Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/9/06

Tribe stuck in mediocrity

Offense sputters, team can't put wins together

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - The Indians remain stuck in the same debilitating lose-one, win-one rut.
Thursday's 4-1 defeat to the Oakland Athletics at Jacobs Field kept the Tribe officially among the ranks of the truly mediocre, fixing their record at 29-30, coincidentally the same as last year.
But not to worry, fans, the Tribe probably will crawl back to .500 by winning tonight in Chicago. That has been the ongoing pattern for a month. Not since May 7 have the Indians been two games over .500 (17-15).
Manager Eric Wedge continues to show off his stiff upper lip and predicts success in the near future.
``We have a few streaks ahead of us,'' he said. ``These guys are going to hit their stride. I know I keep saying that our best ball is ahead of us, because I really mean that.''
If Wedge's troops are disenchanted by the direction the season has gone, you'd never know by talking to them.
``Being in the hunt is what you want to be,'' said Ben Broussard, whose homer accounted for the only Tribe run. ``You want to be in striking distance in August and September, and the way that happens is to win right now.
``We've made mistakes at the plate, on defense, in our pitching -- lots of places -- for the first couple of months. We have to learn from that.''
But how? On Thursday, the No. 2-rated scoring team in the American League was shut down by Esteban Loaiza, who hadn't pitched since April 23 because of a strained trapezius (shoulder) muscle.
Despite the extended layoff -- he pitched 7 2/3 innings on a rehab assignment -- Loaiza needed only 77 pitches to tame the Indians for seven innings, throwing 58 strikes. He used just seven pitches in the third and fifth innings.
So was Loaiza (1-3, 6.39 ERA) that good or did the Tribe help him? Apparently, there was no consensus opinion among the home forces.
``Loaiza was pounding the zone,'' Wedge said. ``He was living on the corners, and his cutter was very effective. He never gave us a chance to get anything going.
``He wasn't just controlling the ball, he was commanding it. So it was a good ballgame. We just got beat; we weren't giving away at-bats.''
It's not clear that Travis Hafner attended the same game as his manager, because his take on Loaiza varied markedy from that of Wedge.
``He threw the ball well,'' Hafner said, almost half-heartedly. ``But I thought we could have done a better job. I don't think one run and three hits is good, especially the way we've been swinging the bats. That's pretty frustrating.
``I didn't feel that we had many good at-bats off him. I know I didn't have any.''
That should clear up the matter of Loaiza's effectiveness.
The Tribe mounted only one real threat against the A's, that coming in the eighth inning against the bullpen. But with two outs and runners on second and third, Broussard struck out.
``I had a good opportunity and didn't come through,'' he said.
Thursday was another episode in the ongoing saga of Jason Johnson, who displayed uncanny damage control.
Johnson yielded a moderate three runs in seven innings, despite giving up 11 hits and one walk. Five times, the A's put the leadoff batter on base against Johnson. In one other inning, they waited until there was one out before a runner reached.
However, Johnson (3-6, 5.70 ERA) was well served by his sinker. After giving up a run in the second with one out, he induced Marco Scutaro to bounce into a double play.
Scutaro also killed a budding rally in the fourth by grounding into a second double play, and Eric Chavez made it three double plays for the game when he bounced to second in the fifth with a runner on first.
``Jason threw a good ballgame,'' Wedge said. ``He gave us every chance to win. He was in more of a rhythm today. He had a lot of runners on base early, but that didn't faze him.''
Johnson has been the object of criticism for most of the season, and his track record against Oakland (1-8, 5.50 ERA) was anything but promising going into the game.
But just when it looks like he will fall into the abyss, Johnson pulls out a surprise performance.
``I had a decent day,'' he said. ``I got a lot of ground balls and kept the team in the game.
``I've felt confident on the mound my last three starts, but I haven't gotten the results yet.''
Johnson is 1-2 in those outings, having given up seven runs and 20 hits in 18 innings.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/9/06

Tribe needs to find help right now

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - For the Indians, things are not going to change.
That's the message after 59 games.
The Indians are the same 29-30 as a year ago, but they went on to win 93 games and make a serious run at the playoffs.
That was last year, and this is a different season.
More importantly, it's a different team.
The 2005 Indians were 9-14 in April.
Then 16-11 in May.
Then 17-10 in June.
That's called trending upward.
This team was 13-12 in April, 13-14 in May and is 3-4 in June.
That's called being in a rut. Four of the five Tribe starters have an ERA above 5.00, and only C.C. Sabathia (2.75) has even approached consistency.
Something has to happen with the pitching staff. General Manager Mark Shapiro has to know this. He has to realize that something is missing from this team, that showing more patience is probably going to produce more mediocrity.
The reason the 2005 Tribe could get warm and turn hot was a pitching staff that was the best in the league nearly from Opening Day. It was a matter of the hitters catching up, the team beginning to believe in itself.
Think back to a year ago. There was not a single pitcher who made you bellow, ``No, not him!'' when he came into the game. This season, there are several.
A year ago, the defense wasn't great. But it wasn't the worst in the American League, as is the case this season. That doesn't help the already shaky pitching.
In Thursday afternoon's 4-1 loss to Oakland, the Indians finally received a solid start from the beleaguered Jason Johnson. Of course, Johnson does this. Just when you think he's awful, he'll pitch decently. And just when you think he's finding himself, he'll lose games.
He remains the ultimate tease with a 55-92 career record. I'd still replace him in the rotation with Jeremy Sowers or Jeremy Guthrie.
Guillermo Mota is a mess, and the Indians seem fearful of using him in a game that matters. If that's the case, he shouldn't be on the team.
But something more is needed than an alteration of the pitching staff.
Shapiro should seriously pursue a significant midseason trade, something he's not done since the summer of 2002 when he was trading veterans for prospects in a bold (and ultimately successful) plan to bring the team back to respectability.
This time, he needs to make a trade for the present rather than the future. It could be for a veteran pitcher and an outfielder. It could even be for a second baseman. Ronnie Belliard is a free agent at the end of the season, and no one is ready in the upper levels of the minors.
What the Indians need to do is to look at their roster with the same open-minded approach they took in 2002, leading to the daring deals that helped reshape the team.
Among the players on the current roster, only Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia should be considered untouchable. Even if you don't like Martinez as a catcher, he's a powerful switch-hitter who can be converted to first base.
Martinez is streaky, hitting .398 in April, .165 in May and .368 in June. Overall, he's at .291 and with 37 RBI, he's on pace for 100.
It's obvious why you'd keep Sizemore, Hafner and Sabathia. It's also plausible to believe Lee (4-5, 5.17) will pull himself together. He's left-handed with a 39-22 career record and is only 27 years old.
Just as Johnson has a history of losing games, Lee wins games.
The kind of trade that I have in mind is not about giving up on the season, but making an attempt to save it. Just as dipping into the minors for pitchers such as Sowers, Guthrie and Edward Mujica doesn't mean you are rebuilding, but it is giving one or two of these kids a chance to see if they can help your team right now.
And it's obvious these guys need some help -- immediately.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/9/06

