Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/27/06

Garko, Inglett hits spark Indians' win

Tigers' Justin Verlander throws hard, but gives up six-run inning in loss

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - The Indians have inadvertently inserted themselves into the Central Division race.
The Tribe's participation became inevitable when the first-place Detroit Tigers showed up for a three-game weekend series.
Maybe playing against the division's best has energized the Indians, who have won the first two games, including 8-5 in Saturday night's encounter.
``You can play that both ways,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``Some people say because we're playing the Tigers, we're doing well. But when you play a second-division club, people say that's why you won. So all of that holds no merit to me.''
Thanks to the presence of the Tigers, more fans than usual are watching, including those who actually paid their way into the ballpark. The first two games of the series have drawn 62,554, including 29,138 Saturday night.
Several thousand fans who made the trip from Michigan are none too happy with the direction of the series or the deportment of Detroit's prime young starters, Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander, who lost Saturday night.
There is no denying the skill of these two starters. But sometimes, even the most talented pitchers have breakdowns or have breakdowns thrust upon them by the hitters they are facing. Whichever was the case Saturday probably is debatable, depending on which team one favors.
For four innings, Verlander (15-7, 3.42 ERA) appeared to be on the way to pitching his team to victory and keeping the Tigers' lead over the Twins (who beat the White Sox) at five games.
But in the fifth, Verlander was betrayed by a couple of things: his 100 mile-per-hour fastball and a tendency to overthrow when events turned against him.
Verlander threw 40 of his 104 pitches in the fifth inning and still had one out to go when he was relieved by Zach Miner.
The Indians' six-run rally began with what seemed at the time to be a harmless dribbler down the third-base line. Grady Sizemore topped the ball, but by the time Verlander could recover it, Sizemore was at first with a one-out single.
Jason Michaels followed with a towering drive to center that bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double, leaving runners on second and third. Verlander struck out Travis Hafner with a 100-mph fastball that darted past his shoulders for the second out.
At that point it looked like the Tribe was going to come up short. Instead, Ryan Garko hit a smash just inside the first-base line to drive in Sizemore and Michaels. The pitch: another 100-mph heater.
``We had some strong at-bats against him that inning,'' Wedge said. ``He did a good job against Haf, but that was a big hack for Garko. That really got us going.''
Garko missed facing Verlander in the minors, but he did catch him.
``It was in the Futures Game,'' said Garko, who is a converted catcher. ``He's easy to catch, because he knows where the ball is going, and he hits his spots. He's polished, not just a thrower.''
Shin-Soo Choo followed with a single that moved Garko only to third, but Jhonny Peralta fought off a pitch and sent a lob single to center to score Garko with the tying run.
Then came Joe Inglett's two-run triple on a 3-and-2 pitch, putting the Tribe in the lead for good.
Like Garko, Inglett never faced Verlander coming up through the Cleveland farm system.
``I definitely heard about him, though,'' Inglett said.
After seeing several fastballs in his fifth-inning at-bat, maybe Verlander's fastball looked a little tame to Inglett.
``No, you see it better, but you never get used to a 98 mile-per-hour fastball,'' he said. ``It just jumps on you.''
Verlander was charged with all eight runs, 10 hits and one walk.
The Tigers peppered Jake Westbrook with 12 hits in seven innings, but after they scored three runs in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead, Westbrook (11-8, 4.27 ERA) held them in check.
``I'm a contact guy,'' Westbrook said.
``I guess you learn real fast to pitch with runners on base. The more you do it, the more you learn to try and get double-play balls.''
Westbrook threw three to help him stay in the game.
The Tigers have made lots of contact with Westbrook's pitches the past few seasons.
``I don't know what it is, but they see the ball pretty well against me,'' he said.
``I have to battle them every time, and I did again tonight.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/27/06

Ocker on the Indians

Tribe shouldn't break the bank on a new closer

That and some more hopes for next season's team

By Sheldon Ocker

<!-- begin body-content -->Things I'd like to see next year:
• Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro emulating his predecessor, John Hart, who annually built dependable bullpens without spending big dollars.
• Team officials becoming students of history and taking note that since the late '70s, with few exceptions, Tribe closers have come from the ranks of pitchers who failed as starters or were considered lacking in talent: Sid Monge, Dan Spillner, Ernie Camacho, Steve Karsay, Steve Olin, Mike Jackson, Jose Mesa and Doug Jones among them.
• Fausto Carmona, who won't be 23 until December, taking his exceptionally gifted arm back to Triple-A, where he can prepare for a career as a No. 1 or No. 2 starter.
• As part of bonus packages awarded to 16-year-old foreign players: tickets to the prom (if the kid has one), money to pay for driving lessons and braces for his teeth.
• Fans displaying a short memory about Jhonny Peralta's half-season of miserable defense. No, he never will be Omar Vizquel or Ozzie Smith at shortstop, but he is adequate, he will drive in runs, and the Indians have no other viable option at his position.
• Ryan Garko coming to spring training as the Tribe's first baseman. Period. End of story. Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge should make the announcement over the winter and be done with it.
No need to set up a phony competition during exhibition season to ensure that Garko doesn't take anything for granted. He's not that kind of guy.
It's also unlikely that Shapiro can make a deal or sign a first baseman that will offer the long-term prospects for success as Garko.
• An end to the debate about Victor Martinez's qualifications as the Tribe's No. 1 catcher. Since the awful game in early July, when the Yankees stole six bases, Martinez has worked diligently on his footwork and to slow himself down.
If you are paying attention, you have seen that he has made much better throws and opponents no longer are running wild. Moreover, as a first baseman (the fans' choice), he is only an adequate run producer. At catcher, he is well above average.
• A quarantine on annoying promotions. If the Devil Rays' marketing department wants to urge its fans to ring cowbells, all well and good. But the practice should not be allowed to spread beyond Pinellas County, Fla.
You probably are unaware that a local dairy gave away cowbells at a Rays game last year, and ever since, the customers have been prompted by the public address announcer and scoreboard messages to clank them.
This includes the following facetious scoreboard warning: ``Don't ring your cowbells unless you have a reason,'' which ensures non-stop cowbell clatter.
• The Indians' payroll reaching $70 million (or close), which would give Shapiro the flexibility to acquire a $10 million hitter who can drive in 100 runs.
• Relatively little money spent on a closer, $3 million or less. How is this possible? For one thing, there are unlikely to be many (if any) quality free-agent closers on the market who were not seriously injured this year.
For another, there could be a closer on the staff. It's still a long shot, but Tom Mastny might fit the profile: decent stuff, good command of the strike zone and the appropriate mindset. He should be given a serious chance to win the job during the season's remaining five weeks.
• Signing an injured free-agent reliever, but not to be the closer. The odds are not always favorable, and the Tribe might have to wait for a while until recovery is complete. But usually the price is right, and this kind of transaction can be very successful. Bob Howry, for example.
• Trevor Crowe getting his first chance to win a big-league job sometime during the season. It's doubtful that this can happen in spring training, but who knows?
He began a new phase of his career a few days ago by moving from center field to second base, mostly because the Indians have a gaping hole there. How quickly Crowe can fill it is the question.
But when (not if) he eventually finds his way to Cleveland, it will free up Grady Sizemore to move from the leadoff spot to somewhere in the middle of the lineup.
• Casey Blake playing every day. I don't know how many places he will play, but I do know that unless he is given a primary defensive position, he will come to the plate fewer than 250 times.
Managers always think they can find 400-500 at-bats for players who are not stationed at a fixed position, but it almost never happens.
Wedge already has said, ``Casey will play every day, I just don't know where.'' A couple of years ago, there was talk of moving Blake from third to second. Maybe that plan should be reconsidered.
• Julio Franco, who turned 48 on Thursday, continuing to play for the Mets. This is purely personal, because I've been a friendly acquaintance of Franco's since he was traded from the Phillies to the Indians at the 1982 winter meetings.
During a December press conference at Cleveland Stadium to introduce him to the city, Franco asked me where he could find the casinos. Despite wintry temperatures, he did not bring along a coat, but he did bring along $5,000 to use at the gaming tables. The cash was stuffed into one of his socks.
Franco insisted the Philadelphia media guide was incorrect in listing his age as 25; that he was really only 23, which is how he was able to trim two years off his true age.
Franco wants to play until he's 50. I hope he makes it to 60.
• Barry Bonds out of baseball. If he insists on earning a buck, he should get a job as the guy who decides whether hotel elevators will show a 13th floor.
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ABJ

