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.

Everything Looks Like a Hammer When You Feel Like a Nail

Cleveland 2, Detroit 13

Among the bad things that happened, and there were many, I'm not sure which is the worst:

• CC Sabathia's continuing implosion: 4 innings, 9 runs
• Allowing a 26-year-old journeyman making his second major league start to throw 6.2 innings of 1-hit baseball.

David Dellucci hit his first home run of the season in the first inning, staking the Tribe to a 1-0 lead. That was the highlight. It was all downhill from there.

Remember last week when we were mocking the winless Tigers and their massive payroll and inability to score runs? Those were good times. Good times. They seem so far away. At least Pudge is still awful, going 0 for 6. Good thing for Pudge that the Tigers' best-hitting catcher is needed to play centerfield. Frankly, I'm amazed that Detroit picked up his option.

However, as bad as Pudge's .189 is for the MCK, it is absolutely torrid compared to Jason Michaels (.091), SUMM (.146), Asdrubal Cabrera (.173) and Franklin Gutierrez (.182). Right now, the Indians couldn't hit a beachball thrown to the plate by my 6-year-old niece.

And, as bad as things are, we still have a chance to win today to keep the MCK in the AL Central basement. The bad news is that if we lose, we have to look up at them. Carmona vs. Verlander.

Andy Marte Watch

Marte entered the game in mop up duty and made a nifty play at third and had two pretty good at bats with nothing to show for it, including a scorching line drive caught by the left fielder.

Mojo Watch

David Dellucci:

Everyone else who played last night:

Cliff Lee Saves a Nearly Lost Weekend

After the Tribe's ace and ace-in-waiting both turned in forgettable performances, last year's scapegoat Cliff Lee stopped the bleeding with a shut-down performance in the snow. On to the quick hits:

Game 10: Cleveland 7, Oakland 9

I didn't see the game. I was visiting friends in the Cincinnati area. CC got pummeled, giving up 9 runs on 12 hits in 3.1 innings. The Indians added 6 pretty meaningless runs in the 8th to make it respectable. The good news is that the bullpen shut Oakland down for the last 5.2 innings. Jhonny Peralta homered.

Andy Marte Watch:



Game 11: Cleveland 3, Oakland 7

I didn't see this game, either. My wife and I were at the symphony. At any rate, I'm glad I didn't see it. Fausto Carmona didn't have it. He gave up 3 runs in 3.1 innings, walking 8. The bullpen stopped the bleeding and kept the Tribe in the game until the 7th inning, when Rafael Perez gave up a 3-run shot to Bobby Crosby which broke the game open. The A's ran Lenny DiNardo out to the mound and the Tribe only managed 2 runs in 5 innings. If you can't beat a AAAA pitcher like Lenny DiNardo, you deserve to lose.

Andy Marte Watch:



Game 12: Cleveland 7, Oakland 1

Cliff Lee posted his second solid effort in a row, pitching 8 innings of 2-hit baseball in a game which featured windy, cold conditions, including swirling snow. The Tribe manufactured three runs early in the game, and then broke it open with 4 runs in the 8th.

Andy Marte Watch:

.

Indians manager Eric Wedge seems to be trying his darnedest to screw up Andy Marte. Marte started at third, and came up in the third inning for his first at bat after Jamey Carroll got hit by a pitch. Here's a potential power hitter that you're supposedly trying to get untracked, and hasn't played in a week and in his first at bat, Wedge asks him to bunt. Marte fouled off two bunt attempts, and then swung meekly at a breaking ball, striking out.

In his next at-bat, in the fifth inning, Jamey Carroll led off the inning with a single and then it's deja vu all over again! Eric Wedge asked his young power hitter to bunt. Again. This time, Marte got the a good bunt down and pitcher Chad Gaudin threw the ball wildly down the first-base line, allowing Carroll to advance to third.

Marte came up in the sixth inning with the bases loaded in two outs, and was finally allowed to swing the bat for the first time in the game. He struck out.

The next time Marte came up, in the 8th inning, the bases were loaded with one out in the 8th. Here's a great chance for your young power hitter to swing the bat and gain some confidence. The bases are loaded with a chance to break the game open, it's the 8th inning, and your pitcher is rolling. Nothing to lose, right? Let the kid swing the bat. Instead, Wedge pinch-hit The Beaded One for Marte. The Beaded One struck out. Grady Sizemore and David Dellucci followed Cabrera with back to back doubles to break the game open.

How are we going to know if Marte can hit in the clutch if Wedge pinch hits for him in nearly every clutch situation. How is Marte going to get in any kind of groove or make any kind of adjustments to the major leagues if he plays once a week, and when he plays, he's not really allowed to swing the bat in meaningful situations? Wedge is mishandling Andy Marte. Badly.

Mojo Watch:

CC Sabathia: Right now, CC has no Elvis. If he wants somebody to show him the money, he needs to start being money on the mound.

