Indians Can Not Back Up Sabathia

Score: White Sox 4 Indians 1

Turning Point: Losing 2-1 going into the bottom of the eighth, the Indians brought in Jensen Lewis to replace C.C. Sabathia. The young right hander promptly loaded the bases and let the game open up on him.


Analysis: The Indians offense only managed four hits. But the issue is quality at bats. They were few and far between. There were several at bats where Cleveland hitters helped the opposing pitcher by swinging at stuff out of the strike zone. The Indians just look lost at the plate, and it isn’t just certain hitters. It is from top to bottom. The only extra base hit was from David Dellucci. On the mound, Sabathia had a bit of trouble in the first and second innings giving up two solo home runs. But after he settled down, C.C. was electric, but took the loss. What a horrible feeling that must be? Jensen Lewis had his second poor outing in a row in as many appearances.


MVP:C.C. Sabathia
C.C. took another tough luck loss tonight, but he had another solid outing. Sabathia pitched seven innings, giving up the two runs, and he struck out eight batters.


Extras:

- The Indians hitters were 4-30 at the plate. For all the math majors out there that is a .133 clip for the game.

- Jim Thome, who was hitless off of C.C. Sabathia prior to this season, now has three home runs this season, when facing Sabathia.

- The Indians tied their longest losing streak on the season at four games.


Next Up: Game Two of this series is tomorrow night from U.S. Cellular Field. The Indians will pitch Paul Byrd. Byrd, who didn’t allow a run in his last start, is 2-3 with a 3.61 ERA. The White Sox will hand the ball to Javier Vazquez. Vazquez is 4-3 with a 3.53 ERA. This game is scheduled to get under way at 8:11 PM.

Lee Handed First Loss, As Reds Sweep Tribe

Score: Reds 6 Indians 4


Turning Point: With one man on and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Joey Votto hit a pinch hit home run that drove in two, and gave the Reds the six runs they would need for the victory.


Analysis: It was bound to happen. Cliff Lee pitched alright but he had trouble finishing an inning. He gave up six runs, five of which were earned, on ten hits, and he struck out only two batters. The Indians did what they could against Edinson Volquez, getting two runs. They rallied in the seventh to score two runs, but the Reds bullpen has been great this series. In what was a piece meal lineup, the offense wasn’t stellar though. In what seems to be the theme on the season, the Indians squandered early opportunities that may have gotten them rolling and chased Volquez from the game. But as this run drought continues, the big hit continues to elude the Indians. The Reds pitching staff fanned eight Tribe batters this afternoon.


MVP: Michael Aubrey
It was slim pickings for MVP today, but it will go to the newest call up for the Indians. Michael Aubrey got his first MLB hit and it came in the form of the home run. Aubrey was 1-4 today with that solo shot.


Extras:

- Asdrubal Cabrera’s stolen base in the top of the fourth this afternoon was the first of his major league career.

- April may have been kind to David Dellucci at the plate. But May is a different story. In the month of May, Dellucci is 7-47 and only five RBIs. If you are keeping track that is a .148 average and a RBI every 9.4 at bats.

- The Indians hitters struck out a combined twenty seven times of the three game series by the Reds.


Next Up: After an off day tomorrow, the Indians travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago White Sox. This is the first time these teams have met since the opening series of this season. The Indians will send the big man, C.C. Sabathia, to the mound. Sabathia made his contribution to the string of shutout innings last week, when he pitched a complete game shutout against Toronto. C.C. gave up only five hits and struck out eleven batters. Sabathia is 3-5 with a 5.47 ERA. The White Sox will pitch Jose Contreras. Contreras has had two lights out performances in his last two starts. Contreras went seven innings in both game, and he only gave up a run in both. He is 4-3 with a 3.35 ERA. First pitch will be at 8:11 PM from U.S. Cellular Field.

Dunn's Walk Off Crushes Tribe

Score: Reds 4 Indians 2


Turning Point: Masa Kobayashi experienced his first blown save in dramatic fashion. The Japanese reliever let the first two Reds on the base paths in the ninth with no outs. Then Adam Dunn launched a 2-1 offering into orbit to beat the Indians with a three run homer.


Analysis: What a pathetic showing at the plate this afternoon? The Indians had ten hits and managed to score a measly two runs against Cincinnati. The Indians had scoring opportunities all afternoon, and again this offense remains stagnant with runners in scoring position. The Tribe left six men in scoring position and a total of nine men on base. Another fantastic outing by Fausto Carmona was wasted. Carmona was spectacular all afternoon. He went 7 and 1/3 innings, gave up one earned run on four hits, struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.


MVP: Ben Francisco
The Ben Francisco treat has been on fire the past few games. Today he generated the only runs the Indians could muster. He was 3-4 with a home run, and he scored the only runs the Indians scored today.


Extras:

- Michael Aubrey, who was called up after Jeremy Sowers was sent back down to Buffalo, made his major league debut today. He had one plate appearance in which he was 0-1.


