could not wait out the offense, but he did polish off an insane month of May.  Soto (2.44) was 3-0 with a 2.03 over the past month with 10.2 K/9.  Today he hurled six shutout innings with a pair of hits, a pair of walks and ten more punch outs.  Although Soto has had a magnificent season, the organization has the luxury to bring him along deliberately, so do not expect a promotion any time soon.

On the subject of caution, Drew Pomeranz, who has not pitched since May 18th is scheduled to throw on Wednesday.  His last three starts have been skipped with very little in the way of explanation.  One theory is that the Indians are just trying to limit his innings.  Still, as more and more outings are missed, one begins to wonder if this has something to do with the hamstring tightness that forced Drew out after three innings on April 25.  Once again, the Tribe can exert however much discretion it would like as there are a load of arms ahead of Pom.

The feast or famine adventures of St Ed's own Alex Lavisky continued tonight for the Captains.  Alex (.210) jacked two bombs and drove in five during a Lake County 9-4 victory.  Both his last homer and last multi hit game came on May 14th.  In those two games Lavisky went 4-for-8 with 3 long balls and 7 RBI.  In the eight games between he batted .178 (5-for-28) with zero XBH and zero RBI.  He did go down on strikes eleven times.  Ah, the life of a 20-year old professional catcher.

Cheers.

A Quest Called Tribe

At approximately 7:02pm I turned to my lady and said "I predict a great start from Mitch Talbot."  Now I am unsure whether Mitch's line (6.2 IP, 6 H, R/ER, 3 BB, 3 K) qualifies as great but thank that deity (what's his name?) that it was at least in the ballpark. ;-j  Following a stretch of games during which the Indians played exactly how everyone expected them to this season, a win tonight was paramount to set up a chance to win the series tomorrow.  In fact, so much went right tonight that I am a bit scared that the left shoe is coming back down on Wednesday.

First off, Talbot.  On a night that many described as a make-or-break for his career with the Tribe, he stepped up and delivered the sort of performance that we all know he is capable of.  I have read a bunch of blather that his outing was "ok," was "acceptable" and that defense bailed him out.  Huh, I am fairly certain it was basically the same defense (exactly on the infield and that is what is being referenced) behind Fausto Carmona last night.  Weird how the Jays scored all of those runs with that miracle D out there.  Why does it never work for Chad Durbin?  Wait, I forget... is this a team sport?  Does a pitcher only do well when he strikes out every man he faces?  Maybe, just maybe, Talbot (4.50) threw an excellent game and Jack Hannahan did exactly what he is being paid to do at third base to balance his .229 batting average.  I am going to give Mitch his due and expect similar results each and every time he steps to the mound.

Oh, yeah, speaking of striking out everyone he faced, say it with me: Vinnie...  Pestanoisnasty.

And the offense woke up?  WTF?  Carlos Santana had three hits including a pair of doubles.  Carlos Santana.  He who built a condo on the Mendoza line.  If you had asked me before the game I would have deemed it more likely that the singer had a better chance to crack three hits.  Regardless, it was Santana's first three hit contest since opening day and drove in a pair.  He is up to .228.  Two doubles and 2 RBI for Grady Sizemore (.255), three hits (2B, 3B) for Michael Brantley (,287) and a wicked delayed steal by M-F'in Hanahan.  It is all almost too much.  I think that I will just sit back and enjoy it.

Tonight, I will dream of the bullpen mafia mowing down Philadelphia Phillies in October.

Cheers.

A Quest Called Tribe

Well, now the Indians have lost five of six.  I could talk about how pathetic they have been at the plate.  During the span the team is hitting .212 (40-189) and has struck out significantly more often (51 times) than they have gotten a hit.  Or I could cite the starting pitching.  The rotation has taken every decision, so they are 1-5, but more staggering is how awful the five have been in doing so.  Over 32 innings they have allowed 33 earned runs.  That equals a 9.28 ERA.  Opposing batters have rapped out 49 hits in 133 official at bats.  That is a .368 OBA.  Add in 10 walks and just 19 strikeouts and the WHIP shakes down to 1.84.  Ugh.

One would think that these numbers could accurately relay just how bad a team could play, just how bad the Indians have been playing for the last week.  That is to say, the boys certainly could not have been performing worse than the statistics indicate, right?  Sadly, yes they could, yes they can, yes they have.  I am going to boil this down to just one play.  Stop me if you've heard this one.  Bases loaded, one out.  Your "ace" (we'll get back to that) has let four runs in, but your team is only down three and it's still early.  Let's say your team has lost, oh, four of five and sorely needs a win.  A tailor-made double play ball, the kind that would end the inning, kill this rally, is batted right to you.  Whoops, you bobble it, but you can still get one.  Whoops, you drop it and the ball rolls a foot away.  Ok, that's only one more run.  What do you do now with the opposition's fleetest afoot rounding third?  If your name is Orlando Cabrera you lazily scoop up the ball and toss it from hand to hand.  Also, and this is the most important part, no matter what else happens, keep your back to the infield.  Never for a second consider that Rajai Davis is jogging home and embarrasing not only you, but your entire team as the score gets out of hand.  That, my friends, is what the last six games have felt like, that play, that one play, for 54 innings.

So, if coming into the game, I had told you that one team was sending its nominal ace to the hill versus a guy who had not won a game since June of 2008, a span of 28 starts.  Who would you have given the edge to?  The key word in the question is "nominal."  In case you are wondering, because I had only a vague understanding of the term for years, it means "in name."  Like House of Payne is called a "situation comedy," but I have never laughed while watching it.  That is to say, Fausto Carmona is not an ace.  He does not compare well to the aces of other teams and I would go so far as to say that he is not the best starting pitcher in the rotation (we'll save the debate on who is for another time).  Fausto's record dipped to 3-6.  One way to look at that is that he is only three games under .500.  Another way is to say that he has lost twice as many as he has won.  His ERA has ballooned to 5.31.  Some will say that these are poor measures of a pitcher's performance, that there is too much luck involved. I say baseball is about winning games and the easiest way to win a game is to score more runs than the other guys.  Maybe it's time to call Fausto something other than our ace.

Have I mentioned recently that I hate losing?  Remember that guy who had not won a start since the Bush administartion?  Well, JoJo Reyes threw the first complete game of his career and limited the Tribe to a single run.  But at least Chad Durbin got to give up a couple of garbage runs.  That keeps his season long streak of crappy pitching alive.  Nice.

Let's get those kids up.  Super two concerns should be moot by week's end.

Cheers.

Clip Joint Blows

Scott Barnes

Scott Barnes did his job, five solid innings allowing just a run (solo HR) on four hits and a walk with 9 punch outs.  Scottie has a 3.21 ERA over his last three stars to lower his season mark to 5.12 and the nine K's represent a AAA best.  He left in line for the win with a 4-1 lead.  Then the bullpen happened.

