Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Big hits missing big-time in losses Tribe's base runners come close to scoring but that doesn't count
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Thursday, Sep 04, 2008
CLEVELAND: Someone who buys 35 Mega Millions lottery tickets and wins three times should feel pretty good about himself, moving up several tax brackets to join Donald Trump and other multimillionaires.
It's a little different in baseball. The Indians lost 4-2 Wednesday at Progressive Field to avoid sweeping the Chicago White Sox and finish their homestand with a 2-4 record.
''The games we lost were very similar,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ''We had a lot of opportunities. One swing of the bat could have tied those games or given us the lead. And I'm not talking about a home run. We threw everything at them, but we couldn't come through with the big hit.''
Wednesday, the Tribe was 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and bounced into double plays to end the eighth inning and abort a prospective rally in the ninth.
In the four defeats (three against the Seattle Mariners), the Indians were 3-for-35 with runners in scoring position for an .086
average, superb for playing the lottery, but lousy for most other purposes.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Sowers struggles again as Tribe falls to White Sox
Thursday, September 4, 2008
BY JOSH WEIR
[email protected]

CLEVELAND Would the real Jeremy Sowers please stand up?

Another so-so outing from the Indians' young lefty resulted in a 4-2 loss Wednesday afternoon to the White Sox at Progressive Field.

With less than a month left in the season, the Indians still don't know what they have in the guy they drafted sixth overall in 2004.

Sowers was awfully good for a while Wednesday. Then a few bad pitches turned the game into his eighth loss (against only two wins).

Despite glimpses of promise, the Indians are too often left with sour tastes in their mouths when Sowers pitches.

"It's been a little bit of back and forth with him," Manager Eric Wedge said. "He's definitely showed us signs that he can do it. We believe he can do it. Ultimately, he has to do it, and he has to do it consistently."

While Sowers wallows in mediocrity ? or worse ? the Tribe offense continues along a similarly uneven path.

A night after the Indians took it to John Danks and the White Sox staff, they couldn't produce the big hit Wednesday, harkening back to when Seattle swept them over the weekend.

Cont...

 

[OHSportsFan]

-13 wins in the last 18 games.
-Victor looking pretty good in his short time back
-Cabrera still hitting very well since the all-star break (.290!)
-Reyes pitching well in his time with the Tribe
-Betancourt showing a little of what he showed last year

That's the good.

-Ryan Garko continues to ground into double plays. (bum!)
-Reyes leaving the game with "elbow soreness"

That's the bad.

 

[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Indians Insider: Reyes to miss a start; Former Buckeye to replace him
by [email protected]
Saturday September 06, 2008, 11:49 PM

KANSAS CITY, MO. -- Manager Eric Wedge said right-hander Anthony Reyes will miss his next start after experiencing soreness in his right elbow during Friday night's game against the Royals. Reyes left after three scoreless innings in the 9-3 victory over Kansas City.

Left-hander Scott Lewis, currently pitching for Class AA Akron in the Eastern League playoffs, is expected to take his spot in the rotation. Lewis was the Indians' third-round pick out of Ohio State in 2004.
"We still have to work through some things, but Scott Lewis is the guy we're looking at," said Wedge.

Lewis was 6-2 with a 2.33 ERA in 13 starts for Akron. He went 2-2 with a 2.62 ERA in four starts at Class AAA Buffalo.

 

[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Meche, bullpen shut down Tribe
by Paul Hoynes
Saturday September 06, 2008, 11:37 PM

Kansas City, Mo. -- The last time the Indians faced Gil Meche they saw a pitcher who bore a striking resemblance to the one who beat them Saturday night in the rain and cold at Kauffman Stadium.

There was one difference -- the Royals' bullpen.

Meche struck out 10 in seven innings as Kansas City beat the Indians, 3-1, to ruin a good start by left-hander Zach Jackson. When Meche left, Ramon Ramirez and Joakim Soria kept Indians batters headed to the dugout for the last two innings to complete the three-hitter.

 

[NFBuck]

21-2, 2.28

Cliff Lee is amazing, that is all.

 

[billmac91]

21-2, 2.28

Cliff Lee is amazing, that is all.

Just an unbelievable year. About the only bright spot on a horrible year.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Indians 3 Royals 1
Lee sticks with winning formula, posts 21st victory

Monday, September 8, 2008 3:07 AM
By Paul Hoynes


The Plain Dealer

ED ZURGA Associated Press
The Indians' Cliff Lee won his 10th straight decision, the longest winning streak in the majors this season.



KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Cliff Lee didn't know who his next opponent would be. It's part of the veil of solitude he's pulled over himself this season.
When told it would be the same Kansas City team that he beat yesterday to win his 10th straight decision and 21st game of the season, Lee said, "I'll try to do more of the same of what I did today."
Lee pitched 7 1/3 innings and Victor Martinez drove in three runs as the Indians beat the Royals 3-1 in Kauffman Stadium. Lee's 21 victories and 2.28 ERA are the best in the big leagues.

