It's Starting to Look a Lot Like 2006

Game 13: Boston 6, Cleveland 4

Pronk Needs You has been somewhat of a Joe Borowski apologist over the last year or so. Sure, his saves can induce one to churn up enough stomach acid for most people to digest an entire turkey. But, for the most part he's done the job. I've even given him the nickname "Joe Knows Closing" as a sort of tribute to his ability to get the job done despite his obvious limitations.

Last night, however, has taken me off the Joe Knows Closing bandwagon. Last night's game was the sort of soul-crushing torture that can drag an entire season down with it. Jake Westbrook was sharp, and the Indians were up 4-3 going into the 9th, and it was time for Borowski (hereafter referred to no longer as "Joe Knows Closing," but rather as "He Who Shall Not Be Named") to shut the door.

Here is a recap of the comedy of errors that ensued:

• Julio Lugo started the 9th by grounding a ball right to the third baseman. Except that Blake, the third baseman was not there, because he was guarding the line to take away the double. Dellucci, being slow and having bad wheels, was slow getting to the ball, and, besides that, he has a Coco Crisp-like arm, and so he was unable to keep Lugo from getting to second base on a double that should have been an easy out.
• Coco Crisp bunted the runner to third. One out.
• Dustin PUNKroia hit a sacrifice fly to left. Dellucci, having a Coco Crisp-like arm, had no chance to throw him out at the plate. Two outs. Tie game.
• David Ortiz hit a shallow pop down the left field line. Unfortunately, they had him played to pull the ball to right. David Dellucci, being slow and having bad wheels (sensing a pattern here?) was unable to run it down for what should have been the third out of the inning.
• Manny Ramirez then parked an 80 mph fastball in the left field bleachers, as he has done on so many occasions in the past, with a nice long pose at the plate admiring his game-winning shot.
• For good measure, Casey Blake then misplayed a Kevin Youkilis shot down the line into a double before Rafael Perez came on to strike out JD Drew to end the inning.

The Indians went relatively meekly against Jonathan Riverdance in the bottom of the 9th. Pronk hit a shot to deep center that would have gone out in August, but in April was just a warning track flyout.

There's plenty of blame to go around and Wedge must take a good portion of it. Clearly, playing Blake on the line to prevent a double was a poor decision that backfired, and, I would guess, backfires more often than not. Michaels was unavailable as a defensive sub for Dellucci because he started the game and Dellucci pinch-hit for him in the 5th inning (and struck out against Julian Tavarez with the bases loaded, I add here for effect). He could have put Blake in left field and brought in Marte or Jamey Carroll to hold down third base - either one is clearly a better fielder than Blake at this point, and Blake is clearly a better left fielder than Dellucci. Wedge badly mishandled the end of this game, and should be held accountable.

--4/16/2008 update-- It has been pointed out to me that Blake has never played left field. I retract the argument regarding putting Blake in left and someone else at 3B. It has also been pointed out to me that Dellucci apparently by the statistical metrics has decent range. It is hard to prove this based on his performance thus far with the Tribe. I have a hard time believing a 35-year-old coming off missing the better part of last year with a hamstring injury has good range, but the metrics are what they are. Who am I to argue? I still reserve the right to be disgusted with the "no doubles" defense any time I see it played and upset that we were burned by playing it. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.----

He Who Shall Not Be Named has clearly lost speed on his "fastball" (which was never very fast to begin with) and is unable to throw it at the major league level. He must either be sent to the DL with an "injury" and sent to rehab somewhere until he can recover it, or he must be DFA'd. Today. He cannot close another game for this team. After last night's loss (coupled with the Motor City Kitties' comeback win over the Twins), the Indians are 5-8, 2.0 games ahead of Detroit at 3-10, and pretty much guaranteed to lose tonight with Paul Byrd on the mound against knuckleballer Wakefield, who is going to wreck the Indian's bats for the Detroit series to follow.

The sad thing is that the complete collapse of the 9th inning overshadowed everything that happened in the previous eight. Jake Westbrook is back, giving up only two runs, one of which scored when lucky dillweed Dustin Punkroia hit one that went off Westbrook's glove. The Indians failed to put the game away in the 5th when both Garko and Dellucci both struck out with the bases loaded.

It's starting to look a lot more like 2006 than 2007 for the Indians right now. Their bullpen is a disaster. Key veterans are not producing. They keep finding new and inventive ways to lose games. They need to turn it around fast, or it will become 2006 all over again. The good thing is that there is a lot of season left. The bad thing is that if they continue to lose in inexplicable ways, then things will snowball and they may wake up to find the fans angry and the season lost.