Pronktacular

Since we left our intrepid Wahoo Warriors for the Labor Day weekend, the following has happened:

8/31 - Tribe 8 - White Sox 5
The Tribe bailed out Fausto Carmona, who had a bad outing, by scoring 6 runs in the 8th. Kenny Lofton tied it with a two-out bases loaded walk, and then Casey Blake followed by lifting an outside pitch down the right field line for a bases clearing double. Fultz with the vulture win.

9/1 - Tribe 7 - White Sox 0
Paul Byrd gets a complete game shutout, completely dominating the Pale Hose. Gutierrez and Shoppach homered, Pronk had an RBI double.

9/2 - Tribe 0 - White Sox 8
Win streak ends at 8 with this thorough beatdown by the Sox. Jose Contreras showed up, instead of phoning it in, and we got Hittable Jake Westbrook instead of Dominant Jake Westbrook. Games like this happen. The Tribe still took the series at home

9/3 - Tribe 5 - Twins 0
Johan Santana remains the Indians personal rented mule. CC Sabathia continues his quest for the Cy Young Award by shutting down the Twins on 6 hits and 1 walk with 6 Ks through 8. Santana is now 0-5 against the Indians with 1 no decision in 6 appearances against the Tribe. Sabathia has beaten him head to head in each of his last three appearances.

Last night: Tribe 7 - Twins 5
It was Pronktacular! Pronk went deep twice, including a two-out bomb in the ninth off closer Joe Nathan to push it into bonus baseball. Pronk then drove home the winning run in the 11th with a bases loaded screaming line drive to the right centerfield gap that Torii Hunter barely tracked down, but that served as a sac fly. Victor Martinez followed with a single. Joe Knows Closing pitched a 1-2-3 11th to get the save. Note: Daddy Pronk was in the stands to see his boy smash two out of the yard.

Could this 2-homer, 4-RBI night be what Pronk needs to get out of his slump and go on a rampage? Let's hope so. Pronk has now hit in his last 6 games. The Tribe has now won 10 of their last 11. Today's afternoon matchup: Fausto Carmona vs. Scott Baker. Baker shut the Tribe out 1-0 in his last appearance versus the Tribe and almost threw a no-hitter in his last outing. Baker is hot right now.

September callups for the Tribe: Cliff Lee, Luis Rivas, Edward Mujica, Juan Lara, Andy Marte, Ben Francisco and Mike Koplove. I hope that we see Marte spelling Casey Blake at 3b often for the next month. Marte was raking the ball in his last month at Buffalo, while Blake could use some more off days. Lara gives us another lefty in the bullpen to match up with, while Koplove, Lee and Mujica give us more arms for mop up duty. Francisco gives us another solid outfielder to spell some regulars, and Rivas - well, who the hell knows why he's here?

Mojo Watch:
Pronk We'll give Pronk 4 Elvi after last night's show and hope he's on his way to Full Elvis

Tribe: Don't step on this team's blue suede shoes! Full Elvis! 10 of 11. 7 game lead. Enough said.