Continued......

 

[LitlBuck]

Besides Lewis being called up and Hafner probably going to play with Cleveland's starting Tuesday other tidbits from the article.

Cleveland.com

Double trouble:

The arrival of Lewis doesn't help the Indians in planning for Saturday's doubleheader against Kansas City. Lewis would not be available to start one of the games in the day-nighter.

Wedge said the Indians are talking about calling up another pitcher.
The Tribe's options at Akron are J.D. Martin, Frank Herrmann, who pitched seven innings Saturday night, and Ryan Edell.

"We'll now more in a day or so," said Wedge.

Hot commodity:

Shin-Soo Choo singled in the first inning of Sunday's 3-1 victory to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He's hitting .396 (38-for-96) with 22 runs, 12 doubles, five homers and 19 RBI in his past 27 games.

"I like him because he's a complete ballplayer," said Wedge. "He can help you win with his legs, glove, bat and arm."

Could he become the corner outfielder the Indians need?

"He's moving in that direction," said Wedge.

I really would like to see them play Chin with Francisco everyday.

I would also like to for them to call up JD Martin because I have heard some very good things about him and would like to see how he pitches in Cleveland.

 

[NFBuck]

Here's to hoping at least 75% of the former Pronk is back as opposed to the absolute shell we've seen the past season and a half.

 

[NFBuck]

Carmona needs a lot of work this offseason.

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Orioles light up Indians bullpen Tribe blows 3-2 lead in sixth inning; Rincon gives up grand slam
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008
BALTIMORE: It might be a long time before the Indians' bullpen consistently performs like the master arsonists they were before the All-Star break, when they were instrumental in putting the club in a deep hole.
But that doesn't mean the relievers can't show occasional flashes of their flame-throwing past.
And so it was that Monday night Juan Rincon let in three runs for Fausto Carmona and gave up two for himself as the Baltimore Orioles ''rallied'' for a 14-3 win at Camden Yards.
Rincon had pitched 61/3 scoreless innings in his past three appearances when Indians manager Eric Wedge brought him into a grave situation in the sixth inning. Carmona (8-6, 4.88 ERA) had begun the inning by issuing three walks and allowing two singles that produced two runs.
When Rincon arrived, the bases were loaded with one out. Adam Jones greeted him with an RBI single, and one out later Aubrey Huff whacked his 31st home run of the season, a grand slam, to cap a seven-run rally. It was the 11th slam allowed by Tribe pitchers this year; the franchise record was nine, going
into 2008.
Cont...

 

[reeelaxn]

theclevelandfan.com

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Cliff Lee is having the best season by a Cleveland starting pitcher in my baseball-sentient life [/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif] [/FONT]

Anyone else agree? I think this is a given. Never have I witnessed a greater complete season by ANY pitcher in ANY given season. There is without a doubt Cliff Lee should receive the CY YOUNG Award. I would be shocked if he lost. The ONLY way he could blow this would be to..

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]And with all due respect to Mr. Halladay, Cliff Lee would basically have to give up thirty-eight runs in the first inning of his next start while pitching in a Nazi jacket and no pants to not be considered the best pitcher in the American League. [/FONT]

LoL.. well said.

Anyways what's everyone's opinion, I'm a newbie and just wanted to know. Maybe I should I have started another thread, OR there is one already for this. Nonetheless this is what I have to say and feel Cliff Lee deserves his praises now, as one of the greatest seasons by a starting pitcher in my lifetime (1987-present, not a lot to choose from).

 

[OHSportsFan]

-Jeremy Sowers has a very good performance.
-Victor and Hafner seem to be doing well since rehab.
-Cabrera is hitting well since his return from Triple A. (.303 in 44 games since All-star Break)
-Choo is around .300 and playing well.
-Marte is hitting .294 in the last 10 games.
-Betancourt is also doing well since the break
-Grady is struggling at the plate :(
-We're a game ahead of the Tigers.

God help me, but that "Cleveland" sports fan optimism is starting to build towards next year...just a little bit. :)

 

[NFBuck]

-Jeremy Sowers has a very good performance.
-Victor and Hafner seem to be doing well since rehab.
-Cabrera is hitting well since his return from Triple A. (.303 in 44 games since All-star Break)
-Choo is around .300 and playing well.
-Marte is hitting .294 in the last 10 games.
-Betancourt is also doing well since the break
-Grady is struggling at the plate :(
-We're a game ahead of the Tigers.

God help me, but that "Cleveland" sports fan optimism is starting to build towards next year...just a little bit. :)

Hope springs eternal. I'm very curious about what moves will be made in the offseason.

Glad to see Pronk get a couple hits.