Next Up: The Indians will try and avoid the sweep at the hands of the Reds tomorrow afternoon. It will be quite a pitching match up as well. Cliff Lee will get the ball for the Indians. Lee is looking for his seventh win of the season. In his last start, Cliff pitched nine shutout innings, giving up seven hits, and struck out five. Lee is 6-0 on the season with a 0.67 ERA. The Reds will send their hottest pitcher of the season. Edinson Volquez has been awesome, since he was acquired from the Texas Rangers. Volquez is 6-1 with a 1.12 ERA. He is the National League leader in ERA. First pitch is at 1:15 PM tomorrow afternoon from Great American Ball Park.

Indians Can't Muster Much Offense

Score: Reds 4 Indians 3


Turning Point: Jensen Lewis came on to pitch the eighth inning, and loaded the bases with only one out. He, then, walked Adam Dunn to drive in the go ahead run to give Cincinnati the 4-3 lead.


Analysis: The starting pitching was not as sharp tonight for Cleveland, and the struggling offense couldn’t produce anything outside of the sixth inning, when the Indians hit three solo home runs. The very next inning,they had a runner on second with one out and the bases loaded with two outs. Yet the Tribe couldn’t get the big hit to take the lead. The rest of the evening the Indians looked like little leaguers at the plate, swinging at bad pitches and taking good pitches. Jeremy Sowers had another average outing. He struggled early giving up a two run homer and a solo home run in the first and second innings. He would rebound, but Sowers was in trouble most of the night. His only 1-2-3 inning was the fourth. You can’t blame Lewis either. He did walk three batters, but the key hit was a bloop double by Joey Votto. Jorge Julio and Rafael Perez each had worked, and neither gave up a run.


MVP: Casey Blake
Blake was the only Indians to have more than one hit tonight. Blake got the offense rolling in the sixth with his solo shot. Then he had the double in the seventh. Blake was 2-4 with the home run and double. He continues to hit well away from Progressive Field.


Extras:

- The Cincinnati Reds pitching staff struck out a combined twelve batters on the night. Every starter, outside of David Dellucci, struck out at least once.

- Tonight was Travis Hafner’s second career pinch hit home run. The other pinch hit home run also came at Great American Ball Park on July 1, 2006.

- The Indians left four runners in scoring position and had a total of seven men left on base.


Next Up: Game Two of the Battle of Ohio is tomorrow afternoon. The Indians will start Fausto Carmona. Carmona had a tremendous outing in his last start against Toronto. Carmona pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only five hits and striking out three. Carmona has a 4-1 record with a 2.40 ERA. The Reds will counter with their number one starter, Aaron Harang. Harang has not got much run support when on the mound. He is 2-5 with a 3.32 ERA. The matinee will start at 3:55 PM from Great American Ball Park, on the banks of the Ohio River.

Laffey Leads Indians To Sweep Over Athletics

Score: Indians 4 Athletics 2


Turning Point: With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and one out, Masa Kobayashi came into relieve Rafael Betancourt. After a run scoring wild pitch, Kobayashi got Mike Sweeney and Ryan Sweeney to strike out for his second save.


Analysis: Well the sweep is official. The tormented have become the tormentors. The Indians struggled early in the season against Oakland, but they were finally able to get the monkey off their collective backs. Aaron Laffey was lights out again with another stellar outing. The scoreless inning streak is over, but it was his only hiccup all game. The offense was alright again. They scored just enough to win, and that’s about all you can ask for against the AL’s leading pitching staff. The team had eleven strike outs today and eight men left on base.


MVP: Jhonny Peralta
Peralta was a key bat in the line up today. Peralta was 2-3 with a home run and scored three of the Indians four runs. He also had a stolen base.


Extras:

- Ben Francisco had a great day at the plate. He was 3-4 at the dish and he drove in a run in the second inning. His average jumped from .286 to .344 which is a fifty eight point jump.

- Travis Hafner had another productive day at the plate. Hafner was 1-2 with an RBI single in the third, two walks, and a rare stolen base. It looks like he might be emerging from his slump.

- The Indians finished off their home stand at 6-1. The Indians starting pitchers had a 6-0 record over the past two series. The rotations stats are 55 and 1/3 innings pitched, with a 0.16 ERA. The starters struck out forty three batters and only walked eleven.


Next Up: The Indians hit the road to start a three game set in the Queen City. The Indians will send lefty, Jeremy Sowers, out to the hill. This is Sowers second spot start of the season. He last pitched on April 26th against the Yankees. He went 5 and 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and striking out three. Sowers is 0-0 with a 5.06 ERA. The Cincinnati Reds scheduled starter is fire baller, Johnny Cueto. Cueto had a tremendous debut but has struggled since then. Cueto is 2-4 with a 5.91 ERA. The Battle of Ohio kicks off at 7:10 PM from Great American Ball Park.

