Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[osugrad21]

CPD

With pitcher Jake Westbrook on the DL, the Cleveland Indians call up Ben Francisco


Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Kansas City, Mo.
- Don't get used to Ben Francisco in an Indians uniform. It doesn't sound like he'll be around long.
The Indians promoted Francisco from Class AAA Buffalo on Tuesday to take right-hander Jake Westbrook's spot on the roster. Westbrook was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left intercostal muscle. He strained a muscle below the last rib on the left side of his lower back during the seventh inning against the Twins on Saturday at the Metrodome.

An MRI in Cleveland on Sunday revealed the injury. Westbrook, whose four quality starts lead the Indians, is expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks. The Indians will re-examine the injury in about five days. If Westbrook is still having pain, he'll receive a cortisone shot to hasten the healing process.
Westbrook was scheduled to start Friday against the Yankees, but Paul Byrd will make that start. One of two-lefthanders, Aaron Laffey (3-1, 3.13 ERA) or Jeremy Sowers (0-2, 3.18), will be promoted from Buffalo to make Saturday's start. Manager Eric Wedge said Francisco is likely to be sent back to Buffalo to make room.
"But this is a funny game," said Wedge. "You never know what will happen. I told him to stay ready."




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[osugrad21]

Canton

Tribe offense, C.C. Sabathia come bouncing back vs. Royals
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

KANSAS CITY, MO. The Indians on Tuesday looked like a married couple that had just kissed and made up. As they strolled down the street with wide smiles on their faces, no one would guess anything had ever been amiss.

C.C. Sabathia returned to his Cy Young form of a year ago and Casey Blake led a 17-hit barrage with a grand slam and six RBIs as Cleveland bashed Kansas City, 15-1, at Kauffman Stadium.

"I hate to sound like Wedgie," Blake said, referring to Manager Eric Wedge. "But, individually and collectively, everybody needed a night like this. It does wonders for your confidence."

The Indians had dropped eight of their last 11 to fall within a half-game of last place in the Central Division. Sabathia (1-3) had a 13.50 ERA and the .235 team batting average was dead last in the American League.

A revival took place Tuesday, however, at the expense of the equally struggling Royals. Kansas City has lost five in a row and nine of 12.


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[osugrad21]

Canton

Indians Notebook: Westbrook is on DL
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Strain sidelines pitcher for 2-to-4 weeks[/FONT]
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

KANSAS CITY, MO. The Indians, struggling to stay out of last place in the Central Division, took another broadside hit Tuesday.

Veteran right-hander Jake Westbrook was placed on the disabled list with a strained left intercostal and is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks. Westbrook, 30, was injured while throwing a pitch to Mike Lamb during the seventh inning of his most recent start Saturday in Minnesota. Westbrook had an MRI examination Monday in Cleveland.

"Jake tried to throw down-and-in to Lamb," head trainer Lonnie Soloff said. "He gave it a little extra and felt a tug."

The intercostal muscles run between the ribs and help make up the chest wall. An MRI examination revealed the injury was between his 11th and 12th ribs. Westbrook was on the DL for more than a month last season with a strained left oblique, higher up in the ribcage.

"We're cautiously optimistic this will be a shorter time frame," Soloff said.

The Indians called up outfielder Ben Francisco from Triple-A Buffalo to replace Westbrook, at least temporarily.


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[osugrad21]

Canton

Tribe routs Royals 15-1; Sabathia gets first win
UPDATE: 11:59 PM, Tuesday, April 22, 2008
BY DOUG TUCKER
AP SPORTS WRITER

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Casey Blake had a grand slam and six RBIs and C.C. Sabathia struck out 11 in his first victory, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 15-1 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Blake, the No. 9 hitter, was 4-for-4 with a single and a grand slam and two RBI doubles in the Indians' 17-hit attack. David Dellucci and Jhonny Peralta also homered and Franklin Gutierrez had a three-run double for Cleveland, which came in with the 10th-worst run total and lowest slugging percentage in the league.