8/27/06

will resume starter role

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Carmona sent down,
Indians officials wisely have decided to try and salvage the rest of the season for Fausto Carmona by optioning him to Triple-A Buffalo, where he can rebuild his arm strength as a starter.
``Over the last two months, Fausto has gotten into some bad habits with his delivery,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said Saturday.
Carmona has not been in command of his fastball, and extending his pitch count at Triple-A will give him the best chance to repair the problem.
``We can keep trying to correct his delivery here or start him,'' said Shapiro, indicating that Carmona would have fewer chances to fix his mechanics if he remained a reliever in the big leagues.
When the Triple-A season is over, on Sept. 4, Carmona will return to the Tribe.
``He'll get two starts at Buffalo and come back here and start,'' Shapiro said. ``I can't say how he will do that, whether we'll have a six-man rotation or do something else..''
THE REST OF THE STORY -- No announcement was made, but it appears that Carmona will make two or three major-league starts at the expense of Jeremy Sowers.
In his past two starts, Sowers was removed after throwing 87 and 85 pitches, respectively, a clear indication that manager Eric Wedge is trying to keep his work load in check.
Between his Triple-A and big-league starts, Sowers has thrown 168 innings. If he averages six innings per start the rest of the way, his total would reach 210, which poses a risk for a 23-year-old rookie.
``We do have a plan,'' Shapiro said. ``But I haven't told Jeremy yet, so I'm not going to discuss it publicly. If we were in contention, Jeremy would keep pitching, and we'd have to risk it with his innings.''
But being far out of the race means there is no upside to putting Sowers in jeopardy, even a little bit.
AND NEXT YEAR? -- Shapiro refused to box himself in by announcing that Carmona was permanently returning to his original role as starter.
``How he helps us next year will depend more on what we need,'' Shapiro said.
On the other hand, if Carmona does not make the roster out of spring training, he probably will begin the season in Buffalo's rotation.
``I don't want to speculate on something we haven't made a decision on yet,'' Shapiro said. ``But mostly likely, Fausto will start.''
There is a chance Carmona will pitch in the bullpen again, but saving games is not on the radar.
``In all likelihood,'' Shapiro said, ``closing is not going to be an option for him as of April 1.''
THE NUMBERS -- Overall, Carmona compiled a 1-8 record and 5.76 ERA in three starts and 31 relief appearances. In his three outings as closer and one trying to protect a ninth-inning tie, Carmona was 0-4, allowing 11 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.
THE REPLACEMENT -- Right-hander Edward Mujica was recalled to take Carmona's place on the roster.
In an earlier 2006 stint with the Tribe, Mujica was 0-1 with a 2.63 ERA in six appearances. At Buffalo, he was 3-1 with five saves and a 2.48 ERA in 22 outings. He began the season at Akron, where he was 1-0 with eight saves and a 0.00 ERA in 19 innings.
``We feel that Mujica is a young guy who could help us next year,'' Shapiro said. ``We just don't know when.''
TRIBE INJURY -- Tribe public relations director Bart Swain suffered multiple injuries Saturday, when he was struck by a car as he rode his bicycle through a West Side suburb of Cleveland.
He was taken to Fairview Park Hospital and treated for a dislocated left wrist, broken bone and fractured finger on his left hand and a broken toe on his left foot.
FARM FACTS -- Jose Constanza had three hits to lift his average to .336 in Kinston's 9-3 loss to Potomac.... Roman Pena hit his first two home runs of the season, but Lake County lost 13-7 to Lakewood. Pena was recently promoted from the Gulf Coast League.

 

