Big Ben to the Rescue

For those who have been wondering why the Indians would bring Ben Francisco up to the big leagues and then not play him - maybe you were on to something.

Francisco got his first start, his first major league hit, and his first major league home run - a walk-off shot to left field that propelled the Indians to a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay.

In addition to showing some pop at the plate, Francisco showed some pretty good moves after the game, as he successfully dodged the first "leadership pie" from Designated Morale Officer Trot Nixon, only to get hit by the second a few minutes later.

Pronkwatch: 1 for 4, with 2 Ks.

Today's Hero - Jason Michaels

The Indians snatched a 4-3 victory yesterday out of a game that started out looking like more of the previous day's blowout. Paul Byrd started off looking like he didn't have it, spotting the A's to 3-0 lead after two. Then he found it, stifling the A's over the next 5 innings, just long enough for the Tribe to come back with 1 run in the 5th and 3 runs in the 7th on a 3-run homer from Jason Michaels.

Rafael Betancourt slammed the door on the A's in the 8th and Joe Borowski closed the door ever so gently with much drama. In the 9th, the A's got runners to second and third with only one out in the 9th before JoeBo got Shannon Stewart to pop out to second base and Mark Kotsay to fly out to center field.

Pronk? Well, he walked once and got hit by a pitch (the Pronk Plunk?). Otherwise, he grounded out and hit a screaming line drive that, by the description I heard on the radio from Tom Hamilton, nearly decapitated Joe Blanton, who made a life-saving catch based on sheer self-preservatory reaction. However, I'm basing this entirely on Hammy, and I didn't see the actual line drive, so you can take it for what it's worth, since Hammy has a wee tendency to exaggerate at times. The end result - 0 for 2. It does seem that Pronk is continuing to smoke the ball, though not all of them are finding the grass or the seats.

The Hazards of Being a Sinkerballer

When you can't keep the sinker down in the zone, you're pretty much throwing batting practice, as Fausto Carmona found out last night, giving up 8 runs to the Athletics in 1 inning+. His ERA on the night - 72.00, with a WHIP of 9.00.

The Tribe never recovered from their early pummeling, as last week's staff of the Buffalo Bisons (Jason Stanford and Eddie Mujica) gave up 5 more, for a total of 13 runs for the Athletics. The Indians got 7 of them back, but it was all too little too late.

Pronk hit a solo shot, his only hit in a 1 for 4 evening. Gutierrez, Peralta and Blake also went yard for the Tribe.

Next up - get up early and do it again today - Noon start time today on getaway day, Blanton vs. Byrd.

How Do You Solve a Problem Like the Trotster?

I'm sitting here watching the Indians get pummeled (I have Fausto Carmona in all three of my fantasy leagues - 72.00 ERA and 9.00 WHIP in 1.0 inning, but I don't want to talk about that). Instead, I've been thinking about creative ways to solve the Trot Nixon problem.

You know, the Trot Nixon problem, the one the Indians don't want to admit they have. Mr. Shapiro, you know that the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem. When you had a Jason Davis problem, you finally admitted it. When you had a Roberto Hernandez problem, you acted on it. Mr. Shapiro, you have a Trot Nixon problem. He's 33, but his body is 52. He can't hit for power any more. He's a defensive liability in right field. He's slower than Bengie Molina after Thanksgiving dinner.

So, what can be done? Trot apparently is the toast of the clubhouse, keeping the team loose with his pie antics. Some suggestions:

