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Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

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ABJ

4/10/06

Westbrook sinks Twins

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - Forget the law of averages. It will have to wait at least one more game to catch up with the Indians.
Not even Johan Santana could crack the Tribe's recent run of success, as the Minnesota Twins fell 3-2 Sunday to stretch the Wahoos' winning streak to five games.
Santana is the Twins' ace, a 20-game winner and Cy Young Award recipient in 2004, who came into the game with a career record of 5-1 and a 3.11 ERA against the Indians.
Then again, Santana was up against Jake Westbrook, who in the early going has been very Santana-like. In two starts, Westbrook has pitched 13 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits, four walks and three runs.
Against the Twins, Westbrook was particularly stingy, allowing only two hits, two walks and one run (let in by Guillermo Mota) in 7 1/3 innings.
Manager Eric Wedge called Westbrook's performance ``fantastic.''
Maybe Westbrook pushed himself a little harder because he was competing against one of the premier pitchers in the American League.
``You feel a little more incentive going against a guy like Santana,'' Westbrook said.
Westbrook's out pitch is a nasty sinker that usually forces batters to beat the ball into the dirt. Of the 22 outs he recorded, 12 came on ground balls and four on strikeouts. That left only six hit in the air.
``I gave up more fly balls than I usually do,'' Westbrook said. ``But it was a good day for fly balls, because the wind was blowing in. I didn't do anything different, so I guess it was just the way the hitters went after me.''
Coincidentally, or maybe not, Wedge lifted Westbrook after he had retired three batters in a row on fly balls then issued a walk with one out in the eighth.
``I don't get too caught up in throwing ground balls,'' Westbrook said. ``If I'm getting weak fly balls, I'm doing my job.''
Wedge didn't allude to the kind of outs Westbrook was getting as a reason for removing him. But Westbrook had thrown 102 pitches, one fewer than in his previous start, and the walk probably indicated it was time for a call to the bullpen.
One of the two hits given up by Westbrook was not a ground ball, Juan Castro's one-out single in the third inning.
It was the final hit off Westbrook (2-0, 1.98 ERA), as he retired 15 of the last 17 batters he faced.
``Jake had a live arm, a live fastball and his sinker was working throughout,'' Wedge said. ``He also was solid throwing strike one, especially when he needed to.''
Westbrook seemed to be in one of those trance-like zones, where all he sees is the target.
``I'm not even thinking about my mechanics,'' he said. ``Just get it and go. The only thing I'm aware of is Victor Martinez's mitt.''
Santana (0-2, 5.73 ERA) didn't exactly cave in to the Indians' lineup. In 5 1/3 innings, he was charged with three runs, four hits and three walks.
The first run came on Eduardo Perez's two-out homer in the fourth to give the Tribe a 1-0 lead.
When Jhonny Peralta beat out an infield hit to start the sixth, and Martinez doubled with one out to put runners on second and third, Juan Rincon relieved Santana and was ordered to walk Ben Broussard to load the bases and set up a possible double play.
Instead, Aaron Boone dumped a soft liner into center that turned into a two-run double, when Torii Hunter overran the ball and fell down, trying to make a sudden stop.
Has Boone discovered a technique for aiming batted balls?
``It's a gift,'' he said with a smile, ``a gift I didn't have last year.''
Besides Westbrook's exemplary outing, the key to the win might have been forcing Santana to throw 36 pitches in the first inning. By the time he was removed in the sixth, he had thrown 100.
``Today we were able to get his pitch count up in the first inning, even though we didn't score,'' Boone said. ``You still have to scratch and claw the best you can against him.
``You can say he got the better of us today by giving up only one run, but we were able to get him out of there.''
Santana was charged with all the runs, but Rincon allowed the final two score.
Mota gave up an RBI single in the eighth but got through the inning without further damage.
Closer Bob Wickman gave up a run in the ninth. After hitting a batter with one out then letting him take second uncontested, Wickman yielded a two-out single to Justin Morneau.
Even so, he did not seem to be in trouble and earned his third save in as many chances.
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ABJ

4/10/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK: Perez provides pop in first-base platoon



