Aaron Cunningham hit a home run on Sunday. It will keep him on this team for at least another month. Does the moronic brass or mongoloid fan base care that he struck out in all 3 of his subsequent at-bats and left 5 men on base? Are they troubled by his .171 average or his mediocre defense? Hell, no. Because they're idiots.
Suprisingly though, that's not what I want to talk about. I really enjoy playing the Orioles and I'm sure that Justin Masterson does as well. Heck, Bat likes playing everybody at this point. If you watched any of the game today, you heard plenty about Masterson's June performance (2.09 ERA, .206 OBA, 1.00 WHIP), but the success goes further back than that. Justin has made 17 starts this season and over the past 13 his ERA is 3.25 and he has held opponents to a .235 average. I'm a sucker for symmetry. After a stretch of 9 starts in which he averaged 5.5 BB/9, he has bounced back to a 1.7 BB/9 ratio in his past 7. It was said that Masterson pitched like a true ace today and I agree. The issue is that it simply seems unlikely that Bat, due to his gangly frame, will be able to avoid schneids like that 9 game set. And, as such, he can never be an bonafide #1. Still, I'll take what I can get, especially when we're back to a game and a half out of first.
Also of mild excitement is the resurgence of Shelley Duncan. He's hit in his last five, batting .421 with 4 doubles, 2 homers and 5 RBI. That's good for a 1.447 OPS. And how about Lou Marson? Lou-Lou is batting .386 with a .978 OPS since late May. I don't expect this level of production to last, but hopefully they bring it back from the Atlantic Coast with them.
Lets see, Jose Lopez had 5, a career high. Lou Marson had 4, also a career high. Shin-Soo Choo had 4 as well, tying his career high. All told, the Tribe banged out 19 hits off of 5 Orioles pitchers with Tommy Hunter surrendering 8 by himself in just an inning and 2/3. Aaron Cunningham, he set a career high in... at-bats with 6. He also tied a Major League record for fewest hits in a game with ZERO! Slater finishes up the month of June 1-fo-21 (.048). Some (including the Indians' craven skipper) will tell you that Cunningham is on the team not for his offensive production (thank goodness), but rather because of his of versatility in the outfield. Well, the kid isn't exactly Paul Blair in the field either. No disrespect to the guy (I crossed that line long ago), but he is less than worthless, he is a hindrance.
Josh Tomlin earned the win today, but it's not like he wowed anyone with his outing. In allowing 10 more baserunners in his 6 innings of work in Baltimore, Josh's WHIP now sits at 1.48. In 2011, it was 1.08. Let's fudge the math and say that Tomlin is putting an extra guy on every two innings. That is simply not going to cut it. The opposition has an .862 OPS against Josh. The Tribe has exactly one hitter with an OPS over .862 (Asdrubal Cabrera - .871) and he broke that barrier thanks to today's offensive outburst. I am unsure if Tomlin is doing something differently or if he hasn't made any adjustments since the league caught on to his tricks, but what he's doing is not working. Don't get me wrong, I am a Josh Tomlin fan. That being said, if he continues to pitch like this he has to go.
Still, after their starter hit the showers, the bullpen was outstanding for the Indians. That's the status quo for Esmil Rogers (yeah, I'm saying that) and Vinnie Pestano, but even Tony Sipp got in on the act. The effort actually dragged the the relief corps' ERA for June under 5 to 4.95 and their OBA under .250 to .245. I know that no one on the staff looks at these numbers, but in the eyes of this casual fan, the progression is significant. If the Indians truly are going to content this summer, the bullpen has to bounce back to full 2011 form. Coming into this season there were a number of serious questions in the lineup and one big one about the consistency of the rotation, but the mafia was expected to take care of business. Chris Perez does an outstanding job running his mouth to the press, perhaps he should instead practice his oratory on his peer.
Finally, some much deserved love for Asdrubal. Playing without a back-up for much of the season, Cabby has had his ups and downs. The average has always been right around 3 bills, but of late he has shown a surge of power. Over the past two weeks, he has batted .305 with 6 dingers and 15 RBI while posting a .926 OPS. The oddest bit? Today's was the first double in that mix. Weird. Like the spelling of weird. Weird.
Roll Tribe.
Cheers.
P.s. Since moving to the lead-off spot, Choo has homered 7 times, all of them solo shots.
Game time temperature was 100 degrees and Derek Lowe could have planted tomatoes behind the mound and watered them with all of the perspiration that was wicking off of his body. The Tribe built a 5-3 lead and, after Lowe sweated that away, came back to tie the game at 7. 7 runs, that should be enough, right? Heck, Shelley Duncan had 2 hits. Well, they actually scored 8. And they lost.
I could talk about Asdrubal Cabrera going yard for the second straight game. I could admonish all of the prognosticators who claimed he could never match his production from 2011 (on pace for 86 RBI and his OPS is 70 points higher). I could speak glowingly of Jack Hannahan, mired in a 4-for-38 slump, but still able to dazzle in the field and execute the fundamentals at the dish. I could mention that Casey Kotchman cracked 2 more hits.
Sadly, that's not where I'm going. Let's start with Chris Idionetti, who guest starred on the STO telecast and made sure that Indians fans were aware that a trade was unlikely. With a depleted farm system and somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 holes in this leaky boat, he mentioned about six times that the team has to work with the players that it has. OK, that's not awful. I mean, it's disheartening because we're very much in that window that Idionetti described last season and we're struggling to stay above .500 and he doesn't want to add any more talent, but maybe this will cause him to critically evaluate the players on the roster and demand that the best 25 sit in that dugout every night.
(Insert loud buzzing sound here.)
Wrong-o! As far as I can tell, Aaron Cunningham is still on the roster. Do you remember that movie The Butterfly Effect? It had that guy from Two and A Half Men in it? & there was an alternate ending when he went back in time and strangled himself in the womb to spare the world from the horrors that his life would bring? Slater, are you listening? Alright, maybe a bit harsh, but the Burger King down the street is hiring. Maybe that's a better fit for you? Tell me, is it difficult to brandish all of those "super bad-ass" tats and simultaneously bat .181? Do you feel good about yourself when you peer deeply into your own eyes in the mirror? Are you proud of your contribution? No, I'm not saying it's all your fault. It's like asking a retarded monkey to crack the human genome. Manning said as much when he commented that a young kid can't fill a utility outfield spot. Remember Austin Kearns, who I pointed my torches and pitchforks at last year? Well, he's batting .279 with an .817 OPS for Miami. I'd rather have Kearns back!
And I appreciate Michael Brantley's contribution, but you cannot bat a guy cleanup if he has 1 home run at the end of June.
