Sabathia Can't Hold Off Royals

Score: Royals 4 Indians 2


Turning Point: With a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning, Masa Kobayashi faced Billy Butler with two outs and runners and first and third. With a 1-2 count, Butler singled up the middle to give the Royals a 3-2 lead.


Analysis: C.C. Sabathia did not have his best stuff tonight, but he was able to stymie Kansas City through six innings. But finally the Royals were able to break through. But you can’t blame C.C. He has been a victim of poor run support so far. Again the Indians let a young pitcher look like an all star. Luke Hochevar only gave up three hits all night, and the lineup looked futile in their efforts at the plate. What is going to take for the lineup to take a consistent approach at the plate? Some nights it seems as though the team is putting it together. At others, it seems as though they have never seen major league pitching. Overall the line up was 4-29 which rounds out to a paltry .137 average. The sad thing was this team was only a half game out of first heading into tonight’s game. With a win, the Indians could have seized a share of first place over the White Sox. Instead they fall to a game and half behind now division leading Minnesota.


MVP: David Dellucci
Dellucci had half of the team’s hits and scored half of the team’s runs in this game. Dellucci was 2-4 and the only other Indian to make it to third base besides Grady Sizemore.


Extras:

- The Indians have scored a total of three runs and have only eight hits in C.C. Sabathia’s past two starts. C.C. fell to 1-5 tonight.

- Hitters five through nine went a combined 0-14 with six strikeouts tonight at the dish.

- On a good note, Cliff Lee was named the American League’s pitcher of the month for April.


Next Up: The Indians will finish this rain shortened series with the Royals tomorrow afternoon. The Tribe will start rookie, Aaron Laffey, who won the empty rotation spot vacated by the injured Jake Westbrook. Laffey is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA. The Royals will send out Gil Meche, who was roughed up the last time he faced Cleveland. Meche is 1-4 with a 7.22 ERA. First pitch is at 1:05 PM from Progressive Field.