Justin Germano, horrific in two appearances since his DFA, surrendered a solo dinger to the first man he faced, another run on a two out single and was responsible for the lead runner when Nick Hagadone gave up the lead on a three run shot in the 7th.  Awful.  Germano (13.50) has nowhere to go but the scrap heap.  Hagadone (3.86) was making just his fifth appearance for Columbus, so some growing pains are to be expected, but you certainly cannot like the walk that immediately preceded the game's biggest moment.

At the dish, Jared Goedert (.083), after his official activation from the DL and option to the minors, launched a solo home run for his first AAA hit of the season.  Goedert remains on the 40-man roster, taking the final open spot.  Cord Phelps (.319) added two singles to extend his hitting streak to 14 games and Luis Valbuena (.292) provided three hits and an RBI.  On the dissapointing side, Lonnie Chinsenhall continued to slump.  Since hitting his 5th home run of the season on May 26th, Chinsenhall (.269) is 1-for-17 with 5 strikeouts.

Zach McAllister looks for his 8th straight win of 2011 when toes the rubber for the Clippers against Durham tomorrow at 7:05p.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Austin Adams tossed another quality start as the Aeros defeated Richmond 3-2.  Adams (2.51) did not get the decision and his season record remains locked at 4.  Excepting two starts in which he did not make it through the 2nd inning, Austin (5 IP, 4 H, R, 5 BB, 5 K) has an ERA of 1.62 in 2011.  Even including the stinkers his OBA is .249 and his K/9 sits at 9.84.

Keep an eye on Anthony Gallas, a Strongsville native and Kent State grad, who was signed by the Tribe as an undrafted free agent last season.  Gallas had 2 more hits, including a double and an RBI, for the Captains today and is raking at .355 on the year.  27 of the 23-year old outfielder's 60 hits (22 2B, 5 HR) have been for extra bases and his OPS is a slick .997.  From everything I hear, Gallas will be earning a ticket to Kinston in the near future.

Cheers.

While I Was Sminking

Justin Masterson in May: 0-3, 3.79 ERA.  Not too bad, simply a grand departure from his 5-0, 2.18 April.  The statistical concern is the opponents batting average, .279 vs. .217.  That is quiet a few more hits.  I suppose that it was unrealistic to expect Masterson, who had been the definition of inconsistent coming into 2011, to cruise through the campaign unmolested.  Justin's frame is prone to a variety of erratic movements, any one of which can rob him of his ability to repeat his delivery.  Over the season's first month, he was remarkable in his avoidance of such complications and, while May has brought some regression, he still has continued to produce at the highest level of his big league career.  Long and short, he is no longer on my fantasy team, but I would not worry about him as a key piece of a division leading starting rotation.

Yeah, that's right the Tribe is still in first, comfortably so.  While the Indians have lost four of five, the second place Tigers (a robust 26-26) have dropped 7 of 10.  Thus, even mired in their least successful stretch of the season, the good guys have maintained a six game cushion on the Central.  The key is for Manny Acta's boys to bounce back.  They took care of business on Saturday to avoid a prolonged losing streak and the series that begins tonight in Toronto is just as important.  In my eyes, we need two of three and a sweep would be wicked awesome.

A minute on Saturday's game.  It was great to see the power from Matt LaPorta, but the eye popping numbers came from the bullpen.  While we are all aware of how effective it has been as a whole, to see the ERAs between Carlos Carrasco and Chris Perez run 1.42-1.19-1.02 is nearly mind boggling.  I am sure you can guess what comes next, perhaps the most reliable exhibition of the year, Vinnie Pestano is nasty.

There are a couple of causes for concern.  Grady Sizemore is 0-for-12 with seven K's since his return from the disabled list to drop his season average to .244.  Maybe Acta was batting him #1 because he knew something we did not about Grady's psychology.  Sizemore has hit sixth in each of the last three games after clipping .286 from the leadoff spot.  Jack Hannahan's average has continued to plummet as well.  We were likely spoiled by Jack's .273/.349/.481 slash line in April and his numbers in May (.174/.260/.203) have balanced his season to career norms.  He is one for his last 14 and is now hitting .226.  Don't get me wrong, I did the guy the most and would like nothing better than to have a lineup around him that allowed the man to bat .230 and play stellar defense.  Unfortunately, the Tribe has scored more than 3 runs exactly three times over their last 11 games (5-6) and making use of an gold-glove, no-hit player at third is a luxury that the team cannot afford.

One possible solution to the offensive woes, one that is overdue, would be the promotion of Cord Phelps.  Phelps put together another three-hit, 3-RBI game in the Clippers 6-5 win yesterday.  Cord is batting .368 over a 13-game hitting streak and has a .940 OPS and 38 RBI on the season.  I would not suggest calling him and instantly plugging him in as the everyday third baseman, but having the option of an offensive minded player in the mix adds a dynamic that the big club is sorely lacking.  Jared Goedert may also eventually be a possibility, but, still technically rehabbing, he is off to an awful 0-for-9 start with the Clippers, featuring four strikeouts. 

Nick Hagadone, on the other hand, has throw magnificently since he was moved up from AA Akron.  Nick had stellar numbers for the Aeros (2-1, 1.59, .175 OBA, 9.53 K/9, 0.93 WHIP) has been just as impressive at AAA.  Hagadone threw two shutout innings on Saturday in his 4th appearance for the Clips.  He is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA and a save.  His meta stats are even better with 11.37 K/9, a 0.63 WHIP and a .130 OBA.  Many speculate that he will be a viable option by August.  I say he will be the next bullpen arm to make the lake.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Adam Miller picked up his first pro win since 2007 by pitching a scoreless 9th inning in Akron's 2-1 victory yesterday.  Miller, making his first AA appearance on his epic rehab trail, picked up for Joe Gardner, who hurled a gem.  Gardner (3.46) put up his best start of the season, allowing a run on six hits over 8 frames.  He walked one and struck out six, rebounding from a start in which he failed to get out of the 5th and surrendered nine runs.

Steven Wright took the loss for Lake County on Saturday, despite not allowing an earned run.  All five West Mchigan's runs came across in a mistake plagued second inning that featured two errors and two hit batsmen.  Wright (1.51) made in through only four innings in suffering his first loss of 2011.  He allowed six hits and two walks while fanning three and tossing his 4th wild pitch of the season.  The error that opened the door for the aforementioned rally was by second baseman Nick Bartolone, his 16th of the year.  The 2010 6th round selection had made each of his previous 15 errors at short, where his fielding percentage sits at .901.  Unfortunately the 20-year old is not contributing with the stick either, batting .192 with a .499 OPS.

FotB Tyler Tufts earned his second AA victory on Saturday.  Tyler (2.30) pitched and inning and two thirds of clean ball, allowing two hits and striking out one.  Although his OBA is rather high (.288) he had been getting the key outs and had walked just 2 in 15.2 innings.

Cheers.

Clip Joint Promotions?

Corey Kluber

I should be focused on praising Corey Kluber on his best start of the season.  Corey pitched into the 7th (officially 6 IP) and allowed just two runs (1 ER) on 4 hits, a walk and 2 K's.  After an horrific start to the season (0-3, 8.04 ERA) Kluber has found himself in winning his last three starts (3.86 ERA) to even his record.  With some shakeups likely to affect the Clippers pitching staff going forward (cough...Zach McAllister), consistency from Kluber is paramount.