Broussard enjoys

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - success at cleanup
With Jhonny Peralta having been moved from third to sixth in the lineup and Victor Martinez getting the day off, Ben Broussard took over the cleanup spot from Martinez.
The results: a solo homer and a single.
``That's something I did a lot more in the minors, bat third and fourth,'' Broussard said. ``I like to come up with guys on base, and hitting after Travis Hafner is nice. He's always on base.''
SEEING THE LIGHT -- Jason Johnson didn't seem thrilled to be pitching a day game.
``I don't mind it, but a noon game after a night game is kind of tough,'' he said.
Johnson is 1-4 with a 5.33 ERA in day games this season.
JUAN NOT GONE -- Juan Gonzalez has signed to play with the Independent League Long Island Ducks. Several weeks ago, he signed a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox but did not play.
In spring training of 2005, Gonzalez was on track to play right field for the Tribe until a torn hamstring sidelined him for two months.
When he returned, he re-injured the hamstring in his first at-bat and missed the rest of the season.
OTHER STUFF -- Jason Johnson recorded 15 of his 21 outs on ground balls.... His only career win against the A's came on Aug. 4, 1999.... Travis Hafner has walked in eight consecutive games, the longest ongoing streak in the big leagues. Earlier in the season, he drew a walk in nine games in a row.... Victor Martinez, who came through with a pinch-hit single in the eighth, has a career average of .444 (8-for-18) as a pinch hitter.
FARM FACTS -- Franklin Gutierrez homered and drove in five runs, as Buffalo beat Toledo 7-5.... Trevor Crowe had three hits and Brian Barton had two hits and an RBI in Kinston's 3-1 win over Wilmington.... John Drennen hit his fifth home run of the season in Lake County's 4-3 loss to Lexington.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

6/9/06

Tribe to cut Sauerbeck

Friday, June 9, 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]
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Scott Sauerbeck is expected to be cut loose today by the Indians. The veteran reliever is 0-1, with a 6.23 ERA this season.​

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CLEVELAND - The Indians bullpen may undergo another facelift today.
Veteran relief pitcher Scott Sauerbeck said goodbye to several teammates Thursday following a 4-1 loss to Oakland at Jacobs Field, hugging them and wishing them good luck. A source in the Indians front office confirmed that a roster move could take place today but would not offer the details of that move.
The 34-year-old left-hander made his last appearance for the Tribe on Tuesday, giving up a Nick Swisher single and Eric Chavez’s two-run home run during a 7-6 loss to Oakland.
He was 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in 24 appearances. Sauerbeck walked nine in 13 innings but had allowed opponents only a .196 average. He will earn $1.2 million this season.
Sauerbeck didn’t help his cause when he was arrested at 5 a.m. May 31 in Sheffield Village on charges of obstructing official business and wrongful entrustment. Police reports indicate he allowed Lily Miller, 28, to operate his car while intoxicated. Her blood alcohol content was 0.235 percent, more than three times the legal limit. Miller and Sauerbeck hid from the police between a home and the bushes next to it before being discovered and arrested.
The seven-year big-league veteran entered a plea of not guilty and faces a court hearing later this month.
Calls to Sauerbeck’s former cell-phone number indicated the number was no longer in service.
Sauerbeck was the only left-hander in the Indians bullpen, increasing the odds that veteran lefty Vic Darensbourg could be his replacement.
The 35-year-old Darensbourg was signed to a minor-league contract earlier this season. He has made eight appearances with Triple-A Buffalo, allowing seven runs on nine hits in nine innings. He has pitched in 309 big-league games (8-17, 4.96 ERA) for eight teams since 1998.
Another possibility is right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, who pitched for the big-league club earlier this season.

ROAD WARRIORS The nine-game trip the Indians begin today is one of four stretches of either nine or 10 consecutive games away from Jacob Field. Cleveland has 10-game trips in both August and September.
NO CAMERAS ALLOWED The Indians are to play on ESPN’s Sunday night national telecast for the fourth time this season while in Chicago. Cleveland is 0-3 and has been outscored, 32-10, in its three previous nationally televised games.
WHO’S HOT Aaron Boone is batting .333 (19-for-57) during his last 15 games. ... Grady Sizemore came into Thursday tied with Albert Pujols of St. Louis for the major-league lead in runs scored (52).
WHO’S NOT Jhonny Peralta is batting 19-for-106 (.179) during his last 29 games.
OLD BUDDY Fans in right field began chanting former Indians outfielder Milton Bradley’s name during the seventh inning. Bradley turned toward the fans and motioned for them to yell louder.
CELEBRITY GUEST Longtime area sportscaster Casey Coleman did a few innings of play-by-play for Thursday’s television broadcast. Coleman recently was diagnosed with inoperable cancer.
FEELING A DRAFT The Indians took 39 college players and 14 high school players with their 53 picks in the June draft Tuesday and Wednesday. The only Ohio player to go to the Tribe was Bowling Green State University left-hander Alan Brech, in the 35th round.
ON THE FARM Single-A Kinston outfielder Trevor Crowe was 3-for-3 and scored three runs Wednesday during a 3-1 win at Wilmington. He leads the Carolina League with 48 runs scored, is second with 26 stolen bases and is hitting .313. Crowe, 22, was last year’s first-round draft pick from the University of Arizona.
Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/9/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

Sizemore shows more pop at the plate

Friday, June 09, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CLEVELAND — Grady Sizemore hit his 12 th home run of the season Wednesday. It took him until August to hit No. 12 last season. He needed a full season to hit 12 the year before and hit only six in his first three professional seasons combined.

