Swept

Ack! I have been slacking on writing blog posts lately. My excuse is the holiday weekend, and then a game that went to 1:30 AM. I listened to them all - I even collected Radio Chatter from the rain delay game! But no way was I ready to sit down and write about the game when my bed has been so darn comfy lately.

TJ House - whose name stands for "Tiger Junior" and I love it! - was today's starter and he was a real whip! The qualitiest of quality starts, with 6 1/3 innings, just 5 hits, one run and 8 strikeouts. This was just his second Major League start!

Hahaha - I just realized I don't even know our rotation anymore. Let's see...Masterson, Bauer, Kluber, Tomlin, House? Or some configuration of those 5. Seems kind of weird that Masterson is right now the weakest of that bunch but so it goes. Will be interesting to see who is still here in August!

Scott Atchison came in to finish the 7th and he was fine. One hit, that's all. Cody Allen came in for the 8th and he just looked like he was having a bad time. He walked two and gave up a run! I can't believe his ERA is 3.38 right now...he's the one who was lights-out at the beginning of the beginning of this season! Bryan Shaw came in for the last out in the 8th, but then gave up the winning run in the 9th. An un-earned run on an error, though. Uh...yay?

Offense was craptacular today, as it was all series. They only scored 2 runs.

One run was a big homer by Jason Giambi, though! Someone pointed out on Twitter that he's got 2 homers in 20 ABs and Robinson Cano has 2 in 200. Nice! They intentionally walked him later in the game, which is awesome. They totally remember last year. Josh Tomlin pinch ran for him!

Michael Bourn got his 1,000th hit! He also got an outfield assist, which I heart. Not at the plate but still, love those plays!

Michael Brantley (.310). I mean...the town is burning down around you and you are just out there hitting, hitting, hitting! And coming around to score. You are amazing, Michael Brantley, and now I am going to go vote vote vote!!

Yan Gomes was the big hero who got the super clutch single with Brantley at second to tie the game with 2 outs on the 9th. Wahoo! He went 1 for 4, and so did David Murphy.

Jesus Aguilar started today, and he went 1 for 3. Then they took him out for Aviles and Aviles had an error. Back to 0 on the "days without errors" count.

Bad hitting. More errors. The pitching was ok - not so much the relief pitching but still they only gave up TWO RUNS which our offense could not overcome.

Yeesh.

Off day tomorrow, then back home on Friday versus the Rockies. It'll be Kluber versus RHP 3.61, start time 7:05. So we got the pitching locked up....let's hope those bats show up too!

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"You hate to say it already in the first inning that you're in a Danger Zone. But Justin Masterson is in a Danger Zone."
- Tom Hamilton

"This is Robin Ventura's worst nightmare. A rain delay with one of the league's best starters."
- Tom Hamilton

"This grounds crew works less than Nick Camino."
- Tom Hamilton

"The Indians, and the rest of the Central Division, are lucky that the Tigers have forgotten how to pitch."
- Tom Hamilton

"Maybe they have a clause in their contract that they don't work after midnight."
- Jim Rosenhaus on why one grounds crew guy was dispatched, without a rake, to dry off the mound

-------------

"When it comes to this ballpark, Kipnis is better than Babe Ruth."
- Tom Hamilton

"A happy fan. He doesn't have any teeth left but he has a new bat."
- Tom Hamilton on a bat in the stands

You'll Have That...

It was a bit of a gap game today, wouldn't you say? I think the main point of the game was to use as few pitchers as possible, and winning was secondary. They did a good job with the main goal but they fell short of the secondary. Ah well.

TJ House was our man today. He was a high school pickup for the Tribe in 2008, and he entered our minor league system in 2012. This year in Columbus he's pitched 41 innings in 7 games, with a 2.40 ERA and only one home run given up. With the shelling of the bullpen and the extra use of starters over the last couple days, he was our best hope. House didn't have a quality start but he did give us 6 innings! And the Tribe was only down by 1 when he left! House gave up 2 homers - but at least he gave them up to homer-hitting guys. RBI, too. He gave up the homers to Nelson Cruz who has 15 homers and 43 RBI, and Chris Davis who oddly only has 7 homers and 25 RBI. Davis pegged House for 4 RBI on the night. I probably would have given some up to Chris Davis, too.

Mark Lowe, who came in for a minute the other day (from Tampa Bay, remember?), came in for the 7th and his outing didn't go well at all. He wanted it to go well - Lowe intentionally walked Chris Davis. He had a throwing error on a hit to the mound that should have gone for a double play but instead went to visit the center field grass. That play scored a run, and so did the next 2 plays. And Asdrubal wasn't even in the game! Oh Mark Lowe....what you gonna do?

Carlos Carrasco came in for a 1-2-3 8th inning. Huh! But it was too late by then.