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ABJ

8/28/06

Tigers claw past broom with help of Rogers

Crafty veteran makes sure Indians rarely see good pitch

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - OK, so the Indians owe the Detroit Tigers one.
Then again, maybe it's five or six, but who's counting?
The Tribe completed the season series with the Central Division leaders on Sunday the way they began it on April 14, with a loss, this time 7-1.
For the record, the Tigers hammered the Indians 13 times in 19 games, a total turnaround from 2005, when the Tigers lost 12 out of 18. The contrast between those two records is a pretty good indication of what has happened to the teams in a two-year span.
But because the Tribe won two out of three over the weekend, the Tigers are hearing footsteps, and the clatter of metal cleats is becoming louder. That's because both the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox have a reasonable chance of overtaking Detroit.
The Twins trail the leader by five games and are a half-game in front of the White Sox, who beat the Twins on Sunday.
``I know the game's important,'' said Detroit starter Kenny Rogers. ``But that doesn't make you pitch good.''
Something made Rogers ``pitch good,'' and that's what turned the series finale at Jacobs Field into no contest. You could almost see it coming. Rogers barely worked up a sweat, giving up four hits and a run in seven innings.
``He was good all day long,'' manager Eric Wedge said.
``He did what he wanted to do with the baseball. He kept us off balance.''
The past few seasons, Rogers (14-6, 4.02 ERA) often has made the Tribe his patsy, mostly because he is left-handed and varies the speed of his pitches between slow and barely moving.
It might be both instructive and entertaining to see Victor Martinez in a footrace with one of Rogers' changeups. Maybe even his fastball.
Basically, there are two strategies a hitter can try against Rogers: swing at the first reasonably good pitch you see, or try to wait him out, hoping he'll throw a fat one, meanwhile raising his pitch count.
The Indians tried patience. But it does no good to keep waiting for Rogers to make a mistake when he throws strike one followed by strike two.
``He did pretty much the same thing he always does,'' Casey Blake said. ``I think we helped him out some. When we've gotten to him in the past, it's when we've hit our pitch and not his.''
Then again, that's easier said than done.
``If you can make him get the ball up... '' Travis Hafner said. ``If he's low in the zone, and he's changing speeds, he's probably going to get ground balls. And today, he was down in the zone.''
Hafner went 1-for-3 with a walk, so count him among the more successful Indians. Though Hafner hardly felt he was in a position to gloat.
``I try to be patient,'' he said. ``But if he gets two strikes, I just try to put the ball in play and hit a line drive.''
And did Hafner see any good pitches to hit?
``No,'' he said. ``Not really.''
For a few minutes, at least, it appeared that Rogers might have a relapse of the problems that plagued him from late June through July, when he was 1-2 with five no-decisions and a 9.29 ERA.
After Grady Sizemore led off the first by grounding out, Jason Michaels, Hafner and Martinez singled sharply, with Martinez driving in a run.
``I didn't make any adjustments,'' Rogers said. ``I just got into my pitching. We got some runs, and I was able to hold them down.''
As quickly as Rogers got in trouble, a switch went on, and he induced Blake to hit an infield pop fly and Ryan Garko to slap a ground ball back to the mound.
End of rally. End of the line for the Tribe, which didn't get another hit off Rogers until the sixth. After the first inning, only one Cleveland runner reached second against Rogers and relievers Joel Zumaya and Todd Jones.
``You have to give up a lot to try and get something,'' said Wedge, referring to Rogers, when he is on.
In other words, forget about trying to be aggressive if Rogers is throwing the ball where he wants.
Considering Rogers' near-invincibility, it didn't really matter what Cliff Lee did, unless he threw a shutout. And he wasn't even close.
In 5 2/3 innings, Lee (10-10, 4.72 ERA) gave up five runs and 10 hits. Edward Mujica allowed the other two runs on Ivan Rodriguez's home run in the eighth, the fourth of the game for Detroit.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/28/06

Lee struggles to keep ball inside park

Starter gives up 10 hits, including three homers

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - It wasn't Cliff Lee's day. Not only did he have the misfortune of going up against Kenny Rogers of the Detroit Tigers, but he also didn't pitch well himself.
Rogers, as he often does, handcuffed Indians hitters, as the Tribe went down to defeat 7-1 on Sunday.
Lee (10-10, 4.72 ERA) was shelled for five runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. He had one basic problem: home runs.
The first batter of the game, Curtis Granderson, hit a drive over the center-field wall. In the third, Marcus Thames also took aim at the fence in center and blasted a two-run homer.
Thames has four hits in 15 career at-bats against Lee, and three are home runs.
Carlos Guillen also went deep with one out and nobody on in the sixth, hitting another ball that cleared the center-field fence.
``I needed to figure out a way to keep the ball in the park,'' Lee said. ``I expect myself to get through (at least) six innings every time I go out there. I didn't do that. And giving up three home runs is not acceptable.
``We had a chance to sweep the series, and I gave up too many runs. That killed our momentum.''
Eric Wedge said Lee's problems started with his fastball.
``Cliff had trouble commanding his fastball,'' the manager said. ``He had a good breaking pitch. But there were a couple of change-ups that cut across the plate that hurt him.''
Since July 6, Lee is only 2-5 with three no-decisions and a 4.78 ERA.
``It's been a pretty rough stretch, as far as getting wins,'' he said. ``But I feel like I've been throwing the ball pretty well lately.''
Before he began his skid, Lee's ERA (4.69) wasn't much lower than his ERA during his slump, yet his record was 8-5.
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ABJ

8/28/06

NOTEBOOK

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Westbrook to Wedge:
To `sir,' with glove
When manager Eric Wedge went to the mound to see if Jake Westbrook was determined to finish the seventh inning Saturday night, Westbrook answered, ``Yes, sir, I am.''
But did Westbrook really say sir? ``I did,'' he said. ``That's the way I was raised.''
FALL LEAGUE TEST -- The experiment to transform Trevor Crowe from a center fielder to a second baseman will be conducted mostly in the Arizona Fall League, which begins play midway through September.
Crowe began making the switch last week by playing three games at second for Akron.
``We're not going to make any judgments until after the Fall League,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said.
HINT -- The Indians aren't saying who will be summoned from the farm system, when rosters can be expanded to 40 Friday. However, Shapiro gave some clues.
``Primarily, it will be pitchers,'' the GM said. ``Franklin Gutierrez (an outfielder), of course, will be back and so will Jeremy Guthrie and some other (relief) pitchers. There might also be a position player or two. No big surprises.''
Asked if third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff might be called up from Buffalo, Shapiro said, ``We will consider bringing him here.''
FARM FACTS -- Franklin Gutierrez homered and singled in Buffalo's 6-5 loss to Scranton-Wilkes Barre.... Charles Lofgren (16-5, 2.42 ERA) gave up two hits and one run in six innings, as Kinston beat Potomac 4-2.... Mike Butia homered and James Deters (11-9, 3.25 ERA) yielded one run in six innings, as Lake County routed Lakewood 11-1.... Joshua Rodriguez amassed four singles and a double, scored four runs and drove in one, as Mahoning Valley defeated Batavia 9-7.... Brett Kinning had four hits and Corteze Armstrong, Aregenis Tavarez and Richard Martinez each had three in Burlington's 14-0 win over Pulaski.

 