CLEVELAND The season is still in its infancy, but Eduardo Perez is showing indications that he is becoming a specialist.
Perez platoons at first with Ben Broussard and got his second start Sunday in the Indians' 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins at Jacobs Field.
He has hit a home run in each game, both against No. 1 pitchers: Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox in the season opener and Johan Santana of the Twins.
Of the pitch he hit over the left-field wall, Perez said, ``I was fortunate enough that he missed his spot with a fastball. So I guess that's what you're supposed to do with it.
``Any ball can be hit, but you have to be fortunate.''
Some players might have misgivings, being forced into the lineup only against rival staff aces. Not Perez, who has spent much of his career as a part-time player.
``I don't look at it that way,'' said Perez, of the difficulty in hitting against the best starters. ``At this level, you want to compete. It's definitely a challenge to face tough pitchers like that, but that's what you're here to do. And it's also fun.''
There will be times when the Tribe opposes several left-handers in a row, which will give Perez more time at bat. However, the odds favor Broussard playing four of every five games.
``This is what I've done the past few years,'' Perez said. ``Whenever you see your name in the lineup, you go out and play. There are no excuses (for failure).''
NO BELLIARD -- Ronnie Belliard missed his second game in a row with a strained calf.
``He could have been available if someone had gone down today,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``I expect him to be in there Tuesday.''
As he did on Saturday, Ramon Vazquez started at second base in place of Belliard.
BULLPEN EXCELS -- Since the opening game loss to the White Sox, the Tribe bullpen has given up just two runs, eight hits and five walks in 15 innings.
ON A ROLL -- Jake Westbrook, Sunday's winning pitcher, has won seven of his past nine decisions, dating to last Aug. 18. On Sunday, he made his 100th career start and evened his record at 6-6 against the Twins.
FARM FACTS -- Jenson Lewis worked five innings, giving up one unearned run and three hits, as Kinston outlasted Winston-Salem 8-6 in Class A. Trevor Crowe had three hits, including a homer, and two RBI.... Fernando Pacheco homered and Ryan Edell gave up one run on two hits in six innings, as Lake County edged Hickory 2-1 in Class A.
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ABJ

4/10/06

Platoon at first base working out well so far

Monday, April 10, 2006


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]INDIANS NOTEBOOK ANDY CALL[/FONT]



CLEVELAND - This is exactly what the Indians expected when they signed Eduardo Perez.
OK, maybe this is a little more than they expected.
Cleveland’s 36-year-old first baseman deposited a solo home run onto the left-field porch area in the fourth inning Sunday, a key moment in the Indians’ 3-2 victory over Minnesota. The homer came off Twins ace Johana Santana just a week after Perez had hit his first in a Tribe uniform off Chicago ace Mark Buehrle.
“I was fortunate enough that (Santana) missed his spot on a fastball he threw me,” Perez said. “I guess that’s what you’re supposed to do with it.”
The Indians certainly hoped that would be what Perez would do with errant pitches from left-handers when they brought him to platoon with Ben Broussard at first base. The concept seems to be working. Perez and Broussard have combined for a .308 average and four RBIs in the Indians’ first six games.
“Eduado Perez is a veteran guy, a pro in every sense of the word,” Indians Manager Eric Wedge said. “He does the work to be ready when we need him.”
Perez was ready when he stepped to the plate against Santana, against whom he was 1-for-7 in his career. Perez knew he had hit the ball well but was not sure it would clear the railing.
“The wind is tricky here,” Perez said. “You can’t always assume it’s going out. You just hope it keeps going.”
The Indians hope their first-base platoon keeps going the way it has through the first week of the season.
“Those guys are playing good baseball,” Wedge said.

INJURY REPORT Ronnie Belliard (strained calf) sat out his second consecutive game. Wedge said he expects Belliard to return Tuesday.
VIVA LE PRONK Travis Hafner walked in the first inning, the 11th consecutive plate appearance in which he reached safely. San Diego’s Brian Giles had a string of 13 straight in 2005. Jim Thome reached in 10 consecutive plate appearances in 1996. Hafner’s streak ended in the fourth inning when he was retired on a fly ball to center field.
MOVING UP Bob Wickman’s second save of the season pulled him to within two of Doug Jones (129) atop the club’s all-time list.
LAWTON REJOINS MARINERS Former Indians outfielder Matt Lawton will rejoin Seattle on Thursday. Lawton was given a 10-game suspension last season for violating Major League Baseball’s steroids policy.
MANTEI REJOINS TIGERS Veteran right-hander Matt Mantei, whose grandparents live in Dover, has signed a minor-league contract with Detroit. Mantei left spring training and briefly considered retirement after pulling a muscle in his side. Mantei will work out in Florida, then join Triple-A Toledo.
ON THE FARM Outfielder Trevor Crowe was 3-for-4 with a home run and drove in two runs Saturday during Single-A Kinston’s 8-6 win over Winston-Salem. Crowe was Cleveland’s first-round draft pick last June. Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail: [email protected]


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CPD

4/10/06

DirecTV snafu irks Indians fans


Monday, April 10, 2006 Roger Brown
Plain Dealer Columnist
DirecTV was the last major out let to agree to carry Sports Time Ohio, the Indians' regional network, and the satellite TV provider is doing a poor job convincing folks it actually wants to carry STO.

