Sunday, June 30, 2013

Ringing Up A Sale

I watched the video highlights for today's game and the thing that stood out to me was how dramatic Chris Sale seems to be when he gives up a hit. Or, maybe it's just when he gives up double after double after double. I took some screen shots:
What? .... No. .... Awwww, geez!
I couldn't decide if I should lead off with Sale or Masterson, but Sale has much better pictures. Masterson didn't have any sad reaction shots, only "I am working very hard" shots like so:
From mlb.com
By the way - have you ever gotten a 404 error on the MLB site? Go here, and refresh a few times. Bloopers!

Anyway - where was I? Oh yeah, Masterson was awesome today! After the series started with the worst scenario possible (the first pitcher in a 4-game series and a doubleheader not making it through the first inning), the series ended with the best scenario possible - a complete game shutout!

Even though he gave up 6 hits and 1 walk, Masterson only faced 30 batters all told - there were FOUR double plays. Previously he was known as a ground-ball-out pitcher but this year he was racking up a lot more strike outs. I guess today he had his slider going because he was back to ground ball outs, "only" striking out 8. His average is actually 9 per 9 innings.

Dude dug deep and threw 112 pitches today. He's got the most innings pitched in the AL, by the way - 124 over Shields' and Sabathia's 117. He's also 3rd in the league with strikeouts - how's that for a ground ball pitcher?

Our bullpen is going to be crazy ready on Tuesday after two whole days off!

Speaking of days off, they made Kipnis take a day today. Also, Michael Bourn is on the paternity leave list (he'll be back Wednesday in Kansas City.) Swisher also had the day off and so did Giambi (well I suppose it's more news when he doesn't. Whatever.)

So it was sort of the "B" team today, except Asdrubal, Brantley and Santana. And does Gomes ever seem "B" to you?

Stubbs was the leadoff man and he did all right taking over for his outfield buddy. Although he had 3 strikeouts, he did get 2 hits, including an RBI double. Plus he got a sweet bunt single that only Stubbs (ok, probably Bourn too) could get. 

Aviles had a rough day. He went 0 for 5.

Asdrubal is still very, very active, getting his 19th double today. No RBIs or runs for him, though.

Boy, did you forget about Ryan Raburn?! How could you? He's so good...
...He's so good that he filled in at cleanup, but also filled in at ____________!

Raburn went 1 for 3 with an RBI double AND came around to score! He scored on Santana's RBI single that followed!

Oh, Mark Reynolds, your little hitting streak is over. Tomorrow is another day!

Michael Brantley had a dad-pleasing day today, going 2 for 4 and coming around to score both times. Oddly enough, it was not on any of Yan Gomes' 3 hits, for which he got no RBI and scored no runs. What the heck?

Well, there was still this beauty of a play made by Gomes. A pickoff at first. Lookin' good!



Lonnie Chisenhall didn't do anything big in the 9th spot today but he was a team player and got himself a nice sac fly in the 5th to at least get himself an RBI.

The big stat of today was that the Indians haven't swept a 4-game series against the White Sox since 1985, and not in Chicago since 1948. To which I say...have we have that many 4-game series against the White Sox? This year we actually have 3 of them - two scheduled.

Then again, this gave us an excuse to talk about the 1948 Indians so that was all right!

We're tied for first place, you know. In fact, we have one more win than the Tigers. But they have one fewer loss than us, and their percentage is .001 higher. Hmm....numbers. Speak

Next up is Kansas City, who was neck-and-neck with us when we last met but now they're 4.5 games behind us. Tuesday at 8:10 it'll be Corey Kluber versus a RHP who has the exact same ERA as Kluber (4.16)!

No Radio Chatter today. I was painting aaaaaaall day long. But pretty soon I'll be back to a groove of sitting and listening to games instead of being active and doing things like standing.

Have a nice day off tomorrow - see you Tuesday!

1 comment:

  1. Sale has THE WILL TO WIN

    that's why he gets so upset when he gives up a hit

    ReplyDelete