Do you know what I hate? People who bitch and moan without offering solutions. So, here it is. The Chiz Kid is DL bound. Job #1 is recalling Russ Canzler. In 17 games since June 15, Russ is batting .349 with 7 homers and 25 RBI. His OPS is freakin' 1.184! This is a no brainer. Unfortunately, the Tribe brass has no brain, so it is far from a foregone conclusion. Pronk is expected back early next week, which is exactly when AC gets the axe. We play without a back-up shortstop, so running without a true reserve centerfielder would be fine. Or, we could just call up Jason Donald and he could do both! Sure, JD hit .178 with 16 K's in 45 at-bats during his first trip through and, before 2 hits last night, was mired in a 1-for-31 slump, but, I reiterate, the ghost of Mario Mendoza is better than Cunningham. And Mendoza ain't even dead!
At least Joe Smith and Chris Perez each gave up a run in relief and we lost by one. That makes me feel better...
I will not mention the Yankees. I will not mention the Yankees.
How the hell did it take the Indians so long to recall Zach McAllister?
Sure Z-Mac needed 105 pitches to get through 5 and 2/3, but for a staff that posted a combined 7.31 ERA through its last rotation, McAllister's outing was like watching Pug Galvin in his prime. What? He's the 5th winningest pitcher of all time. Look it up. Maybe this performance will encourage them to swap out more of the dead weight on the roster. Yes, I am look at you, Slater. Unlike the liberal STO media, I have no sympathy for your role on this team, only righteous anger for your lack of production. Dude, I wish could smite him.
Maybe they just can't hit American lefties?
The Tribe came in with an abysmal 5-16 record against left handed starters, scoring just 3.4 runs per in those games. They had no trouble with Wei-Yin Chen, who, admittedly, allows a .270 average and an .826 OPS to left handed hitters.
Although his season average still sits at a decidedly unappealing .213, he's raking at .370 with an 1.117 OPS over his last 9 games. I like totally agree with Bud Shaw that Idionetti will put on black face and do a minstrel show to the tune of "getting Travis Hafner, Roberto Hernandez and Grady Sizemore (won't happen) back is like making three huge deadline deals" and, more so, I agree that no Cleveland fan should be foolish enough to fall for the song and dance. Still, if Damon continues and maybe Carlos Santana (.151, 0 HR since May 17th) remembers how to hit, that would be a big help.
When Jack hurt himself on May 12th, he was hitting .305. Since then, he is 3-for-34 (.088) and his average has plummeted to .248. Not only has the Indians' mismanagement of Hannahan's injury led to an unproductive player on the field, they have effectively destroyed what could have been a career year for the guy. It's really very simple. When a players gets injured, put him on the DL. When a player is physically ready to play again, reinstate him. The brass followed neither rule with Cap'n Jack and we have all suffered for it. Heck, if I had the authority I would try woManny and Idionetti for crimes against humanity.
Yeah, it's not a question, but it's true. If it were February, I would ask him to be my valentine. I have no idea where he finds the torque for his 98 MPH fastball nor how someone who averaged 4.5 BB/9 for his Major League career has managed a 13/0 K/BB ratio over his first 7 Indians appearances, but it's so sweet that I'm doodling little hearts that read Mrs. Esmil Rogers in them.
Here's to two in a row, folks.
Roll Tribe.
Cheers.
P.s. Why does it seem like the Indians never hit any home runs? Well, not only are they 21st in long balls, but 13 of the 64 (that's like a fifth) have come in just 4 total games. Feast or famine my friends.
I can't write about the Indians losing to the Yankees without cursing like a sailor on leave. That's because the Yankees are the most most perfect embodiment of pure evil in the world. If I had the power to erase one entity from history it would not be Judas or Hitler or Osama Bin Laden, it would be the New York Yankees.
I don't know how it gets any worse than this. The Indians dropped the final two games of a weekend set with the Astros by an aggregate score of 15-2. The bullpen has imploded down to three consistent performers, none of which are left handed (Nick Hagadone: 19.80 ERA, .423 OBA, 3 HR in his last 7 games). Speaking of left-handed, the two starters that stymied the Tribe? Yup, both left handed. JA Happ used to be a big time prospect and was part of the package that allowed the Phillies to snare Roy Oswalt from Houston, but he has never lived up to his promise. In fact, over the past two seasons, Happ is 12-22 with a 5.17 ERA. Saturday's starter, Dallas Keuchel (they'll love him in Texas), is an unheralded former 7th round pick who has a career minor league record under .500. Still, he needed just 108 pitches to shut down the Indians on six hits in his very second Major League. The Tribe is now an abysmal 5-15 against left-handed starters and bat .215 as a team against southpaws. We're all aware that the team does not start any right-handed hitters on a regular basis. That's not the essential problem. Rather, and I am getting good and sick of saying this, there is no depth on the big league roster. I challenge you to find a less productive hitter than Aaron Cunningham that has been on the active roster since Opening Day. I dare you to find another player that still leads him team in starts at a position and has batted lower than Shelley Duncan's .134 since May 1. And I double dog dare you to dig up a guy who has hit cleanup for his team at least 12 times in 2012 and posted a lower OPS overall (.630) or in that spot (.501) than Jose Lopez. Hey, don't forget about his slugging percentages, .369 and .265 respectively.
I don't know what else to say. Kevin Youkilis is off the market, traded with a dump truck full off cash to those forkin' White Sox for a pitcher (Zach Stewart) who has an MLB ERA of about 6.00 and a 28 year old utility guy (Brent Lillibridge) who does a better job imitating Dumbo than squaring up a 4-seam fastball. That's my long winded way of saying that the Indians could have had Youk had they wanted him. Let's hope that Kevin's numbers away from Fenway over the past two seasons (.191, .645 OPS) hold true and he becomes a liability for the ChiSox rather than an asset. Regardless, there is one less right handed bat on the market, which will raise the already hefty price tags on those who remain.
I could keep telling you the same things, like Jeanmar Gomez needs to be demoted or a radical move needs to be made to get a consistent reliever onto the roster or that Slater demeans the entire grand history of the game every time he laces up his cleats, but you know all of that already. If losing 2 of 3 to Houston isn't a loud enough wake up call for Idionetti and woManny then I would be willing to forfeit the remainder of the season in exchange for their simultaneous dismissal.
Oh, good, here come the Yankees...
Roll Tribe.
Cheers.
P.s. Scott Barnes has been promoted again and will join the Tribe in the Bronx this evening. The corresponding demotion has not been announced. My guess: Gomez.
The Houston Astros are poised to join the American League West in 2013 and also, in my opinion, to lose about 130 games. I know the Cubs' record is worse, but they don't have Jed Lowrie batting 3rd. Whoa. The 3 spot is generally reserved for a team's best hitter and into that role the Astros place Jed Lowrie? The best hitter on the 'Stros is Jed Lowrie? Heck, Lowrie might be their All-Star, but there is no way that the guy maintains power production a hundred points over his career slugging percentage. Houston has what many consider to be a solid #1 starter in Wandy Rodriguez, but maybe you'll feel differently after you read this MLBTradeRumors.com piece comparing him to Jason Vargas of the Mariners. Yeah, the Astros suck so bad that they made Ubaldo Jimenez look like... um... the Ubaldo Jimenez of two years ago.
