Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[buckeyemania11]

Jensen lewis puts runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs but gets out of it

good to see the team finishing strong

 

[NFBuck]

Tribe knocks off the sawks in Fenway, 4-3. 79-77.

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

No Joshing this time: Streaking Indians delay Red Sox playoff celebration

by Paul Hoynes Monday September 22, 2008, 11:13 PM


Winslow Townsend/Associated PressBoston centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury can't keep his balance or make the catch to deny a fifth-inning single from Asdrubal Cabrera Monday night at Fenway Park. The hit ignited a three-run inning for the Indians, breaking a 1-1 tie against Josh Beckett.
BOSTON -- In this season of too little too late, it figures the Indians would pick Monday to treat Josh Beckett like any other pitcher. Last year, Beckett cut down manager Eric Wedge's hitters as if they were tall weeds in a garden. It didn't matter if it was the regular season or the postseason, the Indians fell in silence to the weedwacker Beckett calls his right arm.
Monday night, after being eliminated from the postseason Sunday, the Indians actually resembled real hitters in beating Beckett and Boston, 4-3, at Fenway Park. On the first day of fall, the Indians, who blew a 3-1 lead in the ALCS to the Red Sox last year, prevented them from clinching the wild card with their seventh straight victory.
Beckett, 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA against the Tribe in last year's ALCS, lasted six innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out six. In the regular season and postseason last year, the Indians scored six runs in 29 innings against Beckett.
"He's a tough pitcher with great stuff," said manager Eric Wedge. "We had some good at-bats against him, made him throw a lot of pitches and took advantage of opportunities."
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Indians finally beat Boston and Beckett, 4-3

by Paul Hoynes Monday September 22, 2008, 10:17 PM


BOSTON --- The Indians, behind the six-hit pitching of Zach Jackson, beat Boston tonight, 4-3, at Fenway Park to win their seventh straight game.
It was the Indians' first game at Fenway since they lost Games 6 and 7 of the ALCS last year. In the process, the Indians blew a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Jackson (1-3) allowed two runs on six hits over six innings for his first win as an Indian. He struck out four and walked four.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Indians Insider: Carmona, Martinez appeal suspensions while Sheffield vows revenge

by Paul Hoynes Monday September 22, 2008, 8:40 PM


Roadell Hickman/The Plain DealerFausto Carmona had Detroit's Gary Sheffield in a headlock as he threw punches in last Friday's fight at Progressive Field.
BOSTON -- Victor Martinez and Fausto Carmona have decided to appeal their suspensions from Friday's fight with Detroit. Asdrubal Cabrera has until Thursday to serve or appeal his three-game suspension. Detroit DH Gary Sheffield has decided to serve his four-game suspension starting Monday, but his mouth seemingly never takes a day off.
Carmona was suspended for six games, while Martinez and Cabrera were suspended for three games each for their part in Friday's seventh-inning fight. Sheffield, who charged Carmona from first base, was suspended for four games.
GM Mark Shapiro, who accompanied the team to Boston, said it was up to the players and their agents to decide if they wanted to serve the suspensions or appeal them. If Carmona and Martinez don't serve their suspensions in the final seven games of the season, they will have to do it next season. That would cause the Indians to open the 2009 season short-handed because they could not be replaced on the 25-man roster.

Cont...

 

[LitlBuck]

Very nice to lunk the Red Sox. Hopefully, we can do it a couple more times. They are going anywhere in the playoffs anyhow so they might as well get used to so more losing:)

 

[OSUsushichic]

Very nice to lunk the Red Sox. Hopefully, we can do it a couple more times. They are going anywhere in the playoffs anyhow so they might as well get used to so more losing:)

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Indians' Lee falls for only 3rd time Red Sox end Tribe's winning streak, clinch wild-card berth
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008
BOSTON: Maybe it's because the innings are piling up. Maybe it's a simple matter of focus and concentration, finally on the wane near the end of a long season. Or maybe it's that catch-all reason for any occurrence that fails to conform to the conventional wisdom: the law of averages.
At any rate, Cliff Lee hasn't been quite as lethal in his past three starts, in particular his outing Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox.
It makes no sense to criticize Lee because of the Indians' 5-4 loss at Fenway Park, because he has been the best pitcher on the planet this year, coming into his latest start with a 22-2 record and 2.41 ERA.
But there wasn't much mystery or mastery associated with him Tuesday night. That is not to say he was shelled from the mound early. But by Cliff Lee standards, his outing hardly ranked as a bravura performance.
In seven innings, he gave up five runs and nine hits, including one home run by Kevin Youkilis and four doubles. He also walked three, but one of those (to the lethal Youkilis) was intentional, and he
struck out eight.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Darned Sox: Boston clinches playoffs (eliminating the Yankees) by outlasting Tribe's Lee, 5-4

by Paul Hoynes Tuesday September 23, 2008, 11:17 PM


Michael Dwyer/Associated PressCliff Lee and catcher Kelly Shoppach consider their options during Boston's 3-run fifth inning Tuesday night at Fenway Park. The Red Sox handed Lee just his third loss of the season, 5-4, and clinched a playoff spot.
BOSTON -- Cliff Lee looked vulnerable Tuesday night at Fenway Park. After 31 starts and 223 1/3 innings, who wouldn't? Lee, the Cy Young favorite in the American League, lost for the first time since July 6, as Boston clinched the wild card with a 5-4 victory over the Indians to end their seven-game winning streak.
"That's a pretty good team over there," said Lee, whose 11-game winning streak ended. "They did their job. Their bullpen came in and shut us down. ... They've got the total package -- speed, power, good starting pitching and a good bullpen."
Lee (22-3, 2.54) allowed five runs on nine hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked three.
"He wasn't as sharp as we've seen him," said manager Eric Wedge, "but he gave us a chance to win. To me the story of the game was in the seventh and eighth innings. We loaded the bases twice and couldn't score."