Scouts often say power is the last tool to develop, and Sizemore appears to be developing into a power threat in an Indians uniform.

"His swing is developing," hitting coach Derek Shelton said. "Guys with good swings who hit a lot of doubles in the minor leagues a lot of times start hitting home runs in the big leagues, because they grow into their body and their swing develops. The fact he has a good swing is the key component."
Shelton was quick to point out that most of Sizemore’s home runs — including a 427-foot shot off A’s starter Joe Blanton on Wednesday — are line drives, not arcing fly balls. It is a sign that he is maintaining his line-drive swing and taking advantage of his natural strength.

"With his talent and the way he works, just about anything is possible," Shelton said.

Sizemore downplayed the power surge, saying he has not tried to drive the ball more this year.

"Sometimes it just happens," he said. "I happen to run into a few here or there. I don’t consider myself a home run hitter. … I’m just trying to put good (at-bats) together. I keep the same routine and go with the same approach, and the rest will take care of itself."

Sizemore is on pace to hit 33 homers, which would be the most in franchise history for a center fielder. Earl Averill and Larry Doby each had two seasons with 32 home runs.
Making his move



Outfielder Trevor Crowe, the team’s top pick last season, is looking more and more like the leadoff hitter of the future. At the start of play yesterday, he led the high-Class A Carolina League with 48 runs, was second with 26 stolen bases and a .432 on-base percentage and fifth with a .313 average.

Farm director John Farrell said Crowe should be promoted from Kinston to double-A Akron later this season. It also is possible the Indians will try Crowe at second base, a position he played in high school and a position of need within the organization, although Farrell said it would not happen this season.

"We owe it to ourselves to take a look at every possibility Trevor presents," Farrell said. "There’s a chance his bat will get him here before there’s an opening in the outfield."

[email protected]

 

[NFBuck]

W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L :2004:

 

[tsteele316]

it's already been decided that crowe will play 2nd base in fall ball this year.

he may end up being fast-tracked to the big show if he keeps up his current pace. Anything that gets Grady to the #3 spot is good.

I still lay some of the blame on Wedge. This team has one of the highest run differential's in baseball, yet they are sub .500. Why? The team is a bunch of good-time Charlies that excel when thnigs are going their way, yet crumble at any sign of adversity. Wedge exudes no fire or emotion in the dugout. Neither does the team. When they blew the lead to Oakland the other night, in the 8th and 9th innings, while down by one, half the team was sitting around moping in the dugout. Peralta is the worst of any of them in that regard.

A team's attitude reflects that of its manager.

 

[Bucks21]

pitching, pitching, pitching.
Ive been to about 8 bisons games this year and i can say withought a doubt none of those kids are ready for the big leagues. We are stuck with what we have for now , i just hope we dont trade any young good player away for a pitcher.

You really don't think Jeremy Guthrie with a 1.62 ERA and is 27 isn't ready? Or giving the other Jeremy(Sowers) who has a 1.26 ERA is 21 and has a better strike-out to walk ratio than Guthrie isn't ready either? I really don't know if they are ready considering i haven't ever watched them play but they both have pretty impressive numbers and would seem to give us a better chance to win than Jason Johnson who has been very inconsistent. I guess I am a little frustrated with this team too and I just want them to try something different. In all likely hood changing your fifth starter won't turn this whole team around but with all the expectations in the off season for this team I wouldn't have expected them to play so inconsistently. Exactly as one poster before me hit it perfectly W-L W-L W-L

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/10/06

Indians' bats blind

White Sox whiff 12, Tribe strands 14. Betancourt gives up lead in eighth after strong start by Lee

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - Manager Eric Wedge reportedly sent out a couple of bat-sniffing dogs to search for the Indians' offense after their 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
If not for Travis Hafner's three-run homer that temporarily gave the Tribe a lead in the sixth inning, there wouldn't have been an offense to talk about.
As it was, the Indians stranded 14 runners and spoiled the second consecutive redemptive start by Cliff Lee. If there was one thing in which the Tribe excelled, it was striking out.
Twelve times, batters walked slowly back to the visiting dugout with their heads hung. Only Grady Sizemore, who had three hits, and Ben Broussard, who had two, did not join that pity party.
``That was the story as much as anything,'' Wedge said. ``We took a lot of swings on balls out of the zone, for whatever reason. It was very uncharacteristic of us.''
After six starts in which he posted a 1-4 record and 7.79 ERA, Lee has turned around his fortunes.
If you only looked at his numbers from Friday night, that would not be apparent.
However, until Rafael Betancourt gave back the lead in the eighth, Lee was responsible for only three runs in 7 2/3 innings.
Betancourt made it four when he entered the game to get the last out of the inning against Paul Konerko with a runner on first.
Konerko promptly doubled to put runners on second and third, and Jermaine Dye singled to score two runs that gave the Sox a 5-4 lead.
``Betancourt has real good numbers against Dye (who was 0-for-6),'' Wedge said. ``And because there was a base open, Rafael didn't have to be perfect against him. If we make pitches and execute, we get out of it.''
Lee gave up two runs in the first through no fault of his own. But because of an infield single, a bloop hit and a misplayed ground ball by Jhonny Peralta, Lee had two more earned runs tacked onto his total.
``That stuff is totally out of my control,'' Lee said. ``After I let go of the ball, I can't do anything about it. They got a couple of cheap hits and two runs.
``After the first inning, I seemed to get quick outs. Things were working out pretty good.''
Added Wedge: ``Cliff was real good tonight. He really bowed his neck after that misplayed ball behind him. He was as good tonight as he's been all year.''
Javier Vazquez has handled the Indians before, but it was almost maddening to watch him struggle with his command, yet virtually dominate a Tribe lineup that had no idea how to identify a strike from a ball.
Twice earlier this season, Vazquez had made the Tribe his patsy. On May 1 at Jacobs Field, he limited them to one unearned run in six innings en route to a 7-1 White Sox win. On May 29, again in Cleveland, Vazquez threw six shutout innings, coming away with a 10-0 win.
In neither of those games did it look like he was throwing to a moving strike zone. Friday night, by contrast, he hit Sizemore leading off the game then hit Casey Blake leading off the second inning. He hit Blake again in the third.
Vazquez walked only one batter in 5 2/3 innings, but he was continually behind in the count and threw far too many pitches early in the game: 62 through the third inning, 87 through the fourth.
None of this mattered, because the beleaguered Indians couldn't find it in themselves to hit the ball hard when Vazquez did throw it over the plate. In fact, far too often, they didn't hit it at all.
``I thought we did a good job against Vazquez,'' Wedge said. ``But he did a better job pitching out of jams.''
Vazquez struck out nine, mostly on pitches that were barely in the same area code as the plate. With seven hits, one walk, three hit batters, a dropped fly ball by Podsednik in left and a misplayed ground ball that gave Jason Michaels life at first base, the Indians put 13 on base against Vazquez.
But until he left the game with two outs and two on in the sixth, he had allowed only one run.
That's when Neal Cotts took over and added two more runs to Vazquez's total and gave up one of his own on Hafner's booming three-run homer that gave the Indians a 4-2 advantage.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/10/06