Although Jimenez was pulled with 2 outs in the 7th after 110 pitches, he did only allow 4 hits all day. The 4 walks remain problematic with just 66 of his pitches for strikes. Ubaldo did not have command over his get-me-over curve and was forced to tempt Houston batters with fringe pitches. The Astros were only too happy to oblige, fanning 8 times. Even in this dominant outing against a collection of nobodies (imagine 7 Aaron Cunninghams, Travis Hafner instead of Carlos Lee and a the pitcher hitting 9th, or I guess 8 Aaron Cunninghams) Jimenez put 8 men on in 6 and 2/3 innings pitched. That is the 1.20 WHIP appearance that will help bring his averages down to what we discussed after his last outing. While I agree that Ubaldo has had a nice run over his past 4 starts (2-1, 25.1 IP, 21 H, 7 BB, 25 K, 2.05 ERA), his overall numbers (4.59 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) are mediocre at best. We will get a few more nice starts to drag those numbers closer to what I predicted, but do not expect a season with anything better than a 4ish ERA and a 1.4ish WHIP.
The rest of the story is same sh!t, different day. The bullpen was great and the offense sucked. The lineup looked like nine Aaron Cunningham's out there. Wait, do you know how many hits Slater has in June? ONE!!!!!!!!!! He's 1-for-10. That's OK, he was much better in May when he went 3-for-20. Oh and no roster moves. Freakin' idiots.
We had better sweep these bums.
1.5 up on Chicago and 3.5 ahead of the Tigers, who haven't been mentioned here for awhile because they're so epically good that they've spent the past month signing autographs for Michael Jordan and all the living former Presidents. In fact, there's a ballot initiative on the books in Kansas to amend their textbooks to indicate that the 2012 Detroit Tigers (rather than a Judeo-Christian deity) are responsible for creating all life on Earth.
I heard that only the Tigers can beat Chuck Norris in a fistfight.
Roll Tribe.
Cheers.
P.s. Yeah, at least Houston fans know how to act when Choo catches a ball at the wall. My favorite is the dude in the orange. Oh my stars!
P.p.s. The Tribe is now 15-7 in games where the winning team scores 4 runs or fewer.
Yeah, that's right, I said it and the praise is well-deserved. Two weeks ago, Justin Masterson stood at 2-5 with a 5.09 ERA. Since, he has allowed just one earned run over 23 frames (0.39 ERA) with 11 hits, 3 walks (0.61 WHIP) and 24 punch-outs. Tonight, Justin was so flat out dominant that he had Joey Votto, who currently leads NL batters in 11 different batting categories, talking to himself. In his last two starts before the streak, Masterson needed 111 and 103 pitches respectively to fight through 6 innings in each. In his first 12 starts, Justin threw 61% of his pitches for strikes. Over his last 3 that number is up to 68% and he found the zone with 76 of 110 in this evening's complete game effort. The 3-hitter (or less) was the team's first since September of 2010 ("Fausto Carmona") and just their 16th of the century. Asked post-game about the transition, Masterson quipped that he was doing nothing differenly, the pitches were just doing what they were supposed to. I can believe that he can't articulate any difference, but I hope that he keeps on doing it.
As expected that big mo' from yesterday's walk-off poured from the team all night long. After averaging 2.13 runs of support over Justin's last 8 starts (3.36 on the season), the Tribe offense erupted for 8 runs off of Reds' pitching. The 7 run margin of victory was the Indians biggest of the campaign. I sure could get used to this scoring in bunches thing. The whole game was three hits: Johnny Damon (2-run homer), Asdrubal Cabrera (3-run homer) and Lonnie Chisenhall (3-run double). Can you imagine if Damon starts hitting? I mean, the freakin' sky is the limit. Johnny is 5-for-9 in his last 3 games raising his average over Mendoza for the first time in 2012. If he can bat about .270 for the rest of the season, wow, I mean, wow, what a lift that would be. A week ago, Chisenhall was hitting .214 and in danger of a demotion when Jack Hannahan returned. Now, a 7-for-17 (.412) streak later, he's contributing to a bottom of the order renaissance that has the Indians scoring 6 and half runs a game over their last four.
Oh, right, Jose Lopez went 1-for-5 with a double. His OPS is now .638. It is probably time for another DFA so that he can recharge his batteries at AAA. At least he wasn't batting clean-up tonight.
Recently, I've written at length on what the Tribe should do internally to become more competitive. So, now I'll just distill it all into those little bottles of liqour from the airplane.
That's only five moves. I'd settle for one. I'll get zero. Barring another injury, the next move that Idionetti and woManny will make is when Travis Hafner is ready to come back.
...The faster it leaves. How appropriate is that on the 70th anniversary of Mel Harder handing Joe DiMaggio the only only silver sombrero of his career? As heartening as yesterday's win was, tonight's walk-off classic is the sort of effort that inspires a team on to victory in the games that follow. The Tribe did nearly everything right tonight, thank goodness they dug out to the W to show for it.
The Starter
Josh Tomlin rebounded from a rough outing in the Queen City to deliver his best start in nearly two months. This evening we saw the guy that we expect every 5th day on the bump. Sure, there age going to be the starts where the opposition socks a couple of squarely hit balls over the fence, but 8 baserunners in 6 and 2/3 is a helluva lot closer to the Tomlin of 2011 than we have seen since he returned from the disbaled list. Josh shaved nearly half a run (5.56 to 5.12) off his ERA with his performance and, more importantly, saw his team pick him up in both the 7th and in the 10th for the win.
The 'Pen
We'll begin with Esmil Rogers, the dude that stranded 3 Redlegs by fanning Devin Mesoraco to finish that 7th inning. I don't know if you have confidence in this guy yet. Heck, I don't even know if I have confidence in him yet, but I do know that the dum-dum pulling the strings is willing to throw the guy into the fire. Postgame, woManny quipped that the Indians were trying to avoid using Joe Smith following a couple of longer outings for the sidewinder over the past few days. Still, Acta could have picked anyone to throw to the young Reds catcher and he went with a guy who had pitched for the team all of three times. Rogers was up to the task, hitting 98 on the gun twice during the at-bat and dropping a nasty hook to catch Mesoraco fishing for strike 3. He even showed a 91 MPH slider for a strike. I like this guy more and more every day.
While Chris Perez and Vinnie Pestano (0.68 ERA since May 14th) deserve our applause, they have been so outright dominant that a scoreless inning apiece has become the status quo. I will give CP some respect for keeping his head on straight in a non-save situation. Perez's ERA coming in was signficantly higher (3.86 vs 2.49) without the adrenaline of nailing down a win, so his 1-2-3 9th shows a bit of positive growth.
Nick Hagadone is in a monster truck style rut (16.62 ERA over his past 6 games) and the two wild pitches tonight didn't help. Frankly, I think more pitchers should force Joey Votto to pick up his feet now and then. Still, the resulting run and looming loss would have been crushing to Nick, who instead ended up with his second big league win. Hopefully that can be the spark that reignites the Hagadone that we saw in April and May.
