Watch Out Behind You - It's The Tribe!

What a game, boffins! And what a surprise, after proclaiming yesterday that the Tribe didn't "have the ability" to win today's game. Well, between all 20 players Manny Acta threw on the field today we pulled out a WIN in TEXAS!

The sweetest part? The loss went to Joe Nathan! (Yeah, he plays for Texas now)

Oh wait no, also pretty sweet was the fact that before today the Indians were 1-75 this year when trailing in the 8th. AGAINST ALL ODDS!

Zach McAllister was murdered last time he pitched against Texas. Absolutely murdered, folks (7 runs in 5 innings) - then put away and re-animated for another turn, this time in their home park where they hit a lot of homers. Well re-animated Zach McAllister had NO problem with these Rangers here today and only gave up 1 run in 6 innings, striking out 6. I'm serious! A quality start! Looks like the kid is making his way back to the top of the pitching heap for Cleveland.

It took 4 more arms to get through 3 more innings against Texas but Manny seemed pretty hungry to end this road trip on a high note. The game was tied at 2 when Esmil Rogers came in for the 7th. He is so much more comfortable in that early relief spot than the later ones, it's not even funny. He had a 1-2-3 inning, striking out 2. Of course it was the chaff of the Rangers' order but whatever, he did it with no runs.

Next was Joe Smith, who has been truly a gem in this snowstorm of a season (?). His infield let him the fuck down - both Lillibridge and Hannahan had errors which resulted in 2 runs. Yeep! Joe only lasted one out.

Scott Maine came in next, cuz, why not? He gave up a hit and everyone said "here it goes again" and then he got a guy to ground into a double play and NO ONE errored and that was that. Maine ended up with the win, too!

Chris Perez - FUCK YEAH! So awesome to see him without the qualifier "...needs work." We needed him this time instead! He blew through the first two batters in the 9th inning and then Elvis Andrus was up. Andrus has hit safely in all of the 31 games he's played against the Tribe in his career, but hadn't hit one tonight. But Chris Perez always gives up a hit and in his last at-bat, Andrus pulled out a triple. So....cool? It's cool. Interesting baseball stat. Especially cool because the next guy struck out and BALLGAME! (Still beardless. Still excited by winning. Still awesome.)

Crazy f'n lineup today, with tons of substitutions too.Carrera, Lillibridge, Kipnis, Santana, Rottino, LaPorta, Neal, Marson, Hannahan. That is not the lineup of a team that was poised to win today but there they were!

Zeke had a Choo-like night in the top spot, going 2 for 4 with a run and a RBI. Oh yeah those both came on a home run! I mentioned yesterday that hopefully Zeke has forgotten that when he first got here for a few minutes he had some power and then he goes and does this. Well, Zeke, you did strike out twice tonight trying to hit homers in your other at-bats so don't get too smug just yet!

Brent Lillibridge...oh man, that guy is just so bad at short. He just can't do it - two errors today and at least one previous in 13 games at short. He IS a utility guy but he doesn't really have much of a history at short. Asdrubal, come back! (He is going to see someone about his wrist but he actually came into the game for the 9th because there was nobody left!)

Lillibridge went 0 for 3 and had his 2 errors so it was nice to see him come out and Canzler come in to get some real man work done. He got a single and then a pinch runner in Jason Donald, who came around to score!

Kipnis! Homer! Ah, the JK Kid started off September with a bang then quickly turned down the "fizzle" road halfway through the Minnesota series. Last night he was shut out but tonight he hit the game-winning 2-run homer in the 9th! I'm serious baby - it was as dramatic as you think!

¡Mira!

Sad Joe Nathan

 Carlos Santana was the DH tonight. Then he was the catcher which meant we had to give up the DH spot which meant all of our pitchers technically got put into the lineup in the existing catcher's spot but none of them had to bat. It makes sense somehow but whatever. Carlos didn't care - he needed to stay in, he was hot hot hot going 3 for 5! I get to apply my "When Carlos Santana has a multi-hit game, we win" theory here yay! After all that, though, he didn't score any runs or get any RBI. Huh.