SportsTime Ohio President Jim Liberatore said both STO and DirecTV were swamped this past weekend with calls from numerous area DirecTV subscribers, angry because they could not see the Indians-Twins telecasts on Saturday and Sunday.

Adding fuel to the anger of viewers: They received no warning from DirecTV that they would miss the scheduled games, just days after seeing two other Indians games aired by SportsTime Ohio.

"I know we got hundreds of calls and I understand DirecTV got 2,000 or more," Liberatore said Sunday. He said DirecTV "is having some significant activation issues" as it tries to add STO to the programming list of every subscriber who should receive the network.

"It hasn't been able to figure out what to do," Liberatore said of DirecTV. "This is clearly a DirecTV problem, but that makes it our problem, too. We're doing our best to get DirecTV to straighten everything out."

DirecTV officials couldn't be reached for comment Sunday. DirecTV has several-hundred-thousand subscribers in Northern Ohio.

And how ridiculous has the DirecTV mess become? One subscriber has received every Indians telecast so far, while a relative - a fellow subscriber living three blocks away and in the same zip code - couldn't see the games.

STO, part 2:

The DirecTV fuss certainly hasn't helped SportsTime Ohio get maximum ratings for Indians broadcasts. Early on, STO's Indians telecasts were struggling to get 1.0 ratings, largely because:

No. 1. Two games were weekday afternoon contests, hardly ideal for high audiences.

No. 2. Many fans still haven't figured out where to find SportsTime Ohio on their cable and satellite TV outlets.

Give WKYC Channel 3

sports anchor Jim Donovan a solid B grade for his Indians television play-by-play debut last Friday. Donovan's easygoing game call was free of endless stats and numbers, and he gave analyst Mike Hegan plenty of room to work. Donovan is also the Browns' radio play-by-play voice. Channel 3 will air 20 Indians "free TV" games this season.

Give credit to

WJW Channel 8 and WEWS Channel 5 for sending staffers to cover the Indians' season opener in Chicago: It became an even bigger story when starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia suffered an abdominal injury early. But where was Channel 3, an official Indians TV partner?

Here's another example

why DirecTV would be smart to straighten out its SportsTime Ohio issues quickly and not mess too much with Indians fans: They can be pretty fanatical. After the Indians' season opener in Chicago ended at 2:10 a.m. (yes, a.m.), all 12 phone lines on "Cleveland Rants" - the postgame show simulcast by FSN Ohio and WKNR AM/850 - instantly were lit up with fans wanting to talk. The lines stayed full until show hosts Neil Bender and Les Levine signed off at 3 a.m.

According to Team Marketing Report, radio advertisers will pay $300 to $700 for every 30 seconds of commercial time they use during Indians game broadcasts.
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STO's Time Warner HD channel has been seriously sucking so far.
You can only hear the announcers, no crowd noise, no background noise, no music, and no commercials (though, this is nice).
Its very annoying to watch
 
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ABJ

4/11/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

<!-- begin body-content -->Home runs not on Michaels' mind

Jason Michaels looks like a guy who should hammer more than a few balls out of the park every year, but he is known as a hitter who specializes in getting on base.

His former manager at Philadelphia, Charlie Manuel, the ex-Indians skipper, is one baseball person who feels that Michaels has unused power.

``I suppose I could hit more home runs, but I'm doing what I think will make me most successful,'' Michaels said. ``I'm not a home-run hitter.''

In 389 big-league games, Michaels has hit 21 home runs.

Michaels recalls hitting only one homer in high school and fewer than 10 in junior college. When he attended the University of Miami, he hit 15 one year and 19 the next.

``I was a pretty skinny kid coming out of high school, maybe 170 pounds,'' he said.

He is listed at 6-feet, 206 pounds now.