That is where my mind should be.  Instead, all I can see is Ezequiel Carrera with 3 hits (R, RBI, .316).  I am dwelling on Cord Phelps 3 hits (2B, 3 RBI, .315).   Even Jason Kipnis (3B, R, BB, SB, .292) and his blend of speed (9-for-9 SB) and power (.500 slugging percentage) has me distracted.  Why are these kids still marooned at AAA while a gaggle of retread scrubs (you know who you are) are delivering out after meek, pitiful out for the Indians?  Obviously the smart guys with the big paychecks know what they are doing, just look at all of those World Series banners in the outfield. 

Bah.  Grow a set and make the moves.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Jared Goedert continues to progress nicely in his rehab assignment.  Jared (.276) laced an RBI single, walked and scored a pair in Akron's 9-2 victory tonight.  He played first base tonight and, in addition to his natural third,  has also seen time in left field.  If he can get his timing back quickly enough, he may have an opportunity to take Shelley Duncan's job

Matt Packer was the winner tonight for the Aeros as he pitched brilliantly for his second win of the season.  Packer (3.91) has thrown better than his 2-5 record would indicate and was finally rewarded with a victory after tossing seven innings of four hit ball.  Matt allowed one run and walked three, while fanning four.  He is a contact pitcher who relies on hitting his spots and changing speeds with his four pitch arsenal (FB, CB, SL, CU).  Do not let the fact that he does not get much ink fool you, he the chops to make the bigs.

LeVon Washington has hit one hell of a slump with low-A Lake County.  Washington is 0-for-his-last 20 with 8 strikeouts, dropping his batting average from .250 to .167.  There is some conjecture that he is not yet fully healed from a spring training knee injury and he is certainly still working back to true game form.  No need to worry.

Cheers.

A Quest Called Tribe

The good news is that Josh Tomlin gutted his way through six innings and, despite allowing a pair of two run dingers, gave the Indians a chance to win.  The icing is that Josh threw 5+ innings for the 22nd consecutive start to begin his career.  That puts him in third place since 1919, behind only Steve Rodgers (24) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (28).  This phenomenal streak seams sort of hollow coming in the midst of a three game losing streak that has seen the Tribe score a grand total of four runs.  Cough...cough...Cord Phelps.

The lineup fiasco today was a joke.  I was all for juggling it a bit to get Grady into RBI situations and take some pressure off of Carlos Santana, but WTF.  It is as if Manny Acta took a whole bottle of Mickey Rooney's crazy pills as he filled out the card.  I understand the concept of lefty/righty matchups, but for a man who had been unbelievably consistent with his lineup all season tonight was quite a departure.  I almost thought the sequence was a typo when I saw it pregame.  Matt LaPorta (.453 slugging) ahead of Sizemore (.641)?  All of this reordering and Shelly Duncan (.632 OPS) still hitting cleanup?  Orlando Cabrera (.288 OBP) in the two hole?  All this AND Austin Kearns remains?  That is a great way to put up zero runs, which is exactly what they did.  If Acta wants to shake things up, the answers are right up the road in Norfolk, Virginia where the Clippers are playing the Tides.  Cough...cough...Lonnie Chisenhall.

I suppose that I cannot lay all of the blame on the structure of the batting order.  For all of their success in 2011, the Indians have been pitiful against top tier starters.

04.12 - Danny Haren: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K

05.11 - David Price: 8 IP, 5 H, 2 R/ER, 0 BB, 7 K
05.18 - Jake Peavy: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K
05.24 - Josh Beckett: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 6 K
05.27 - David Price: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 12 K

All losses.  I am not counting Jered Weaver or Mark Beurhle  as a top tier starter and Beckett had injury concerns the first time out.  For a team looking to make it into October this trend has to turn around.

Although it is still May, a true losing streak would test the mettle of a very inexperienced team.  Tomorrow is as close as you can come to must win 50 games in.  Let's get it done, boys.

Cheers.

ZMac's Clip Joint

Just about every five days I find myself asking the same question.  Over that span, a Mitch Talbot or a Carlos Carrasco has served up another stinker and chalked another hash into the loss column for the Tribe.  In the same period, Zach McAllister has tossed another gem for the Clippers.  Yesterday was just another ho-hum seven innings of four hit, one run ball.  Just another five K's against zero walks to up his season K/BB ratio to 4.70.  I ask myself, I ask the Indians, why isn't McAllister pitching every fifth day on the lake?

The offense mustered only a Lonnie Chisenhall (.287) solo jack over the regulation nine, so Zach was not around for the win, but the man is 7-0 with a 2.29.  He is on the 40-man roster.  He is tall (6'6") and athletic.  He is efficient and well-spoken.  By all indications he has a good head on his shoulders and a year and a half of AAA ball under his belt.  Make the call!

Similarly, Cord Phelps continues to linger in Columbus despite a .306 average and 32 RBI.  Although Phelps had but one hit yesterday, it was the the game breaking three run double in the top of the tenth that sealed the victory for the Clippers.  I am part of a growing fan and blog voice that cannot fathom why Adam Everett and his shoddy defense are more deserving of a roster spot than Phelps.

Wednesday means June.  Let's get these kids to the coast and win this thing.  I'm about to pop some bubbly.

Columbus tees off in Norfolk again this evening.  First pitch is @ 7:15p with Corey Kluber on the mound.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Jared Goedert (.269) showed the first signs of returning to his 2010 form as he homered twice for the Aeros on Wednesday.  Goedert, a huge part of a six run comeback that fell a run short, drove in four.  Expect Jared, who is eligible to come off of the 60-day DL at the end of the month, to be mashing in Columbus soon theerafter.

Adam Miller (4.91) hit the first turbulence since his initial appearance for Kinston.  While he did manage to keep the lead in a contest in which Kinston did everything that it could to blow an 8-0 advanatge, Miller did not look good.  He got the first two outs of the 8th inning, sandwiched around a free pass, then proceeded to allow an RBI triple and a two-run long ball to back-to-back hitters.  Regardless, Miller was promoted to AA Akron this afternoon.

Cheers.

Not Good Enough For the Tribe

The Mets only gave us cash for Wilson Valdez, maybe the Phillies would like Chad Durbin back.  Hmm?  Ha?  I think Wilson would be an upgrade in the garbage time role.

A Quest Called Tribe

Any loss is just a loss.  One loss, no more, no less.  Neither the fact that the Tribe fell 14-2 today nor the matter of Mitch Talbot (5.87) allowing seven first inning runs supplements the standings in any way.  What it does is magnify the sense of urgency to make some substantive roster changes.

I am not yet screaming for Talbot's head.  I am willing to give the man one more start to prove that he belongs in the rotation of a contending ballclub.  Should he falter again, the time will have come for Zach McAllister to ascend to the big leagues.  No Jeanmar Gomez.  No David Huff.  No more scrubs.  Even if Talbot cannot produce a quality start in his next appearance, he should still have a spot on the major league roster as the long man.  Sliding into the role that he was destined for before Alex White stubbed his finger, Talbot would push Frank Herrmann (11.42) back down to AAA.  Herrmann's day was just as bad as Talbot's and his numbers at both levels this season have been no good.  I do not have an explanation for Frank's hardships, but the Tribe does not have the luxury of investigating on the fly.  There is no time for projects this season.  There is only for the best 25-men to win.