C.C. K's His Way To Shut Out

Score: Indians 2 Athletics 0


Turning Point: This game was over after Grady Sizemore led off the game with a home run. The way C.C. Sabathia pitched tonight, the Indians only needed one run even though they got two.


Analysis: Sabathia kept the string of outstanding starts going with his first complete game shut out of the 2008 season. He was never really in trouble all night, and only once did Oakland have two men on base at one time. Grady Sizemore led off tonight’s game with a home run. Ryan Garko hit a home run for the second consecutive night, to give the Indians a 2-0 lead. But the story was C.C. tonight. He kept the A’s hitters guessing, by mixing his fastball and change up regularly.


MVP: C.C. Sabathia
Continuing his return to form since a rocky start, Sabathia’s stuff was electric. C.C. went nine shut out innings, giving up only five hits, and striking out eleven batters. He has a 1.49 ERA over his last five starts.


Extras:

- The Indians offense has been saved by its great starting pitching. Grant it, Oakland is leading the league in pitching. But the Indians squandered a bases loaded opportunity in the fifth and left four runners in scoring position tonight.

- Grady Sizemore’s lead off home run is his third of the season and fourteenth of his career. He trails Kenny Lofton, who had eighteen lead off homers during his Indians career, for the most in franchise history.

- Indians starters now have now pitched 43 and 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. The last run a starter gave up was last Friday against Toronto.

- Jhonny Peralta broke out of a 0-15 slump tonight, going 2-4 with two doubles.


Next Up: The Indians look for a sweep tomorrow afternoon, when they take on Oakland again for their final meeting of the 2008 season. South-paw, Aaron Laffey, will take the hill for the Tribe. Laffey will be making his fourth start since being called up from Buffalo. Laffey got his first win of the season last time he pitched. Laffey is 1-2 with a 1.83 ERA. The Athletics will send Greg Smith out to face Cleveland. Smith has not faced Cleveland yet, but he has been a solid starter since he was called up April 10th from Sacramento. Smith is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA. Tomorrow’s matinee kicks off at 12:05 PM from Progressive Field.

Tribe Defense Backs Up Byrd's Beauty

Score: Indians 4 Athletics 0


Turning Point: In the Oakland half of the fifth, Paul Byrd was in a little bit of a jam with runners on first and second and only one out. Byrd was able to get strike out Donnie Murphy, and Victor Martinez threw out Bobby Crosby, who was attempting to steal third base to end the inning.


Analysis: Byrd kept the scoreless inning streak in tact. But he got plenty of help from his friends. The Indians were nursing a 1-0 lead through out most of this game. Grady Sizemore threw out Frank Thomas at home plate in the second inning and had a diving grab in center field later in the game. Asdrubal Cabrera made a diving catch over his shoulder in the eighth. David Dellucci made a leaping grab up against the wall in left field in the third inning. The defense answered the call all night. But that’s not to take anything away from Paul Byrd. Byrd had his best start of the season. At the plate, the offense sputtered most of the evening. After a Travis Hafner RBI single in the first, the Indians only had four more men reach base against Oakland starter, Justin Duchscherer. Ryan Garko finally got to the A’s bullpen, with a three run homer to straight away center field in the eighth.


MVP: Paul Byrd
As stated before on this blog, if the opponent can’t score, they can’t win. Byrd held Oakland in check on giving up five hits, and struck out a season high seven batters in 7 and 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball.


Extras:

- Travis Hafner continues to make strides towards regaining his batting form. He is six for fifteen at the plate during home stand, which is a .400 average. He is also having better at bats. Travis battled out of a 0-2 hole at the plate twice this evening for hits.

- Masa Kobayashi got his first major league save tonight, after pitching 1 and 1/3 innings of shutout ball. He gave up a hit and had a strikeout.

- All of the Indians runs were scored with two outs tonight.


Next Up: Game two of the three game set is tomorrow evening at 7:05 PM from Progressive Field. C.C. Sabathia, who out dueled Toronto ace, Roy Halladay, last start, will get the ball for Cleveland. He has not fared well against Oakland in his career, and looks to change things tomorrow night. Sabathia is 2-5 with a 6.55 ERA. Oakland will start the right handed, Joe Blanton. Blanton has put together three fantastic starts in a row, giving up only six earned runs in 19 and 2/3 innings of work over those starts. Blanton, too, is 2-5 with a 3.82 ERA.

Indians Can't Avoid Split of Twin Bill

Score: Toronto 3 Indians 0


Turning Point: Rafael Betancourt could not hold a scoreless tie in check. After loading the bases with one out, Betancourt gave up a sacrifice fly that made it a 1-0 Blue Jays lead. Next a single from Aaron Hill drove in two more runs to make it 3-0.


Analysis: Cleveland got its own terrific start from Cliff Lee. Lee scattered hits all night, and he had some fantastic defense behind him. In the fifth, Asdrubal Cabrera turned an unassisted triple play to end the inning. Franklin Gutierrez made a gorgeous catch in right field in the ninth with two runners on to preserve the shut out. But the offense never could get it going, only scratching out three hits. Justin Marcum fooled the Indians hitters all night.