Sabathia (1-3) went six innings and gave up only four hits and two walks. Mark Teahen and Jose Guillen each struck out three times against the reigning Cy Young Award winner.

Gil Meche (1-3) lasted just 3 1-3 innings as his ERA ballooned to 8.00 and the Royals lost their fifth straight. The right-hander gave up eight runs on nine hits, had one walk and two strikeouts in his shortest outing of the year.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Yahoo!

ace gets mechanical, mental tune-up

By Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports 9 hours, 48 minutes ago

KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? The text message arrived Tuesday morning. C.C. Sabathia glanced at his phone and saw it was from Roy Oswalt.
?Just throw how you throw,? it read.
Since his last start, when he gave up nine earned runs for the second consecutive game, Sabathia had received words of encouragement from around the country, ranging from his former teammate Eduardo Perez to his mother. Oswalt?s, as much as anyone?s, stuck with him. He, too, had struggled in his first three starts for the Houston Astros, only to catch form. Now it was Sabathia?s turn, the weather turning, the arm loosening and a flaccid Kansas City lineup awaiting his Cleveland Indians.
For six innings, Sabathia looked every bit his Cy Young self, shutting out the Royals and striking out 11 in a 15-1 thrashing at Kauffman Stadium. He yielded four singles, a couple loopers and a bleeder among them, his dominance a product of a 94-mph fastball mixed with an 82-mph slider, both of which he located up and down, in and out, the strike zone his canvas.
?Maybe I should?ve been more worried than I was,? Sabathia said. ?But I really wasn?t. I just knew it was all upstairs, all in my head.?

Continued.....

 

[LitlBuck]

Yeah, I was having that same effect a couple weeks ago.

One game does not make up for 19 games of ineptitude though. They blew up for 11 runs last week vs. Detroit, then went back in the hole for several games.

I will wait until after this weekend and the Yankees and then I think we will know something about this team and if in fact C.C. has really turned it around. One game against the Royals does that mean much and Blake hitting a grand slam is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, I do have hopes for Delucci. I am not so sure about Hafner.

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Indians to promote pitcher Jeremy Sowers from Class AAA Buffalo Bisons


Thursday, April 24, 2008Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Kansas City, Mo.- Wednesday afternoon, Indians manager Eric Wedge talked about the decision to promote left-hander Jeremy Sowers instead of Aaron Laffey for Saturday's start against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field.
Today he could be talking about promoting both of them after Wednes day's game against the Kansas City Roy als was postponed by rain and rescheduled today as a double header starting at 6:10 p.m.
The Indians' jumbled rotation doesn't have a starter for Monday's series finale against the Yankees.

Fausto Carmona and Cliff Lee are scheduled to pitch to day in the first and second games of the doubleheader. Kansas City will go with Brett Tomko in Game 1 and Brian Bannister in Game 2.
The rotation for the rest of the weekend is expected to unfold like this: Paul Byrd on Friday, Sowers on Saturday, C.C. Sabathia on Sunday and undecided on Monday. Laffey could fill Monday's spot.
SportsTime Ohio will televise both ends of today's doubleheader. WMMS FM/100.7 will carry both games on radio because of a conflict with the Cavaliers' playoff game against Washington.




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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Francisco will enjoy ride while it lasts

KANSAS CITY -- Ben Francisco got the call not long after he got off the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons' bus in Scranton, Pa., on Monday night.

It was the call back to the big leagues, and it came with another call -- a wake-up call. Francisco's flight schedule to Kansas City on Tuesday forced him to get up at 5 a.m. ET.
That was not a problem for the 26-year-old outfielder. "It's always easier to wake up when you're going to the big leagues," Francisco said. "I was up before my alarm went off."

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Sowers to fill in for Westbrook
Left-hander to make first start since last season

KANSAS CITY -- The Indians have already resurrected one left-hander -- Cliff Lee -- who was demoted from their rotation last season.