Indians notebook

Sauerbeck replaced in bullpen

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - The Indians are making changes little by little.
The latest alteration in the roster involves left-handed relief specialist Scott Sauerbeck, who was designated for assignment Friday. His place was taken by rookie left-hander Rafael Perez, who was summoned from Double-A Akron, where he was 4-5 with a 2.81 ERA in 12 starts.
Perez, 24, has been viewed as a reliever all year, but player development operatives assigned him to the Aeros' rotation to strengthen his arm and speed his learning curve by allowing him to pitch more innings.
``I feel confident in using him against left-handed and right-handed hitters,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``He is a young pitcher who's having a very good year.''
Perez has no qualms about moving from a Double-A rotation to a big-league bullpen.
``It's fine,'' said Perez, through his interpreter, Rafael Betancourt. ``I want to be in the majors, so I'll be the lefty in the bullpen.''
Perez made his big-league debut April 20, pitching a hitless inning against the Baltimore Orioles before returning to the minors two days later. He also spent time in big-league spring training camp.
``I feel better being with the guys because of that,'' Perez said. ``Now I feel comfortable with everybody.''
Sauerbeck made 24 appearances, compiling an 0-1 record and 6.23 ERA in 13 innings.
``You'd see signs (of improvement) from time to time,'' Wedge said. ``But there was never any consistency and follow-through. I didn't feel we could use Scott in that (lefty matchup) role.''
In the wee hours of May 30, Sauerbeck was arrested in a Cleveland suburb and charged with two misdemeanors: obstructing official business and wrongful entrustment (allegedly allowing an inebriated person to drive his car).
``No, that didn't have anything to do with this,'' Wedge said. ``This was strictly performance related.''
In earlier roster changes, catcher Kelly Shoppach, middle infielder Ramon Vazquez and reliever Danny Graves were sent to Triple-A. Reliever Matt Miller was lost for the season to injury.
Recent additions include reliever Fausto Carmona, infielder Lou Merloni, catcher Tim Laker and reliever Fernando Cabrera, who started the season with the Indians, but spent much of April on the disabled list.
What if?
The Indians have 10 days to trade, release or assign Sauerbeck to the minors. However, even if he does clear waivers during this process, it appears the Tribe will not ask him to accept an assignment to Triple-A Buffalo.
``I don't think that's something we're considering right now,'' Wedge said.
Getting younger
With the addition of Perez to the bullpen, the Indians have four relievers -- Carmona, Cabrera and Jason Davis are the others -- with almost no big-league experience in the bullpen.
At some point, does General Manager Mark Shapiro need to trade for a veteran?
``I know they're looking,'' Wedge said. ``If there were many viable options, that would be one thing. But there aren't many of those.''
Closing in
If Ben Broussard had 16 more plate appearances (going into Friday's game against the Chicago White Sox), he would be second in the league in batting (.365). His .590 slugging percentage would rank seventh.
Farm facts
Edward Mujica threw two more scoreless innings in Buffalo's 2-1 loss to Toledo. Mujica has yet to allow an earned run in 34 innings at Triple-A and Double-A.... Fernando Pacheco had four hits, including a home run, and John Drennen and P.J. Hiser each had three hits in Lake County's 16-1 win over Lexington in Class A.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/11/06

