This Is What We Stayed Up For?

Taking a gamble on the title there - hoping tomorrow's can be "This Is What We Stayed Up For!" Right?

Bummer of a game tonight. Slumping lineup with tight pitching versus slumping lineup with tight pitching. In Oakland. Ugh.

Masterson was back on the Ace game today, getting all but one of the team's 27 outs. He went 7 2/3 and gave up just 2 runs on one home run. He didn't strike out as many as he has been striking out all season - just a measly 4 today. I dunno what it is about this Oakland park being a "pitcher's park" because the pitchers gave up 15 hits today. And it's got the lowest home runs in baseball, but Masterson managed to give up one.

But that was it - nearly 8 innings for Masty and just 2 runs off a first-inning homer.

The offense looked like it was going to come back but apparently this pitcher's park only allows you 2 hits in a row, no more. Everything else gets vacuumed up by anyone close to it.

The Tribe had baserunners in every inning but the 4th and the 6th. Not only did they get 8 hits but they walked NINE TIMES!

But everyone is just slumpy as heck. I don't know how else to describe it. Where you could once count on any guy to get you a 2-out RBI hit, now you can't count on anyone to not hit into a double play with bases loaded and one out.

Bourn is slumping - usually he's good for one key hit, but not right now. Asdrubal ... oh man I am so sad. Just...ugh. They moved him out of the #4 spot, down to 6th, and the guys ahead of him were doing decent so instead of being in a pressure-free spot now he is up every time there's guys in scoring position! NOOOOOO! That's 5 LOB for him tonight.

Gomes, who is not slumping whatsoever, could not get it going tonight. He went 0 for 4.

The best news of the night is...Dick Swisher who shook off the cobwebs and went 2 for 4 up in the 2-spot. He got an RBI and came in to score a run, making both of his hits productive.

Kipnis had The Patience today, going 1 for 3 with 2 walks. That's a 4-game hitting streak for him. I wonder who went on the fishing trip with Kipnis yesterday on his day off? Looking at the box score I'd say there's a high probability it was Swisher, Brantley and Stubbs (Swisher likes to socialize, Brantley's hobby is fishing and Stubbs is a country boy. I could see this happening.) They're the only guys who hit.

Well, Santana hit too but do you take him on a fishing trip with you? I say he scares the fish. Although he also went 1 for 3 with 2 walks today so he also had The Patience.

I ask you....HOW is Michael Brantley not hitting .300? Am I forgetting some sort of slump for him this year? It must be. To me it just seems like he is hitting hitting hitting all the time. Probably because compared to my dude Asdrubal, that's exactly what he's doing. Just not mathematically enough to hit 1 in every 3. But - close! He's hitting .283 and today went 2 for 4 with a walk.

But all 3 times he just stood on base waiting to be hit in, and nothing happened. Nothing.

You gotta go aaaaallll the way down to Drew Stubbs to find more hits. He went 2 for 4 with 2 big fat doubles. Neither was an RBI double, unfortunately, but he did come around to score once after a double, on a single by Swisher.

So today's situation was some guys were hitting, but not enough guys were. Once again they are hitting balls that maybe shouldn't be caught but perhaps it's true that God Hates Cleveland Sports and He is putting players where balls go. Right? That sounds right.

So, tomorrow is another late game, but an hour earlier. That means 9:05 PM. It'll be Ubaldo versus RHP 4.19. Ubaldo's ERA is .02 better. HA! So, expect results!

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"The Oakland Coliseum has been a house of horrors for Justin Masterson."
- Tom Hamilton

"Reddick has a heck of an arm. He left a dent in the dugout wall."
- Tom Hamilton on Reddick's over-throw from the outfield

"He's a graduate of the University Of Tommy John Surgery."
- Tom Hamilton

"Boy, Justin Masterson has just been outstanding. Time for the Indians' offense to wake up."
- Tom Hamilton