STILL HOT? -- Travis Hafner's streak of reaching base in 11 plate appearances ended after he walked in the first inning Sunday.
However, he was retired twice on hard line drives to the outfield.

POSITIVE SIGN? -- The first three games at Jacobs Field last year drew 69,347 fans; the first six 122,469. All but the opener attracted fewer than 20,000 fans.

Attendance for the initial three home games this season was 90,863, despite rain and cold temperatures. The smallest crowd of the weekend was 23,311.

OTHER STUFF -- Tribe pitchers limited the Minnesota Twins lineup to a .177 batting average in the three weekend games.... Cleveland has beaten the Twins six times in a row, dating to last September.... Victor Martinez has hit in all six games for the season (.375).... Jhonny Peralta also has hit in every game, but is batting just .231.... Bob Wickman is two saves shy of tying franchise leader Doug Jones (129).
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ABJ

4/11/06

An unexpected turn of events

Trading of Phillips proves Belliard is no longer a stop-gap guy

By Tom Reed

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Ronnie Belliard spent Friday afternoon in the Indians' clubhouse removing items from a large cardboard box he had shipped from spring training.
The coveted prospect many expected to replace him was sent packing.
The irony was lost on nobody.
Belliard was supposed to be a stop-gap second baseman, the veteran who kept the position warm until Brandon Phillips grew into it.
That plan never materialized.
Belliard has played so well and supplied such clubhouse energy since his arrival two season ago, it made Phillips expendable.
Considered the prospect jewel of the 2002 Bartolo Colon trade, Phillips was dealt Friday to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named or cash. Belliard now has second base to himself once he returns from a calf strain that has sidelined him the past two games.
``They gave me a chance to play every day, and that's what I've been doing for the last three years,'' Belliard said Friday. ``I like playing with these young guys. They are unbelievable. I learn a lot from them and they learn a lot from me.''
Belliard's infectious enthusiasm and solid all-around play have made him a fixture in a lineup dominated by youth. At age 31, he is the Tribe's third-oldest position player behind Aaron Boone (33) and Casey Blake (32).
After five serviceable big-league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies, Belliard's career has blossomed with the Indians. He helped fuel the late-season playoff bid a year ago with clutch hitting -- Belliard batted .299 with 16 RBI in September and October -- and some spectacular plays in the field.
``Sometimes it takes guys a little longer. It's different for everybody, but he's definitely a guy we are fortunate to have on our team,'' Boone said of Belliard.
Belliard made his first All-Star Game appearance in 2004 and last year hit .284 with career highs in RBI (78) and home runs (17).
It was enough for Tribe management to pick up the option on his contract. He is a free agent at season's end.
``They just keeping bringing me back for some reason,'' Belliard said smiling. ``I don't think about that (contract) stuff. I think about winning and trying to do my best.''
Belliard's chunky appearance -- he stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 197 pounds -- sometimes makes a more immediate impression than his game. Boone recalls Belliard hitting a line-drive home run when both were playing in the Triple-A International League in 1998.
``I remember thinking, `Who is this little chubby dude?' '' Boone said. ``You could see that he had the talent.''
Shortstop Jhonny Peralta said Belliard also has the intelligence to go with it. Belliard's knowledge of opposing hitters was an invaluable resource for Peralta a season ago.
``He knows every hitter in the American League,'' Peralta said. ``He makes some unbelievable plays, but part of that is he knows how to play guys.''
Belliard is a clubhouse cut-up, but one thing he takes seriously is mentoring younger players. Manager Eric Wedge has lauded his leadership abilities.
However painful, last season's final-week collapse, which cost the Tribe a playoff berth, it will benefit the players, Belliard says.
``If we get in the same position we were last year, I'm telling you right now we'll be in the playoffs,'' Belliard said. ``This is a very special group of young guys and they are ready to win.''
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CPD

4/11/06

INDIANS INSIDER
Phillips admits emotions cost him role with Tribe


Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter

Brandon Phillips had little to say during spring training.

"I don't want to say anything wrong," the Indians' former top prospect said.

Phillips, 24, was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday for a player to be named or cash. Now he's talking and conceded what was obvious - that a poor attitude after the Tribe demoted him to Class AAA Buffalo in July 2003 began his downfall in Cleveland.

Phillips was hitting .210 with four home runs and 21 RBI when sent down.

"The year 2003 just killed me," he told Cincinnati reporters. "It was my rookie season and I got caught up in the atmosphere.