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ABJ

8/29/06

Grady leads Indians to win

Center fielder continues to play hard, rips homer, two doubles to top Jays

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - For six innings Monday night, it rained on Jacobs Field, but it did not rain on the Indians' parade.
OK, so the Tribe missed out on the real parade. The elephants, the trapeze artists and the animal trainers who perform under the big top moved on to Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit long ago, leaving the Indians with a couple of red wagons and a sad-faced clown.
Don't tell that to Grady Sizemore.
He still plays as if running into the center-field wall is a privilege. And maybe, to him, it is.
He helped the Tribe vanquish the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 on Monday night, contributing two doubles and a solo home run, his 20th of the season. Sizemore scored three runs and drove in one.
Just another night at the yard for Grady.
``If he's not the best all-around player in the league, he's one of them,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``I would take him over anybody.
``Grady is a winning player. He has a championship attitude about him.''
Testimonials to Sizemore are easy to elicit from his teammates.
``Whether he's 0-for-5 or 5-for-5, Grady plays hard,'' said Paul Byrd, the starter Monday. ``He risks injury by running off walls, and he's very focused.
``He signed a large contract this year, and let's be honest. There are some guys who get a little comfortable when they do that.
``But Grady is playing like it's the last year of his contract.''
Added Ryan Garko, ``Grady and Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez have carried this team for a month.''
And what kind of glowing self-evaluation did Sizemore add?
``I have way too many strikeouts,'' he said. ``There are tons of things I need to focus on every day to get better.''
Sizemore is batting .296 and more important 75 of his 157 hits, almost half, are for extra bases. He leads the American League in doubles with 46, many of them because he made an all-out attempt to hustle his way to second base.
What keeps him playing the game at warp speed every day, even though his team has no chance to make the playoffs
``Everyone in here loves to play baseball,'' he said. ``It's not hard for me (to play hard). I have a great time going out there every day.''
Garko continued his assault on American League pitching with two doubles and two RBI.
After a nightmarish outing last week against the Kansas City Royals, in which Byrd (9-6, 4.74 ERA) suffered a nine-run meltdown -- and never mind that six runs were unearned -- Monday night's start was a refreshing change. Even without comparing it to one of Byrd's poorest performances of the season, he was mostly on target. That is, as Wedge likes to say, Byrd gave his team every chance to win, even though he was not at his best.
``Our trainer, Lonnie Soloff, told me, `Last time you lasted two-thirds of an inning, this time it was five,' '' Byrd said. ``Well, whoopee. I appreciate Lonnie telling me that.''
Byrd allowed an unearned run in the second because of an error by Aaron Boone, who is permitted to play third only once a week or so, and should be excused if he is not razor sharp.
In the fourth, a double by Lyle Overbay and single by Bengie Molina gave the Blue Jays their second run.
So the game was proceeding smoothly for Byrd through five innings. But in the sixth, it was as if the scoreboard began to flash Victor Martinez's signs to Toronto's hitters, so thoroughly did they rough up Byrd. In machine-gun fashion, Vernon Wells slammed a leadoff double, which was followed by three consecutive singles, off the bats of Troy Glaus, Overbay and Gregg Zaun. Byrd was led to the dugout with one run home and the bases loaded.
``The wheels fell off,'' Byrd said. ``I struggles with my command. I threw some sliders over the middle of the plate. That's the pitch that been deserting me.''
Fernando Cabrera came to the rescue. He induced Molina to bounce into a double play that scored a run, then retired Alex Rios on a soft fly to center.
Byrd was charged with four runs (three earned) and 10 hits, but he did not walk a batter and struck out three.
Cabrera pitched two innings, giving up one hit and striking out three. He has not allowed a run in his past six outings, encompassing 8 1/3 innings.
``I didn't deserve to win,'' Byrd said. ``Cabrera did. He came in and saved us.''
It's not news anymore, but Tom Mastny pitched the ninth and earned his fourth save in as many tries.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/29/06

Indians notebook

Carmona to return after two Bisons starts

Pitcher to work on improving arm strength after closer stint

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - The details of the plan remain a mystery, but that's not all bad for an Indians team that has left little to the imagination.
So Fausto Carmona will make his first start for Buffalo tonight against Ottawa.
``He'll start again five days later, then come up here,'' manager Eric Wedge said Monday.
Carmona was optioned to Triple-A Saturday in an effort to salvage something from the failed effort to turn him into a closer.
In two starts for the Bisons, Carmona will be expected to redevelop the arm strength he had before he was turned into a reliever earlier in the season.
``Fausto probably will throw 50 pitches in his first start and around 65 in his second,'' Wedge said. ``By the time he gets back here, he should be able to throw about 80.''
After Carmona's return to Cleveland is when the plan begins to get cloudy. He will join the rotation and presumably pitch every five days, or will he?
If he continues to throw every fifth day, Carmona's first start for the Indians will be Sept. 8 against the White Sox in Chicago. Remaining on the same schedule would give him five September starts.
Seems crystal clear. Except for one thing: What happens to Jeremy Sowers, who has thrown 168 innings, including 97 1/3 at Buffalo?
General Manager Mark Shapiro already has said he has no intention of putting a rookie starter in harm's way by allowing his innings to climb close to 200.
But Sowers will get two more starts before Carmona makes his first appearance for the Indians. By that time, he probably will have thrown about 180 innings.
So will Shapiro and Wedge shut him down at that point, or will he somehow be used as a spot starter?
``He's going to continue to start,'' Wedge said. ``But at some point, there will come a time in September when he'll have had enough.''
The way it looks now, Sowers' final start for 2006 will be Sept. 5.
The weird schedule
The Indians played 129 games and the Toronto Blue Jays 130 before they met in a three-game set that began Monday night.
``We talked about that before the game,'' Wedge said. ``It seems like every year now, there's one team we don't see until now.''
Wedge doesn't feel the strange scheduling works a hardship on one team or another.
``I think everybody is in the same boat,'' he said. ``I don't think we're the only team like this. It's just the new norm.''
Blake update
With Shin-Soo Choo firmly entrenched as the man the Tribe's deep-thinkers want to see in right field, Casey Blake's primary position is up in the air.
``His first week back (from an ankle sprain), I wanted to use Casey for just four games,'' Wedge explained. ``Hopefully, we can move toward having him in the lineup every day. When that happens, he'll play some first base.''
Choo plays mostly against right-handed pitchers, so Casey presumably will be in right against lefties. Ryan Garko will be in the lineup most of the time at first base, but Blake will spell him.
Time changes
Starting times for two games against the Rangers in Texas have changed. Friday's game has been moved back from 8 p.m. to 8:30 (Akron time). The Sept. 22 game also has been moved back to an 8:30 p.m. first pitch.
Farm facts
Mike Butia had three hits, including a home run, and Maximiliano Ramirez also homered, but Lake County lost 8-3 to Lakewood in Class A.... First-round draft pick David Huff threw two scoreless innings in Mahoning Valley's 11-3 defeat against Auburn in Class A. He gave up one hit and struck out three.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/29/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK
Marte, Peralta are solid pair on, off field

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CLEVELAND — Since joining the Indians on July 28, rookie third baseman Andy Marte has been a pleasant surprise defensively. And a pleasant distraction for teammate Jhonny Peralta.
"He talks a lot on the field. He’s a funny guy," Peralta said. "He keeps me relaxed. I like to hear everything he says."
Not coincidentally, entering last night Peralta had not made an error since Marte joined him on the left side of the Indians infield and raised his fielding percentage to .978, third among American League shortstops.
Marte had committed two errors but also has reached numerous balls that had been sneaking through the infield earlier in the season.
"He has been outstanding defensively," manager Eric Wedge said.
Indians officials have emphasized defense with both young infielders this season. Peralta has spent considerable time before games working with first-base coach Luis Rivera, and Marte spent a few weeks in July working with the organization’s roving infield instructor, Ted Kubiak.
Peralta plans to hire a trainer in the offseason, and he and Marte have discussed working out together. They live about 40 minutes apart in the Dominican Republic, Peralta said, and they have become fast friends.
"I want to come in ready for next season," Peralta said. "I want to start hot. And I want to help him, too. I know he can be the third baseman next year."
One that got away