MVP: Cliff Lee
Lee now has a new scoreless inning streak at sixteen. He went nine shutout innings tonight, giving up seven hits, and striking out five. Combined with last week’s start against New York, Lee has not given up a run in his past two outings. Lee has only given up four runs in 62 and 2/3 innings this season.


Extras:

- Cabrera’s triple play is the second triple play in less than a year for Cleveland. It was only the fourteenth unassisted triple play turned in Major League Baseball history. It also was the third triple play turned in the history of Cleveland Indians baseball.

- All three of the Indians hits were doubles. Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, and Franklin Gutierrez all had two baggers for Cleveland.

- Both starters combined to pitch eighteen shut out innings of baseball for the Indians. Fausto Carmona pitched a complete game shutout in game one of the doubleheader.


Next Up: The Indians welcome the Oakland Athletics into town, who are tied for the best record in the American League with Boston. Oakland is 4-2 against Cleveland so far this season. The Indians will look to Paul Byrd. Byrd struggled to keep the ball in the park during his last start against the Yankees. Byrd is 1-3 with a 4.28 ERA. The A’s will send Justin Duchscherer to the mound. Duchscherer is 1-0 against the Tribe with a 1.80 ERA this year. He has only allowed three earned runs in his last two starts, since returning from the disabled list. Duchscherer is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA. First pitch is 7:05 PM from Progressive Field.

Cabrera's Homer Backs Up Carmona's Shutout

Score: Indians 3 Blue Jays 0


Turning Point: Carmona was in a little bit of trouble in the third inning with men on first and third base with two outs. But Fausto was able to strike out Aaron Hill to end the inning.


Analysis: Carmona showed everyone how dangerous he can be this afternoon. Couple that with some runs, and he will be unbeatable. David Dellucci got the Tribe on the scoreboard with a run scoring single to take the 1-0 lead. Then, Asdrubal Cabrera put the game out of reach with a two run homer in the Indians half of the seventh inning. It was Cabrera’s first home run of the season. But when your starter doesn’t give up any runs, you don’t have to score a ton of runs to get the victory.


MVP: Fausto Carmona
Carmona was good today. He didn’t strike out a ton of hitters, but he kept the Blue Jays bats off balance all day. He went the full nine innings, gave up five hits, and struck out three. It only took 108 pitches to pitch the complete game.


Extras:

- Each team only had five hits in this game.

- This was Carmona’s third complete game of his career. It was also the second complete game shut out of his career.

- Cabrera’s home run was his first since September 17th of last season.

- Today’s traditional double header is the first at Jacobs Field/Progressive Field since August 13, 1997.


Next Up: Game Two of this double header starts at 7:05. Cliff Lee looks to go 7-0 against Toronto’s Shaun Marcum.

Sizemore, Indians Drill Blue Jays

Score: Indians 12 Blue Jays 0


Turning Point: With a 3-2 count, Grady Sizemore led off the game with a home run to right center. That made the score 1-0 and the rout was on.


Analysis: The Tribe bats broke out of their slump in a big way, even if just for the evening. Sizemore’s lead off home run set the tone for the evening, and when the dust settled, the Indians had scored twelve times on twelve hits. But the domination didn’t stop there. Aaron Laffey had another tremendous outing. He pitched seven shutout innings giving up six hits and striking out a pair of Jays. He finally got his first victory of the season after the Indians offense backed up his pitching performance.


MVP: Grady Sizemore
Hopefully this is a sign that Grady has broken out of his mini-slump. Sizemore was 3-5 with two home runs, a double, and five runs driven in. He raised his batting average eighteen points at the plate tonight from .264 to .282.


Extras:

- Sizemore wasn’t the only Indian producing runs either. Both Asdrubal Cabrera and Victor Martinez had multi-hit and multi-RBI games. Cabrera, who has been stagnant at the plate recently, went 2-4 with two RBIs. Victor was also 2-4, and he drove in three Indians.

- Cleveland only left four men on base in this game.

- Tonight was the second night in a row where the Indians had a six run inning. Last night they scored six in the seventh, and tonight tagged Dustin McGowan for six in the first inning.

- Eight of the twelve runs scored by the Tribe came with two outs.


Next Up: The Indians will go for the series win tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 PM from Progressive Field. Although tonight’s pitching match up fizzled, tomorrow afternoon could be another good one. Fausto Carmona will take the mound for Cleveland. He had a short outing last time out in New York. He only went five innings, giving up three runs on six hits, and two strikeouts. Again walks haunted Carmona. Carmona is 3-1 with a 2.95 ERA. Former Florida Marlin, A.J. Burnett, will give it a go for Toronto. Burnett struggled out of the gate this season, but he has really had pretty solid starts since mid-April. Burnett is 3-3 with a 5.19 ERA.