What does this mean for the men with the sticks?  It means sayonara to Austin Kearns (.599 OPS), happy trails Adam Everett (.642), arevia durche Shelly Duncan (.632).  It may just mean a fond farewell to Jack Hannahan (.687).  Jack has made a solid case to stay as an integral cog in the Indians' winning ways of 2011.  The other three have made little, if any contribution.  Rave all you like about Duncan's leadership and clutch hitting, the man in batting .121 in May and that is after two hits today.  Grady is ready to come off of the DL and Cord Phelps, at the very least, is ready to splash down lakeside. What is the downside of giving these kids a look?  Oooh, we will not be able to find another right handed outfielder to hit Mendoza with zero taters?  Please.

What else can I say about a 14-2 dog?  Vinnie Pestano is still nasty.

Cheers.

P.s. It was Josh Judy that got booted down to Columbus so that Talbot could make his glorious return.

Bullpen Mafia, Yo!

I would think that Josh Judy feels left out.

A Quest Called Tribe

I am beginning to worry about the offense.  Following a 2 run showing in a loss to the BoSox the Indians have now put up 98 runs in their last 21 games (13-8).  That averages to 4.67 runs per game, not too shabby.  For those of you who know statistics, you understand that raw averages can be deceiving.  Such is the case with the Tribe.  31 of those 98 runs were scored in 19-1 thrashing of the Royals and Sunday's 12-4 romp over the Reds (this means too large of a standard deviation).  That leaves 67 runs scored in 19 games (11-8) or an average of 3.53.  Yeah, that's not very good.  The American League average for the season in 4.23 and only the lowly Twins came into Tuesday averaging fewer than 3.53 runs/game.  Now the Indians still have the best record in baseball and their six game lead on Detroit is nearly twice the margin that any other division leader sports, but we should be mindful.  Especially with Travis Hafner out for at least a month.  Especially with Grady Sizemore nursing two sore knees.  Especially with Carlos Santana batting .203 and Shin-Soo Choo lingering at .244.  Most especially with our phenom starter (Alex White) out until at least August and our "ace" now sporting a 3-5 record and a 4.73 ERA.

Oh Fausto.  In a year when so much of the team's talent has progressed, you, sir, seem to have regressed.  Again.  For a team that often needs to scratch and claw and for every baserunner, let alone every run, the slop of the second and the disgrace of allowing a home run to 86-year old catcher are simply unforgivable.  Get your stinkin' head screwed on straight or the depth of pitching in this system will catch up to you before you realize that you are throwing long relief in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Do your job Fausto!  Or get the fuck out of town.

It was nice to see Travis Buck hit the home run off of Papelbon.

Cheers.

While I Was Sminking - @ Da Clip Joint

Nick Hagadone

The Nick Hagadone train continues at full speed.  Following a Friday promtion to Columbus, Nick has thrown three times and has already notched his first AAA win and save.  The save came this afternoon as the Clippers put the finishing touches on a four game sweep of the Durham Bulls.  Hagadone (2.08) pitched the final 2.1 innings allowing just one hit and struck out a pair.  Scott Barnes picked up his third victory of the season (5 IP, 5 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB, 7 K) and seems to have settled in a bit over his last couple of starts.

Jason Kipnis, batting leadoff since Ezequiel Carrera's promotion, has taken to his new role with aplomb.  Kipnis (.292) raked 7-for-16 in the series (2 2B, 3B, HR) with four runs scored and five RBI.  Cord Phelps conitnued his hot hitting as well, batting 7-for-18 with 2 doubles, 2 runs and 3 RBI.  Many, including TonyIPI, believe that Phelps' (.310) promotion to Cleveland is as imminent as within the next week.  Lonnie Chisenhall is a bit further off, but if Jack Hannahan cannot turn around his dreadful May performance (.520 OPS), we will likely see the Chiz Kid around the All-Star break.  Chisenhall (.283) was 7-for-17 against Durham (2 2B, HR) with 3 RBI and 6 runs scored.  Those are the 1, 2, & 3 hitters in the Columbus lineup.  Chad Huffman (.263), who produced a 10 RBI game earlier in the season and has hit cleanup quite a bit, went 3-for-3 on Saturday, falling a single short of the cycle and driving in five.  With production like that, winning becomes a lot easier.

Starting pitching doesn't hurt either.  Jeanmar Gomez looks to have righted his ship ;-j with an 8 inning complete game victory on Monday night.  Gomez (3.16)  improved his AAA mark to 4-1 by allowing seven hits and two earned with two walks and three strike outs.  Even so, I maintain that Gomez can be of no further assistance to the big club this season.  I am in the minority here, but I would expect that Zach McAllister is now at the top of the minor league depth chart should the Indians need another starter before Alex White is healthy.  McAllister is on the 40-man and has dominated the IL (7-0, 2.43) this year.

Both Steven Wright and Matt Langwell were briefly with the Clippers over the weekend.  Langwell did not take the mound, though Wright did make his AAA debut as knuckleballer.  He allowed 2 earned and 5 hits over 2.2 innings while striking out a pair.  Wright succesfully protected the Clippers lead before being returned to Lake County on Sunday.  Marty Popham has been added to the AAA roster in what appears to be a more permanent role.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Beau Mills rounded into form over the weekend.  Mills (.333) drove in a pair Saturday, three on Sunday and added a a 2-run pinch double yesterday.  He is mostly DH'ing coming off a right achilles injury and has posted a .937 OPS in his first 7 games back.  He has also not struck out in his first 20 plate appearances.

After missing eight days as he continued to rehab back from an oblique strain, Jared Goedert (.222) has played for the Akron Aeros on each of the past two days.  Goedert hasn't been beating the world (1-for-6, 2B, 3 BB), but with a nagging pain like an oblique, easing back in is paramount.

Chun Chen (.277) double three times yesterday and drove home a pair.  Chen, who can certainly hit, will be hampered by the fact that he has no true position to play at higher levels.

I suppose it is time to mention Tim Fedroff, expected by most to be the next outfielder added to the Columbus roster.  Fedroff (.377) has posted a .929 OPS this season and is hitting .514 over his last 10 games.  He spent all of 2010 with Akron, compiling an OPS of .715.

Adam Miller (2.70) has not been scored upon for Kinston since a shaky debut at the end of April.  Miller picked up his first save on Friday and has put just five men on base over those nine innings and has fanned 12.  His OBA is .167 for the season and .069 excluding that first appearance.  Miller should see Akron very soon.

Giovanni Soto continued to impress as he evened his record at 3 on Friday.  Soto (2.02) allowed a run (solo HR) on four hits and a walk over six innings.  Giovanni struck out 8 and has posted an ERA of 0.71 since April 23.