Indians waste another late lead

Martinez homers, but Wickman can't hold Sox in extra-inning loss

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - It was the kind of loss that engenders nightmares among the players and sets off alarms among team executives.
The Indians will remember Saturday's 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox long after the last out of the season is made at U.S. Cellular Field, scene of the misadventure.
And if the Tribe does not pull itself out of its current malaise, this most recent failure might be cited as the game that was the beginning of the end of the club's hopes to reach the 2006 playoffs.
Was it really that bad? It was really that bad. Abominable, atrocious, awful and that's only the A's.
In a game dominated by starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia and White Sox ace Mark Buehrle, the Indians held the lead twice.
The last time was in the 11th inning, when Victor Martinez hit his second home run of the game -- but the Tribe couldn't hold on.
After succeeding in 24 consecutive save opportunities -- longest active streak in the big leagues -- Bob Wickman gave it up in the final inning, allowing two runs and four hits.
Was it the law of averages catching up with Wickman?
``I don't look at it that way,'' he said. ``You make your own luck. If you play a good game of baseball, you don't think about those things.''
Singles by A.J. Pierzynski, Rob Mackowiak, Pablo Ozuna and finally Tadahito Iguchi were the lethal blows to Wickman, who retired one batter on a sacrifice bunt and got a second out when Casey Blake threw out Mackowiak at the plate from right field.
``They put some pretty good at-bats on me,'' Wickman said. ``I didn't get the job done. We got the lead on Victor's home run, and I came out and blew it.''
Because the Tribe has been involved in relatively few close games, Wickman probably hasn't been quite as sharp as he normally would be, though manager Eric Wedge has tried to give him work in non-save situations.
``That had zero to do with it,'' Wickman said. ``I was throwing the ball good in the bullpen. I thought I was going to get it done. But I'll tell you one thing: I wasn't fooling anybody.''
Wedge was grim-faced as he met with reporters.
``It was one of those days for Bob,'' Wedge said. ``They happen from time to time for a closer. Hopefully, we can get him back out there tomorrow.''
Buehrle gave up just two runs and six hits in eight innings but left with only a tie. The Tribe scored a run in the first inning on Martinez's RBI single and took a 2-0 lead in the sixth on Martinez's leadoff home run.
``He's very tough,'' Martinez said of Buehrle. ``He knows what he's doing. You have to be aware, because he can throw any of his pitches for strikes in any situation.''
The same can be said for Sabathia, who left after the sixth, after throwing his 110th pitch and allowing one run and four hits.
``I probably should have pitched deeper into the game,'' said Sabathia, who thought he should have thrown fewer pitches. ``As far as our matchup, Buehrle outpitched me today.''
The White Sox tied the score in the eighth off Fernando Cabrera, who gave up a run-scoring single to Scott Podsednik after allowing a pair of two-out walks.
``When you get in trouble, more than anything it's those walks,'' Wedge said. ``You have to make them beat you; you can't beat yourself.''
The most distressing aspect of the game is this: It was the third loss in five games in which the Tribe wasted a lead in the eighth inning or later.
Last Tuesday at Jacobs Field, the Oakland Athletics wiped out a two-run deficit with a three-run rally in the eighth to gain a 7-6 win. The culprits were Scott Sauerbeck -- since designated for assignment -- who gave up a two-run homer and Aaron Boone, who committed an error that led to the final run (unearned) off Rafael Betancourt.
Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox trailed 4-3 until the eighth, when Betancourt let in one run for Cliff Lee, was charged with another and was tagged with a 5-4 loss.
The loss dropped the Tribe to three games below .500 (29-32) for the first time since May 16 (18-21).
In summing up the club's challenge, Sabathia said, ``We have to start winning some games and try to climb out of wherever we're at.''
Sabathia might not be certain where the team is going, but he knows he doesn't like it.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/11/06

Ocker on the Indians

Believe it or not, Johnson normal

Indians pitcher no worse than previously in career

By Sheldon Ocker

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - Let's correct the widely held misconception that Jason Johnson is ``struggling.''
Not true. He has pitched for the Indians the same way he has pitched his entire career.
Look at the evidence:
• Career winning percentage through 2005 -- 37.6.
• Winning percentage this year -- 33.3.
• Career walks per nine innings -- 3.3.
• Walks per nine innings this year -- 2.6.
• Career hits per nine innings -- 9.9.
• Hits per nine innings this year -- 12.5.
• Career ratio of home runs to at-bats -- one every 7.5.
• Ratio of home runs to at-bats this year -- one every 11.1.
• Career ERA -- 4.88.
• ERA this year -- 5.70.
You will note that some of Johnson's 2006 numbers are somewhat higher or lower than those compiled earlier, but the major differences are the inflated figures for hits per inning and ERA for the current season.
Even so, taken together, all of these statistics indicate that Johnson has been no more or less effective this year than he has been throughout his career, which is why he is working for his fifth organization in his 10th big-league season.
An argument might be made that he is only the Tribe's No. 5 starter, and as such, the way he performs has a lesser impact on the team than others in the rotation. Of course, that is nonsense.
If the top four pitchers in the rotation were to make all of their starts, each would receive 32-34 opportunities. The fifth starter might only get 28 or 29 chances, and that's if the manager skips his turn occasionally.
In other words, every starter is virtually as important as every other, because each will pitch in nearly the same number of games. And keep this in mind: The ace of the staff isn't always aligned against the opponent's best, which means Johnson is just as likely as C.C. Sabathia to face the likes of Curt Schilling, Mike Mussina or Mark Buehrle.
Of course, we're just talking theory here. It has no real impact on the team's record. Right.
So what?
It doesn't matter if Guillermo Mota gets his act together this season, because the Indians can get along without him.
To backtrack a bit, I never understood why one day the Tribe's deep-thinkers called off the deal with the Boston Red Sox because Mota's physical exam raised alarms about his elbow, yet two days later, not only was the trade on again, but General Manager Mark Shapiro also declared Mota to be setup man-designate.
If Shapiro wanted Mota on the staff, fine. But why elevate him to a prominent position at the back end of the bullpen before he earned it?
The answer probably is that Mota had been there. He was a highly efficient setup man for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003 (6-3, 1.97 ERA) and part of 2004 (8-4, 2.14 ERA).
However, he was hardly a model of consistency for the Florida Marlins last season, when he posted a 2-2 record and 4.70 ERA, walking an average of 4.3 batters per nine innings, which is one of his problems this season.
In addition to issuing too many walks and getting behind in the count far too often, Mota has given up nine home runs, more than any other reliever in the majors.
Manager Eric Wedge has vowed to stick with him, because he can be an important part of the bullpen if he rights himself. But the truth is Wedge doesn't need him to be the setup man.
Rafael Betancourt can perform that job quite well, probably with an assist from Fernando Cabrera, who gets a little better each time he pitches. No doubt Cabrera could use more seasoning, but it doesn't take relievers as long to adapt to their tasks as it does starters.
Sure, it would be nice if Mota came around and at least could be a reliable arm in the sixth or seventh innings, but it's not essential, unless... Tryout city
The Indians already have four inexperienced relievers in the bullpen: Rafael Perez, Jason Davis, Fausto Carmona, Cabrera.
On-the-job training can be costly in terms of wins and losses, but with Matt Miller out for the season and Mota searching for a way to regain his competence, Shapiro and Wedge have little choice but to hope that all four young pitchers are quick studies.
That's where Mota's near-total collapse has hurt. The Tribe was counting on being in the race for a division title or at least a wild-card berth, and having a bullpen with almost half of its pitchers lacking reasonable experience is a handicap.
And yes, I'm including Davis, who has been trapped in the ``is he a starter or reliever?'' revolving door far too long.
He came into the season with only seven career appearances in the bullpen, so he has hardly become an established reliever. Maybe he never will.
Davis has had difficulty when he enters a game with runners on base. Of the first 10 inherited runners he encountered, every one scored. Moreover, last week in a game against the Los Angeles Angels, he started an inning and still gave up four runs.
Davis is only 26. He reached the big leagues for the first time when he was 22. To that point in his career, he had spent no time at Triple-A and pitched only 10 times at Double-A. He has never been given the chance to catch his breath, concentrate on one job and settle in there.
So is he a starter or a reliever? I still don't know.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/11/06