Defense
And though Joe Smith did his best on the mound to hand over the game to Cincinnati (he gave up a double to a .100 hitter), he also turned in a defensive gem, gunning Willie Harris out at third. Only a player with true athleticism can make that play and Joey showed that he's got the goods.
Then there's Michael Brantley diving into the wall mirror-Griffey style. And Casey Kotchman laying out into the first base stands on a foul ball. And Jack Hannahan (error aside) fielding a ball whilst a shattered bat spun through his 5 hole and having the presence of mind to get the lead runner at second.
Words can only go so far with defense, so go watch the highlights because those four alone are worth the price of admission.
The "Bats"
(Pause now to bow to Asdrubal Cabrera, "we're not worthy" style, it might help him to learn English).
Three more hits for Shin-Soo Choo, who's back to an even .300 in the leadoff spot. I would still prefer those hits to drive home some runs, but you can't argue with the bloop-and-a-blast strategy.
Jason Kipnis is hitless in the series versus the Reds (0-for-his-last-9 overall), which makes the two victories even more impressive.
Kotchman's two knocks raised his average to .228, his high water mark for the season. Although CK is batting .308 (12-for-39) with 3 bombs and 10 ribs over his past 13 games, he would have to bat .359 over the rest of the season to match his average form last year. And that, my friends, is not going to happen.
How the Indians have managed to average 4.36 runs a game this season is beyond me. In recent days, both woManny and Chris Antonetti have admitted that the team needs to make additions before the trading deadline if they expect to seriously contend down the stretch. The problem is that there is no one to be had. Josh Willingham is seemingly not on the block with an Ubadlo-esque trade package needed to sway the Twins. Regardless of their current skill level, it would take either a similar group of young players or the assumption of mucho deniro to bring Kevin Youkilis or Alfonso Soriano to town. Also, forget about Carlos Quentin. If he's healthy, he will be the most bid upon of the bunch and we all know that the Tribe won't win that sort of war. To reitterate to anyone who is listening, the Tribe needs to make some internal moves. When Travis Hafner comes back, one of the Triad of Futility (Shelley Duncan, Johnny Damon, & Aaron Cunningham, batting a combined .193) must absolutely go. As I have previously stated, drop one now and try to bottle some of Russ Canzler's lightning (he homered again tonight). Finally, if Slater is here to be a defensive replacement and bat .194, the hell with it, show me Tyler Naquin. Our 2012 1st round pick is said to be "polished" and known for his defense. I am not kidding, skip the minors. He cannot possibly look as bad at the dish as AC. Seriously, at this point I think we might be indelibly damaging Cunningham's psyche by subjecting him to such constant failure.
We're a mid-market team with below average talent, we do not have the luxury of playing by the rules.
Now allow me to look into my crystal ball. The Indians will make... one of those moves... at most. And the Indians will... be the only AL club not to make the postseason.
For now, welcome back to 1st place.
Roll Tribe.
Cheers.
P.s. Kosuke Fukudome, the Tribe's big trade deadline bat of 2011, was demoted to AAA by the ChiSox today.
Oh my goodness. What a different sort of ballgame than we have been treated to in recent weeks. The Tribe posted double digit runs for the first time since April 15th and more than 6 runs for just the 7th time in their past 56 ballgames. There is a lot of good to discuss this evening, so let's get into it.
It's amazing what one good game can do for you, just ask Lonnie Chisenhall whose 3 hit effort raised his batting average 40 points to .269. I continue to contend that, when Lonnie makes solid contact, the ball explodes off of his bat with a ferocity that is beyond rare in this game. It's a shame that he could not complete the first cycle in Cleveland since 1943, but Chisenhall is still 5-for-his-last-10 with 3 extra base hits. The situation with Cap'n Jack is somewhat tenuous as the organization told us this spring that they were comitted to Lonnie playing everyday. Well, they didn't run the kid out there for every start at third before Hannahan came back from the DL, so don't expect them to do so now. What they will do is play the hot hitter, which is inarguably the Chiz Kid right now.
When I heard that Carlos Santana was batting sixth, I was skeptical. I can't say that I agree that there would be less pressure on him given a drop in the line-up. If anything I would think that there would be more, first to regain his original spot and then the same associated stress to produce. Tonight, at the least, the ploy worked. Santana, who had not delivered a multi-hit game in a month and was mired in a .141 (9-for-64) slump, slashed two sharp singles against the Redlegs. Now, Big Smooth has not homered since that same May 17th contest with Seattle, so, hopefully, the power follows quickly on the heals of the contact.
Speaking of power outages, Shin-Soo Choo, now settled into the lead-off role, is second on the team with 4 home runs over the past month. Choo's quartet trails just Jason Kipnis' 5. Behind Choo are Chisenhall and Casey Kotchman (who also went deep tonight) with 3. The issue at large is with the 4 and 5 slots. Jose Lopez, tonight's clean-up man, sports just a .384 slugging percentage and Michael Brantley, entrenched in the 5 hole, only slugs .399 and that's after a pair of doubles off of Cincinnati. I love the dynamic that Choo brings to the top of the order. I cannot deny that. Even so, when a dude who is tied for second on a team that is second to last in home runs has driven in exactly 5 runs with his last 5 gopher balls, you might not have the luxury to bat him #1.
Again, my hat goes off to Vinnie Pestano, who would be the best thing about this team if he played a sexier position.
Bah. Well, I'm too tired to even rant about how Derek Lowe has a 9.36 ERA in his last five starts and has regeressed back into the case of used colostomy bags that we call a starting 5. Here's Denny Green to do it for me...
Sometimes you run into a guy that's just locked in. Sometimes there's nothing you can do about it. Pedro Alvarez hit as many home runs in two weekend games against the Indians as he did in 74 MLB games in 2011. Alavarez, the #2 overall pick in the 2008 draft, has struggled through inconsistency and admonishment in parts of 3 big league campaigns, including this one. He came into the series against the Indians hitting .192 with 8 homers and 25 RBI in 55 games. In three contests against the Tribe, he hit .455 (5-for-11) with four dongs and 9 ribs. The talking heads praised Pedro for attacking fastballs early in the count. I caution them not speak too loudly as that seems like an profoundly sound strategy against the Indians pitching staff in general. In fact, coming into today's game, the opposition was batting .332 against the Tribe on the first pitch of an at-bat. So, yeah, shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
And, yes, I understand that his defense (C'mon Asdrubal!) didn't do him any favors and he ran into the Pennsylvania Railroad (Get it? Pedro Avalrez, PA Express, etc), but, for me, Jeanmar Gomez has run out of opportunities. Zach McAllister pitched another dandy (6 IP, 2 ER) for Columbus this afternoon and had better Major League numbers (1-1, 3.96) than Gomez as well. There is no compelling argument to be made in favor of keeping Jeanmar. Over his past 5 starts, Gomez is 1-4 with an 7.92 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP. Yuck. I won't contend that his days of contributing to this club are over, but it is certainly time to take a step back.