After an awful start on May 8th, Captains pitcher Michael Goodnight has gotten right back on the horse.  Goodnight (2.68) earned his third win of 2011 on Saturday, giving up a run on 2 hits and 2 walks with 7 punch outs.  Excepting that rotten egg (1.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 4 ER), he has returned a .139 OBA and an ERA of 1.99.

FotB Tyler Tufts remains a key cog in the bullpen of the AA Frisco RoughRiders of the run happy Texas League.  Tyler (2.77) last threw on Friday, a successful 1.2 innings surrendering 2 hits and mowing down three.  He has delivered a tremendous 11.0 K/BB ratio and a solid 1.15 WHIP.

Now you are all caught up.

Cheers.

While I Was Sminking - Tribe Style

The Tribe swept the Reds!  I hanging out in the mezzanine for the sold out Saturday affair.  A better game you will never see.  Josh Tomlin is not just the 5th pitcher since 1919 to pitch 5+ innings in his first 21 MLB starts.  The man is beginning to look unstoppable.  On a day when he was not as crisp as normal (only 57 of 85 pitches for strikes), he still allowed just a run on 3 hits over seven strong innings.  That run would not have even come across had Orlando Cabrera done his job and cleanly started the double play to close the 7th.  Of course that would have taken all of the magic out of Travis Buck's go ahead bomb.  As my buddy said, "I'm so glad that Carlos Santana struck out."  Tomlin's WHIP this year is a phenomenal 0.821.  That is best in the bigs.  Just for the sake of reference, the all-time season WHIP record is 0.737 (Pedro Martinez, 2000) and only Martinez and Greg Maddux (1995) have had one lower since 1913.  Chris Perez earned the save while throwing 9 balls and 8 strikes, thanks for the adventure.  Oh, and Vinnie Pestano is nasty.

Ezequiel Carrera and Josh Judy made their major league debuts.  In one of the gutsiest calls that I have seen since April 7th, Carrera laid down a drag bunt on the first major league pitch that he saw.  With two outs and runners on the corners with two outs, Zeke had to beat it.  He did... by narrowly avoiding a diving Joey Votto and nearly running outside of the base path. 

Judy's debut was not nearly as dramatic, but he did strike out the first hitter he faced and tossed a clean 9th on Sunday despite allowing a pair of hits.  Asdrubal Cabrera likely added quite a few All-Star votes after scoring his first career five hit game and first career multi-homer game.  Overall AzCab (.302) was 5-for-5 with two dingers, five RBI and a stolen base.  After dramatic victories in the first two games of the 12-5 thrashiing of Cincy yesterday was a welcome chance to breathe easy.  The sweep was the Tribe's 6th three gamer of the still young season as opposed to just 4 in all of 2010.

Manny Acta said today that Grady Sizemore will not need a minor league rehab stint before returning to the Indians lineup.  Sizemore, eligible for activation from the DL on the 26th, will probably be the everyday DH for a couple of weeks to reduce stress on both of his knees.  When Grady comes back, the Indians will have a difficult decision to make.  Do they send Carrera back to AAA or do they finally cut ties with Austin Kearns?  Regardless of the good will that Kearns built up last season, the need for a right handed bat cannot be filled by someone hitting .200 with a .577 OPS.  His offensive WAR this season is -0.2.  That means his bat is costing the team wins.  Done and done.

The faint silver lining surrounding the injury to Alex White (a sprained ligament in his right middle finger) is that the Indians avoid having to make a definitive move concerning Mitch Talbot.  He will now easily slide back into the rotation as opposed to a possible long man position or even a demotion to Columbus.  Although the rotation will eventually have to be finalized, the situation gives the organization to see if Talbot's success before landing on the disabled list (1-0, 1.46) was an abberance or the emergence of reliable starting pitcher.  Hopefully, it is the latter as White is expected to miss at least two months and, perhaps, the remained of the 2011 season.

More to come.

Cheers.

Tickets Punched

1. Travis Hafner to the 15-day DL with an oblique strain.

2. Luis Valbuena optioned back to AAA after 1 day.

3. Ezequiel Carrera and Frank Herrmann recalled.

4. Nick Hagadone from Akron to Columbus.

5. Eric Berger demoted.  Not released?

Columbus continues to play one man down.

A Quest Called Tribe

By now I'm sure that you have heard the breakdown of Fausto Carmona's season versus the White Sox as opposed to the rest of the league, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

Earned Runs: Vs. White Sox (18 in 8 IP) - Vs. Everyone Else (16 in 56.1 IP)

ERA: ChiW (20.25) - [Bos, LAA, Bal, Min, KC, Oak] (2.56)

W/L: ChiSox (0-2) - Not ChiSox (3-2)

OBA: Pale Hose (.405) - Other Hues (.207)

WHIP: Guillen (2.63) - Sane Managers (1.03)

Suffice to say that Fausto (4.76 ERA) had better get it together because he might have to face Chicago a few more times.  It was so bad tonight that Chad Durbin was up and throwing in the 2nd inning.

Wait, why was it Chad Durbin throwing in the 2nd?

And why am I so relatively calm about an 8-2 loss and a two-game "sweep" at the hands of the StankSox?

Oh I dunno, maybe it has something to do with the fact that Justin Germano got his @$$ DFA'ed today.  I all but screamed out in ecstasy.  No self respecting contender can have a Germano in the pen.  His departure makes all of this Fausto inflicted insanity a bit easier to swallow.

The corresponding recall is a bit odd - Luis Valbuena.  Luis made it known yesterday that he was headed North, but the move is more about replacing non-DL'ed position players than adding Valbuena's talents to the major league roster.  With Travis Buck a scratch with turf toe, Orlando Cabrera off in South Carolina finalizing his US citizenship and the walking bruise we call Travis Hafner still nursing an oblique strain (that kind of thing can last weeks, I smell the DL coming), the Tribe bench was seriously undermanned.  My guess is that Luis makes a quick return to AAA and Mitch Talbot is activated to be used as the long man.  I certainly hope that Acta does not take a page from Ozzie Guillen's playbook an try to use a six man rotation.

The game wasn't a gaping black hole.  Matt LaPorta (.275) did crank out his first bomb of May.  And there was this...



Oh, and the California Faith Ministry might be right, Austin Kearns (.185) had two hits, including a double.  A surer sign of the apocalypse I have never seen.

That's all I got, kids.

Cheers.

P.s.  Word on the street is that Ezequiel Carrera is ready to jump to the bigs should Buck or Hafner take to the disabled list, although if it's Pronk, Chad Huffman might make more sense.

Clip Joint Is Dripping Wet

Literally!

It took three hours and the Clippers only got in three and a half innings.  Still, what we did get was fun to watch.  Mitch Talbot looked sharp in the four innings of work that became his second rehab start.  Mitch only got to throw 54 pitches, but he did so effectively.  Outside of a first inning solo dinger by Josh Reddick (it was monster), Talbot was only in trouble once, using a strike out and a ground ball to strand runners on the corners.  He allowed four hits and a walk while striking out five.  He induced four more outs on ground balls, including a double play, and kept the PawSox off balance by consistently changing speeds in spite of the nasty weather. 

