This Is What We Stayed Up For!

NAILED IT!

Finally, a nice game where the Tribe does some pitching and some hitting and roundly beats the opponent!

Ubaldo was the starter and while he was one out away from a quality start, he had one hell of a start which I think, in the rulebooks, is better than a quality start anyway.

He went 5 2/3 innings and only gave up one hit! No kidding! Of course, he hit a guy and walked 5 but those are minor details. In all of those 7 men on base, only one came around to score and he was the only one who even visited third base. In all of that, he got EIGHT strikeouts in just 5 2/3!

Unfortunately it took him 105 pitches to get there, and we needed 4 relievers to finish it off but if they haven't planned for this situation now by August, then they aren't paying good attention.

Rich Hill came in with men on base. Eep! But he did his job and struck out the lefty to end the 6th.

Next was Shaw who faced 4, just walking a guy. Then Joe Smith, who gave up 2 hits but kept it in check and nobody came around to score.

Did you know that Joe Smith is engaged to Allie Laforce? I'm probably the last to know. Although I barely know who she is but I've got my head out of my butt enough to know that she's a local TV news woman who went out to LA to become a national TV news woman. She also was Miss Teen USA which...why didn't I know that? You'd think she'd be a big Cleveland star. I think most 25-45 year old dudes in Cleveland know all of this. She does a radio commercial for some local car place and mentions that she is in LA. Anyway I believe she and Smith got cuddly when she was still in Cleveland and they're still together and now they're engaged. Now you know.

Matt Albers pitched a 1-2-3 9th.

The Tribe got 11 hits and 4 walks today and THIS time all those hits were translated in to runs! Pitchers park - whatever! They scored 7, and coulda scored more if Eric Sogard (SS) wouldn't have had his own 1-2-3 8th inning with his own little highlight reel.

Michael Bourn isn't having any more of this slumping nonsense, so he went 2 for 5 today with his 5th home run! He came in to score twice.

Swisher is also over the nonsense, so he went 2 for 4 with a homer, his coming in the first inning. Later on he got an RBI single with 2 out and 2 on, made it to second on the throw to the plate, then came around to score on Kipnis' subsequent single. So that's 5 hits in Swisher's last 14 at-bats. Let's hope he keeps it up...

Kipnis kept it low key today but he had a huge single in the 9th with 2 men on, and it ended up being a 2-RBI single! That's a 5-game hitting streak and 12 hits in his last 10 games for the Kid!

Michael Brantley is just, like, whatever - 2 more doubles today to go 2 for 3 with a walk. That's 6 hits in the Doctor's last 3 games, and 17 hits in the 17 days of August thus far!! Five of those hits have been doubles and that's his second 2-double game this month. Can he end the season over .300??

DID YOU NOTICE ASDRUBAL TODAY?!?! Not sure what happened but hermano had himself a GAME today at the plate! He went 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBI!! Only one LOB today, man! OMG if he is awake for the rest of the season just...look the heck out, American League. Look. The heck. OUT!!

Jason Giambi did not have a nice night in Oakland at all. They were not very welcoming to him, no-siree. But he went out there and batted. And struck out twice. And left 4 guys on base. But whatever, Oakland - we got him now!

The Chiz Kid didn't have so hot of a night. Seems to be the only guy not breaking his slump now. Aviles was brought in to split the at-bats at 2 apiece and he didn't do anything either.

Stubbs, of course, was out there, doin' stuff. He went 2 for 3 and came around to score (Because he's like a bullet train!) but he did get caught stealing, which was his first CS of the year after 13 SB. He also got caught up in a double play/outfield assist situation at third but I don't think there's a column for that, so hush hush!

I sure hope that this is the Indians for the rest of the season. This is the Indians we signed up for this year, that's for sure. Lots of guys with multiple hits tonight, some extra-base hits, some homers. Why has this been so hard to come by?

Tomorrow is our chance to go 7-1 against the A's this year. That'd be cool! It's a 4:05 game so don't let it pass you by. It was supposed to be Kazmir versus Bartolo Colon but the old man has a left groin strain. Also, he is a stupid cheater who takes drugs. Anyway he's being replaced by LHP 4.39 who we should be able to crush. CRUSH!

No Radio Chatter today. Cuz I said so. See you tomorrow!