• Designated Morale Officer - Trot's job is to focus entirely on keeping the team loose, without necessarily having to actually play. Keep doing the pie thing, maybe moderate a kangaroo court, karaoke night, maybe invite celebrity bowler and Bowling Hall of Famer Tom Candiotti to come to a team bowling outing. The occasional practical joke. Keep team spirits high, but as a full-time position.
• Speaking of Tom Candiotti, how about bringing the Candyman in to teach him the Trotster how to throw the knuckleball? He's a rightfielder, so you know he's got a decent arm. Bonus - he's a lefty! He could stay in the bigs for another 10 years with a knuckleball. He could be this year's Tim Laker, pitch in blowouts until he's ready.
• Replacement for Matt Underwood. Really. Underwood is terrible. Trot can't possibly be any worse.
• Emergency back-up catcher. Trot's an intelligent guy, a student of the game. He's got all the grit necessary to catch in a pinch. Whoops - forgot about those knees. You'd need to station a winch behind home plate for use between innings. Nevermind.
• Backup First Base Coach. You know how in rec-league softball, the guys take turn coaching first and third? The next time Wedge goes ballistic on an umpire and gets tossed...Well, in the event that Wedge should go ballistic on an umpire and get tossed, then everybody moves up a notch in the ladder and Trot gets to player/coach first base.
• Fungoes. You can never have too many people who can hit fungoes.
• In rec-league softball, there's that one guy who doesn't play very well but has a great attitude, runs out every ground ball hard even when he knows that it's a topper to second and he's going to get thrown out by 5 steps just because you never know what's going to happen. The guy who's really excellent at keeping the scorebook. Right now, Trot is that guy. Give him a scorebook and a mechanical pencil.
• Official Team Blogger. I'll bet the Trotster is a stitch. He could regale us with inside stories about team practical jokes and drive-by pie incidents.
• Kelly Shoppach is Paul Byrd's personal catcher. Maybe Trot can be Jason Stanford's personal right fielder.
• Designated Intelligence Officer - Trot's sole purpose during the game would be stealing the other team's signs.

Okay, that's all I have. I like Trot. I want him to do well. I just don't want to see him in right field very often because right now he's just a big black hole in the batting order and in the defense from which no light can possibly escape.

Got My Mojo Workin'

At least for one evening, the Pronk Mojo was workin', as the Indians staged a mighty displya of Pronkitude with a dramatic come from behind rally for 5 runs in the 9th to beat the A's last night 8-5.

With the two outs, Pronk smashed a two-run linedrive double in the right centerfield gap to score pinch-runner Ben Francisco with the tying run from first base. After the A's intentionally walked Jhonny Peralta, Pronk scored the winning run on Kelly Shoppach's 3-run home run which followed.

Coupled with a Detroit loss (Todd Jones blew another save), the Indians are now back in a first place tie with the Motor City Kitties.

Overall on the evening, Pronk was 1 for 3 with a walk, 3 RBI (he drove in a run earlier on a groundout) and a run scored. Pronk had a chance to be the hero earlier in the game, having made an appearance in the 7th with the bases loaded only to hit the ball on the nose, but right at the centerfielder. Pronk also hit the ball hard in the fifth, but this time right at the left fielder. It's good to see Pronk driving the ball now. Maybe, just maybe, Pronk's Mojo is back.

Pronk Has Left the Building!

Pronk with a major show of Pronkitude. He smacked his first home run since May 31, a solo shot in the second, and the Indians won 5-2 behind a complete game by CC Sabathia. Pronk also singled and scored on a Garko double in the fourth inning. Overall, Pronk went 2 for 4, with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI.

Another notable feature of this game - Wedge pinch-hits Jason Michaels for Mosey Nixon (he's now so slow that Trot is an overstatement of his capabilities) against a lefty in the 8th. Michaels slams a double in the alley for a key insurance run. Hmm. There might be something to this platooning thing after all.

We're No. 2, We're Tryin' Harder, But It Ain't Workin'

Bad weekend for the Tribe, as they lose 2 of 3 to the lowly Washington Nationals, a team that Detroit beat like a dirty rug 3 of 3. In the process, they slip out of first place, either 1 or 2 games out pending the Sunday night Atlanta-Detroit game.

The good news of the weekend was an improbable comeback against the Washington closer on Saturday, coming back from 3-1 down in the ninth to win 4-3 on Martinez' 3-run bomb to centerfield. Also good news - a generally solid start by Westbrook in his first stint back from the DL - He went 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits. The bad news is that, without Saturday's heroics they would have been swept by the Nats like a barbershop floor at closing time.

Pronkwatch: In a pinch-hitting appearance on Saturday, Pronk popped out in the 9th. In a start at 1B on Sunday, Pronk was 1 for 3 (1 of only 4 total Indians' hits against Jason Simontacchi - ouch!) with a walk.

Pronk's Mojo Watch: Perhaps Pronk, feeling patriotic, lent his Mojo to the US Men's Soccer Team so that they could win the Gold Cup.