The game was suspended halfway through the fourth inning with Columbus ahead 2-1.  Those runs came courtesy of back-to-back long balls from Jason Kipnis and Cord Phelps to lead off the contest.  Phelps' was his 7th of the season, one short of his career high set last season.

The game resumes at 5:05p tomorrow and will be played to full nine-inning completion.  The regularly scheduled game will follow, but will last just seven frames as in a MiLB double header.  Only in the International League folks.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Joe Gardner delivered an excellent start (6 IP, 4 H, R/ER, BB, 5 K) in the first game of an Akron twin bill to earn his first win in more than a month and raise his record to 3-2.  Gardner (2.70 ERA), a third round pick in 2009, has stymied opponents to the tune of a .227 OBA.

Beau Mills, the #13 overall pick in 2007, made his season debut today after spending the first six weeks of the season recovering from a left Achilles injury.  Mills, who is beginning his third season at AA, singled and laid down a sacrifice bunt in five official trips.  Once a top five organizational prospect, Mills is now considered marginal at best following OPS seasons of .724 and .689 at Akron.

Cheers.

A Quest Called Tribe

Are we sure that Jake Peavy isn't Danny Haren in disguise?  Has anyone ever seen them in the same place at the same time?  Have I slipped into a strange alternate dimension where the same person can exist as two simultaneous individuals?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I hate losing!  I hate it when the offense looks like a pack of blind monkeys flailing for bananas.

I'll try to be coherent for a second.  After a complete inability to find the plate in the first two and a half innings, Justin Masterson allowed just 3 of the last 21 hitters he faced to reach base (BB, 2 H) and two of those were erased on "strike 'em out / thrown 'em out" double plays.  19 of Masterson's first 39 pitches were outside of the zone, but he missed with just 22 more during a 115 pitch effort that rendered his 3rd career complete game (8 IP, 5 H, R/ER, 2 BB, 8 K) and first of the season.  Justin has pitched more than well enough to earn his 6th victory in three of his four May starts, yet he remains winless for the month.  Still, I'll take the CG in my fantasy league.

Travis Hafner sat again with yet another in a litany of injuries.  He has sore ribs on his right side and will be re-evaluated tomorrow/today.

Yah, that's all I've got.  This here is a nice piece on Josh Tomlin, though.

I really hate losing.

Cheers.

The Clip Joint Splits

Luis Valbuena

Where to begin with this grey skied twin bill?  How about the staring pitching?  Sucked.  Jeanmar Gomez (3.47 ERA) got his @$$ handed to him in game 1 (5 IP, 5 H 4 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K).  In two subpar starts since returning to AAA Gomez has an ERA of 5.91 and a WHIP of 1.41.  No good.  Barring a plague, I do not see Jeanmar returning to the bigs with the Indians.  Scott Barnes (5.97) was better in game 2 (4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 4 K), but was yanked before Columbus could take the lead.  Blargh.

The top of the lineup provided the spark on a day where no Clipper managed more than a pair of hits.  Ezequiel Carrera (2-6, 3B, 2 R, 2 BB, .317) and Cord Phelps (2-6, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB, .300) had nice lines, but the real hero of the game 2 victory was the Pawtucket defense.  The PawSox committed two errors in the Clips five run 6th and added a third play that was a hit only because their center fielder never touched the ball.  It was a sloppy set of games at Huntington.

One interesting item of note - After the game Luis Valbuena made the statement that he was "going to Cleveland on Sunday."  Now, I don't know if Luis was serious, nor do I have insight into when such a player would be informed.  What I can offer is utter confusion.  Why bring up the retread Valbuena when Phelps is tearing the cover off of the ball?  The answer must lay in Valbuena's active status on the 40-man roster.  And, if Luis is to be believed, who's getting the boot from the Tribe's 25-man?  Adam Everett, the bell tolls for you.

Mitch Talbot takes the hill for Columbus tomorrow in his second rehab start.  I shall brave the elements to see the man live.  First pitch is at 6:35p.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Nick Hagadone seems to be back on track after a couple of rocky outings last week.  Hagadone threw two shutout innings putting just one man on base (walk) and fanning a pair.  Both of his last two appearances have been hitless and he has lowered his OBA back to .183.  The Clippers are still playing one man down and there is a lot of conjecture that now might be the time for Nick to move on up.

The score of that Akron game was 16-6.  Kelvin De La Cruz was responsible for five of those runs in his 4.2 innings and could not get the last out of the fifth to qualify for the win.  Kel-DLC (3.28) was roughed up for six hits and three walks but struck out 8.  The surprise hero at the plate was infielder Kyle Bellows, who homered and drove in six.  Bellows, a 2009 4th round pick, came into the game hitting .185 with 9 RBI.  Jordan Henry (.310) added three hits, including a triple, and scored three times.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the 50-game suspension of Aeros outfielder John Drennen.  Drennen, the #33 overall pick in 2005, tested positive for a fertility drug that he was using to jump start his ovulation.  No word yet as to why he would want to do that. ;-j

Another solid start from Drew Pomeranz for Kinston tonight.  Pom (2.09), who did not factor into the decision, tossed six innings surrendering two runs on 5 hits.  He walked 3 and struck out six.  He continues to do exactly what he needs to in order to jump to AA.

Congrats to Steven Wright, who notched his first pro win since switching to the knuckleball.  In his best outing of the season for Lake County, Wright (1.71) was charged with a hit and three walks over six scoreless frames.  Wright struck out three as well.  His command of the pitch is the main measuring stick for promotion and, judging by tonight's effort, the move should come soon.

LeVon Washington scored his first multi-hit game of the season with two singles for los Capitans.  Washington (.258) also walked, scored twice and knocked in his first run.  LeVon is still just 19, so there's no rush, but it is good to see him put together a line that pops off of the screen.

Cheers.

A Quest Called Tribe

How is the 2011 Indians season different than that of 2010?  Here it is in a nutshell.  In 2010, "closer" Kerry Wood would enter, get knocked around and then toss his glove into the stand over the dugout at the Tribe suffered yet another loss.  In 2011, closer Chris Perez becomes frustrated at his rust after not being needed for a week and vaults the pill over the center field wall after a 4-run Indians win.  Gotta love it.

Two days after I lamented Michael Brantley's team leading batting average of .298, boy have I gotten my come uppins.  After tonight's victory the Tribe boasts Trvais Hafner (.345), Brantley (.302) and Asdrubal Cabrera (.288) all in the top 22 in hitting for the AL.

It's very nice to see Carlos Santana starting to hit a bit more (3-for-6, 4 BB in the series, .325 AVG & .460 OBP over his last 11 games), although it has still yet to play out if Manny Acta's faith in him will be rewarded with true cleanup hitter production.  The highlight of the day for me, however, was not his dinger, but the throw he made to pick KC backstop Matt Treanor off of 2nd base.  Awesome.