Even in a 9-5 loss, even in dropping a home series to the (ugh) Pirates, there were some bright spots today.
Johnny Damon (what?) was 2-for-4 and actually played like the guy the Indians thought that they were signing back in April. Even if Jack Hannahan (who broke an 0-for-17 slump with a 5th inning single) wanted to punch him in the mouth after a 1st inning collision, the 2nd inning sequence was exactly what we all expected of JD. He began with a punch single to left, followed it up with a stolen base and scored with some aggressive base running on a (debatable) single by Casey Kotchman. Damon is still a smart, if not any longer talented, ballplayer.
Jason Kipnis provided 3 hits, included his 11th home run, and also stole his league leading 17th base. I still doubt he can overtake Robby Cano to earn the starting nod at second in the Midsummer Classic, but, barring a colossal collapse over the next month, he will be in the dugout in Kansas City.
Lou Marson single and walked twice. Three weeks ago, Lou-Lou had compiled an .074 average over his first 12 games of the season. Since, he has batted .406 (13-for-32) in his next 12 and supplied some actual productivity to a bottom of the lineup that rarely contributes in any way.
I did not have high hopes for Esmil Rogers when the Tribe bought him from the Rockies. Still, Rogers has given me no reason to doubt his ability to retire Major League hitters. Yeah, Alvarez tagged him for a three run homer, but Pedro is so hot that he probably jerks that ball off of Sandy Koufax in his prime. Esmil gave the Tribe a strong 2 and 2 thirds this afternoon after Gomez failed to make it through the 5th inning. Over 5.1 frames thus far, Rogers has posted a 1.69 ERA, a 0.56 WHIP and 6 punch outs. With a live fastball and a deceptive delivery, at the very least he supplies a change of pace from the other members of the middle relief corps. I don't know if he can keep it up, but it would be a significant boost if he could.
We are all aware of how offensively challenged the Indians line-up is. Following today's 6 hits against the Pirates, the Tribe is batting .248 as a team. Even worse, those not named Kipnis, Cabrera, Brantley, Hannahan or Choo pool to a .217 clip. Wow. If you needed some solid statistical proof to back up the eye-test that we need a couple of real hitters, there it is.
Before the game, Ubaldo Jimenez stated that he had finally settled in with his mechanics and, once on the mound, only needed to concern himself with retiring hitters. I believe it. There is no knocking Big U's last two starts coming in (1.32 ERA, 0.80 WHIP), but today's outing is indicative of what we he will produce on a consistent basis. He'll give you about 6 innings with an ERA around 4.00, a WHIP in the range of 1.5 (hopefully closer to 1.3) and about a strikeout an inning. Is he, like all pitchers, going to have good days and bad days? Of course. Still, today is the baseline. Today is what we should expect from the guy for whom we traded our farm.
I'm getting awfully tired of saying it, but something must be done about Tony Sipp and his 6.95 ERA. Unfortunately, with Scott Barnes shipped back to Columbus and Rafael Perez likely not ready to return for at least a month, there are no options. woManny will not go with just one lefty in the pen. Regardless of whether it's a good idea or not, it's simply not up for discussion. Given the dearth of upper level left handers, I, as of right now, am advocating the purchase of Chris Seddon's contract. Neither Seddon's MLB career (1-2, 7.03) nor 2012 AAA numbers (7-4, 3.78 as a starter) will wow you, but, again, the Sipp situation is untenable. Seddon was in big league camp during Spring Training and held his own (10 K, 1 BB in 8.1 IP). Although Seddon is a fringe guy, he is in the organization for a reason: depth. Now is when we need that depth. While it's not an optimal situation or even a preferable one, it is what we have to deal with and, if the Indians are going to stick in the Central race all summer, the sort of tough decision that must be made properly.
Blah, blah, blah, blah. I have heard some of you whining about the demotion of Matt LaPorta, saying things like "He had no reason to be sent down. It wasn't his fault! #CallUpLaPorta" and "The demotion of LaPorta makes no sense. Let the guy play everyday and see what you have." Well kiddies, the inference is quite simple: the Indians already know what they're going to get from LaPorta and they see no value in a .697 career OPS. The handling of Matty is commonplace among washed out former Major Leaguers who are back up just to fill a roster spot.
Brad Eldred, a former top prospect in the Pirates system, hit .388 with 13 homers and 35 RBI in his first 20 games of the season with Toledo. The Tigers tried to catch lightning in a bottle, but after 5 games and a 3-for-16 (.188) showing, Eldred was back at AAA, where he belongs. Bill Hall, a ten year big leaguer (mostly with the Brewers), is now in the Orioles system as his career winds down. The O's have seen fit to purchase his minor league contract, then DFA and outright him back to AAA, not once, but twice in the past month and a half. In the interim, Billy managed to compile 9 MLB at-bats and 2 hits. These are just a couple of examples, but you get the point. LaPorta is no longer part of the Indians future, he's just a dude who can wallop AAA pitching and might get to ride pine in the show a few more times. Don't take my word for it, just look at the way they're treating him.
And before you conjure any predictions that Matty will be the next Brandon Phillips, recall that B-Phip was still 24 after languishing in AAA for most of '04 and '05, whereas LaPorta would be 28 after just one year of exile. I'm not saying that it will be impossible for Matt to have a productive Major League career at this point, but the cards are now definitely stacked against him.
The best case scenario for Matty is a change of scenery. Former Indian Ryan Ludwick overcame injury and parlayed a strong year or so into a Major League career. Although I'll certainly never take anything away from Ludwick's 2008 (.299, 37 HR, 113 RBI, .966 OPS), it was truly his only great season. I'll take his 2007 (.818 OPS) and 2009 (.775 OPS, 97 RBI), but you have to remember who was protecting him in the line-up (Um, Albert Pujols). Since leaving St Louis, Ryan has batted .227 with a .675 OPS. Get your mind wrapped around the fact that this is now the ceiling for LaPorta. If he hopes to slide himself onto a card with an established masher and hang around for a few more seasons, he should best get to genuflecting.
While it's a shame that Matty turned out to be a bust, you have to give up on him sometime. Unbeknownst to us at the time, for Matt LaPorta and the Indians, that day has come and gone.
Sure, we would like the pitching staff to throw a shutout every time out, but that's not what I mean. Tonight, the Indians got 7 strong innings from Justin Masterson and two easy innings from the back end of the bullpen to seal the victory. I don't care if the score is 2-0 or 4-3, but this team is built for low scoring games. In 20 of the Indians' 63 games, the victorious team has scored 4 runs or fewer. The Tribe is 13-7 in those contests. When the winning team score 5 or more, the Wahoos are just 20-23.