Readers' view not always Pluto's

Tribe fans find fault frequently, but get chance to speak out

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->The bad news for the Indians: Fans are mad. Real mad. Like foaming-from-the-keyboard mad, wanting to fire and trade about everyone as the e-mails roll in.
I've also learned that much of what has happened to the Indians this year is my fault, but the Indians didn't listen to what the readers wanted the team to do.
If you got lost in that sentence, that's OK. I did, too.
I'm told that I must be on Larry and Paul Dolan's payroll, because I don't want to fire manager Eric Wedge today. I don't want to demand that General Manager Mark Shapiro be sentenced to selling cotton candy. And why can't I do something about Jason Johnson?
Well, to listen to what the fans think of the Dolans' budget, if I happened to be on his payroll, I would starve.
So let's try to be somewhat rational as I deal with some of your questions, answers, thoughts, rants and rambles.
• Reader Richard Friedman (Cleveland) wrote: ``Is Jason Johnson better than Scott Elarton? Why was Elarton dismissed for Johnson? Cheaper? Why doesn't anyone answer that question in print or the radio?''
Dear Richard: I can barely speak for myself, much less everyone in radio-land. But I have often written that Elarton got a two-year, $8 million deal from the Kansas City Royals. Johnson's contract is $3.5 million for one year. So yes, he's cheaper. And I've written several times that I would not have signed either guy. I would have let Jason Davis, Fausto Carmona, Jeremy Sowers and Jeremy Guthrie battle for the fifth spot. One of them would have been a fill-in if there were injuries in the rotation. As for Elarton, he's 1-7 with a 5.09 ERA and 16 homers allowed in 76 innings for the Royals, so I'm not sure he would save the day. And he's working in the American League's best pitcher's park.
• Reader Tom Koch (North Olmsted) wrote the Indians would have been better off giving Johnson's money to Bobby Howry, who signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
Dear Tom: You're right. Not only was Shapiro wrong on this, but I blew it, too. I thought it was risky to give Howry a three-year deal, because he has had arm problems in his recent past. I thought Rafael Betancourt and Fernando Cabrera could handle the eighth inning. Now, I see that role has become like a second closer -- you need a veteran. I think Betancourt can do it, but because of his arm problems in the past, a manager can't use him a team-record 79 games as the Tribe did with Howry last season. With the Cubs, Howry is 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA and has allowed only 30 base runners in 28 innings heading into the weekend.
• Mark Thomas (Harrisburg, Pa.) wrote: ``All great teams have a good defensive shortstop. Jhonny Peralta is not the answer. He has no range or speed. He should be moved to first base, third or left field. Too bad Brandon Phillips was given away ''
Dear Mark: I thought Peralta was an average fielder once he settled down last season. This year, his range is less. He seems distracted. I don't know if he will be the long-term answer at short. Without Phillips, the Indians have no one in the high minors to take his place.
• Geoff Beckman (Rocky River) wrote that Peralta is batting only .232 against the Central Division. He has been especially weak against the Detroit Tigers (.205) and Royals (.167). A year ago, he batted .354 vs. the Royals, .382 vs. the Tigers. Beckman believes Buddy Bell (Royals) and Jim Leyland (Tigers) have their pitchers working him differently. Peralta is walking more this season, but also striking out at a higher rate -- an indication that he's swinging at bad pitches.
Dear Geoff: You're on to something. And I agree, as you wrote: ``They've stopped throwing (Peralta) fastballs over the plate and are waiting to see how he responds. There's only one way out -- don't swing at bad pitches, don't try to pull the ball, just hit lots of singles and take tons of walks. When the on-base percentage gets around .400, they'll stop walking him.''
• Readers such as Beckman, Koch and others were irate when Wedge allowed Scott Sauerbeck to start the eighth inning of Tuesday's game after he had pitched in the seventh. He served up a two-run homer to Eric Chavez, and the Tribe eventually lost that game 7-6.
Dear fans: I agree. As mentioned earlier, the eighth-inning guy is becoming a second closer. He needs to start the inning. Sauerbeck turned into a mess, starting with poor performances this season, then a late-night ride that ended with the police finding him hiding in some bushes. Then he complained about his lack of work as an excuse for what happened against Chavez. Thank goodness, the Indians heard enough and let him go Friday. Rafael Perez has been excellent vs. lefties in the minors (7-of-122 in the past two years), so they will look at him in relief -- at least for now.
• Readers Pete Podnar (Hobart, Ind.) and Bill Wells (New Mexico) both wrote about the problems Victor Martinez is having behind the plate, wondering if he's the long-term answer at catcher.
Dear Pete and Bill: Like Peralta, Martinez's defense is getting worse. I worry that his throwing is a confidence problem. He was at 21 percent throwing out runners last year. He's 4-of-45 entering this weekend. Several fans have suggested moving him to first base. That could be a possibility for next year. I want Kelly Shoppach back here now, and catching once a week. One Tribe operative told me that they sent Shoppach back to Class AAA to see if he can be a regular catcher. After two years and 46 home runs in the same International League, what else is there to show? Heading into the weekend, he's hitting .302 with three home runs and five doubles in 43 at-bats. He's either ready or not. But even in a brief look, it seemed he was solid defensively. He threw out 44 percent of stealing base runners. I would not be surprised to see him return soon. Certainly, Tim Laker is not the future. Some fans wondered about Ryan Garko's defensive skills behind the plate. Let's just be kind and say there's a reason they moved him to first base.
• Reader Michael Bruno (from China) wrote that Wedge should be fired, and the media is ignoring the issue. Bruno added: ``He was terrible last year, and is worse this year.''
Dear Michael: Let's see, not a single baseball expert predicted the Indians would win 93 games last season, but you think Wedge was ``terrible last year.'' Just glad you're not judging me. Wedge has struggled this year, primarily because of the erratic pitching. Rarely does firing a manager at midseason make a difference. It's also why veterans such as Jim Leyland don't take jobs offered to them at midseason. They want input into assembling a roster and to have a spring training to put in their system. Firing Wedge now would be like saying: ``We know the car has an engine problem, but we'll just give it a new paint job. At least it will look better for a little while.'' Wedge does not deserve a job for life and should be evaluated at the end of the year. For now, there is no reason to make a change.
• Reader George Biros went through the Tribe roster and mentioned how only Grady Sizemore has any speed: ``Losing Coco (Crisp) was much worse than it appeared at first. Coco has SPEED. We miss his defense in left we miss his 15 HRs and .300 average we miss his speed on the bases his blue-collar work ethic.''
Dear George: They do miss Coco, but he has been hurt most of the year. Jason Michaels is a different type of player and Coco was a much better left fielder, but Michaels has been hitting over .300 since May 1. The real key will be if Andy Marte blossoms and takes over at third base.
• Don Spain (Evergreen, Colorado) wrote, ``You need to show a little love for Kevin Kouzmanoff.'' He worries the Indians might not give him a chance, and compares the situation to Phillips.
Dear Don: I notice you're from Evergreen, Colo., and Kevin lives there. Just a coincidence, I'm sure. But the real point is Kouzmanoff can hit. Last year, he played only 71 games because of a back injury. No one was sure how strong he would be, but he has been amazing, hitting .435 at Class AA Akron, after Friday's game. He's OK at third base. He just hits: .330 at Class A Lake County in 2004, .339 at Class A Kinston in 2005. I believe the Indians will begin to work him in left field. You wondered if it would cause a ``PR crisis'' if the Indians skip over Marte and bring up Kouzmanoff. This is his first exposure over Class A. If he keeps hitting, he will play somewhere -- and soon. They won't write off a hitter like that.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/13/06