The Tribe only managed 4 runs on 7 hits today but I think their offense looked much more like post-Tigers offense than pre-Tigers aka Oakland offense. You know exactly what I mean. Hits and runs - wow!

Michael Bourn keeps getting hotter. Today he switched it up a bit by going 1 for 2 with 2 walks! Tom Hamilton says that when he walks that means he is most comfortable at the plate. Good deal. He went on to steal his 4th base, too. Unfortunately, no one was able to bat him in.

Mike Aviles didn't have any sort of a night tonight, not even HBP or nothin'.

Michael Brantley (.302) of course got a hit tonight! Don't be ridiculous! That's a 9-game hitting streak for him with 15 hits over those 9 games. He also came in to score a run!

Lonnie Baseball is just ... blowing up. Dud is BLOWING UP. Today he went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored! That's a 6-game hitting streak for him with TEN hits in that time. Oh my gaaaawd why doesn't he play every day?? Didja vote? Didja write him in? Well why not now??

David Murphy, despite being an awfully good guy, was not very good at the plate today. He went 0 for 4. But he didn't strike out or anything - nothing untowards like that!

Carlos Santana went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored tonight. His hit was a double! Erm...comeback? Someone asked Tito after the game what he thought about Carlos's performance and he was like "Well he hit the winning runs yesterday didn't he?" Well yeah, Tito but how about all those at-bats where nothing happens? Weird answer.

Jason Giambi....I wish he still had it in him...

Wish? Did somebody say "wish"?

Oh, he does, baby! In his second game back from his second stint on the DL, in his second at-bat - BOOM! A 3-run homer! So very exciting that he can still do that, you think? I really hope he can do this a few more times this season, or at least hit with some regularity. I wish, I wish...

Yan Gomes was shut down tonight too! Argh!

Justin Sellers was in at short today while Asdrubal rests a sort knee and foot. Not sure what he did to his foot but he did take a ball to the knee. MRI test went well so that's good - just gotta get over a bruised knee. In the meantime, we've got the tattooed lady at short (actually, I'm just being flip - I LOVE tattoos and I think Sellers is fine). Not exactly sure what makes Sellers stand out to come up and play over other guys in Columbus. His average was just .227. Maybe that he's had some MLB experience (with the Dodgers)? He seems fine, though. He got a hit today, going 1 for 4. He also was in the middle of both of the Tribe's double plays. I'd like to be able to watch him play with his tattoos hanging out there! Alas, I just have to wait for him to be around long enough for Tom Hamilton to start getting really offended and talking about them every time he's at bat.

Speaking of Tom Hamilton, sorry for the chincy Radio Chatter today. There was a lot of talk about the 13 weddings in their Baltimore hotel today, and how Hammy and Rosie were going to crash them. Hammy had at least 4 picked out based on the menu. Good fun - sorry if you missed it!

Tomorrow is a 12:35 start. Interesting. GUESS WHO'S PITCHING for the O's??? It's Ubaldo! He's a RHP 4.50 by the way. Our guy is the Klubot, so we've got this on lockdown. LOCKDOWN, MAN!

Should be fun - see you there!

Radio Chatter:
"Boy it's like it's contagious. Whoever joins the Indians, they can't play defense."
- Tom Hamilton after Lowe's error

10 Reasons to Jump on The Indians Bandwagon in 2014

1. This isn't a rebuilding year. Most of last year's playoff team is still here, and a few extra guys have been tacked on. They're in it to win it. Plus manager Terry Francona is still here, and he's a championship-winning manager (when he was with Boston) and won the 2013 American League Manager Of The Year. And rides a scooter to work.

2. Outfielder Michael Brantley is locked in on a contract and is looking better than ever. He'll bat .300 this year. He's got a penchant for getting hits when there's runners on base and also getting hits when there's two outs. This spring he struck out twice in 50 at-bats and his batting average was .500. They call him Dr. Smooth.Yep.

3. Yan Gomes, the league's first Brazilian player and surprise break-out in 2013, is our everyday catcher now. They just signed him to a 6-year contract, too. In 2013 he was amongst the top in the league for catchers in a lot of stats even though he only made 85 appearances.

4. Jason Kipnis is our man. He's out there on Twitter, he has his own little meme shirt, and in 2013 he was an All-Star second baseman in his sophomore season. The team does well when Kipnis does well and the kid is out there grinding every day so he's just a joy to watch and a joy to claim as our own. Also, I recently realized that he looks like a young Yogi Berra, so now we can imagine what he might look like as an old man - a cuddly raisin.