The Other Vinny Rottino was in at left today, cuz whatever. He got a single in 3 tries and then in the 8th there was a weird thing with a bat and a ball and a bunt and the foul line and ... sacrifice bunt. An "excuse me bunt" I guess you'd say. He did get the runner over but that inning was a bunch of August Sadness because the bases got loaded and nobody scored.

Matt LaPorta showed up BIG TIME tonight! He went 3 for 5 with his first homer of the year, and it was a 2-run jobby because Vinny Rottino was on base! It tied the game! Way to go Vinny! Haha just kidding, way to go Matt! LaPorta also had a coupla singles to go along with that homer. He's a guy that definitely needs to step it up this September if he wants to come back and play in the bigs next year. Everyone in the organization seems to love him - I hope it works out!

Hey what's up Thomas Neal? Inglewood always up to no good! I keep bringing up Neal's hometown like I might say "I've got a black friend!" What a loser. Thomas Neal, on the other hand, is no loser! Today he went 1 for 3 getting his second MLB hit! Nothing came of it but, hey man, keep it real.

We started against a lefty today so you know it was Lou Marson's turn. He went a respectable 1 for 3, then got pulled for Chisenhall from whom we all expected great things and...nothing happened. I bit my hat, I did! 

Jack Hannahan did not get a hit today. His was the only slot in the lineup without a hit. Curses! He also had an error today which ended up in an un-earned run. Nobody likes to be disappointed in Jack Hannahan, yet here we are...

Brent Lillibridge, the other guy who gave up an error run and who didn't get a hit tonight (although someone else did in his spot) has already apologized. Warm fuzzies!

Now, go out and beat those Tigers for me tomorrow!!

So tomorrow it's Corey Kluber versus a certain RHP (2.91). But we have the secret element - surprise. Surprise and fear. Two elements, surprise, fear and the craziest unknown lineup in baseball at the moment. I mean, who would be more afraid to lose to the worst team in baseball than Justin Verlander? It looks bad, man!Better not choke!

Tomorrow I get to go to the game with my little buddy SMac and I think it's gonna be a pretty rockin' time. There will be fireworks! Provided the weather holds up, of course, but Weather.com was right on the money for me last week so let's hope it's on the money this week too. Storms over at 7 PM. Fireworks after a win! 

Can't wait - See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"Texas looks like a softball team here with these red jerseys. They crush the ball like a softball team too."
- Tom Hamilton

"It's a moral victory, keeping Texas off the board for two innings."
- Tom Hamilton

"Nobody wants to hold off on their swings with 2 strikes."
- Tom Hamilton is not happy with all our utility guys and their penchant for striking out

"It's frustrating to watch a team like Texas say 'Here, we'll give you the run' and watch guys swing away like it's the Little League home run derby."
- Tom Hamilton is catty meow!

"The door man has better teeth than anyone I've ever seen."
- Tom Hamilton is extremely impressed with the hotel

"When I grow up, I want to towel off the forehead of Jessica Simpson."
- Tom Hamilton

"Is there anybody, Rosie, that you root for more than Matt LaPorta?"
- Tom Hamilton is a believer

"This is as drastic an outfield shift as you have ever seen on a lefthanded batter!"
- Tom Hamilton on Carrera's at-bat in the 6th

"Hey I got a seven dollar baseball, but I lost a tooth!"
- Tom Hamilton on Ranger fans scrambling for foul balls

"One thing we have found out about the base lines here in Tezas - they are slanted to favor the hitter."
- Tom Hamilton in the 8th

"Well Rosie, I bet you didn't know that when you jumped into that pool this morning, full of senior citizens in their water aerobics class, that was as good as it was going to get today."
- Tom Hamilton

"These fans are like the Romans awaiting the Christians at the Coliseum. Let the tigers loose! We want more blood!"
- Tom Hamilton