Sabathia Tames Toronto

Score: Indians 6 Blue Jays 1


Turning Point: With the bases loaded in the Tribe half of the seventh, Casey Blake came to the plate. Casey drove a ball that hit off the top of the left field wall for a two run double. That would start a barrage of scoring, and send Cleveland on the way to a win.


Analysis: C.C. pitched another gem tonight. He was finally able to get the run support he needed to out duel an opposing ace. As mentioned above, the Indians were finally able to get the Roy Halladay in the seventh inning. Blake started the rally and at the end of the inning it was 6-1 in favor of the Tribe. The offensive output seems to be taking baby steps in the right direction. The team had nine hits and they scored six runs. They still left eight men on base, but at least men are getting on again, which wasn’t happening a week ago.


MVP: C.C. Sabathia
Tip your cap to the reigning Cy Young winner. He was lights out for seven innings. His pitching line was seven innings of work, six hits, one run allowed, and nine strikeouts. It doesn’t get much better than that.


Extras:

- Ben Francisco might be the hottest hitting Indian right now. His two run pinch hit double in the seventh put this game out of reach. He is now 5-12 since being called up with two doubles and two RBIs.

- Travis Hafner had a good night at the plate, which is good news for the struggling lineup. But the better sign was Hafner’s hits were to the opposite field. His single in the seventh started the rally for the Indians, and his double down the left field line in the bottom of the fifth was smoked. He was 2-3 with a double and a run scored.

- The win over Halladay is the first time the Indians have beaten the Blue Jay ace. Cleveland had never beaten him until this evening.

- Casey Blake continues to be the clutch hitter for Cleveland. Blake is hitting a whopping .424 with runners in scoring position.


Next Up: Game two of this series is tomorrow night. Another great pitching match up is on tap. Aaron Laffey, who has been great in his first two starts, will take the hill for Cleveland. Laffey took a tough loss after giving up an unearned run to Kansas City. He went seven innings, gave up only four hits, and struck out five. He is 0-2 with a 2.84 ERA. The task doesn’t get any easier tomorrow night for the Indians offense. Right hander, Dustin McGowan, will start for Toronto. McGowan’s last start was phenomenal. He didn’t allow a run to the White Sox in 7 and 1/3 innings. He struck out six and only allowed four hits. McGowan is 2-2 with a 2.95 ERA. The first toss of the evening is at 7:05 PM from the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

Long Ball Beats Byrd, Tribe

Score: Yankee 6 Indians 3


Turning Point: With two outs and Robinson Cano on third, Johnny Damon doubled to left field to score the go ahead run, and that put the Yankees on their way to victory.


Analysis: Left handed hitters killed Paul Byrd today. All five runs Byrd gave up were driven in by left handed hitters. Also the three home runs given up by Byrd were to left handed hitters. When he got into jams, the left handed bats made Paul Byrd pay. Offensively the Indians had a piece meal lineup that faced Mike Mussina today. After stalling though out the first four innings, the Tribe bats finally got it going against Mussina in the fifth, tagging him for three runs and tying the game. But Byrd couldn’t hold the lead, and the Yankees were able to tag him for two more runs. Masa Kobayashi gave up a solo shot to Wilson Betemit for the sixth Yankee run. Jorge Julio pitched a scoreless inning in the eighth.


MVP: Casey Blake
Had it not been for Casey, the Indians would probably have been shut out in this game. Blake doubled off the right field wall to score the first two runs of the game for Cleveland. Blake, who is struggling to hit at home, continued his good road hitting and hitting with runners in scoring position. Overall, Blake was 1-3 with the two RBIs.


Extras:

- Eric Wedge elected to sit both Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner today. Martinez is still ailing from a sore neck. With poor numbers historically against Mussina, Wedge gave Victor an extra day to rest the ailing neck. Hafner was given what Wedge likes to call a “mental health” day. Hafner continues to remain ice cold at the plate. Travis has sat out the last three out of seven games.

- Ben Francisco has now hit in every game since his call up on Tuesday. Francisco finished the Yankee series 4-11 with a double.

- The Indians, who were 0-6 against New York last season, finish their season series with a record of 4-3. This was only the Indians fourth series victory out of twelve series played on the season. It was also the Indians last game in the current version of Yankee Stadium.

- Jason Giambi now has six home runs on the season. Three of those home runs have now come off of Paul Byrd.


Next Up: The Tribe returns home tomorrow night to take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Another pitcher’s duel could be in store tomorrow night when these two teams meet for a four game series. The Indians hand the ball to the resurgent, C.C. Sabathia. C.C. had a mediocre outing against Kansas City last time out. Sabathia is 1-5 with a 7.51 ERA. Toronto will start their ace, Roy Halladay. Halladay has been victim a slumping offense in his starts, much like Sabathia. He is 3-4 with a 3.00 ERA. The game’s first toss will be at 7:05 PM tomorrow evening from beautiful Progressive Field.