"I started good and I hit a walk-off home run and said, 'Man, that was good' and then all I heard was 'The rookie did this and the rookie did that' . . . all the talk and all the publicity, and I got caught up in all that. It hurt me."

On May 20, 2003, Phillips hit a ninth-inning three-run home run off Matt Rooney in a 6-4 victory over the Tigers. The home run started the skid for Phillips, who continued to swing for the fences rather than trying to put the ball in play.

Less than two months later, he was shipped to Buffalo. "When I got sent down," he said, "I got mad because I'd never had failure."

Phillips, trying to work his way into a crowded infield, doubled in his first at-bat for the Reds - a pinch-hit appearance in Sunday's 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh.

Added pop:

One reason the Indians signed Eduardo Perez to a one-year, $1.75 million contract in the off-season is they liked the ability he has to sit for periods of time, then jump into the starting lineup and be productive.

"This is something he's been able to do throughout his career," manager Eric Wedge said.

Perez, a right-handed hitter, was at first base on Opening Day in Chicago and homered off tough lefty Mark Buerhle. He sat the next four games, then started on Sunday and homered off the Twins' Johan Santana, a former Cy Young winner.

Wedge plans to platoon Perez with left-handed hitting Ben Broussard and is hoping to get more pop out of first base than last season, when Jose Hernandez was the platoon alternative and hit .267 with six home runs and 20 RBI.

Finally:

Travis Hafner was far short of the MLB record for reaching base in consecutive plate appearances when his streak was snapped at 11 on Sunday. The all-time mark - 16 - was set in 1957 by Ted Williams. . . . Sunday's victory over the Twins pushed Wedge's managerial record in three-plus seasons with the Indians to 246-246. The Tribe is 137-107 (.561) under Wedge since the 2004 All-Star break.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479
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Dispatch

4/11/06

Michaels’ time has come with Indians

Deal gives left fielder regular starting job he sought with Phils

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>MARK DUNCAN | ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Left fielder Jason Michaels makes a diving stop on a single during the Indians’ home opener. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>
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CLEVELAND — An athlete cannot control when his opportunity will arise. He can only arrive each day ready to work, willing to address his weaknesses and accept his role.

So for more than two years, Jason Michaels focused on becoming the best No. 2 hitter and No. 4 outfielder he could be. He worked to become a patient, gapto-gap hitter and an effective defender in all three outfield positions. And he clung to the hope that eventually the Philadelphia Phillies would give him a chance to play every day.

Along the way, he caught the eyes of Indians officials. They zeroed in on him as a replacement for starting left fielder Coco Crisp, and they traded veteran reliever Arthur Rhodes to get him.

On April 2, Michaels started in left field and batted second for the Indians in their regularseason opener against the Chicago White Sox. Five days later, he started in left field and batted second in the home opener against Minnesota. It was the first time he experienced an opener from the field rather than the bench, and for a moment he felt like a rookie again.

"My heart was going," Michaels said. "My first at-bat, I told (hitting coach Derek) Shelton, ‘I have to slow down.’ It was a lot of fun."

In his first six games with the Indians, Michaels is 9 for 26 (.346) with two walks and an RBI.

He hit .291 with a .380 onbase percentage in 383 games for the Phillies in the past five years, but he had to share center field with Kenny Lofton last season, and the Phillies acquired veteran Aaron Rowand to play center field this season.

Pat Burrell is entrenched in left field and Bobby Abreu in right.

"He needs a chance to play regularly," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said this spring. "He’s earned it."

Manuel praised Michaels’ hustle on the bases, range in the outfield and patience at the plate. "We’ll take him back if y’all don’t want him," he said with a smile.

Indians manager Eric Wedge has been similarly impressed.

Michaels may not have the same raw speed, power and ebullience as Crisp, but he plays hard and complements Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta at the top of the order. Sizemore, in particular, is an aggressive hitter, so Michaels adds needed patience.

"The only thing that’s been lacking with Jason is a chance to play," Wedge said. "Obviously, he has that here."

Manuel said he believes Michaels could hit for more power if his role demanded it. Michaels agrees, pointing out he was the No. 3 hitter and a home-run threat at the University of Miami, but he said he is best when he focuses on hitting line drives.

"He made himself a really good two hitter," Manuel said. "He’s a high on-base percentage guy and he moves runners well."

Now that he is No. 1 on the depth chart, Michaels is intent on staying there.

