Series Rewind: Indians-Royals

The Tribe dropped their third series in a row, losing the first two of three to division rival Kansas City. Fausto Carmona started off very rough giving up three runs in the bottom of the first. He rebounded from there to give up only one run the next four innings but that’s where the Indians’ trouble for the first half of the season lie.

Their starting pitcher only went five innings, taxing an already frail bullpen. Carmona tossed 106 pitches in just five innings and was pulled. In this game Rafael Betancourt and Masa Kobayashi were able to hurl three combined innings of scoreless baseball to keep the Tribe in the game. Unfortunately, it was the Indians’ offense that kept them out of it.

Royals’ starter Zack Greinke was good but not great, needing 104 pitches to get through five innings himself. The Indians helped his out by going 4-13 with RISP, with most of those hits in the ninth inning, and starting 12 men on base. Once again failure to get the clutch hit doomed the Tribe.

In game two, the Indians’ bats came up empty again. Tribe starter Carl Pavano improve on his opening performance of 1 IP, 9 ER with a six inning effort in which he yielded four ER. His only real fault was allowing two runs in the bottom of the fifth after the Tribe had tied the game at two in the top of the inning.

The Indians’ bullpen could not jeep the Tribe in this game as after Rafael Perez came on in the 7th inning with a 4-3 deficit. He looked shaky in that inning but manager Eric Wedge sent him out in the 8th and the game derailed. Perez promptly game up a run to widen the gap to 5-3. He then loaded the bases with one out when Wedge finally pulled the plug and called on Vinnie Chulk, who promptly game up a grand slam to Kansas City catcher John Buck. 9-3. Ballgame Royals.

The Indians’ managed to avoid the sweep with a 5-4 victory on Wednesday. Recently promoted Aaron Laffey was solid in his 2009 debut giving up only 2 ER in 5 1/3 innings. He had a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth but a fielding gaffe by Shin-Soo Choo put runners on second and third instead of first and third.

By overthrowing the cut-off man Choo turned a ground ball double play into a run scoring out and allowed the runner on second to eventually score and tie the game at two. He did redeem himself later in the game, nailing Mark Teahan at second but when a team is scuffling, things like hitting the cut-off man are magnified ten fold.

The Indians broke through for three runs in the 7th to take a 5-2 lead but another managerial head scratcher by Wedge almost cost them the game again. Jensen Lewis worked out of a jamb in the bottom of the sixth, getting the final out of the inning. He then worked a sketchy seventh inning, giving up a run to make the score 5-3.

For the bottom of the eighth, Wedge sent Lewis back into the game after struggling to get through the seventh. Just as he did the night before, sending a struggling Perez back in for a second inning. However, this was Lewis’ third inning he was pitching in which is odd for any reliever who in not the long man or mop up guy. Teahan drilled his single that Choo threw him out at second at and Mike Jacobs immediately followed with a home run to make it 5-4. If SHOULD have been 5-5 if Teahan had not gotten greedy, but thanks to Choo redeeming himself it was only 5-4.

Cue Rafael Betancourt v.2007 for 2/3 of a hitless inning and Kerry Wood for a seven pitch, perfect, 1-2-3 ninth for the save and the Indians hung on to win 5-4 and move to a putrid 2-7 for 2009. It’s nice to have a legit, flame throwing closer. It may make the ninth inning anti-climactic but it’s a nice change of pace.

So the Indians shuffle off to New York for a four game series with the Yankees to christen New Yankee Stadium. The only way the Tribe is going to get back into the swing of things is to start winning series. Three out of four would be ideal but is going to be tough even with the Yankees starting slow.

Series Review: Blue Jays-Indians

Well at least they won one. The Tribe dropped the first two in almost the same fashion they dropped all three to the Rangers to open the season. They got behind early thanks to poor starting pitching and then failed to come through with the clutch hit with runners in scoring position. The ugly numbers:

Game 1 - 1-5 RISP, 11 K, 8 LOB, 1 DP
Game 2 - 1-9 RISP, 9 K, 8 LOB, 2 DP
Game 3 - 2-7 RISP, 11K, 11 LOB, 1 DP
Totals - 4-21 RISP (.190), 31 K, 21 LOB, 4 DP

The strikeouts totals are maddening. The Tribe striking out over 10 times a game is just a killer. Teams are going to make outs but when a third of those outs are completely unproductive it makes it very difficult to win.