Fausto Carmona:
The Indians showed Fausto the money, and he rewarded them in his first game as a rich man by spreading the love, giving everybody a free ride on the Walk To First Base Express. He'll come around.

David Dellucci: Dellucci seems to be coming around. His average is up to .273, and he's put up some clutch hits in the last couple days.

Jason Michaels: Still ain't got any Elvis. He has lots of hair, though. Michaels had a hit Saturday to increase his batting average on the year at .111.

Pronk: Pronk went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI.

Ryan Garko: Garko is batting .325 on the year so far, with OBP of .460., including 10 walks. So far, he's been the Tribe's best offensive weapon, slugging .500 with an OPS of .960 with 1 homer and 6 walks. If we could get guys on ahead of him, we might score some runs.

SUMM: Since his Opening Day heroics, Super Utility Mountain Man Casey Blake has let his average drop to .143 and he's already made 3 errors.

The Indians continue their homestand with the only visit of the year from Boston, who comes in for a two-game set. Yes, the Red Sox only play two games here, while we play 4 in Boston in September. This is just one example of how the people who make the schedule for MLB have gone to great lengths to hose the Tribe, loading them up with home games in the coldest months of the year, in addition to giving them fewer home games against a rival with whom they may be competing for a playoff spot.

All told, considering how poorly the Indians have played at times, they are fortunate to be sitting at 5-7, and only 2.5 games out of first place. In the schadenfreude department, Sunday's win puts them three games ahead of the Motor City Kitties, who are now 2-10. It's no more Mr. Nice Guy from Detroit manager Smokey McChimney (aka Jim Leyland), who apparently went nuclear following their latest loss, an 11-0 spanking by the Whine Sox. The Motor City Kitties have scored 33 runs through 12 games and given up 78.

Detroit Now 0-7

New lolcat for every Detroit loss to open the season.

Detroit Still Winless

Three Is a Magic Number

"Three is a Magic Number" - Schoolhouse Rock

Three is now the magic number for the Cleveland Indians to clinch the American League Central Division after yesterday afternoon's victory over the Motor City Kitties.

After spotting the Kitties a 2-run lead in the top of the third inning, the Indians came back off Goggle Boy Nate Robertson with a solo home run by Casey Blake in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Indians took the lead in the 5th with three runs. Key hits were back to back doubles by Gutierrez and Michaels and an RBI single by the Beaded One, Asdrubal Cabrera.

CC Sabathia went 7 strong innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs, striking out 7 and walking only 1, turning in another ace-like performance. CC Sabathia knows how to Beat Michigan. Senor Slow came in and pitched an uncharacteritically tense 8th inning, loading the bases before getting Marcus Thames to fly out to end the rally. Joe Knows Closing pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to send the fans out to get an early start on celebrating happy hour. Jason Michaels got served Leadership Pie.

The Tribe now has the opportunity to clinch at home this weekend without anyone's help by sweeping the Oakland Athletics.

A few words about the Tigers. It strikes me that their window is closing while the Indians' is opening. The Tigers took a risk by signing expensive free agents that priced themselves too high for anyone else (Rodriguez and Ordonez), and it paid off last year. Everything went right for the Tigers last year - their young pitching matured all at once, and all their overpriced veterans stayed healthy and produced.

The problem with depending on overpriced veteran free agents, especially older and/or injury-prone ones is that eventually they do experience a drop in production, and they may not stay healthy. This year, unlike last year, their overpriced veterans did not stay healthy (Kenny Rogers, Gary Sheffield).

Their young pitching also got hurt or was not nearly as effective (Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney both spent significant time on the DL, Jeremy Bonderman spent the last couple months in a funk before being shut down, Nate Robertson was ineffective most of the season, Mike Maroth is now a Cardinal).

Kenny Rogers is finally showing his age, leaving a void at the top of their rotation. Andrew Miller wasn't ready this year - he might be next year. How badly is Bonderman hurt? Was their pitching staff a victim of overuse last year? The Tigers will probably come to regret giving up top pitching prospects for Gary Sheffield, especially if Sheffield continues to miss games at the rate he did this year while their prospects go on to shine for the Yankees.

Pudge Rodriguez is a shell of his former self, both offensively and defensively. Craig Monroe and Marcus Thames had career years last year, and both came crashing to earth, Monroe crashing so hard that he was dealt to the Cubs.

The Tigers have a solid core in Granderson, Verlander, Ordonez and Bonderman. However, they have a lot of questions - is all the hype on Andrew Miller legitimate? Can they find a shortstop that will give them enough offense to allow them to move Carlos Guillen to first base to keep him healthy? Can Ordonez continue to avoid injuries? What do they do with Pudge now that he's lost it? How long can they keep riding Todd Jones at closer, and is Zumaya really ready to close? Can they put together a decent enough bullpen to get games to Rodney/Zumaya/Jones?

It will be a critical off-season for the Motor City Kitties that determines how well they continue to stay in contention.