The Indians drafted former University of Washington righthander Tim Lincecum in the 42 nd round last season and offered him early round money after he impressed last summer in the Cape Cod League. But Lincecum asked for a reported $1 million, so the Indians backed off.
Lincecum was drafted 10 th overall by the San Francisco Giants in June, signed for $2.025 million and already is dominating the high-Class A California League. In 26 2 /3 innings, he has struck out 49 and allowed only 13 hits. According to a Baseball Prospectus report, his fastball reached 98 mph in his most recent start.
Hit and run

Reliever Matt Miller, who has been on the disabled list since April 20 because of an elbow injury, will begin a minorleague rehabilitation assignment tonight with triple-A Buffalo. He is expected to pitch once for Buffalo and twice for double-A Akron, and if all goes well he will be activated next week. ... Casey Blake has not played consecutive days since coming off the DL, but Wedge said he hopes to have Blake in the lineup "more on an everyday basis" by next week.
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Dispatch

8/30/06

Sabathia turns into complete pitcher
Left-hander goes the distance for fifth time this season
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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CLEVELAND — C.C. Sabathia returned to the Indians dugout in the eighth inning last night with 105 pitches under his belt, his team in the lead and his sights set on another complete game. He did not wait for an OK from manager Eric Wedge to pitch the ninth.
"Before he could get anything out, I said, ‘I’m going back,’ " Sabathia said with a smile.
Wedge was of the same mind. He had not bothered to warm up a reliever. Sabathia has earned that trust, and he justified it again last night, retiring the top of the Toronto order with ease to finish off a 5-2 win over the Blue Jays.
It was Sabathia’s fifth complete game of the season, the most in the major leagues. He allowed only four hits, did not walk a batter and struck out six. In six August starts, he is 3-1 with a 1.87 ERA. With a little help from his teammates, he easily could be 6-0.
"I still take it back to the midpoint of last year, and he has kept it going," Wedge said. "He has been very consistent."
Since Aug. 1 of last season, Sabathia is 19-9 with a 2.90 ERA in 34 starts.
He traced the turnaround to a bullpen session July 27, 2005, and a conversation with pitching coach Carl Willis and bullpen coaches Luis Isaac and Dan Williams, in which they stressed the importance of maintaining proper mechanics throughout the game and, if necessary, sacrificing velocity for location. With each successive outing, Sabathia gets more comfortable with his delivery and is able to increase his velocity a bit more in key situations.
He said he noticed his delivery getting "a little out of whack" in the sixth inning last night, when the Blue Jays began the inning with consecutive hits, and he was able to fix it on the fly.
"You’re seeing a guy with so much ability just continue to evolve into a great pitcher," Wedge said.
Travis Hafner got the Indians on the board in the first inning with a solo home run off Blue Jays lefty Gustavo Chacin. Hafner’s 40 th homer of the season gave Cleveland its 12 th 40-homer season in club history.
"It’s a nice number to get to," Hafner said.
Chacin left in the sixth inning with what the Blue Jays announced as a cramp in the index finger of his pitching hand. He was making his second start since spending two months on the disabled list because of a strained elbow.
The Indians rallied for three runs in the seventh against Chacin’s replacements. Joe Inglett executed a perfect sacrifice bunt and reached on an error, fellow rookie Andy Marte singled home a run against hard-throwing Brandon League and Jason Michaels hit an RBI double off lefty Brian Tallet.
Sabathia retired the final 11 Toronto batters to make it stand up, leading the Indians to their 15 th win in the past 20 games.
"Anytime you look at the lineup card and see C.C. is pitching, you feel like you’re going to win that game," Hafner said. "It might not be fair to him, but everytime he is pitching you expect him to throw a complete-game shutout."
Sabathia has thrown at least eight innings in 12 of his 23 starts. He threw 122 and 114 pitches in his past two starts but still had enough gas to hit 98 mph in the ninth inning.
"I just want to finish healthy and strong," he said.
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Dispatch

8/30/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK
Relievers improve, but jobs not yet secure for ’07
Wednesday, August 30, 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>Indians right fielder Casey Blake snags a fly ball by the Blue Jays’ Aaron Hill in the fourth. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CLEVELAND — The Indians bullpen, which has been fluid since Day One, recently has taken on a new shape. Tom Mastny has settled in as the closer, with Rafael Betancourt and Fernando Cabrera as the main setup men, followed by Jason Davis and Brian Sikorski.
The 2007 bullpen still has no shape. Manager Eric Wedge said all seven spots remain "wide open."
"We need to see something," he said, "and we need to continue to see that through September. We can’t downplay September."
The Indians should have plenty of money to spend this winter — perhaps $20 million or more — and general manager Mark Shapiro has said he will look for multiple veteran relievers. The Indians have plenty of talented young pitchers to flesh out the bullpen but none has separated from the pack for more than a few weeks at a time.
"We still have five weeks left," Cabrera said. "I want to improve my game. I’m trying to get back from a bad season early. We aren’t going to the playoffs, but we have a chance to show we still have good talent on this team."
Complicating matters is that Cabrera, Davis, Andrew Brown and Jeremy Guthrie will be out of minor-league options next spring. The Indians could not send them back to triple-A without first getting them through waivers, which is unlikely considering their talent. But it is unlikely all four will make the club, considering their inconsistency.
"I think about it when I’m away from the field," Brown said. "When I’m here, obviously I’m not thinking about it; I’m just trying to get better every day. When the phone rings, I go out and do the best I can."
Almost finished ?

Rookie Jeremy Sowers will start tonight in what could be his final home outing of the season. The Indians are expected to shut him down next week, to keep from overworking him down the stretch.
Sowers has thrown 168 innings between Cleveland and Buffalo, more than he threw last season and more than every pitcher in the organization except Jake Westbrook.
Fausto Carmona joined the rotation at Buffalo last night and is expected to replace Sowers.
Next up ?