On Saturday, it will be Jeremy Sowers' turn.
Manager Eric Wedge announced Wednesday that Sowers will be called up from Triple-A Buffalo and given the starting nod for Saturday's home game against the Yankees. Sowers will be taking the rotation spot of Jake Westbrook, who went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained intercostal muscle on his left side. Sowers was 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA in four starts for the Bisons. He was chosen over fellow left-hander Aaron Laffey, who was 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA in four starts.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Betancourt patient for first save chance
Cleveland (8-12) at Kansas City (9-11), Thursday, 6:10 ET (DH)

KANSAS CITY -- The Indians named Rafael Betancourt their closer over a week ago.

Not that you'd know it to watch the games.
Ever since Joe Borowski landed on the 15-day disabled list with a right triceps strain on April 15, the Indians haven't had one save situation in which to toss Betancourt. The Tribe has won three games since the Borowski move, and those games were won by 11-1, 4-0 and 15-1 counts. Perhaps Betancourt will get his first crack at closing in Thursday's straight doubleheader between the Indians and Royals. At least his chances will be doubled, as long as the weather permits.

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Indians to play two in Kansas City
Rain forces postponement Wednesday, quandary for Monday

KANSAS CITY -- Jeremy Sowers might not be the only starter called up by the Tribe in the next week.

With Wednesday night's game against the Royals postponed by rain and a straight doubleheader scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET Thursday at Kauffman Stadium, the Indians are most likely going to need a spot starter in their rotation Monday. Fausto Carmona will pitch the first game of Thursday's doubleheader, with Cliff Lee starting the nightcap. Paul Byrd will pitch Friday's series opener against the Yankees at Progressive Field, Sowers will be promoted from Triple-A Buffalo to start Saturday, and C.C. Sabathia will start Sunday.

Continued....

 

[NFBuck]

Tribe wins the first one 9-6 and Cliff Lee is working on a 2-hit shutout through 8 in the nightcap. Unbelievable what a difference a year makes. He has been nothing short of dominant so far. His ERA is at 0.30.

 

[NFBuck]

Lee with a 3-hit, complete game shutout.

4-0, 0.28, 31.2 IP, 11 Hits, 29 K, 2 BB so far. I think we have ourselves the A.L. pitcher of the month.

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Lee goes distance to finish sweep Starter gets first shutout of career. Sizemore leads offense to win in opener
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Friday, Apr 25, 2008
KANSAS CITY, MO.: It's a little too early to declare Cliff Lee the early favorite to win the American League Cy Young Award, the Comeback Player of the Year Award and the How-in-the-World-Can-Any-Pitcher-Be-That-Dominating Award.
But Lee was the man in charge Thursday night, as he blanked the Royals on three hits for his first career shutout, and the Indians eked out a 2-0 win to sweep a twinight doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium.
In the first game, a seven-day layoff probably contributed to Fausto Carmona's command problems, but they were minor compared to the Royals' dilemma trying to control the Indians' offense, and the Tribe went on to win 9-6.



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[osugrad21]

ABJ

Indians' rotation will make head spin In the end, roster rules will probably determine if Laffey or Sowers starts
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Friday, Apr 25, 2008
KANSAS CITY, MO.: A snapshot of the Indians' rotation gets more complex by the day.
To start at the beginning, when Jake Westbrook went on the disabled list with a strained triceps, it became necessary to call up Jeremy Sowers to start Saturday's game against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field.
That put Sowers in line to start for Westbrook on Thursday against the Seattle Mariners. It's unlikely, however, that Sowers still will be on the roster that day ? no matter how well he pitches against the Yankees.
Because of Wednesday night's rainout against the Kansas City Royals that delayed Fausto Carmona's start by one day, the Tribe will need another spot starter for Monday, the last day of the Yankees series. Carmona was scheduled to pitch that day, but postponing his Wednesday start would have forced him to pitch on three days' rest.



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