Not So Perfect

I won't claim to having seen the 1:05 game, but I do know this: it is difficult to pitch a game more imperfect than the one that Philip Humber tossed yesterday afternoon.  The Tribe smoked him for all 8 runs in an 8-6 victory.  Since his perfecto, Huber is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA, a .350 OBA and a 2.40 WHIP.  The game featured Zach McAllister's first MLB win and Nick Hagadone's first MLB save.  It was the first time Indians teammates reached such a double milestone since Albie Lopez and Jerry DiPoto turned the trick in 1993.  I don't have much more to say on this with another game to discuss.  (I wanted to show Pronk's triple here, but it turns out that I'll have to make my own vid of it, so hang on.)

Speaking of imperfect, that's just how the weather was for game #2.  Raindrops or no, Josh Tomlin put up one hell of an outing.  Although the talking heads keep quipping that "he's not a strikeout pitcher," the numbers argue differently.  After setting a career high with 8 in 7 and a third tonight, Josh is averaging 7.0 K's per 9 innings.  Vinnie Pestano he is not, but Tomlin has established the swing and miss as a reliable piece of his arsenal.  After 20 of his 104 pitches last night went for swinging strikes, he leads all Indians starters with 11.0% on the season.  The rest of the staff ranked: Jeanmar Gomez 9.0%, Justin Masterson 7.4%, Ubaldo Jimenez, 5.8% and Derek Lowe 5.4%.  Since the 2 poor outings to begin the season, Josh has a 3.46 ERA and a .232 OBA.  Too bad Joe Smith had to give his win away today.  Oh, by the way, Alexei Ramirez tried to steal second against the Tomlin/Lou Marson battery.  Nuh-uh.  That's 0-for-2 this season.  Maybe they should just stop trying again.  I don't hear much from those who, a month ago, called for Josh Tomlin's demotion.

Credit is due to to the kid that Chicago called up to start this game (Eric Stults, first MLB start since 2009), more due to Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis for coming through with the clutch two-out, run-scoring hits in the 5th, but the most is due to third base coach Steve Smith.  The Amazing Racer waved Lou "The Terrapin" Marson home (after Lou Lou had stolen second, what?) on Brantley's single and thereby not only put the game tying run on the board, but allowed Michael to get into scoring position for Kip.  While Smith is a generally a bit more conservative than I like to be, last night he applied the philosophy that I hold near and dear: force the defense to make two good throws.  I know that these guys are Major Leaguers and I know that the game moves much slower for them than it does for me on the screen.  Still, anyone who saw the 110 foot double that Bryce Harper hit Sunday night would agree that a defense that is pushed to make plays will not make all of them... or even most of them.

And I suppose you're going to want me to eat some crow on Tony Sipp.  Ramirez came up 6 feet short of a home run.  Brent Lillibridge has struck out in 15 of 22 at-bats this season.  Then a walk and Tyler Flowers goes 2 feet foul.  If woManny can watch that outing and feel comfortable with Sipp, he should probably get right on the I-71 express with his buddy.  All this game serves to do is fuel the idiot argument that Tony still belongs in the bullpen.

After the sweep (thank you, Shelly Duncan), the Tribe sits at 18-11 and 2 full games up on a Detroit Tigers squad that several archangels picked man for man as their fantasy team.

Cheers.