Wedge mentioned left-hander Juan Lara and infielder Kevin Kouzmanoff as candidates to be promoted when rosters expand in September. They are not on the 40-man roster and have not participated in bigleague spring training.
"It would be a chance to put our eyes on them," Wedge said.
Kouzmanoff has hit .384 with 22 home runs between double-A Akron and Buffalo. He recently began working out at first base, in addition to third base.
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ABJ

8/30/06

Indians report

Better plan helping Cabrera take control

Command of fastball has reliever improving

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - At the end of last season, the Indians' deep thinkers had every reason to believe that Fernando Cabrera was on the verge of becoming a successful setup man or closer.
Cabrera pitched in only 15 games after spending most of 2005 at Triple-A Buffalo, but he compiled a 1.47 ERA in 30 2/3 innings, walking 11 and striking out 29.
Yet Cabrera's live arm and mid-90s velocity were not enough to keep him from going into an extended skid this year.
Overall, he has posted a 2-2 record and 5.01 ERA in 38 appearances, averaging more than one strikeout per inning, but issuing walks at the rate of 5.2 per nine innings.
Primarily, Cabrera was stymied by an inability to command his fastball.
``Before, I just threw my fastball, but I didn't know where,'' he said on Tuesday. ``Now I have a better plan. It makes you change when nothing is working for four months.''
Lately, Cabrera has turned his fortunes around. Going into Tuesday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, he had thrown 8 1/3 scoreless innings in his past six outings.
``Fernando definitely is commanding his fastball better,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``And when he gets into pitchers' counts, he is able to put batters away.''
Thinking ahead helps.
``Now, I have a better idea of how to attack the hitters,'' Cabrera said.
More than that, Cabrera was confounded by the mental aspects of alternate periods of success and failure.
``I would have a good streak and then there would be a come-down, and I'd wonder what happened,'' he said.
``Sometimes, even if I felt good, things wouldn't go like I wanted. I would feel fine, but I would still do something wrong.''
Cabrera thinks he has a handle on his mental approach.
``This is a mind game,'' he said.
``It's not how much talent you have as much as how you deal with situations.''
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ABJ

8/30/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Kouzmanoff could get a shot in September
If third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff is summoned from Triple-A Buffalo in September, he will not merely drink in the atmosphere and become accustomed to life in the big leagues.
``This is a guy who can gain some experience, if we bring him here,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``It would give us a chance to put our eyes on him first hand. Except for spring training, we haven't seen him much.''
MILLER UPDATE -- Matt Miller (elbow surgery) made his first rehab start, throwing one inning for Buffalo for a total of 16 pitches. He did not give up a hit and struck out two.
If he has no ill effects, he probably will throw two more times, either for the Bisons or the Aeros, before he is activated from the disabled list.
FARM FACTS -- Jason Cooper had three hits, including his 13th homer, as Buffalo edged Ottawa 5-4. Kouzmanoff hit his seventh home run for the Bisons and 22nd overall. Jeremy Guthrie (8-5, 3.23 ERA) allowed three runs in six innings.... Scott Lewis (1.52 ERA) worked five scoreless innings in Kinston's 8-2 win over Potomac in Class A.... Mike Butia hit his fourth home run in Lake County's 7-5 loss to Hagerstown in Class A.... Mike Storey (3-6, 4.11 ERA) worked seven scoreless innings, giving up two hits in Burlington's 9-2 win over Danville in Rookie League.

 

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ABJ

Peralta delivers victory in 10th

Shortstop's homer wins it; Hafner connects twice

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - When is it not Travis Hafner Night at Jacobs Field? When Jhonny Peralta wins the game with a home run in extra innings.
Hafner went deep twice to give the Tribe a tie, but with two outs and nobody on in the 10th, Peralta ripped a drive that cleared the right field fence to sink Toronto 3-2 Wednesday night.
The game-winner came off closer B.J. Ryan, a man General Manager Mark Shapiro tried to lure to Cleveland as a free agent last winter. Peralta had never faced him before.
``I see him throw everything away,'' Peralta said. ``So I want the next pitch to be a fastball away. And that's where it was.''
Even though Peralta bats from the right side, he often hits home runs to the opposite field. Indians manager Eric Wedge has said frequently that Peralta has the best power on the team going the other way.
``Hitting to the opposite field is natural to me,'' Peralta said. ``It just happens. I did it in the minors too. So a fastball away feels pretty good for me.''
Wedge has been critical of Peralta's defense this year, but the manager wanted to make sure his shortstop got his due.
``Jhonny really stepped up big against one of the best relievers in the league,'' Wedge said. ``I'm real happy for him.''
The Indians did little against starter Shaun Marcum, who lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed one run and four hits.
But Hafner led off the third with his 41st home run of the season to give the Tribe a 1-0 lead. In the eighth, he led off again and slammed No. 42 off Jeremy Accardo to tie the score at 2-2.
The bullpen came through again, with Fernando Cabrera and Rafael Betancourt combining for 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
Jeremy Sowers deserved better, but he became keenly aware of what it feels like to be a starter for the Indians this year.
Had his defense played up to par -- or even shot one or two over -- Sowers probably would not have given up a run.
Maybe it was just one of those nights, or maybe old (bad) habits die hard. At any rate, a sloppy sixth inning led directly to two Blue Jays' runs.
Sowers gave up leadoff singles to Aaron Hill and Vernon Wells, putting runners on first and third, but Troy Glaus slapped a hard ground ball to Andy Marte at third.
Marte threw to Joe Inglett at second for the force on Wells, then Inglett noticed Hill wandering around in no-man's land between third and the plate. He delivered a strike to catcher Victor Martinez, who in turn heaved the ball back to third -- except it was high and wide, bouncing off Marte's glove and into left field.
``I think when Victor went to throw, the runner was right in his line,'' Wedge said.
Shin-Soo Choo recovered the ball quickly, holding Hill at third.
Nevertheless, instead of two outs and a runner at first, Blue Jays stood at first and third with only one out. Bengie Molina followed with a single to score one run, and Alex Rios singled to score a second run one out later.
``I started with runners on first and third, so it was going to be a struggle,'' Sowers said.
In addition to Martinez's wild throw, Peralta's lack of range to his left played a part in two Toronto singles reaching the outfield.
Sowers was charged with two earned runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
``These guys found a way to win,'' Wedge said. ``Jeremy did a great job at damage control in that one inning.''
Wedge and Shapiro have all but announced that Sowers will be shut down for the duration of the season after Fausto Carmona is called back up from Buffalo, probably sometime next week.
Between Buffalo and Cleveland, Sowers has thrown 173 2/3 innings, deemed to be more than enough for a 23-year-old rookie.
Inasmuch as Carmona's last start in Triple-A likely will be Sunday, Sowers probably will get one more start.
The Indians finished their homestand with a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays and a 5-1 record. Going back to the beginning of the month, they are 18-10 but still six games below .500.
``Every win counts,'' Wedge said. ``We want to win as many as we can. Every day means something, no doubt about that.''
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Indians notebook