Lee's Dominance, Timely Hitting Tops Yankees

Score: Indians 3 Yankees 0


Turning Point: With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Cliff Lee allowed an infield single and then a double to put runners on second and third with two outs. Hideki Matsui, who is in the midst of a fifteen game hitting streak, came to the plate. Lee was able to get Matsui in a 1-2 count, and then struck out the player known as “Godzilla”, on a great curve ball. That kept the Yankees scoreless.


Analysis: It doesn’t matter how bad your offense is if your starter doesn’t give up any runs. What more can you say about Cliff Lee that hasn’t been said? This was quite possibly Cliff’s best start all season long. This was the best lineup he has faced so far, and he managed to out duel Chien-Ming Wang, who many consider the other hottest pitcher in baseball next to Lee. The Indians offense had another good night. They got some production from Casey Blake, Jhonny Peralta, and Andy Marte. They had runners on base all night against Wang. Grant it they only managed three runs, but considering the last time this team faced Wang, he threw a four hit shut out against them, the Tribe will take it. Cliff Lee gave up six hits, no runs, and struck out seven in seven innings of work. Rafael Perez was stellar pitching a scoreless eighth. Betancourt pitched his second consecutive 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.


MVP: Cliff Lee
As mentioned above, Lee continued his hot start with another shutout performance. Keep this in mind, Lee has only given up four runs in his six starts, and he has struck out thirty nine in those six starts. His ERA dropped from 0.96 to 0.81 tonight.


Extras:

- The only bad news was Victor Martinez’s hitting streak ended this evening. He had hit in fifteen straight games. Martinez also got the start at DH. His stiff neck did not allow him to catch for the second consecutive game. However he did have an RBI in the first inning on a sacrifice fly.

- Casey Blake kept up his hot hitting on the road. Yes you read that right. Blake came into tonight’s game hitting .343 on the road. Blake is hitting a minuscule .119 at Progressive Field. Blake was 1-3 with a big two out RBI in the fourth inning.

- Ben Francisco had another productive night. This time he started in right field. Ben was 2-4 to raise his average to .357.

- It would be wise that the Indians don’t try to steal a base on Yankees catcher, Jose Molina anymore. Molina has thrown out the runner on every steal attempt in the first two games of the series. Ben Francisco was thrown out last night and tonight attempting to steal. Grady Sizemore was gunned down by Molina trying to steal third. Molina has thrown out a staggering thirty one percent of base stealers.


Next Up: Get out the brooms Tribe fans. The Indians go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon, as Cleveland finishes their short road trip against the Yankees. The Tribe starts veteran hurler, Paul Byrd. After giving up nine runs in his first two starts, Byrd has only given up five in his past four starts. Byrd did work 5 and 2/3 innings against New York on 4/25. He gave up four runs on six hits, but did get the win. He is 1-2 with a 3.74 ERA. Mike Mussina will take the mound for the Yanks. The “Moose” is on a three game winning streak, and one of those wins came against Cleveland. Mussina is 4-3 with a 4.23 ERA. First pitch is at 1:05 PM in what will be the Indians final game in historic Yankee Stadium.

Dellucci's Homer Dooms Yanks

Score: Indians 5 Yankees 3


Turning Point: After walking Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta, the Indians elected to pinch hit for Franklin Gutierrez with David Dellucci with two outs in the eighth inning. Dellucci responded by taking a Joba Chamberlain fastball to the short porch in left field. That would give the Indians the lead, and send them on the way to a win.


Analysis: The lineup isn’t cured, but the team to a big step in the right direction tonight. The key is to stay on this path. The Tribe bats finally got key hits with runners on. Grant it, both were big flies, but they were hits the Indians have not seen since last Wednesday, when they downed Seattle 8-3. Fausto Carmona struggled early, but he settled into a little bit of a groove. He had some great defense back him up too. In the fourth inning, after Carmona had already given up two runs and runners on first and second, Grady Sizemore made a spectacular catch in the left center field gap to rob Johnny Damon of a hit. Then, Franklin Gutierrez threw out Bobby Abreu at third base in a crucial fifth inning. If Abreu makes it to third, he would’ve scored another Yankee run. Rafael Perez was electric tonight. Perez, who got the victory, pitched two scoreless innings giving up one hit, a walk, and striking out three. Jensen Lewis pitched the eighth and shut down the Yankees. Rafael Betancourt worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his third save.


MVP: David Dellucci
It was beginning to look like another tough luck loss for Fausto Carmona, until David Dellucci came to the rescue with his three run pinch hit home run. It was the tenth pinch hit home run of Dellucci’s career, which ties him for third among active players.


Extras:

- The Indians didn’t hit the cover off the ball, and they were still out hit by the Yankees. But they started producing with runners on base. The team appeared more patient at the plate tonight, trying to work their way into hitter’s counts. Now the trend needs to continue.

- Victor Martinez, arguably the clubs best hitter right now, was sidelined tonight. Martinez sat out with a stiff neck. He is listed as day to day,

- Dellucci’s blast off Joba Chamberlain was the first runs Chamberlain has given up since April 24th, when he took a loss to the Chicago White Sox. His ERA ballooned from 1.48 to 3.38 tonight.