Homers lift Indians

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

Nam Y. Huh/AP
Cleveland Indians' Victor Martinez, right, celebrates with third base coach Jeff Datz after hitting a two-run home run against Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning of a baseball game at U.S. Cellular Field, Sunday, June 11, 2006 in Chicago.
More photos

• Wickman: No time to wait
• Wedge not worried by Wickman-Byrd tiff
• MLB notebook: Braves' pitcher Ramirez hit in forehead by line drive
• Homers provide Indians enough

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - Figuratively, at least, the sun came up over U.S. Cellular Field for the Indians on Sunday night.
And who said the Tribe wouldn't win another game this season?
After two of the more frustrating and disheartening losses in recent memory, the Indians salvaged the final game of the series with a 10-8 triumph over the Chicago White Sox, but not before almost blowing it by allowing six runs in the ninth.
There wasn't much subtlety to the victory. It was not a question of bunting, stopping the running attack or slapping leather, three things that the Tribe has had problems mastering.
All it took was a formidable pitching performance by Jake Westbrook and the long ball. Four swings for six runs was the story of the attack.
Victor Martinez and Ronnie Belliard homered in the fifth inning.
Travis Hafner homered in the sixth, two innings before Jason Michaels.
In the five games that Martinez has been manning the cleanup spot -- a move that allowed Jhonny Peralta to drop from third to sixth -- he is batting .478 (11-for-23) with four home runs and 11 RBI.
White Sox starter Freddy Garcia had only one inning of peace before he began giving up runs. In the second, a walk and Belliard's double produced the Indians' first run.
In the third, a walk to Michaels plus singles by Hafner, Martinez and Ben Broussard produced another run, and Belliard's ground out made it a two-run rally.
By the end of the fourth inning, the White Sox trailed only 3-2. Then the sky fell.
Hafner's fourth-inning leadoff walk was followed by Martinez's homer then the process repeated itself, as Broussard walked and Belliard homered to give the Indians a 7-2 advantage.
Hafner's home run came with two outs in the sixth and marked Garcia's exit line. Aaron Boone singled home a run in the seventh, and Michaels led off the eighth with a homer.
Despite the lopsided score, a little drama followed Michaels' homer. Sean Tracey, who took over for Garcia, hit Hafner with a pitch in the leg. When Martinez stepped in, Tracey's first pitch came close to hitting Martinez near the knee, and he began jawing with Tracey.
Umpire Bill Welke stepped in, and the game resumed with Martinez hitting a fly to center.
With two outs and a runner on second in the White Sox eighth, Westbrook singed pinch hitter Rob Mackowiak in the knee, and Welke did not issue a warning or throw anyone out of the game, believing, correctly, that justice had been served, and the purpose pitches would end.
Westbrook was masterful in handling the White Sox. In eight innings, he yielded two runs, six hits and one walk. He struck out four. Of the 24 outs he recorded, 16 (one double play) came on ground balls.
Most of the White Sox's hits also were ground balls that found holes. The notable exception was Alex Cintron's solo homer in the third inning.
The White Sox scored their other run the same inning. Brian Anderson dribbled a hit into center field, but Scott Podsednik bunted into a force play for the second out. However, Tadahito Iguchi singled Podsednik to second, and Jim Thome followed with an RBI hit.
Jason Davis came out to pitch the ninth and changed the tenor of the game, allowing two singles and a three-run homer to Anderson, who came into the game batting .152.
At this point, nobody had made an out, and Podsednik followed with a ground ball to short that Ramon Vazquez muffed for his third error of the game. Iguchi singled, and Davis was excused.
Rafael Betancourt took his place to face Thome, who flied to the track in center on a 3-and-2 pitch. Then Ross Gload singled to score Podsednik, and Iguchi scurried to third.
Another pitching change: Bob Wickman entered a save situation and was greeted by Mackowiak, who flied to right, scoring Iguchi. A.J. Pierzynski, the ninth batter of the inning, singled home the eighth run, but Pablo Ozuna flied out to end it.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/13/06