Past year sensational for seasoned Sabathia

Ace left-hander 19-9 with 2.90 ERA in 34 starts since last August

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - It hasn't exactly been C.C. Sabathia's season, but it has been his year.
Sabathia missed his first four starts of 2006 with an injury and despite carrying the third-best ERA in the league (3.22), the ace of the Indians' staff has struggled to win.
``When I was young, I just expected to win every game,'' Sabathia said on Wednesday. ``I remember (former coach) Grady Little telling me that there was a lot of luck in winning. But it came so easy my first year, I thought I'd win every time I went out there.''
Sabathia posted a 17-5 record and 4.39 ERA as a rookie six years ago. At the moment, he is 10-8 and probably will start six more times before season's end.
Midway through the 2005 season, Sabathia tired of being yanked from games after five or six innings because of a high pitch count. He realized that throwing harder didn't necessarily mean pitching more efficiently.
On Aug. 1, he set out to become a totally different kind of starter. His velocity dipped, but his command of the strike zone tightened. He began throwing a slider in addition to a curveball and change-up.
The result: Sabathia stayed in games longer and began to win regularly. Since that day, he has made 34 starts, compiling a 19-9 record and 2.90 ERA.
``It's hard to say that anything about this game is easy,'' Sabathia said ``But I know more about what's going on now.''
Victor Martinez has caught Sabathia since they were together in rookie ball at Mahoning Valley in 1999.
``For me, a big difference was when C.C. started throwing a slider last year,'' Martinez said. ``Now, he'll throw his fastball 92-93, but once in a while I ask him to give me a little more, like 97, and he does.''
Sabathia no longer is distracted by misplays behind him or umpires' misjudgments behind the plate.
``I would always tell C.C. that if somebody is going to get thrown out, it should be me, not him, and that he didn't need to do any stupid things on the mound,'' Martinez said. ``If you do that, the umpires are just going to get you later.''
Miller time
After throwing 16 pitches for Triple-A Buffalo in his first rehab assignment Tuesday night, Matt Miller (elbow surgery) will try it again for the Aeros (in Erie, Pa.) Friday night.
``I was throwing 83-87, and that's pretty good,'' said Miller, who does not rely on a blazing fastball. ``I had good sink on the ball. Things couldn't really have gone any better for me.''
Miller's third appearance will be with the Aeros on Sunday. After that, he probably will be activated and spend September in the Indians' bullpen.
Despite a history of success with the Tribe, Miller does not have a guaranteed spot on the roster next year.
``We want to see where he is physically,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``We know he can do it if he's physically back to 100 percent.''
No additions yet
On Friday, rosters can be expanded to 40 but don't expect to see any new faces at Jacobs Field just yet.
``We don't have any plans right now,'' said Wedge, referring to any Friday call-ups.
Good report
Fausto Carmona pitched three innings for Buffalo Tuesday night, giving up one run, one hit, two walks, striking out four and throwing about 50 pitches.
``He finished better than he started, and I think that's a good sign,'' Wedge said.
Carmona will throw about 65 pitches in his next Triple-A start then return to Cleveland and go into the rotation.
Farm facts
Joshua Rodriguez hit his fourth home run of the year and tripled, but Mahoning Valley lost 4-3 to State College in Class A.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

INDIANS NOTEBOOK
Inglett’s hard work shows in his play
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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CLEVELAND — During his first two months in the major leagues, Joe Inglett has impressed the Indians staff with his production at the plate, attention to detail and constant hustle. He has impressed infield coach Luis Rivera with his improvement at second base.
Rivera, who spent the previous six seasons as a coach or manager in the lower levels of the farm system, said Inglett is "completely different" from his days in Class A. Specifically, Rivera said, Inglett has improved his form and tempo on routine grounders.
"He’s more aggressive now," Rivera said. "He still needs to work on some stuff — like double-play balls — but he has made a lot of progress."
For the past month, Inglett has shared second base with Hector Luna. The Indians are expected to look for a veteran starter in the offseason, but Inglett likely has played his way into the picture. Entering last night’s game, he was hitting .297 with 17 RBI in 39 games, and he has been solid defensively.
With the latter in mind, Inglett worked out last winter with former Indians infielder John McDonald, a defensive whiz at second base and shortstop.
"My concentration level is a lot higher," Inglett said. "I have a lot more mental stuff going on."
A change for the better

A number of opponents have commented on C.C. Sabathia’s growing proficiency at changing speeds. He has thrown his fastball between 92 and 98 mph, and his curveball and change-up have become weapons.
Sabathia has been able to throw either off-speed pitch for a strike early in the count, then throw it out of the zone with two strikes to get a hitter to swing and miss.
"We weren’t expecting him to throw a lot of change-ups like he did," Blue Jays catcher Bengie Molina said. "That got everyone off-balance. Before he was a power pitcher with his fastball and slider. He’s still a power pitcher, but if he can get that change-up over, it’s devastating."
Hit and run

Fausto Carmona allowed one run in three innings Tuesday for triple-A Buffalo. He is expected to make a start for the Bisons before joining the Indians down the stretch. … Matt Miller reported no pain after throwing an inning for Buffalo, the first inning he has thrown since elbow surgery in late April. He is scheduled to throw an inning for double-A Akron on Friday. Barring a setback, Miller will pitch for Akron again Sunday, then join the Indians in Toronto next week. … Active rosters expand from 25 to 40 Friday, but manager Eric Wedge said the Indians are not likely to add players until the minorleague season ends Monday.
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ABJ

