Can I Get a Kipnis?

Did you see what I did there? Don't forget "We Are All Kipnesses"!

After last night's epic snoozefest-win, today's game was all full of awesomess!

First there was Ubaldo Jiminez, who kicked ass and took names the first 3 innings, faltered a bit in the 4th and then ended up going EIGHT innings for us, totally saving the bullpen. Six strikeouts, only one walk and just those 3 hits. He was totally an ace and I can't wait to see him again!

Our new hero Frank Hermann came in to throw 9 goddamn pitches and shut 'em down in the 9th. Wahoo!!!

So, pitching rocked for the second night in a row. What of batting?

What of batting?!

First did you notice ---> Everybody Hits! Hell yeah! I was actually considering switching up the sidebar with something more abundant, such as "walk-off wins" (9 I think it is?) but now I am convinced there will be a lot more before the end of the season and we'll have smiley stars for everyone.

Not only did everyone hit but we got a season-high-tie 7 doubles tonight!

Zeke led off tonight and he got one of those doubles. A surprise bit of power off the right field wall. It was an RBI double and then he also came around to score...

...On Kipnis's 6th home run, which was his second hit of 5 for the night. Dude got a double, a homer and 3 singles. Three RBI and he scored 4 runs! He matches Asdrubal this year in 5-hit games and is the first Indian rookie to do it since 1952.

Wahoo again! I didn't know we had this big bat in the minors, or that he would accelerate so fast. Did you?

Asdrubal went 1 for 3 and got hit by a pitch. Then he left the game! Because he was gimpy where he got hit in the foot. But I'm pretty sure he's just going to ice it and be back tomorrow. Luckilly we could totally afford to lose him for a few innings tonight and replace him with Jason Donald.

Hafner went 2 for 4 with an RBI. His average is creeping back up to .300, sitting right now at .297. He got to leave a little early, too, and was replaced by LaPorta.

Santana was pretty sweet tonight, at the plate at least. He went 2 for 5 with a double, RBI and 2 runs scored. He wasn't so hot in the field, again, but at least he wasn't bumbling behind the plate.

Fukudome! Obviously got the elbow-nick of his career last night because he was absolutely on fire tonight. He went 3 for 5 with TWO doubles and an RBI. Hot stuff!

Oh man - Shelley Duncan! So glad he's still here, but only because he's not embarrassing me. He's being good! He was our last to get the "Everybody Hits" tonight but he pulled it out in the 6th with an RBI single! And he didn't get charged with an error when he missed a ball in the outfield. Go Dunc Tank!

Chisenhall, another sprout with a double (all 3 of them got a double tonight, actually) and a multi-hit night going 2 for 4 with a run scored!

And last but not least....Sweet Lou. Back behind the plate where we want him, hitting .222, and he broke an 0-for-19 slide by hitting a double and then scoring a run. Woooooooo Looooouuuu!!!

So we got 18 hits and only 8 LOB. HOLY COW!

Now, if we can keep up this hitting craziness and Good Fausto shows up, we have a fighting chance against Verlander tomorrow. YOU HEARD ME!

The Tribe has won 13 in a row against the Tigers in Cleveland. Why should that change tomorrow?

Such a big game tho. We'll either be 1 behind them or 3 after tomorrow. I am so on edge, for real. Tomorrow is going to be such a long day. Oh yeah and I am waiting for my best friends' baby to be born (yeah that was the right punctuation - two friends' baby!) and he needs to get here fast because I don't think I can worry about him AND the Indians both at the same time.

All right everyone get some sleep and we'll all meet back here tomorrow at 7:05, aight?!

Radio Chatter:
"It'll take a triple to score Cabrera."
- Tom Hamilton on the slowness of Miguel Cabrera

"When was the last time that happened? Maybe when he was at Old Dominion."
- Tom Hamilton on the idea of Verlander being due for a bad outing

"Boy you can't understate the importance of finding a way to win that game last night."
- Tom Hamilton

"Wow it's 9:45. At this time last night we were in a rain delay."
- Tom Hamilton

"That'll get Dave Krepop digging through the archives to find out what rookie last had a 5-hit games for the Indians."
- Tom Hamilton after Kipnis' 5th hit