Veteran closer: No time to wait

Wickman thinks last season proves his point of danger in late start

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - Bob Wickman has been a major-league pitcher since 1992 and has seen teams as diverse as the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers and Indians go through hot streaks and slumps.
Consequently, what he says about the Tribe's current swoon deserves to be taken seriously.
``There better be a sense of urgency for this team, and that includes myself,'' he said Sunday. ``You can't just turn it on. We turned it on in the second half last year and didn't catch anybody. At least, that's what I think about it.''
Manager Eric Wedge had his own ideas about the word urgency.
``As a ballclub, you should have some sense of urgency every day, because you want to win a game every day,'' he said. ``But there's a fine line.''
Wickman blew his first save in 25 chances Saturday, as the Indians lost 4-3 in 11 innings to the Chicago White Sox. They also wasted a late lead on Friday, allowing the White Sox to rally for a 5-4 win.
Those types of losses can squash a club's desire, though Wickman doesn't think that the circumstances warrant quite that much alarm.
``We didn't win the series against Oakland or the series against Anaheim before coming here,'' he said. ``It's when you're on a roll that it's tough to come out of it (two emotional losses).''
Why have the Indians played so poorly?
``I know the effort is there,'' Wickman said. ``If you could blame the effort, it would be a different story. But everyone is giving his best, so you really can't say anything.
``If we knew what it was, I don't think we'd be doing what we're doing right now. But all of this (losing) is just making it tougher for us later in the season.''
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ABJ

6/13/06

Shapiro looking, but deals are scarce

Indians GM says market for trades cool right now

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Still searching.
That was the message that General Manager Mark Shapiro, who remains bent on finding a way to keep the Indians viable contenders for the playoffs, delivered Monday.
``I'm trying to fix things,'' said Shapiro, who might be running out of internal ways to alter the composition of the roster.
Shapiro is trying to maneuver his way into a deal, but until the July 31 trading deadline gets closer, that might be difficult.
``I've had a whole lot of conversations with a whole lot of general managers,'' said Shapiro, who added that nothing is imminent. ``Trading a big-league guy for a big-league guy is extremely difficult to do.
``But I think what goes on now can sow the seeds for something later.''
In other words, Shapiro will continue to feel out other personnel executives in an effort to find a fit.
One problem is most teams lack any urgency to make a move. Moreover, so many clubs believe they are still on the fringes of contention, they will not part with a veteran.
That's why the majority of in-season swaps probably won't happen until the trade deadline gets close.
``It's a long shot,'' Shapiro said. ``No deals are happening right now. But as the deadline nears, there's always a gradual increase in activity.''
Shapiro has another problem: What kind of player should he look for? Several areas of the club have caused problems, from the middle relievers to the rotation to the defense to Jhonny Peralta, who seems to be a victim of the sophomore jinx even though he's a little past his sophomore season.
``A lot of my frustration is that it's a moving target,'' Shapiro said. ``It's not one player or one part of the team.''
As for Peralta, the GM believes he will snap out of his lengthy slump. The question is when.
``I'm disappointed, but I'm not that surprised,'' Shapiro said. ``He's a young player coming off a successful season. Pitchers have adjusted to him. But he will hit again. He's going to be a good major-league hitter.''
That said, in the short term, Shapiro might be willing to sit Peralta down for more than a day or two if he had someone on the bench who could pick up the team for an extended period.
If the Tribe continues to struggle, would Shapiro turn from buying players to selling veterans at the trading deadline?
``I don't see us throwing in the towel at any point,'' he said. ``But it is possible that we might be willing to trade a veteran major-league player or a guy who's going to be a free agent next year.
``We will not trade away any of our core players. And these are scenarios that are not even being discussed right now.''
Shapiro does not think the bullpen's inexperience is a handicap to overcome. However, Fernando Cabrera, Rafael Perez, Fausto Carmona and Jason Davis are novices with little seasoning as relievers.
``I don't think there is any recipe for a successful bullpen,'' Shapiro said. ``I like to have two or three veteran guys in the back end, and we have two (Bob Wickman, Rafael Betancourt).
``Would I like to have more? Sure. But I don't think (experience) is the prerequisite for a successful bullpen. The White Sox won the World Series with a rookie closer last year.''
Message delivered
Manager Eric Wedge downplayed a 20-minute, postgame address to his troops after the Indians' 10-8 win Sunday night.
``I was just talking to the guys a little bit,'' said Wedge, who looked flushed and a little anxious after the meeting. ``It was not about that (a six-run Chicago rally in the ninth).
``It's just that we have 100 games left, and I wanted to talk to the fellows. It was all positive.''
Whatever message he needed to get across, apparently it was urgent enough to warrant delaying the team's late-night getaway to New York.
Coincidence?
Victor Martinez was installed in the cleanup spot and Travis Hafner was moved from fourth to third in the batting order last week to allow slumping Peralta to drop from third to sixth.
In the five games Martinez has batted fourth, he is hitting .478, with four home runs and 11 RBI.
It might be a coincidence that his emergence from a lengthy skid has happened when he was elevated one spot in the batting order. Then again, maybe not.
At any rate, Martinez said it doesn't matter where he bats.
``I don't pay attention if I'm batting fifth or fourth,'' he said. ``I take the same approach either way.''
Out of character
Ramon Vazquez has been a reliable middle infielder as a member of the Tribe last year and earlier this season. But the day he was recalled from Buffalo (Sunday), he committed three errors at shortstop.
``I just couldn't catch the ball,'' he said. ``I should have made all three of those plays. Only the first ball bounced a little funny, but there was no reason for me not to make an adjustment and catch the ball.''
Like Vazquez, Wedge had no explanation for the fielding lapses.
``I don't know,'' he said. ``I have to talk to him. He did a real good job on defense when he was here before and when he was at Buffalo.''
Notes
Jake Westbrook is 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA against the White Sox in 2006.... The Indians have homered in 12 games in a row, their longest such streak of the season.... Martinez has a nine-game hitting streak (.353).... Ronnie Belliard is batting .326 in his past 12 games, and Ben Broussard is batting .461 in his past 10 games.
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