Not that advancing runners into scoring position would have mattered with the prestine .190 average with RISP. Add into in that your first two hitters Grady Sizemore (10 K in 25 AB for the season) and Mark DeRosa (11 in 26) are your main culprits it means the table isn't getting set as much as you need either.

Victor Martinez looks to be back to a hitting machine and Travis Hafner is actually showing signs of life despite still look a bit slow on his swing. Shin-soo Choo has started to rake and Rayn Garko has been an OBP machine. If the Tribe can cut down on the strikeouts and improve in the clutch this team will score a boatload of runs in 2009.

The starting pitching remains horrid. Scott Lewis landed himself on the DL with elbow soreness that he has had the last few starts of spring but never said anything about. Aaron Laffey will start in his place on Wednesday.

Cliff Lee had another poor outing giving up four runs in five innings pitched. He did rebound in the last two innings of the start by working out of jams for the first time in a while but had already worked his pitch count over 100.

Anthony Reyes was the first Tribe starter to last over five innings going six strong on Sunday. He gave up four runs but three came after Shin-soo Choo lost a ball in the sun in right field. Still he put the Indians in position to win and beat out the Washington Nationals for last remaining win less team... phew!

The bullpen was very bipolar as Vinnie Chulk looked decent in his Tribe debut and Jensen Lewis bailed the Tribe out of a mess on Sunday to help secure the victory. And what can you say about Kerry Wood? An Indians closer blowing away the side, all via strikeout, in the 9th inning was a sight for sore eyes.

On the other end of the spectrum Rafael Perez now sports a 14.73 ERA with three walks and no strikeouts. Joe Smith and Masa Kobayashi continue to walk opposing batters at an alarming rate and Rafael Betancourt has been so-so at beast in his appearances.

But hey they finally won one, and even at 1-5, only sit 2.5 games behind the 4-3 Detroit Tigers. A seven game road trip to Kansas City and having the honor of opening up New Yankee Stadium await them this week. Anything less than a 4-3 trip may leave them in an April hole that they are all too familiar with under Eric Wedge.

Series Rewind: Indians-Rangers

The Texas Rangers wiped the floor with the Indians in Arlington, Texas to kick off 2009. Three games, three losses for the Erie Warriors: 9-1, 8-5 and 12-8. Yup, that’s 9.7 runs/game allowed. Easy to do when your starters rattle off the following gems:

Cliff Lee: 5 IP, 10 H, 7 R/ER, 1 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 5K, 12.60 ERA
Fausto Carmona: 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R/ER, 1 HR, 1 HBP, 2 BB, 4 K, 10.80 ERA
Carl Pavano: 1 IP, 6 H, 9 R/ER, 2 HR, 0 HBP, 3 BB, 1 K, 81.00 ERA

With 22 earned runs in 11 innings that is a cumulative 18.00 ERA by the starting staff. It’s tough to win when you are behind by 6 or more runs after three innings gentlemen, and I use that term loosely. Scott Lewis the bar has been set low for the home opener, my friend, god speed.

The offense slowly got itself together after looking putrid versus Kevin Millwood on Monday. The actually had a few extra base hits on Wednesday before jacking five homeruns on Thursday. It is difficult, however, to win a game when you are playing catch up after just a few innings.

A few feathers for some caps and some guys who need to be scalped.

FEATHERS IN THEIR CAP
· Masa Kobayahi – 2 Scoreless IP, 1 H, 1 BB in 2 appearances. No alternative lifestyle adult movie appearances. I don’t know which was more unlikely.
· Joe Smith – An easy scoreless inning of relief. Nice Tribe debut.
· Zach Jackson – Showing why he won the long relief spot in the pen.
· Victor Martinez – 5-12 with a long HR. Power slowly coming back but still a hitter.
· Travis Hafner – You hit the ball fair over the wall on a fly. It’s a start I guess.
· Trevor Crowe – Looked smooth in RF despite taking an 0-5 collar at the plate.
· Grady Sizemore – Two 2-R HR on Thursday. Three of his four this in the series were XBH.
· Asdrubal Cabrera – 2-2, 2 BB, 2 R, 1 RBUI on Thursday after looking overmatched the first two games.