Tonight was all about Masterson. It is not as if Bat has suddenly found utter and complete command of his pitches, just look at the sequence in the 7th when he hit Josh Harrison and then wild pitched two runners into scoring position. Still, he seems so have settled into a groove similar to his performance of 2011. Over his last 6 starts, Justin's 3.2 BB/9 bear a much closer resemblance to his 2.7 of last year than the 4.8 in his first 8. Likewise his ERA has dropped with his bases on balls, 2.92 vs 5.40. Masterson has so many moving parts that he constantly has to make adjustments as his mechanics fluctuate. You can see that in the game against Kansas City where he overcompensated and threw 78 of 111 pitches for strikes without walking a soul. Instead, he surrendered 7 earned on 9 hits in 6 innings. Bat has to be a bit wild in order to be effective. Tonight, 70 of his 109 deliveries were strikes and he walked 3 in his 7 frames. He also fanned 9 and allowed just 4 hits. Justin is never going to be a low WHIP kind of guy. Even last season with his 3.21 ERA, his WHIP was a middling 1.28. There is no doubt that Masterson's lanky 6'6" frame and his long delivery don't engender repeatability but, in order to help this team, he is going to have to keep adapting and stay one step ahead of the opposition.
One player who has done just that is Michael Brantley. Michael took it down to the wire, but extended his hitting streak to 22 games tonight with an 8th inning RBI single. To every sack of garbage who was on his case in early May when he was hitting in the .230s, the Indians deserve more intelligent fans than the lot of you. Seriously, if you were one of those guys, put down the X-Box controller, the Bud Light and the Doritos and try to educate yourself a little bit about the game. You are the reason that I cannot stand to listen to sports call in shows. Sorry. Back to Brantley, the 22 game streak in the longest since Casey Blake's 26 in 2007 and within sight of Sandy Alomar's franchise record 30 gamer of 1997. In fact, Brantley has now had two 19+ hit streaks in his short tenure with the Tribe, making him just the second Indian (Julio Franco) since 1921 (when records of such things began to be kept) to have a pair in his Indians career. Maybe pocket the Red Man and chew on that, you hicks. Since May 9th, Michael is batting .331 with 21 RBI and 7 steals in 32 games. Oh right, some of you are still jonesing for Grady Sizemore's winning smile in centerfield. Forget. About. It. Sizemore is never coming back. Sure, he might get a few more token AB's with the team, but it will be like watching Johnny Damon, a broken down shell of man in a baseball uniform. Brantley, if he ever actually had any work to do, has transformed himself into a more than adequate Major Leaguer in center, making all of the banal plays and a few of the fantastic. If you know what's good for you, you'll start thinking with your heads instead of your McDeath addled hearts.
I'll let Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez close things out here. Since May 5th, the opposition is batting .114 (5-for-44) against Vinnie and Pestano has punched out 16 in 13 innings. CP nailed down his league leading 21st save to close out the Bucos, his 21st in a row. I was pretty rough on Perez after he blew the save on Opening Day, but Chris seems to have channeled his rage and even shed a few LB's. While he's still not what I would call a lock down closer, you have to give him credit for the work that he has done in 2012.
Roll Tribe.
Cheers.
P.s. Jack Hannahan is back (0-3, 0-for-his-last-15 overall, maybe a couple of additional rehab games would have been useful?) and Scott Barnes is on his way to Georgia to join the Clippers. Called it.
They can't fly, right? It would take like 20 minutes.
I'm writing this in the 5th inning as the game is, for all intents and purposes, over. Two days ago, I suggested that Jeanmar Gomez was one more poor start from being shipped out in favor of Zach McAllister. Today, I have to say the same is true of Josh Tomlin. Josh, who set a Major League record by pitching at least five innings in the first 37 starts of his career, failed to do so for the third time in his past 10. In fact, today's 4 innings were the shortest MLB outing ever for Tomlin. Despite a solid appearance in St Louis, he has a 6.95 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP over his last 4 starts. The opposition is batting .295 against him in 2012 and his BB/9 (2.1) is almost double his league leading average (1.1) of last season. In 2011, Tomlin found success by limiting baserunners, placing 7th in the AL with a 1.08 WHIP. This year his 1.43 WHIP ranks him 42nd (of 53 qualifiers), just ahead of teammate Justin Masterson. Consistency is all important for pitchers and we often discuss repetition of delivery as a key for effective MLB hurlers. This season, fighting his way through a wrist injury, Josh has been forced to throw to 3 different catchers already. His numbers pitching to Carlos Santana are strong (4.30 ERA, .276 OBA, 1.26 WHIP), but he has been knocked around pretty well with Lou Marson behind the plate (6.85 ERA, .333 OBA, 1.70 WHIP). It's a correlation for sure and probably impossible to prove as a causation, but, if I was Josh Tomlin, I would be asking for Big Smooth behind the dish my next time out.
Day #2 for Esmil Rogers was not as lights out as his first, but I still have seen no reason that the guy cannot be an effective piece in the Indians' bullpen. 17 of 28 pitches for strikes isn't 10 of 11, but it's not walking the bases loaded either. Even on a back-to-back day, Rogers got it up to the plate at 97 and showed some length by giving the Tribe an inning and 2/3 of solid relief. He did throw a wild pitch, but he also struck out two more. Esmil looked as if he couldn't get comfortable on the mound, frequently stretching in between pitches. Still, he was undoubtedly the team's most productive reliever of the series and has earned himself the opportunity to remain in the bigs.
Scott Barnes has not. With an ERA that exploded to 8.31 after he allowed 7 baserunners and 5 earned runs in today's 5th inning, Scottie likely does not make it back to the lakefront. The Indians are carrying 13 pitchers right now, so a relief arm will have to be dropped so that a hitter (Jack Hannahan? Jason Donald? Jared Goedert?) can be added before Friday's tilt with the Bucos. Prior to Barnes' night terror on the mound, all signs pointed to Tony Sipp. Now the Gasman with 9 lives seems like he will survive to fuel another late inning rally for the bad guys. I swear, the sequence of events that have led Sipp to miss getting cut 4 times already in 2012 is so unlikely that I'd like to ask Tony for some lotto numbers. On April 23rd, the Tribe sent Nick Hagadone back to AAA although he had posted a 2.70 ERA and fanned 4 in 3.1 innings. Sipp's ERA was 11.57 in 7 outings to that date. Four days later, Sipp had lowered his ERA to 7.71 and Rafael Perez (and his 79 MPH fastball) went on the disabled list. Tony exhales again. On May 16th, with Hagadone back in the fold, the club DFAed Dan Wheeler. Sipp's ERA was 6.94 (compared to Wheeler's 8.76) and he had just escaped putting 4 men on in 2 innings without allowing a run. Fingers crossed, Tony lives to pitch another month. Now this. If we're the sort of team that keeps a reliever with a 6.65 ERA around all season, we can give up all hope of snaring one of those 13 playoff spots.
Speaking of Indians left-handed relievers, here's their final line from the Reds series: 2.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 3 HR, .500 OBA, 4.29 WHIP, 27.00 ERA, just 58.5% of their pitches for strikes. One of 'em has to go.