- Ben Francisco, who was recently called up to spark the Indians offense, did get the start in left field tonight. He went 1-4 with a strike out.


Next Up: Fans are in store for a pitcher’s duel tomorrow night, as two of the American League’s hottest pitchers square off at 7:05 in the “House that Ruth Built.” Cliff Lee, the reigning AL Pitcher of the Month, will look to build on his hot start against the Pinstripes. Lee is 5-0 with a 0.96 ERA. The Bombers will hand the ball over to Chien-Ming Wang. Folks might remember the last time Wang faced the Indians he shut them down for seven innings, in a 1-0 Yankee win. Wang is 6-0 with a 3.00 ERA. In his last three starts, Wang has only given up a total of four runs.

Pressing the Panic Button

The Indians front office had to do something. One thing is clear at this point. It can't keep going this way. The Indians offense has been anything but spectacular this season. So Monday, general manager, Mark Shapiro, made a move to try and stimulate the Indians. Jason Michaels is out, and Ben Francisco is in.

Jason Michaels isn't to blame. He has never been the main cog in the lineup. He just happened to be the worst hitting outfielder at this point, and there is a young stud that plays the position. The Indians have struggled as of late. Again the run production has been feast or famine. Just when you think the bats are about to break out of it, the line up falls back into the same old lull.

Shapiro acknowledged that this one move won’t solve everything. Putting Francisco in lineup is putting a sandbag up to stop a flood. Shapiro seems to think that the answer lies within. I’m not so sure. I think it’s time for a changing of the guard at hitting coach.

Derek Shelton has had ample opportunity to prove his worth. Let’s not forget that Eddie Murray was ousted after such a drought by the Indians lineup in 2005. That is when Derek Shelton took the reigns. But since the ’06 season, Shelton-taught lineups have been anything but consistent.

In 2007 the team saw a dramatic drop off from Travis Hafner. His home run total and average were far below his previous seasons. The hitting coach could never figure out exactly what Hafner was doing wrong. 2006 saw a dramatic drop off from Jhonny Peralta. Again, Shelton never got Peralta turned around. Last season the Indians had only one hitter that batted over .300 for the whole season.

This season shows more of the same underachievement at the plate. Currently the Indians have eight players batting under the .250 mark. Six of those eight hitters aren’t even hitting .225. Four of those hitters have twenty or more strike outs. The Indians have had fifteen games where they scored three runs or less. They are 2-13 in those games.

It’s understandable that teams go through hard times at the plate. But this is becoming more of a trend then an isolated incident. This lineup on paper should be one of the most feared lineups in the game. But that is not the case. And let’s not forget the slump this lineup was in through most of May and June last season.

So what is the answer? Michaels is the scape-goat for now, but if the this slump continues, it’s time to find a new hitting coach. Firing Shelton may do the trick. There is no way this team will win the division the way they are hitting now. Maybe this team needs a fresh set of eyes to diagnose the troubles of the Tribe bats.

Indians Get Royal Flush

Score: Royals 2 Indians 0


Turning Point: Casey Blake’s throwing error in the fifth inning allowed an unearned run to score. With the way Gil Meche was pitching, that was all the Royals needed.


Analysis: More squandered opportunities and another wasted good start by a starting pitcher. Aaron Laffey became the victim of a poor showing by the Indians offense for the second time in a little under a week. Laffey had a no hitter going into the sixth inning against New York last week and lost. Then today he had an unearned run score and the offense wasted his seven inning gem. Rafael Betancourt gave up a moon shot to left field, as he continues to struggle this season, which was the Royals insurance run. The Indians managed a measly four hits, and looked downright baffled at the plate all afternoon. The lineup was a combined 4-30 at the plate with four strikeouts. This is the second consecutive Sunday the Indians have not scored a run in a loss.

MVP: Ryan Garko
It’s sad that one guy had half of the team’s hits today, but that was the case. Ryan Garko was 2-3 today.


Extras:

- The only good news this afternoon was that Victor Martinez extended his hitting streak to fifteen games with a single in the bottom of the fourth.

- The Indians finish the home stand at 4-5 and the team averaged only three runs per game.

- The bottom five of the lineup is hitting a combined .212 on the season. They were a combined 2-15 this afternoon, with Garko getting both hits.


Next Up: After an off day Monday, the Tribe will take their anemic offense on a short road trip to the Big Apple for a three game set against the Yankees. The two teams battled to split a four game series last week. The Indians will send Fausto Carmona to the hill Tuesday night. Carmona is 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA. The Pinstripes will have lefty, Andy Pettite, start. Pettite is 3-3 with a 3.93 ERA. First pitch is 7:05 PM from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

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.

April Report Card

The 2008 Major League Baseball season is officially a month old, and here is a report card as to how our Cleveland Indians are doing.