Speaking of round trippers, Asdrubal Cabrera spanked his 7th of the season.  That is, loyal readers, a career high.  AzCab put up 6 in 581 plate appearances two years ago.  Much of the credit for the power surge is owed to double play parter and fellow Cabrera, Orlando.  O-Cab sat down with the younger middle infielder during spring training and explained that Asdrubal embodied more raw power than he had been showcasing.  Orlando recommended that Az pick an at-bat for himself every night, as long as the situation allowed, and just let 'er rip.  He has and the result has been the team lead in home runs.  This is a tangible example of the leadership and experience that Orlando Cabrera brings to the clubhouse and why he will stick with this team all the way to the playoffs.

I'm still not sold on Carlos Carrasco (5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB 5 K), but I have figured out a way to rationalize his presence in the rotation.  Not only is he an entire shade better than Jeanmar Gomez, but Carrasco (2-2, 5.03), who came into the season as the nominal #2 starter, could now very easily be regarded as our #5 man.  He's certainly the last of the bunch that I would pick to take the hill on any given day.

Lastly, I'll be surfing the North Coast this weekend and had my sights set on diggin' the Tribe/Reds game on Saturday whilst grabbing my free Shin Soo Choo jersey.  Cool, right?  Well, I made the mistake of putting an associate in charge of ticket acquisition.  Tonight, roundabout 9:40p, he informed that the game was sold out.  "No!", I said.  "How is this possible?"  But true it was.  Scrambling, I was able to snag some cheapies off of Stubhub before even those flew off of the shelves.  It will be awesome to drink in the vibe of a capacity crowd at the Jake for the first time since the ill-fated 2007 ALCS.

And I though I had nothing to say tonight.

Cheers

P.s. The Cavs pick at spots 1 & 4 in the NBA draft.  They got the top spot with the pick acquired from the Clippers, which had a 2.8% chance of being selected for #1.  Wow, but we'll chat about that tomorrow.

Minor Points Of Interest

Adam Miller made his fourth consecutive scoreless appearance for Kinston on Sunday.  Miller (3.86 ERA) was, in fact, perfect over two innings, striking out 3.  Over those four games Miller has tossed six clean innings allowing 2 hits and 2 walks while fanning nine.  The smart money is on Adam getting the call to Akron within the next couple of weeks.

Giovanni Soto won again on the 14th to raise his record to 2-3.  Soto pitched seven shutout innings allowing 3 hits and walk as he whiffed 8.  Over his last four starts (including a rain shortened one third inning appearance) Giovanni is 2-0 with 0.47 ERA.  He has averaged 9.31 K/9 and has a 0.78 WHIP.  Expect the 20 year old Puerto Rican to spend most, if not all, of the season at high-A Kinston.

The same cannot be said of 2010 first rounder Drew Pomeranz.  Despite losing his last outing (4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 6 K) on the 12th, Pomeranz's numbers are quite impressive (1.93 ERA, .188 OBA, 1.04 WHIP, 13.22 K/9) and he is still on track for an early June promotion to Akron. 

Lake County has not played since the 13th due to rain.  What?  That's like a week dude.  In the two games we missed, LeVon Washington (.214) went 2-for-8 with a double and 4 K's and Steven Wright produced another gem on the mound.  The neophyte knuckleballer provided six shutout innings during the Captains last game, but was robbed of a win when the bullpen blew a two run lead.  Wright (2.10) allowed 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out nine.  He has yet to register a decision but has shown marked improvement over each successive outing.

Before we go, let's give a shout to catching prospect Chun Chen.  Chen (.271) slugged his 5th and 6th long balls of the season on Saturday and leads the Aeros in both home runs and RBI (20).

Cheers.

R.I.P. Harmon Killebrew (1936-2011)

Killebrew is often described as one of the giants of the game.  No one has such quite such a literal understanding of the phrase as I do.  When I was 10 years old, I had the opportunity to meet Harmon Killebrew.  During the brief window between his career as a player and that as a broadcaster, Rick Manning spent some time working with my father.  Through Rickey my dad and I were given just a touch of behind the scenes access at an event where both Manning and Killebrew were signing autographs.  My father was able to have a conversation with Killebrew while all I can recall is shaking the man's hand.  His mammoth paw completely enveloped mine.  This is not an overstatement, not the misremberance of a child dealing with adult things, Killebrew's hands were immense.  I stood there, dumbfounded, as he asked me my name.  I was so shocked at the gargantuan grip that I feared my own hand might never return.  Harmon chuckled and signed a ball for me.  It would be nice to say that I cherish that ball still, but some assholes stole it a couple of years ago so that they could buy more meth.  Ob la di.  It's not about that.  Today we celebrate Harmon Killebrew.  Cheers, big man, even if some disbelieve, I know that is your silhouette.

A Quest Called Tribe

It was not so much the field goal that surprised me, but the safety to put 19 on the board.  ;-j  Before we get into all that, let us please give Josh Tomlin his.  The man in a freakin' machine.  Have you lost count?  I have lost count.  Let me look it up.  (Insert Jeopardy music here.)  That is an even twenty consecutive starts of at least five innings to begin Josh's career.  The line: 6 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, no walks, 1 K.  I do not know what more anyone could possibly ask of a starting pitcher.  Tomlin (5-1, 2.56 ERA) threw 55 of 81 pitches for strikes which is inconceivable given how long he had to spend sitting in the dugout while the offense shellacked KC pitching.

Vin Mazzaro gave up fourteen, that is 14, one four runs in two and a third.  Mazzaro is the first pitcher in  history to give up that many runs in fewer than 3 innings.  He is the first pitcher since 1942 to allow 14 runs.  Vin is the first MLB pitcher period to allow so many since 1998 (Hi Mike Oquist!)  Favorite tweet:  Vin Mazzaro's ERA (22.74) can now legally drink!  The Royals used two starting pitchers (Mazzaro and Kyle Davies) plus a reliever and still did not get through five innings.  Speaking of Davies, he took the loss after facing just four batters and walking three of them to start the game.  Yowza!

Big props to Michael Brantley (.304, 2-for-4, 2 BB, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R), Matt LaPorta (.274, 4-for-4, 2 2B, R, 4 RBI, BB), and Orlando Cabrera (.287, 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI).  I guess O-Cab had a little something to say to all of the doubters.  Welcome back Travis Buck (.286, 3-for-6, 3 R, RBI), hope you're here to stay.

Brantley did raise his team leading average back over .300.  Understand that Travis Hafner is hitting .339, but between the walks and the injuries he has not put together enough AB's to qualify in the league standings.  Soooooooooooooo, he does not count.

Your first-place Indians (damn, I like the sound of that more every day) are now 25-13 (4.5 ahead of Detroit) with no signs of dropping back into the pack.  We saw two characteristics today that are unique to winning teams.  First, the offense was advantageous.  Sure Mazzaro sucked a whole dozen thousand year eggs, but the bats did not let him off the deck.  From inning #1 and despite a base running blunder the boys were on point.  O-Cab laced a two-out two-run single to bring home the first two walks and the rest was history, literally (that's how you use that word properly, everyone take notes).  Secondly, we return to Tomlin and, more generally, to the starting pitching.  With few exceptions the starting staff has been locked in this season.  Blah, blah, pitching over their heads, regression, whatever.  The staff has focus.  There is a culture on this bench and in this bullpen that facilitates Josh Tomlin's ability to throw another quality start around 19 GD runs.  And I love it.  I wish we could save a few "points" for a rainy day ;-j but I'll take it.

