Hit Parade

Cleveland 11, Detroit 1

Lots of hits going on at Progressive Field last night. Even the pitchers were getting into the act. The tally:

Cleveland: 11 runs, 13 hits, 2 hit batsmen
Grady Sizemore: 1 hit
Jamey Carroll: 2 hits
Pronk: 1 hit (big fly)
Victor Martinez: 2 hits
Jhonny Peralta: 1 hhit
Ryan Garko: 2 hits (1 big fly)
Franklin Gutierrez: 2 hits
Jason Michaels: 2 hits (this brings his season total to 5) with 3 RBI
SUMM: 1 hit
Fausto Carmona: 2 hit batsmen (Santiago, Sheffield)

Detroit: 7 hits, 1 run, 3 hit batsmen
Clete Thomas: 1 hit
Ramon Santiago: 1 hit
Magglio Ordonez: 1 hit
Miguel Cabrera: 1 hit
Carlos Guillen: 1 hit
Edgar Renteria: 1 hit
Brandon Inge: 1 hit
Justin Verlander: 2 hit batsmen (Garko, Michaels)
Bobby Seay: 1 hit batsman (Sizemore)

Among the key takeaways:

• New name, same house of horrors for Justin Verlander: 5.0 innings, 5 runs allowed. His career numbers in Progressive Field remain pretty hideous.
• An Indians pitcher finally retaliated after Tribe hitters got plunked. After Garko's home run in the bottom of the 5th, Verlander (who has a history of hitting Tribe batsmen) plunked Jason Michaels (Jason Michaels? Jason Michaels! Jason Michaels?) in the back. It was the second batter that Verlander had hit on the day. Carmona hit Ramon Santiago to open the top of the 6th. Apparently, this was not enough payback, because Carmona then proceeded to drill Gary Sheffield. Hard. Although the MCK got a run out of the inning, they squandered the opportunity for a big inning when Sheffield inexplicably failed to slide at home plate on a Carlos Guillen single and was tagged out by Victor Martinez.
• Pronk - opposite field home run. Really good sign that things are turning around for the big guy.
• The Beaded One - Mental Health Day.
• The Motor City Kitties - still in last place in the AL Central
• Indians relief pitching looked pretty good, with the exception of Jensen Lewis, who walked 2 in 1/3 of an inning. Kobayashi and Betancourt each went 1 scoreless inning. It sure is easier to pitch with a 10-run lead.
• The homestand: 2-5 (ouch). The Indians now embark on a 6-game road trip to Minnesota and Kansas City, presenting the opportunity to make up some ground against the teams above them in the AL Central standings (wow, did it feel weird to type this sentence).

Andy Marte Watch:

Not even mop up duty.