The four guys on the Indians bench this afternoon were Lonnie Chisenhall (.214), Casey Kotchman (.212), Shelley Duncan (.205), and Johnny Damon (.176). That doesn't even count left fielder Aaron Cunningham (.188). In my humble opinion, all of them (save maybe Kotchman until a real first baseman emerges) need to go, especially Slater. I'm not quite sure which scout assured the Indians that AC was a Major League caliber player, but that dude needs to get axed as well. The Indians have now lost 12 of 18 since sweeping the Tigers in Cleveland. We need a bat, probably two bats. I had recently advocated acquiring Kevin Youkilis, but the word on the street is that the Sox want a bunch and Youk is plagued with "diminishing skills" syndrome. The price for Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Quentin or Josh Willingham will be too high. Sadly, the Indians simply do not have any nice trade bullets in their gun at this point. Some think that McAllister and David Huff would supply some value, but what could you possibly package one of them with? With the starting struggled detailed above, can we even afford to part with one of the two? As fans, we're going to have to dig in for a long summer and hope that the club makes the right moves internally to put the best 9 on the field. At this point none of the five above qualify.
Brandon Phillips for the series: 8-for-13 (.615), 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1.720 OPS and about 7 dazzling defensive plays.
Esmil Rogers has a nice swing. Let's DH him against Pittsburgh.
Have you noticed that Joey Votto never leaves the batter's box? That takes me back to the grand old days of the OHSAA when you would get charged a strike if you stepped out.
On April 7th, 2006 the Indians shipped 24 year-old second baseman Brandon Phillips downstate to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for reliever Jeff Stevens. Phillips, who had feuded with manager Eric Wedge and batted just .208 in parts of four seasons with the club, had languished behind incumbent Ronnie Belliard, accruing just 31 AB's over the previous two seasons. Well, Belliard would suffer through an injury plagued campaign and lose his spot to Josh Barfield less than 365 days later. Stevens was eventually sent to the Cubs in a package for Mark DeRosa and has posted a 6.27 MLB ERA since. Phillips, on the other hand, has won a pair of Gold Gloves, notched two All-Star appearances and absolutely killed his former team. Following an RBI single and a two-run bomb tonight, Phillips raised his career average against the Tribe to .347 and his OPS to .942. Both of those are his second highest versus any opposing club (who knew he killed the Mets). Oddly enough DeRosa was traded to the Cardinals for... Chris Perez, who we have yet to see against the Reds...
Again, there is little to write about. For the second straight night, the ballgame was as bland as dry toast and tap water. Michael Brantley (.285) hit in his 20th straight, Jose Lopez (.265, 3 HR) tagged Aroldis Chapman for a solo homer on a 100 MPH fastball and Derek Lowe walked 6 in 6 innings. Yawn.
We did see the Indians debut of newly acquired reliever Esmil Rogers. Now, I lambasted the Tribe yesterday for bringing in another cast away reliever with no record of Major League success. Today, I am a bit less critical. I was solidly impressed with Rogers' first inning with his new club. He fanned 2 of the three he faced, hit 97 on the gun and, most importantly, threw 10 of his 11 pitches for strikes. Esmil was averaging 6.3 BB/9 with the Rockies and has been plagued by control issues throughout his big league career. If this kid (not a kid, 27 in August) can come in and pitch with that kind of command on a regular basis, he will be a welcomed addition to a bullpen that has allowed 7 runs in 5 innings against the Redlegs.
Oh, but the brain trust doesn't get off that easy. To make space for Rogers on the 25-man roster, the Tribe demoted... Matt LaPorta. This is a team that has scored 14 runs in the 5 inter-league road games and they decided they'd go with one fewer hitter? Now, it's not like Matty was contributing or anything (2-for-11, 2 K), but someone has to. Indians pitchers are batting .250 (3-for-12) on the trip while other 6-9 men are hitting just .160 (9-for-56). That's right Johnny Damon (.178), RETIRE! We need a real bat! Instead of trying to plug bullpen holes for which we have excellent AAA corks (Chris Ray? Frank Herrmann? Hello?), maybe we could try to hook a right handed bat that has fallen out of favor, just as Brandon Phillips did so many years ago.
Or maybe we can just keep settling for one run after loading the bases with no one out.
Roll Tribe.
Cheers.
P.s. Nice move by the fan in right field, trying to steal the ball out of Choo's glove. You tried to help the team! They'll probably ask you to come hit BP with them tomorrow. Tell all your buddies over a nice cold Miller High Life. It's the champagne of beers! No one thinks you're a bunch of hilljack bums. Stay classy, Cincinnati.
Well, that intrastate rivalry game certainly wasn't competitive. Props to Michael Brantley for extending his hitting streak to 19 games (.351, 15 RBI during that stretch). Outside of that and pretty clutch RBI single for Jason Kipnis in the 1st inning (team high 40 RBI), there isn't much about which to smile.
Here's what we know. Jeanmar Gomez needs to get better and preferably return to the form that he showcased in 7 of his first 8 starts of 2012 (3-2, 3.19). Since that point Gomez is 1-3 with a 7.84 ERA. Now, I agree that tonight's start was a step in the right direction as he allowed just one earned run. Still, he put 10 guys on in 5 innings and threw just 48 of 92 pitches for strikes. Jeanmar is a pitch to contact guy, so he thrives when he can hit his spots within the zone and ensure that said contact is of the not so solid variety. He hasn't had that sort of command in a about a month. Now, we heard recently that pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona (now Roberto Hernandez) could be back in the fold by the All-Star break. Unfortunately, that seems to be wishful thinking. Two days ago, Mark Shapiro shared that the organization has absolutely no idea when Hernandez could be back. If Roberto was just around the corner, there might be some logic in allowing Jeanmar Gomez to work through his issues until such a security blanked was delivered. As it stands, I have to contend that Gomez is one more bad start away from being swapped out with Zach McAllister. Of course, the Indians' leadership seems to make its decisions like a pack of baboons at play, by throwing shit at a wall. So who the hell knows...
And who the hell knows why the team pulled the trigger on acquiring right-handed reliever Esmil Rogers from the Rockies today. Remember Jairo Asencio (I know I wish I didn't)? Same guy. This season, Rogers has posted an 8.06 ERA and 2.10 WHIP. His career numbers (6.77, 1.82) are little better. In 184 innings, dude had allowed 243 hits and 93 walks! He's been tagged with 21 homers, 13 hit batters and 15 wild pitches! Yes, please, sign me up! Put this guy in the bullpen! In 2012, right handers are batting an even .400 off of Rogers with an OPS of 1.087! There is no logic on the face of the Earth to justify such an idiotic addition. I would say that the only rational reason for making the trade (they actually purchased Rogers, but that kind of lingo isn't PC these days) is that someone held the cold steel barrel of .45 magnum to Chris Antonetti's clammy forehead and forced him to choose between making the trade and taking a dirt nap. Even then, it's a coin flip.