Starting Rotation: B

The rotation has been relatively strong to this point. The big story, of course, is the resurgent, Cliff Lee. Lee has gotten off to a 5-0 start, which leads the majors. He also leads in ERA as well. C.C. Sabathia started off rocky, but seems to have settled down into his old form. Paul Byrd also struggled out of the gate, but he, much like C.C., has settled into a groove. Jake Westbrook was on a roll until he went to the disabled list, and although erratic at times, Fausto Carmona continues to pitch rather well. Even the two spot starters, Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers, pitched well against the Yankees.


Lineup: D+

If there has been a disappointment so far, it has definitely been the lack of offensive production. A team that is supposed to have one of the most feared lineups in the game is ranked twenty second out of thirty teams in batting average, nineteenth out of thirty is home runs, and fourteenth out of thirty in runs. Guys like Travis Hafner, Ryan Garko, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Jhonny Peralta, who are main cogs in the offense, have struggled during the first month of this season. Victor Martinez is the most consistent bat in the lineup. Grady Sizemore has been decent, but he lacks consistency.


Bullpen: C-

The bullpen has lacked consistent performances. The bullpen went through some trials early in the season, when Joe Borowski blew two save chances in grand fashion. This prompted JoeBo to head to the disabled list with a strained tricep. Rafael Betancourt has been the fill in closer, and he has been mediocre at best. Jensen Lewis and Rafael Perez have struggled to put together successful back to back outings. The most promising pitcher out of the pen has been newcomer, Masa Kobayashi. The Japanese import has been dominant in his outings, and he has two wins under his belt.


Coaching: B-

Some might think this grade is a bit high, but when Eric Wedge has stepped in, things have happened. His pre-game speech resulted in an 11-1 rout of the Tigers on April 17th. Two nights ago, his lineup adjustments brought on eight runs and eleven hits. However the lineup’s futility continues to call for a new hitting coach. Wedge has had a hard time finding a good coach since he took the job in 2003. Shelton guided lineups have underachieved in 2006 and at times in 2007. That trend has continues into this year. Pitching coach, Carl Willis, earned his paycheck by being able to get Sabathia to settle into his old form.

Overall: C

For all the lofty expectations, the Indians have not performed up to there abilities. But for weathering an offensive slump and a rocky start for their staff ace, Cleveland is sitting pretty well. At the end of last night’s game, the Indians sat only 1 and ½ games behind the first place, Chicago White Sox. The Tribe needs to have more consistent approaches at the plate, and the bullpen needs to buckle down. But despite the poor start, the Indians are in the thick of the hunt.

Cabrera's Single Saves Tribe

Score: Indians 3 Mariners 2


Turning Point: The Tribe loaded the bases in the bottom of the eleventh, and with two outs, Asdrubal Cabrera drove a sinker into right field to drive in the winning run.


Analysis: The Indians offense continues to sputter and the bullpen hasn’t done much better, but the Tribe somehow got the “W.” As heartbreaking as a no decision is for Paul Byrd, he will take the team victory. He pitched 7 and 2/3 of shutout baseball, only to have it go all for naught. Betancourt couldn’t hold the lead in the ninth, and Masa Kobayashi, who has been lights out this season, gave up a home run in the top of the tenth inning, but he held the M’s in check in the eleventh. The Indians had the bases loaded with one out in the tenth, and Grady Sizemore drove in the tying run with to re-tie the game at 2-2. Then in their half, the Indians reloaded the bases with one out, and finally Asdrubal Cabrera got a base hit to win it.


MVP: Paul Byrd
Give it to Byrd. He deserved this one for sure, but the bullpen couldn’t do their part to hold the lead. Byrd threw a masterpiece. He pitched the 7 and 2/3 innings, stuck out four, and he shut out the Mariners. His ERA dropped from 4.85 to 3.74 during tonight’s start.


Extras:

- Travis Hafner had a good night in his new line up spot. Hafner was 2-4 with the two doubles and a RBI.

- Ironically four of the Indians eight hits were doubles. Hafner hit the two, and Blake and Martinez each hit a two bagger tonight, as well.

- Ryan Garko had a good night. He went 2-4 in the ballgame. Garko was mired in a 0-24 slump.

- Asdrubal Cabrera’s single in the eleventh was the first hit of the home stand with the bases loaded. The team is just 1-8 with the bases loaded so far.

- Victor Martinez threw out two base runners attempting to steal second tonight.


Next Up: The Indians welcome the Kansas City Royals to Progressive Field on Friday night. The Royals were swept a little over a week ago by the Tribe, and the Indians are looking for more of the same. The Indians will start the resurgent, CC Sabathia, who took a tough loss in his last start against New York. CC has only allowed one run in his last fourteen innings pitched. Sabathia is 1-4 with a 7.88 ERA. The Royals will start rookie, Luke Hochevar. Hochevar has a 11.57 ERA on the road, and for the season he is 1-1 with a 5.91 ERA. First pitch is 7:05 PM.