The Indians kept the champagne corked in the Red Sox locker room with a 4-3 victory Monday. They may have done it again Tuesday with one big hit, but Victor Martinez fouled out to end the seventh against Hideki Okajima and Jamey Carroll hit into a force play against Jonathan Papelbon to end the eighth.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Indians Insider: Cabrera sits out; Boston's Beckett irked by Tribe's bruises

by Paul Hoynes Tuesday September 23, 2008, 9:06 PM

Winslow Townsend/Associated PressAsdrubal Cabrera slid home with a run on Monday in Boston, but won't play the Red Sox again after accepting his three-day suspension on Tuesday.
BOSTON -- Asdrubal Cabrera decided to serve his time. Cabrera, one of three Indians suspended for fighting Friday night with Gary Sheffield and the Tigers, began serving his three-game suspension Tuesday against Boston. He'll be ineligible for the rest of the Boston series.
"I just wanted to get it over with," said Cabrera. "This way I'll be able to play against Chicago."
The Indians end the 2008 season with a three-game series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field starting Friday.
Cabrera wasn't ejected after the seventh-inning fight as were teammates Fausto Carmona and Victor Martinez. During the fight, however, Cabrera was seen jumping over Carmona's back and swinging at Sheffield.
"I wasn't surprised I was suspended," said Cabrera.

Carmona and Martinez could drop their appeals after Wednesday's game against Boston. Carmona will make his last start of the season and Martinez will catch him. If Carmona does drop his appeal after Wednesday's game, his six-game suspension would extend into next season.
If Martinez starts his three-game suspension Thursday, he'd be eligible to play in the season finale Sunday against the White Sox.
"It's possible," said manager Eric Wedge, when asked if Carmona and Martinez could drop their appeals. "It depends what they hear about their appeals."
Cont...

 

[LitlBuck]

It's OK we let you win the game last night but you guys had to earn it by bringing in your big closer in the 8th inning. Still don't think you will go any place in the playoffs unless you can be dealt Tampa Bay for the Division title.

 

[OSUsushichic]

It's OK we let you win the game last night but you guys had to earn it by bringing in your big closer in the 8th inning. Still don't think you will go any place in the playoffs unless you can be dealt Tampa Bay for the Division title.

We'll see. Our bullpen has a tendency to implode, and we need to get everyone healthy (except Lugo). I'm not as optimistic as I was last year.

 

[Flocka]

We'll see. Our bullpen has a tendency to implode, and we need to get everyone healthy (except Lugo). I'm not as optimistic as I was last year.

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Fenway freaks out Indians' Carmona Starter gives up four in first inning of loss to Red Sox
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008
BOSTON: The Indians do not employ a team exorcist, but maybe they can rent one.
It was obvious after only a few batters Wednesday night that the demons of Fenway Park had not been expelled from Fausto Carmona's consciousness. Carmona pitched one inning and gave up four runs, five hits and one walk, delivering 51 pitches, most of them in vain.
Despite the rough start by Carmona, the Tribe made a game of it, finally succumbing 5-4 to the Boston Red Sox.
Naturally, nobody is willing to admit that Fenway Park has done dastardly things to Carmona's head.
''I don't let the ballpark get into my game, I just concentrate on the hitters,'' he said through his translator, first-base coach Luis Rivera. ''Nothing happened last year that I would allow to affect me this year.''
Carmona was making his last start of the season but his first at Fenway, scene of his most nightmarish appearances.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

At Fenway, give Fausto an 'F': Carmona struggles once again as Indians fall to Sox

by Paul Hoynes Wednesday September 24, 2008, 11:06 PM


BOSTON -- Fausto Carmona still can't pitch at Fenway Park. It doesn't matter if he's in the bullpen, the regular season or the postseason. When Carmona steps on the mound at Boston's green jewel of a ballpark, he turns into a bowl of green Jello.
Carmona, in his last start of the season, needed 51 pitches to end the first inning. The Indians never fully recovered in a 5-4 loss to Boston.
The Red Sox, who clinched the AL wild card Tuesday, didn't actually win the game until Mark Kotsay doubled off Rafael Perez (4-4) to score Jeff Bailey with one out in the eighth inning to break a 4-4 tie. But seeing Boston score four runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batter off Carmona in the first inning didn't send the big right-hander into the off-season with good thoughts ringing between his ears.

Carmona, in his career at Fenway, including the regular and postseason, is 0-3 with a 22.50 ERA and two blown saves. He's allowed 20 earned runs on 20 hits in eight innings.

Cont..