If you had told me a month ago that the linchpins in one of the season's biggest days would be David Huff AND Fausto Carmona AND Lou Marson AND Ezequiel Carrera, I likely would have passed out from the laughter.
I have been touting Zach McAllister for months, but there is simply no arguing with Huff's performance (7 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K). David earned a spot in the rotation (Jeanmar Gomez back to Columbus after giving up the lead on Sunday) by notching the first win by an Indians left-handed starter in a calendar year. Word on the street had been that Huff had added about 3 MPH to his fastball (89 to 92) and had found added success thanks to it. Based on yesterday's outing, this is all true. He was able to command that fastball and throw enough breaking balls to keep the Twins swinging at balls out of the zone. Even more exciting is that there is already a book on Huff (38 previous MLB starts), so this is not a situation where the league will catch up to a kid making his debut. I would not expect the moon from him, yet if David can pitch a tick over .500 with an ERA in the 4's, it would go a long way to stabilizing the rotation.
Speaking of said stability, Dr. Carmona showed up on the bump last night. We have all seen the numbers, so I shall not reprise. Suffice it to say, that if we can avoid the recurrence of Mr. Fausto and allow the big right-hander to push his record a few stops closer to even, then the division will belong to the Tribe. This is an enormous if. Even as Carmona (5-10, 5.63) produced a quality start, he looked in no way comfortable on the mound. There was no rhythm to the at-bats as Carmona stepped off the hill and, as Manning mused, likely stepped through a mental checklist to keep his wildly swinging emotions in check. Still, he showed remarkable toughness in escaping the third inning and limiting the O's to just a single run. A Captain Jack web gem never hurts either.
Also, Ezequiel Carrera is pretty damn fast. I cannot recall the last time I saw a runner picked off, who then proceeded to beat the throw to second. The question still remains as the whether he can hit major league pitching (.200), but the four runs scored, 2 walks, sac bunt and two steals over the past three games do bode well. Zeke singled in the first run of game one and then single-handedly generated the first insurance run of game two by forcing an error and stealing second. He covers a lot of ground in center, possesses great instincts and has a strong arm (see the back-up play in Saturday's loss). While it may not be that Carrera becomes an everyday player in the bigs, he certainly has the tools to contribute to the Tribe's success.
The very same thing may be said of Lou Marson. I do not believe that the man will ever develop the consistent stick to be a starter. Even so, he has performed well since the Indians have gone to the C-1B rotation. Since bottoming out at .185 in early June, Lou-Lou has hit .299 with a .751 OPS over his last 67 AB's. Marson (.248) has delivered a couple of key late inning hits this year and that ball he struck to center field to give Carmona the W was certainly no cheapie.
As you doubtlessly know, Grady Sizemore is back on the DL with right knee soreness. This is the same knee that sidelined Grady (.237) in early May. While it is far to early to speculate on the timetable for his return, be prepared for the worst. According to Sizemore, the pain he experienced felt much to similar to that of his left knee when it required micro-fracture surgery last summer. Just when he was starting to hit again...
Pair this with the absence of Shin-Soo Choo for at least the next month and the need for a right-handed hitting outfielder with some power becomes paramount. The Indians decision will likely be based on how little they have to give up rather than how much they can gain. Names that have been bouncing around include Jeff Francouer, Josh Willingham and Ryan Ludwick. Supposedly Willingham has multiple suitors and the Royals are trying to unload Melky Cabrera rather than Francouer. This makes Ludwick the probable target. As impressive as Ludwick was in 2008 (.299, 37 HR, 113 RBI, .966 OPS), he has been incredibly pedestrian since (.253, 50 HR, 222 RBI, .738 OPS, 305 K to 333 H). With so many teams still in contention, the word on the street is that we may see more activity in August than in July. Let us hope this is not true for the Indians, who need help now, rather than later.
Other Minor Points of Interest --
Hey, remember Beau Mills? He was the #13 overall pick in 2007 and has languished at AA for the past 3 seasons? Well, the dude is on fire. The reigning Eastern League player of the week hit (I'm not kidding) .632 with 3 homers and 9 RBI from June 11-17. His OPS was an even 2.000. Yikes. While Mills (.303) has not yet elevated himself back to prospect level that he held with the Indians in 2009, he has definitely put himself back on the radar and will almost certainly see AAA this season.
In case you missed it, Drew Pomeranz's first AA start was sort of up and down. Pom lasted just four and two thirds, while allowing a run on three hits and a walk. He fanned five, including #1 prospect Bryce Harper in both of the latter's PA's. Drew still needs to build up length to pitch through six innings, but if the results this season (3-2, 1.87) are any indication we have much to look forward to from the 22-year old lefty. Pomeranz makes his first home start for Akron tomorrow night.
Cheers.
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