SCALP ‘EM
· Starting pitching – See above. Special recognition for Carl Pavano for getting the Tribe down 5-0 after 14 pitches. FOURTEEN F’N PITCHES!!!
· Hitting with RISP – 1-4 on Monday. 1-16 on Wednesday. 1-5 on Thursday. That’s 3-25 overall. A sparkling .120 clip. Not good.
· Grady Sizemore – He led of each game with a strikeout. Table setting 101 says this is poor form. Six Ks in 14 ABs is also way too high.
· Jensen Lewis, Rafael Perez, Rafael Betancourt – You all pitched pretty well but you all gave up a home run in one of your appearances. Shame!
· Kerry Wood – Struck out the side but looked shaky giving up 2 hits, a walk and a run.
· Mark DeRosa – 0-12 collar for the series with 5 Ks. No a good debut. Hopefully the friendly confines of Progressive Field lead you to many hits.
· Travis Hafner – He still looks over matched to me despite the HR.

The Indians return home to Progressive Field for a 3 game set with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Tribe is 0-3, 2 GB Kansas City in the AL Central. Toronto is 3-1 and leads the AL East by ½ game over Baltimore and Tampa Bay.

A bad start for the Indians but keep this in mind… the last time the Tribe started 0-3 was 1996 and they won the AL Central that season.

Texas Baseball Masacre

Well the only way to go is up. The Tribe got rolled by the Texas Rangers 9-1 getting outplayed in all aspects of the game. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee came off a brutal spring with an even worse opening day performance: 5 IP, 10 H, 6 R/ER, 1 monster HR to Hank Blaylock.

He got hit in his pitching arm in the 2nd and promptly gave up 4 runs with two outs for a 4-0 Texas lead. He went unscathed in the 3rd and 4th before Blaylock's jack in the 7th. He couldn't spot his fastball and most of his stuff was up in the the zone and against the potent Rangers, that is a recipe for disaster.

Cliff Lee's worst game last year was at Texas where he gave up 6 runs in 5 innings. He had a 6.17 ERA versus Texas last year. He had a 6.42 lifetime ERA versus Texas coming into today's game and it just went up. He historically struggles versus Texas. But let's see how he does on Saturday versus Doc Halladay and the Blue Jays before going ballistic.

I was more disappointed in the Indians managing only 5 hits and a walk versus the Rangers. Kevin Millwood was brilliant but other than a Shin-soo Choo liner in the 7th none of them were hard shots. I expect nothing from Travis Hafner until I see something that looks like Travis Hafner and a slap hit to left is not Travis Hafner.

He got into a number of 0-2 counts and those rarely turn out well. He did battle but produced an easy, inning ending double play with runners on first and third in the 3rd. I will say he actually looks a bit athletic after his weight loss. He scored the only run on a wild pitch that I don't think he scores on at his previous weight. But the Indians need the Pronk version of Travis Hafner not the slap-hitting version.

One game but a crappy one at that. Fausto Carmona looks to rebound from an awful, injuried plagued 2008 on Wednesday. New day, new ballgame. Go Tribe.

Tribe Looks to Rebound in '09

The Cleveland Indians stumbled to a disappointing 81-81 record in 2008 after an ALCS appearance in 2007. Injuries on offense decimated the Tribe in the first half of 2008 and forced the trade of veterans CC Sabathia and Casey Blake for prospects. The Indians’ 2008 bullpen rivaled their infamous “Bullpen from Hell” of the 1980’s as they did everything in their power to torture Tribe fans on a nightly basis.

But as the Cleveland Indians’ 2009 campaign gets sets to begin there is cause for optimism along the shores of Lake Erie. Despite those injuries on offense the Indians scored the seventh most runs in MLB with 805 and led all of MLB with 379 runs in the second half.

The offense should be as good, if not better, than last year with a healthy Victor Martinez, the heart and soul of the ball club. Infielders Ryan Garko and Asdrubal Cabrera came into Spring Training in shape and focused. Shortshtop Jhonny Peralta looks to build off of a 40 double, 20 homerun season while Grady Sizemore looks for an encore to a 30 homerun, 30 steal campaign.

The wild card is DH Travis Hafner. Can he return to his 2004 to 2006 form where he averaged 34 homers, 38 doubles, 111 RBI and hit well over .300? A nagging shoulder injury led to a substandard 2007 and a disastrous 2008 that saw Hafner hit .197 with little or no power. If he even returns to 75% of his previous form the Indians’ offense could be one of the elite in 2009.

General Manager Mark Shapiro was aggressive in the off-season in addressing the Tribe’s much maligned bullpen. Shapiro inked bona fide closer Kerry Wood to provide stability to the Indians’ weak link in 2008. Submarine reliever Joe Smith was also acquired via a three team trade to help provide an established hierarchy in the bullpen.

