3 Out of 4 Ain't Bad (Neither is 3 out of 3)

Hey crimestoppers,

Coming at you from New Jersey, where I'll be on business for a couple days.

The Tribe has scratched and clawed its way to .500 (well, briefly over .500) since my last post, carrying 3 of 4 from Toronto.

Good things:

• Unassisted Triple Play by The Beaded One!
• Knocking out Roy Halladay with a 6-spot in his shortest outing of the season.
• Going into the 10th inning of the nightcap of last night's doubleheader, the Indians had held Toronto scoreless for 31 straight innings.
• Complete game shutout for Fausto Carmona.
• Aaron Laffey went 7 scoreless to get a victory
• Cliff Lee went another 9 scoreless innings
• Craig Breslow sighting! Craig Breslow sighting! (2 scoreless)
• Grady Sizemore goes berserk on Grady Sizemore Fleece Night, knocking two out of the park, along with a double for 5 RBI. It may be time for a Travis Hafner fleece night.
• The starting pitching has been so good that Tom Mastny has not been seeing enough innings to stay sharp, so they sent him down to put some work in and stay ready.
• First homer of the year from the Beaded One.
• Shin Soo Choo has started his rehab assignment in Buffalo.
• Andy Marte sighting!

Not-so-good-things

• Tribe's bats silenced by Shaun Marcum in doubleheader nightcap and Senor Slow came on in the 10th to blow the game after Cliff Lee gave the Tribe 9 shutout innings. Rafael Betancourt's appearances are looking less and less like sure things. I can't believe this, but if He Who Shall Not Be Named really gets back what little velocity he had, he may actually be a better closer for this team. (Ack - I can't believe I just typed that, but there it is.) Betancourt does not look like the same guy in the 9th and 10th with the game tied now that he's The Closer.
• Jason Tyner called up to replace Mastny - and he started the second game of the doubleheader. Apparently our outfield logjam isn't so severe that we can find at-bats for a slap hitter like Jason Tyner in one of our corner outfield spots (career OPS - .637). I suspect he's just roster filler until He Who Shall Not Be Named or Shin-Soo-Choo or Westbrook is ready, but geez - do we have to start him? Late-inning defensive replacement for the Looch? Sure. Pinch-runner? Sure. Starting a game in place of someone who can actually hit? Please, no thanks.
• For those just looking at the box score, who see Andy Marte batting .091 on the season, with 3 LOB in the doubleheader nightcap, it's easy to wonder why he's still on the team. Those of us who are Andy Marte apologists will say that it's hard to get in a groove when you play only once a week. Those who are not will insist that any faith in him is not justified - look at his batting average. I keep waiting and hoping for Andy's Big Bustout, because I think it's coming, but for now, I'll have to be content with him playing better defense than Casey Blake and seeing a lot of pitches.

The beat goes on - Age and Treachery goes tonight against Duchsherer with the A's in town for 3.