Eight Is Enough

Yes siree, eight earned runs allowed is enough to log Jeanmar Gomez into the annals of Cleveland Indians history.  Gomez, who had allowed 7 runs all season prior to last night's contest, got rocked for 8 against the White Sox, including six in the 4th inning alone.  Despite Jeanmar struggling for command all night long, woManny, not wanting to deplete his bullpen, left Gomez in until the starter had thrown 106 pitches, just 57 of which were for strikes.  For his troubles, Jeanmar became the first Tribe starter to allow at least 8 earned runs and pitch 6+ innings since Greg Swindell allowed 8 in 7 during the 1991 season.  He is just the second to do so while allowing just a single gopher ball.  The first?  Gaylord Perry who surrendered 8 in 7 in 1973.  Perry, as we all know, is a Hall of Famer, so this bodes well for the Tribe's #5.  Gomez is also just the 6th Indians' hurler in the expansion era (1961 on) to go at least 6 and 2/3 while allowing that boatload of runs .  He is one of a handful on the list to allow 8+ in 5+ more than once (he did in September 2010), joining not just All-Stars like Perry (4 times!), Swindell and Charles Nagy; but all-time greats like Mitch Talbot and Dave Burba.  Making his 2012 debut, Fausto Carmona Roberto Hernandez (who fits both categories) rounds out the group.  So, the total thrashing that Jeanmar took isn't all bad...

Casey Kotchman finished the Chicago series 5-for-11 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI.  Add that series to the one at KC (7 games total), and CK is batting .455 (10-for-22) with a 1.492 OPS and 6 RBI.  In all other games, Kotchman has hit .116 (8-for-69) with a .290 (!) OPS and 2 RBI.  Call it Jekyll and Hyde, statistical manipulation or whatever you would like; Casey needs to find some consistency if he expects to stay in the starting line-up.

Following a 1-for-7 effort last night, the Indians bench (Lou Marson, Jason Donald, Jose Lopez, Aaron Cunningham and, since the arrival of Johnnay Damon, Shelley Duncan) is batting an infantile .166 (24-for-145).  The reserves have hit just one homer and that was from the dearly departed Lopez.  Their collective OPS is .450 and they have struck out threefold the times that the have walked (38 vs 12).  Donald has fanned in 16 of his 45 official at-bats and, officially, cannot throw the ball across the diamond.  Perhaps the Indians greatest strength in their AAA depth of mediocre players.  The Tribe has used just 28 players this season, behind only the Blue Jays (27) and the Rangers, who have not yet made a change to the Opening Day Roster.  Given the performance of the marginals at the big league level, maybe a few changes would be a good things.

Still, the boys are in 1st place after 30 games.

Roll Tribe.

Cheers.