With Wood penciled in for the ninth inning it allows Rafael Perez, Jensen Lewis and Smith settle into their set-up roles in the 7th and 8th innings. Rafael Betancourt could work his way back into the back end of the bullpen after a horrendous 2008. After a dominant 2007 Betancourt was lit up for 11 homeruns and a 5.07 ERA in 2008. The Indians also have a wave of arms waiting in the minor leagues in case of injury or performance issues.

The starting pitching, which has been the stalwart of the Indians during the past few years, is now the main cause for concern. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee is coming off a 22-3 season with a sterling 2.54 ERA. That may me too much to expect in 2009 but you could put Lee down for 15-16 a year prior to his poor 2007.

But after Lee there are a bunch of question marks. Is the real Fausto Carmona the 19 game winner of 2007 of the wild throwing, emotional wreck of 2008? Having Martinez back behind the plate for his starts may prove to be the calming influence he needs. Carmona responded by having an excellent spring.

Carl Pavano, Scott Lewis and Anthony Reyes round out the Tribe’s starting rotation to start the season. Pavano looks to rebound from four injury riddled years with the New York Yankees. Reyes brings his own injury concerns after arriving in 2008 from the St. Louis Cardinals. Lewis was a late 2008 surprise going 4-0 in four September starts for the Indians but was roughed up in the Arizona spring after winning the job.

The Indians also have depth sitting in AAA Columbus if one of the previous three starters struggles. Aaron Laffey was the Scott Lewis of 2007 and is looking to rebound from an injury filled 2008. Jeremy Sowers was the Laffey of 2006 and has struggled mightily in the majors since the start of 2007. David Huff has torn up each and every level of the minors and looks to be primed and ready if and when the Indians call. Zach Jackson starts the season as the long reliever but odds of him starting a game at some point are good.

Tons of questions for the 2009 Tribe but there are a plethora of options for answers to those questions. Manager Eric Wedge has the versatility in the field to mix and match line-up which always seems to be his MO. The season may hinge on Wedge’s ability to keep his bullpen fresh while dealing with a lot of uncertainty in the rotation.

If Wedge can effectively use the bullpen and not wear out the back end, a la Perez and Betancourt in 2007, the Indians should be able to stay in more games than not with their offense. Wedge will also have to be aggressive in addressing and shortcomings in the shaky starting rotation. If one the starters can not perform Wedge and Shapiro can not hesitate to make a change.

The Indians face a brutal start to 2009 with ten of their first 13 games away from Progressive Field. They also play the powerful Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays 21 times in the first two months of the season. The Indians have been notorious slow starters throughout Wedge’s tenure. The only season they started out well was in 2007… the only season they have made the play-offs under Wedge.

There are a lot of questions and some adversity to face at the start of the 2009 season for the Cleveland Indians. That shouldn’t damper the Indians’ outlook for the new season. They are healthy, hungry and looking for redemption from a bad end to 2007 and a sub par 2008. They just need something to bring in all together…

Suck it, Matt Stover!

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Ravens and kicker Matt Stover have parted ways and Stover will not be returning to Baltimore in 2009.

Matt Stover is a great guy (I actually hope he hooks on somewhere) and a good kicker but pardon me when I say, "Suck it, Matt Stover!"

Why the angst? Why the excitement over a 41 year old kicker being released? Well, for the educated Browns fan it is simple.

Stover was the last Ravens player on their roster to play for the original incarnation of the Cleveland Browns in 1995. The last one. For what seems like the last five years.

Annoyingly every CBS Sports announcer, I am looking squarely at you Dick Enberg, loved to bring up this fact once a game, if not more, whenever Stover took the field to kick-off, attempt a field goal or extra point. It's been thirteen seasons since the transgression took place but it seemed like every time I turned on a game, that fact was brought up.

No longer. And it is refreshing. Vinny Interceptaverde moved on years ago. Earnest Byner was forgiven and was inducted into the Cleveland Browns Legends Hall of Fame. Many other has long since left the Eastern Shore. Yes, Benedict Ozzie is still in Baltimore but I will give him props for only signing Browns gear despite working for the Ratbirds.

But the last on the field connection is gone. The franchises have their own separate lineage and history. Sorry Matt Stover but suck it long and suck it hard. I don't know of anything else that could make me happier right now...

... unless YOU KNOW WHO were to bite it.