Indians notebook

Toe may explain bad throws

Wedge blames summer injury to Martinez, who seems slower on bases

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->Maybe Victor Martinez's inability to make quick and accurate throws to second and third has little to do with his native ability.
At least two months ago, the Indians catcher fouled a pitch off his foot and banged up a toe. Martinez and manager Eric Wedge downplayed the incident, and Martinez kept playing.
The injury -- possibly a fracture -- has had a lasting effect on Martinez's performance.
``I don't think it's broken,'' Wedge said. ``But because he has continued to play every day, it never really had a chance to get better. It's just something he's going to have to play with the rest of the season, because it's not going to go away.''
In June and early July, Martinez seemed totally unable to control the running game. The low point of his season occurred July 5, when the Yankees stole six bases.
``At first, the toe affected his throwing, but not now,'' Wedge said. ``Victor's throws have been much better the past month or so.''
Foot speed has never been one of Martinez's strengths, but since the injury, he has appeared to struggle even more running the bases. Also, he has not hit the ball with quite the same authority as last year.
``I don't think the toe affects his power,'' Wedge said.
On the other hand, the fact that the injury lingers could explain a lot about Martinez's season.
He gets it
Jeremy Sowers knows that shortly he will be shut down for the rest of the season.
With Buffalo and Cleveland, Sowers has thrown 175 2/3 innings, and he probably will get only one more start before Fausto Carmona is summoned from Triple-A to take his place in the rotation.
``A couple of days ago, Eric and (pitching coach) Carl Willis told me I would get two or three more starts, because I was going to throw between 180-190 innings,'' Sowers said.
If Sowers were the manager or the pitching coach, would he try to protect a rookie starter the same way?
``I'm not a coach or a GM, but I would want to err on the side of caution,'' he said. ``The team is playing good right now, but we're not going to be in the postseason, so I would do the same thing.''
It's early, but . . .
C.C. Sabathia is signed through 2008, so it's a little early to think about a contract extension.
But by that time, he will be eligible for free agency, and the Tribe front office and ownership will probably face a dilemma: Come up with big money or risk losing Sabathia.
The way Sabathia feels about the Indians now, he would like to stay. ``If that could happen, I would be happy,'' he said. ``My wife would really be happy, because she loves Cleveland. So it would be a blessing if it worked out that way.''
The C.C. File
Sabathia would have 13 wins if the bullpen hadn't blown three saves for him.... He has two three-hitters and one four-hitter this season.... According to Elias Sports Bureau, at 25 years, 34 days, Sabathia is the youngest pitcher to win 78 games since Greg Maddux.... Sabathia, with 79 wins now, ranks second in franchise history in victories by a left-hander to Sam McDowell (122).... Sabathia was 3-1 with a 1.87 ERA in August.
Other stuff
The Indians have won seven of their past eight.... The team finished August with an 18-10 record. In August this year and last year, the Tribe is a combined 37-18.... In Sowers' past eight starts, he is 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA.... Travis Hafner has six home runs in the past 12 games and has 13 homers in 27 games. He has 17 homers since the All-Star break to lead the American League.... In his past 12 games, Jhonny Peralta is batting .362 with two homers and 10 RBI.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Indians get youthful jolt
Despite being out of chase for the postseason, team feeling renewed optimism
Friday, September 01, 2006
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>The winning home run by Jhonny Peralta, right, on Wednesday gave the Indians a nice send-off to go on the road. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CLEVELAND — The Indians left for Texas last night to begin a three-city, 10-game trip, their second in three weeks. Temperatures in Arlington are expected to approach 100 degrees this weekend.
"They call these the dog days," rookie first baseman Ryan Garko said without a hint of apprehension, "but for a lot of us, these are the best days of our career."
Garko is one of 10 rookies on the roster, most of them promoted in the past two months to audition for next season. They are enjoying life in the big leagues too much to be pained by the Texas heat.
More important for the Indians, their enthusiasm has become infectious and their talent has been obvious.
The Indians are 16-5 since Aug. 9. Before that stretch, they went 2-5 on a trip through Boston and Detroit but held the lead in the eighth or ninth inning of six games. If not for the lack of a closer, they might have won 20 games in August, after winning only nine in June and 10 in July.
"Everyone is starting to play together," center fielder Grady Sizemore said. "Hopefully, we can build off this and finish strong."
Sizemore, designated hitter Travis Hafner and catcher Victor Martinez have cemented their status as cornerstones of the club. Sizemore and Hafner have been as productive as any position players in the American League and surely would get MVP consideration if not for the team’s hugely disappointing first half.
"If you look at the way Grady plays, and Hafner’s at-bats — the focus and the consistency he has up there — and look at how hard Victor works behind the plate," manager Eric Wedge said. "There are things in those guys’ game that stand out, that can’t help but rub off on people."
To their credit, the young players who joined the club have done so with their eyes and ears open and their energy constantly on high. Hafner praised them for playing the game "the right way; they play to win." Other players have alluded to a different dynamic in the clubhouse.
Certainly, the youngsters’ play has created a buzz.
Jeremy Sowers has been the team’s most effective starting pitcher of late, going 5-0 with a 1.83 ERA in his past eight starts. He is virtually assured of a spot in the rotation next season.
Garko is hitting .324 with 19 RBI in 22 games. Shin-Soo Choo is hitting .296 since being acquired from Seattle, and he has made a handful of highlight-reel catches in right field. Each likely secured himself a spot on the opening day roster next season.
Tom Mastny has converted all four save opportunities, third baseman Andy Marte has helped stabilize the defense on the left side of the infield, and the hustling Joe Inglett is hitting .292.
"They’re learning from it," Wedge said. "It’s going to help us next year. I’ve said it time and time again: Everything we’re going through this year has to mean something next year. It has to be a step back for a leap forward. They have to work each and every day to make that happen."
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Friday, September 01, 2006

 

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Dispatch

INDIANS 7 RANGERS 2

Indians win, receive good news on Hafner

Saturday, September 02, 2006


ASSOCIATED PRESS

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ARLINGTON, Texas — In the end, it turned out to be a good night for the Cleveland Indians.
They stretched their winning streak to four games and then got good news from the trainer’s room when they learned that slugger Travis Hafner didn’t suffer a broken right hand, as had been feared.
Grady Sizemore went 3 for 3 with a homer and Jake Westbrook pitched seven strong innings to help the Indians beat the Texas Rangers 7-2 last night.
The Indians got a scare in the eighth inning when Hafner left the game after he was hit on the hand by a pitch from Rangers left-hander C.J. Wilson. X-rays were negative and Hafner is listed as day to day.
"We’ll see how he feels tomorrow," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "We were all worried that it might be broken. He was pretty upset."
Hafner had an ugly bruise on the back of his hand after getting plunked with the basesloaded pitch.
It was Hafner’s 110 th RBI of the season as a designated hitter, breaking the club record of 109 set by Andre Thornton (1982). Hafner has totals of 117 RBI and 42 homers.
The Indians know they’d be in trouble without Hafner.
"You hate to say you have to rely on one guy, but he’s been an anchor in this lineup," Sizemore said. "He’s a guy who comes through in the clutch."
In addition to his 21 st homer, Sizemore added two doubles, walked twice and drove in two runs for Cleveland, which has won eight of nine.
Westbrook (12-8) won his third straight start, giving up two runs and seven hits. He struck out six and walked two. The Indians are five games below .500 (64-69) for the first time since July 7.
The Indians had eight base runners in the first two innings against Vicente Padilla (13-9) as Cleveland gave Westbrook a 4-1 lead.
The Indians put five runners on base in the first inning and took a 3-0 lead on RBI singles by Victor Martinez, Ryan Garko and Jhonny Peralta.
Texas scored a first-inning run on Carlos Lee’s RBI single, but the Rangers left the bases loaded when Ian Kinsler took a called third strike.
Texas had 13 ground ball outs against Westbrook.
"The last time I pitched against them in April, they were real aggressive," Westbrook said. "So I thought I had to mix it up a little more this time. After the first inning, I went back to my sinker. I was able to get them to hit the ball on the ground."
Cleveland stretched its lead to 4-1 in the second on Sizemore’s homer, but Kinsler’s 10 th homer in the fourth pulled Texas to 4-2. Andy Marte’s RBI double in the sixth knocked out Padilla, and Sizemore greeted Ron Mahay with a run-scoring double to make it 6-2.