A Real Baseball Game!

Holy Moses, boffins!! Did you make it all the way through that one?! It was FANTASTIC!! The Indians played all sorts of baseball - hitting, defending, pitching - and we WON!

What made it really sweet was that poor old Masterson was struggling against these Rays (again - what's up with that?) and the team managed to work around his woes and pull out the win anyway.

Masterson only made it 4 1/3 innings and gave up 4 runs on 7 hits - and 7 walks! Yeowch! He also gave up 3 stolen bases. I think we're best off putting this one behind us.

Who came in to save him and also get the W? Why, Esmil Rogers of course who is now all of a sudden our middle reliever, which you don't see much with dudes who throw for heat but there it is. Did you catch the TribeVibe post about him? It's really creepy. He wanted to quit baseball but his friend punched him in the face and told him to stay so that's why he's still playing. All right...

Sipp came in and everyone was like "Sipp's been good lately!" and then he gave up a single and a walk and ended up giving up an earned run when Smith came in to relieve him. So we're back to thinking Sipp's no good.

Vinnie came in and blanked 'em in the 8th, getting his 26th hold. In a strange twist of fate, Perez got warmed up but did NOT come in for the 9th. Accardo was in and he struggled a bit, giving up a run and a hit and a walk but we had 5 runs to play with so they left him in. Perez was getting a bit antsy in the pen and so was Tom Hamilton but he never did come in.

Batting was just...awesome today! All the guys who needed to hit got hits AND they all had MULTIPLE HITS! Of course Johnny Damon didn't hit because whatever, and Kotchman didn't hit but that's ok because we're not paying him to hit. He did get hit by a pitch for the 6th time this year. If that's what we're paying him to do then...well, all right.

Here's what happened. Hold on to your seats!

CHOOOOOOOOOO went 2 for 5 with a run and an RBI. You know, he's had a pretty nice July so far with 19 hits in 53 at-bats, putting him at .358 for the month. Still a winner in the choice for leadoff!

OMG ASDRBUAL!!! I am serious this time! Not only was he back to being awesome in the field again but he went 3 for 5 with a double and 2 runs. OMG OMG OMG! His batting average is still .279 but everyone (Hammy, Rosie, Kipnis, Acta) was all "Well I guess he's out of his slump now." I GUESS SO! Ok maybe not but being an Asdrubal superfan I have to play up that angle. He's out of his slump just you watch!!

Kipnis, who has been sort of yawn-y lately (although I think that's more a function of the lack of hitting around him) was back to his old self tonight going 2 for 5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs. Getting those 2-out RBI, too! Just like they did earlier this season!

Cousin Michael, solid - solid as a rock - is back to hitting again and not just walking. He got his 4th triple of the year tonight (but didn't score, ugh!) and ended up going 2 for 5 on the night. The count begins back at 1 [game hitting streak]!

The story of the night, even more storied than Cabrera, is of course Carlos Santana. In at catcher, batting 5th, Manny talking all week about how Santana and Hafner need to get their shit together and Santana's shit was together tonight, boy! Two hits. One walk. Four at-bats. Two runs. Four RBI. ONE THREE-RUN, TWO OUT HOME RUN! Brilliant! Brilliant, I say! When that guy gets a multi-hit game, we win. Simple as that. Someone better be showing that boy video on a loop of his hitting tonight, all the way through to tomorrow, in case he forgets again how he's supposed to do it.

Since I'm NOT in the Santana fan club, I am not obliged to say "he's out of his slump!" so I'll just pump my fists in the air silently for a bit. woot.

Let's not forget Hafner! He had a multi-hit game as well, going 2 for 5. No runs or RBI, though. But keep it moving, Pronk. Get on them bases!

Supermanahan was back to his old self today, with a 2-out 2-RBI double to get us started in the 5th, then came around to score to put us within 1 run. He didn't do anything else at the plate but he also was pretty tight in the field tonight, even on that crazy plastic grass and clay dirt.

Did you know that BJ Upton's real name is Melvin Emmanuel Upton, and the BJ stands for "Bossman Junior"? I think that beats out both Joba Chamberlain and Coco Crisp for family-nicknames-cum-professional-names, don't you think?

Anyway, what a great pick-me-up tonight, don't you think? Heck the game even picked ITSELF up after seeing Justin struggle and us having to face their good-as-of-late pen. Nothing like a good 'ol hitting spree to keep your faith alive!

Tomorrow is Ubaldo versus some dude named Price (yes I am being facetious) and uh...well it's a noon game, so be there or be square. I have no comment on this game other than "I HOPE!!"

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"It's  track meet here now."
- Tom Hamilton on all of the Rays' steals

"If the Indians win this game, Rosie, this might be the biggest win they've had all year."
- Tom Hamilton

"He must feel 300 pounds lighter after that home run in the 7th."
- Tom Hamilton on Carlos Santana