The only, and I do mean only, upside to the Rogers acquisition is that it likely means the end of the leash for Tony Sipp. Tony (6.65 ERA), who allowed another 2 run homer today, cannot be allowed to continue. Opponents are batting .389 with runners in scoring position and .392 with runners on base against the Gas Man. Again, watch the Tribe send out Scott Barnes, who has been outstanding (4 hitless innings), instead.
For anyone out there who thinks that there is any offensive help coming from AAA, please seek help in a drug treatment program as soon as possible. The offense in Columbus is atrocious. I watched them last night and I don't think there's a true Major Leaguer among them. We will probably see Jason Donald again sometime soon, but, outside of different utility infielder, the biggest upside from the Clippers is Jared Goedert. Goedert had a 9 RBI game last week and has some legitimate right-handed power (.592 SLG in 2012). He also has a lot of holes in his swing (154 K's in 183 AAA games). What he could do is sit on the bench just as well as Matt LaPorta, who has not played in a week.
Oh well. I saw a piece today that called Cleveland the worst sports city in America because we have simply lost hope. So I'm going try to visualize the fullness of the glass.
Especially when he hits the team's first grand slam on the season (and the 1st of his career). Woooooooooooooooooooh! I turned and said, as Kip strode to the plate, "The pitching coach was out, this kid had better be looking for a first pitch strike he can drive." And he did. He stayed back on a change-up and the ball shot out to right center field. Jason also stole a bag and started a dazzling double play. Face it guys; this is our All-Star. One would have to assume that Robbie Cano is going to win the fan vote (stinkin' Yankees), but Kipnis should definitely be the first reserve. He leads AL second basemen in home runs (9) and RBI (34) and the whole friggin' league in stolen bases (12). He's second in WAR (2.2) and runs scored (35). Really, the only number that doesn't rank highly is his OPS (.804, still not bad) because the guy somehow only has 4 doubles all season. Still, if he keeps this up, it would be a travesty should he not make the squad.
Speaking of travesties, why are Juan Diaz and Aaron Cunningham still on this team? Diaz is like flood insurance in Nevada, he's around for an incredibly unlikely emergency. And Jose Lopez could play short for a few innings in a pinch anyway. Cunningham has some defensive utility, but a team batting Lopez in the cleanup spot does not have the luxury to carry such an automatic out. Bah.
Derek Lowe needed to be the stopper tonight and stop the Twins he did. After his war crime of an outing last Saturday, the birthday boy induced 11 ground ball outs in his 6.2 innings and faced just 2 over the minimum through the first 6 frames. In his 9 quality starts this season, Lowe is 6-1 with a 1.63 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and a .268 OBA. In the other 2 starts, those numbers jump to 0-2, 16.20, 3.60 & .486. In other words; when he's good (that is, keeping the ball down); he's very, very good; but when he's bad; he is horrid.
Bid a fond farewell to Jairo Asencio, who was claimed on waivers by the Cubbies today. A last place club is exactly where that bum belongs. Good riddance.
When Lonnie Chisenhall squares the ball up, he hits it with as much authority as anyone that I have ever seen. He has scorched 2 long balls in 4 games and his 3 hits tonight bring his season average to .385. Even woManny can't leave him in the 8 spot any longer.
Johnny Damon, who had 1 multi-hit game in his first 22 with the Tribe, has supplied 2 hits apiece in each of his last two, raising his average from .152 to .186. That's still not where it needs to be, but I'll take anything that I can get from JD right now.
Oh, and a Plain Dealer report suggests that Roberto Hernandez could be back in the big leagues by the All-Star break. Jeanmar Gomez, 0-2 with 9.82 in his last 2 starts and 1-3 with a 5.58 in his last 5, will have to return to his early season form if he wants to keep his slot in the rotation.
Do I really have to pay attention to the White Sox? They suck. Really, they do. Just like the Indians in the first two months of 2011, every single man on their roster is playing over his head. Unless you think Paul Konerko is a .400 hitter and AJ Pierzynski is the best catcher in the AL, they will regress to the mean. C'mon guys, they have 3 starters with ERA's over 5.00.
The Good News: WoManny finally relented and allowed Travis Hafner to be placed on the disabled list. The Bad News: Pronk will need to have his right knee scoped to remove scar tissue and will miss 4-6 weeks. Ouch. Just hours before the decision was made, woManny once again showcased his character and shirked all responsibility, “I can't guess on any of that stuff. We won't know until
he's either cleared or we have to make a decision. I stayed at home last
night, not at a Holiday Inn Express." Did you hear him? He referenced a TV commercial in his stupid Dominican stammer! He so funny, I no even remember what we talk about!
That's Scottie Barnes in the picture, recalled to take Hafner's spot and round the bullpen back to 7. The Tribe has absolutely no need for 3 lefties, so Tony Sipp had better bring it. One would think that if Barnes shows that he is Major League capable and Sipp continues to struggle, we very well might see Frank Herrmann in exchange for the latter. To both of their credit, Barnes loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter, but escaped the 6th unscathed; while Sipp tossed a clean 7th to lower his ERA to 6.27.
So, with Lou Marson still bleeding from his lady parts after getting busted in the myth, the Tribe once again played two men down. Oh, the other one is Juan Diaz, who, with Asdrubal Cabrera back at short, will only play again if AzCab gets mauled by a bear between innings. How did this affect today's untelevised catastrophe? Pinch-hitters, my friends, or should I say the lack thereof? The 9th inning rally that never was could have been aided substantially if woManny had had the cojones and personnel to pinch hit for Luke Carlin leading off the frame. Let's skip Jose Lopez and his game ending double play for a second and recognize that unless he clears the bases, it's a non-factor because then Slater has to bat. Game over anyway. Matt LaPorta, Jared Goedert and, oh I don't know, Felix Pie would all be better options. You can point at the pitching all you want, but it's no coincidence that the Tribe has dropped 5 of 6 while playing with half of a roster.
And back to Lopez, is he really going to be your clean-up hitter until
Carlos Santana comes back? What has he done in this life, or the last, to
earn that kind of respect? Sure, he put together that 10-game hit streak, but since then he's batting .192! His career slugging percentage is under .400! With only one bat left to join the ranks (when Diaz is mercifully demoted), it seems high time for woManny to reshuffle that line-up, get Michael Brantley back at the top (.429 over the past 3 series) and at least pause this Choo lead-off experiment until more middle of the order bats are healthy. Heck, I don't care, slide Kip and Cabrera down and bat Brantlley 2nd, just get Lopez out of the 4 hole. C'mon, man!
Y'know, I don't like it any more than you do, but, until the Tribe's starting pitchers start pitching, this number will continue to grow. With Jeanmar Gomez's second straight bum start in the books, Indians' starters have failed to complete six innings for the sixth straight outing. In those games, they are 1-5 with an 11.89 ERA and a .357 OBA. If ever Derek Lowe has needed to be a stopper, it's Friday against the Twins.
Enjoy your off day, boys. Come Friday, you'd best have your heads successfully excavated from your asses.
