I Swear I Recognize Your Breath...

The return-slash-debut of Roberto Hernandez! Man tonight's game was like having your wedding interrupted by grandma falling and breaking her hip. Falling on the cake and breaking her hip.

Things were going smooth for Hernandez until the team went all McAllister Meltdown Flashback and stopped catching the ball behind him (just like they did on the 6th against the Twins). Is this some sort of trial by fire?

In the end, Hernandez only gave up 5 earned runs out of 8. He did end up going 6 full innings total after the 5-run 2nd. The two homers he gave up were solo shots...although I wonder what would have happened if Pujols was in tonight? Yeah they got 8 runs without him. Hernandez didn't strike out any but he didn't walk any. He did hit Torii Hunter.

Oh and Torii hunter hit the home plate umpire in the face with his spike. Ouch ouch ouch!

I think the jury's still out on Hernandez. Hopefully next time he'll be more relaxed and we can see what he's really got and oh yeah, no more errors.

Coming in for the 7th was Rogers, who had a blank line. Then Cody Allen came in and had his worst inning ever - giving up a single then two walks. But I'll be darned if that Cody Allen didn't manage to get out of it without giving up a run, giving him 11 1/3 scoreless innings in his Major League career!

So today it wasn't the top or the bottom of the order doing poorly - rather, the middle was shut down. Santana, Brantley, Kotchman, Lillibridge all with goose-eggs. And Lillibridge with the two errors, holy shit! I like his hitting and it looks like he can play second and third and hang out in the outfield, but no more practice at short. All Star shortstops or go home!

Kipnis started off the game with a single but then got thrown out. Trying too hard? He did get a walk and then came in to score a run.

Asdrubal was hot at the plate, going 2 for 4 with an RBI double. I tell you what, though - Tom Hamilton was already so dismayed by then that I had to switch over to Gameday to make sure we actually just scored and to see how. I've never heard him so flat! Asdrubal's got 12 hits in his last 10 games. He was DHing tonight to get some rest, for what it's worth. I am hoping he decides to rest no more after what went down on the field tonight.

Here's a stat for you - Choo hasn't had any home runs against the Angels in his career. I couldn't tell why that was even a stat but from the looks of it, that was the only AL team off which he's never homered. And tonight it was a 3-run blast! When was the last time we had a big-run homer like that? July? It was his only hit for the night but it was his first RBI in almost 10 days!

Trip, skip and jump down to the bottom of the order where Jack Hannahan still resides when not holding down the bench. Hey Supermanahan! He went 1 for 3 tonight and he was on base for Choo's homer. Kipnis was actually the other guy, not Carrera.

Carrera was on base in the 6th when Asdrubal got his double. Zeke was about to test the arm of Torii [blush] but everyone's a little more cautious about him now that they know he'll cut a bitch (if a bitch happens to put their face where his spikes are. And then he'll ask if a bitch is ok.) So Zeke was wisely safe at first and was able to fly home when Asdrubal sent one out to Torii too.

And that was it, man. Asdrubal's RBI double and Choo's homer and the top and bottom of the order being on base made it a SOMEWHAT respectable loss. We can blame some of the numbers on the new old guy pitcher and then some on Santana and Lillibridge's errors, and those guys didn't even HIT. Psssh.

Oh if you're wondering, we've still got 8 in the pen. Accardo is gone, Seddon is full-time relief and Tomlin is on the DL because it turns out his elbow has been hurt for a long time. Yargh. Although....although, our pen is looking pretty nice right now. I'd like to see more of Herrmann to see what he's got in him. I don't see why we can't stay with 8. Who do you think should go if we do trim back?

 Tomorrow is an OFF DAY!! WOOHOO! Gonna catch up on some TV, some sleep, some house work. Gonna be ready to face those A's on Friday at 10:05. It'll be McAllister versus LHP (3.91) whose unbiased scouting report basically says he's shitty right now. Yay!

Everyone get a little rest and do your vacuuming, and I'll see you there!

Radio Chatter:
"The Angels either have the Indians' signs, or they guessed right."
- Tom Hamilton on the CS of Kipnis in the first

"At this stage, with Hernandez, the Indians aren't looking for a talk show host..."
- Tom Hamilton on the quietness of Hernandez

"Albert Pujols is getting the night off, and Roberto Hernandez should send a thank-you gift to manager Mike Socia."
- Tom Hamilton

"For you Tony we'll put a little spaghetti sauce on them."
- Tom Hamilton has weird feelings about Italian people (and what they like on hot dogs)

"The Indians have been a bad baseball team since the All Star break, and they're playing like it tonight."
- Tom Hamilton in the second

"His chances of getting Mike Trout were about the same as me sprouting wings and flying to San Francisco."
- Tom Hamilton on Santana's bad pickoff attempt in the second

"Some guys are just not middle-of-the-order RBI guys."
- Tom Hamilton on Choo

"If you gave that shopping list to Santa, he'd send you a note back from the North Pole saying 'hey kid, lower your expectations, that's a lot of toys!'"
- Tom Hamilton on Acta's wish list for 2013

"When Darth Vader is your agent, then you're going to test the market."
- Tom Hamilton on Scott Boras

"This is going to be six weeks of some torturous baseball if the Indians can't turn around their rotation."
- Tom Hamilton