"I thought it was going to happen in Philly, but I wasn’t getting a chance. They weren’t giving me a chance," he said. "I have that here."

[email protected]
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yahoo.com

4/11/06


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=560>Seattle (3-4) at Cleveland (5-1)

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Seattle (3-4) at Cleveland (5-1)</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Preview - Box Score - Recap</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2 colSpan=2 height=1><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2 height=5><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD> Game Info: 7:05 pm EDT Tue Apr 11, 2006
TV: KSTW, STOh
Add to Calendar | Buy Tickets </TD><TD noWrap align=right><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>Currently: Cleveland, OH </TD></TR><TR vAlign=center><TD> </TD><TD>Temp: 67° F</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=yspwhitebg><TD colSpan=2 height=3><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="3"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2 colSpan=2 height=1><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR class=yspwhitebg><TD colSpan=2 height=15><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width=190 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ysptblclbg1><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=yspsctbg><TD class=ysptblhdr height=18> Starting Pitchers</TD></TR><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3 height=3><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspscores noWrap align=middle width="35%">
J. Washburn
Sea </TD><TD align=middle width="30%">vs.</TD><TD class=yspscores noWrap align=middle width="35%">
C. Lee
Cle </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3 height=3><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2 colSpan=3><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 vAlign=top><TD class=yspscores align=middle>1-0</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>Record</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>0-0</TD></TR><TR class=ysprow2 vAlign=top><TD class=yspscores align=middle>2.57</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>ERA</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>5.06</TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 vAlign=top><TD class=yspscores align=middle>7</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>K</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>1</TD></TR><TR class=ysprow2 vAlign=top><TD class=yspscores align=middle>0</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>BB</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>1</TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 vAlign=top><TD class=yspscores align=middle>1</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>HR</TD><TD class=yspscores align=middle>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Five consecutive victories over the other two teams expected to contend for the AL Central title have the Cleveland Indians off to their best start since 2002.

The Indians step away from division play as they go for a sixth straight victory when they open a three-game set against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday at Jacobs Field.

Cleveland's response to a 10-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox in its season opener has been a run of five consecutive wins, two over the defending World Series champions and a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins.
Eduardo Perez homered, Aaron Boone had a two-run double and Jake Westbrook gave up two hits and one run over 6 1-3 innings in Sunday's 3-2 victory over the Twins.

This is the best start for Cleveland (5-1) since opening 11-1 four years ago. The Indians haven't had a winning April since, including a 9-14 mark last season.


"We're six games into the season," Perez said. "But we're getting good pitching, good fielding and guys like Travis Hafner are really hitting well."

Hafner's streak of safely reaching base was stopped at 11 straight at-bats Sunday and he finished 0-for-3. Still, he's batting .391 with four homers and six RBIs and is one of five Cleveland players to have homered.

Boone is hitting .348 with one homer and six RBIs after batting .123 in April last year.

"You might say I'm having a bit more fun this April," Boone said.

Indians starter Cliff Lee and the Mariners' Jarrod Washburn are Tuesday's probable starters in a matchup of left-handers.

Lee will be making his second start of the season after not getting a decision in last Wednesday's 4-3 win over the White Sox, giving up three runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings.

He had a career-high 18 wins last season -- the most by an Indians' lefty since 1988 -- and was 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts against the Mariners. Lee is 4-0 with a 3.94 ERA in five career starts against them.

Washburn was victorious in his season debut in Seattle's 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. He allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out seven in his first game against the team with which he spent his first eight major league seasons.

"We have high hopes for ourselves," Washburn said after winning his first start.
He's 6-4 with a 4.78 ERA in 13 career starts against the Indians.

The Mariners (3-4) followed that season-opening series against Seattle with a 6-2 win over Oakland, but went on to lose three straight to the Athletics.

Seattle had been held scoreless for 27 2-3 consecutive innings before scoring in the eighth inning of Sunday's 6-4 defeat. The Mariners totaled 26 runs, 46 hits and five homers during their 3-1 start.

"Are we as good a hitters as we were in the first four games?" Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "I don't know. Are we as bad as the last two? No, we're somewhere in the middle." Cleveland has won five of its last six games against Seattle.

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6-1
Tribe wins 9-5. Everyone in the starting lineup gets a hit. Pronk is absolutely raking it so far this year, 2-3, another HR and an intentional walk tonight. Bullpen looked a little shaky, but the bats gave plenty of margin for error.
 
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