Drink it in Cleveland.

Cheers.

P.s. For those wondering the Indians' highest scoring game was 27 against Boston in 1986.

While I Was Sminking Pt. Deux

Earlier today Jess Todd's career came full circle.  In his second designation in as many weeks, Todd was let go by the Yankees and this afternoon he was snagged by St Louis.  The Cardinals originally picked him in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft before the Tribe acquired him in 2009.

There has been quite a bit of chatter about the Indians moving on from some of the bargain veterans that have played big roles for the team thus far in 2011.  As prospects like Cord Phelps, Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis continue to play well at AAA, pressure, both internal and external, has mounted for their promotions.  Such moves would be at the expense of players like Orlando Cabrera and Adam Everett, like Jack Hannahan.  Hannahan is hitting .172 in May with a .467 OPS, dropping his season average down to .245.  He has also been a bit sloppy at third and, while, he is still certainly above average at the hot corner, his high water has likely crested and the reign of King Jack might soon be over.  Cabrera started off hot with a .333 average and an .808 OPS in his first 11 games as an Indian.  However, his OPS since then is .592 and his on base percentage since May 3rd in .189.  O-Cab offers a great deal of clubhouse leadership and might very well stick around longer than the others in a platoon role with one or more of the youngsters.  Not a lot has been asked of Everett and some might think his versatility around the infield and .333 batting average have been pleasant surprises.  Understand that Adam does not yet have a hit with runners in scoring position and his kick at third last Sunday allowed the Angels to score three unearned runs en route to a 6-5 victory.

If Chisenhall (.280) and Phelps (.298) continue to hit at Columbus, we will likely see them both before the All-Star break with Cabrera hanging around as insurance.  The Chiz-Kid yoked a mammoth home run during the Clippers' last home game, but it was only his third of the year.  His lack of AAA power, he's slugging at just .439, may be a caveat.  Jason Donald would be a nice option, but he is once again not an option after landing on the International League disabled list with a knee issue.  He will be unavailable until June. 

With Travis Buck ascending to the lake and Donald lingering on the DL, Columbus will need to add a bat from somewhere.  Bubba Bell, the 4th outfielder as season's outset, has moved on to the Mets organization and Jordan Brown has been traded to Milwaukee.  Jared Goedert, who can play left field, did homer on Friday and added two hits on Saturday to raise his rehab BA to .250, but he has not played since and will probably remain at Akron until his 20-day rehab assignment is up.  The best outfield option at AA is Jordan Henry (.300) who has stolen 15 bases in Aeros' first month.  Still, the organization would like to keep him playing everyday so you might see the Clippers add a free agent.

That's enough for now I guess.  We'll figure it out.

Cheers.

Yes, I Will Now Start Punching Yankees Fans In the Face

Not that I have much love for the Sox, but tru dat on the fascism.  I never see these on TV.  Cheers.



Cheers.

Longoria To DL With Broken Hand

Or... This is just, uh, not real.

While I Was Sminking Pt. 1

Obviously the headline is recent with Grady Sizemore returning to the DL with soreness in his right knee and Travis Buck taking the trip back up I-71.  Remember that Sizemore's microfracture surgery was on his left knee, so the current affliction has nothing to do with the previous injury.  Grady banged the knee on a hard slide into second during Tuesday's game against the Rays.  Also, thanks to mama nature, I only missed one Tribe game instead of three.  ;-j

But, oops, this happened ...



Mitch Talbot made his first rehab start on Saturday, taking the loss for the Clippers in Indianapolis.  Mitch looked good, two earned on six hits over five innings.  He threw 49 of 69 pitches for strikes as he struck out a pair and walked no one.  He's scheduled to pitch again on Thursday, this time in Columbus against the PawSox.  I'll be there.

The question becomes what to do with Talbot supposing that he's healthy and able following Thursday's appearnce.  After Carlos Carrasco's pitiful effort in his start off of the disabled list, is he a candidate for demotion?   Maybe, but not likely.  Might the Indians expose Talbot to waivers in order to get him down to Columbus?  Uh, no.  Is Alex White ticketed back to AAA?  Not unless he royally screws the pooch in his next game.  The most probable scenario is that Talbot slides into the long man role and Justin Germano gets das boot (I know, read das as German and boot as English) and good riddance.

Cheers to Corey Kluber for earning his first win of 2011 as the Clippers salvaged the last game of a four game set against the Indy Indians this afternoon.  Kluber (6.94 ERA) pitched seven full, the first time this year that he has gone past 5+.  Corey allowed two runs on four hits and two walks.  He struck out in raising his record to 1-3.

I would give you some highlights of the Clippers at the plate, but everyone stunk it up.  Not kidding.  I will provide quips and clicks from the home finale against Charlotte in just a bit.

Bored now.

Back soon.

Cheers.

P.s. Michael Brantley is now the Indians' leading hitter at .298.  First place with zero .300 hitters.  Troublesome.

Best Returns From the Clip Joint

Right up until first pitch the website told me that Joe Martinez was going to start.  I stuck by my guns and maintained that it would be Jeanmar Gomez.  Lo and behold, ETrain 1, Clippers.com 0.  Nice.

Just like Jeanmar's first start since his recent demotion.  While he was not dominant, Gomez (2.45 ERA) did exactly what he needed to after his teammates spotted him a 6-zip lead, he pitched well enough to win.  After five shutout Gomez did falter in the sixth, loading the bases before Frank Herrmann gave up a slam.  Even so, Jeanmar allowed just five hits and struck out seven in running his AAA record to 3-0.  I think that's a good place for him to stay.

Jason Kipnis and Cord Phelps led the charge at the dish, each socking a two run homer.  Phelps (.318) added a second hit and a third RBI.  Kipnis (.286) also singled and scored.  Lonnie Chisnehall's hit streak ended at nine, but Ezequiel Carrera slashed two singles and is hitting .405 with a .968 OPS over his last 10.  Josh Rodriguez, the player added at the expense of Jordan Brown (.286 since the trade), went 0-for-2 and has just one hit in eleven trips as a Clipper.

Tomorrow is a businessman's special at 11:35a with David Huff starting.  I will be basking in the sunshine along with the team.  Come and join us.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Kelvin De La Cruz upped his record to 2-3 as the Aeros defeated Erie 4-1.  De La Cruz (2.32) threw five scoreless, allowing two hits and four walks while striking out 7.  Nick Hagadone (1.74) pitched perfectly through the six and seventh before loading the bases on two walks and a hit in the 8th.  Cory Burns (4.85) let the run in on a double play ball, but did not allow a baserunner in picking up his tenth save.  Jared Goedert (.143) was 1-for-3 with an RBI in his second game of rehab.

LeVon Washington's modest hit streak came to an end at four games.  Washington (.200) went 0-for-4 with three K's as the Captains lost to Dayton.

Cheers.