5. Asdrubal Cabrera has been my favorite Indian since the moment I first saw him in 2007. He's just a dang miracle worker out there at short, one of the Tribe's most exciting players since Omar Vizquel. In 2011 he started taking a bit of a dip down in effectiveness at the plate - but  he also played 151 games that year and he was plain burnt out. He has never really stopped being fun to watch in the field. This year he's back once again slimmer and stronger than years previous. He's also playing for his future. He either needs to play hard and get himself kept on the team with Francisco Lindor nipping at his heels, or play hard to make himself some big bucks once the Tribe lets him go. Either way it ends up for him, you're going to see a treat when you keep your eyes on Asdrubal.

5. Jason Giambi is back again. Normally I am not a fan of dragging in old guys for a little rah-rah before they are sent out to pasture...especially not ex-Yankees. Blah. But Jason Giambi was actually useful in both the locker room and on the field. It's possible that his walkoff home run against the White Sox at the end of the season (his second one) was the thing that got us in to the playoffs. Can he do more of the same this year? He'll be starting on a sour note - on the disabled list with a broken rib - but he's definitely one to watch out of the corner of your eye.

6. Speaking of old guys - Charlie Nagy is back on staff in Cleveland. He was one of our stand-out players in the 90s and is amongst the Tribe's best pitchers. It always drove me crazy that he went off with the Diamondbacks but they got rid of him and now he's all ours. Turns out that his stint with Arizona gave him a leg up on spending time with young "phenom" pitcher Trevor Bauer, who the Tribe picked up last year from the Diamondbacks, so losing him for a bit wasn't all that bad.

7. Then there's the Goon Squad. The Goon Squad was the name for the guys who weren't our every-day players but who kept coming in off the bench and making big differences. It takes a special kind of skill and mindset to either come in for the first time in 6 days and play a full game, or to come in for the 7th inning and keep the team's momentum going. They lost one of the "original" Goon Squad members to a starting position (Yan Gomes) and Giambi will start the season from his armchair, but there's no doubt that the whole Goon Squad vibe runs rampant through that locker room. Goonies never say die.

8. Chief Wahoo is being swept under the rug, and I like the way they're doing it. Even though his smile is this blog's logo, I don't mind losing the Chief. I've been mindful to avoid his likeness on Tribe gear I've bought over the past few years and the Indians have been making it increasingly easy to find sharp stuff without the cartoon racism. I know Chief Wahoo is our heritage but you know, so is Larry Doby and we don't have a weird caricature of him on our jerseys. The Block C is the way of the future, so if you're embarrassed by Chief Wahoo now it's easier than ever to avoid him. If you still can't let go, don't worry - GV Art & Design feels the same way and is providing plenty of gear for hangers-on.

9. You probably got rid of cable by now, or subscribe to a service that isn't carrying STO (Dish!), so you can't watch the games on TV. But, good news! The radio broadcast is far superior to the television broadcast because of veteran broadcaster Tom Hamilton and his foil Jim Rosenhaus. You're lucky to be stuck with them! Listening to the games on the radio is easy for baseball, given the leisurely pace. And not having to be glued to the TV gives you a lot of flexibility to get stuff done, like weeding the garden, paying your bills or re-arranging your sock drawer. Oh, and don't be too turned off by the commercials. I've been assured by my friend who works at Progressive in marketing that there will be new radio ads any day now. Check out Hamilton's amazingness in the Jason Giambi video above, and check out his soft side in this video of him watching his son (Kent State's Nick Hamilton) take his first major-league at-bat earlier this spring.


10. The Indians marketing team have acknowledged with this year's marketing campaign that being a Tribe fan is hard, but it's our birthright. You're from Cleveland, your team is the Indians, this is as good as it gets. So, love the one you're with. 

So, that's really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what's going to go on for the Indians in 2014 and why it's time for you to get over the 90s and get in the game. Aside from all of the above we've got some pitching both in the starters and the bullpen. We've got some weirdos like outfielder Nyier Morgan who has an actual alter-ego, and Nick Swisher is back with his Bro-hio sillyness being legitimized by the team. Not to mention all of the new ways the front office is begging people to come to Progressive Field and bring the whole family by offering tons of discounts everywhere on everything. It's still not cheap but it's fun, I guarantee.

Anyway, the season opener is now in full swing on the radio so it's time for me to go re-arrange my sock drawer. It's gonna be a great season - see you there!

I Love Baseball So Much Right Now!

I'm trying to embed the Giambi walkoff homer video for you, because it's the only thing you need to know about this game. But for some reason it was taken offline as soon as it was put up. What is this conspiracy?!? I wish it was online...

Did somebody say wish??

Now you've seen it....but you can't appreciate it until you HEAR HAMMY DO IT!!!


Before all of that...Tribe up a measly 3-2 in the 9th. Perez comes in to shut it down and not only does he give up the tying run on a homer to the first batter, but he gives up the go-ahead run later on, on another homer. I MEAN DAMN, CHRIS PEREZ!!!

My thoughts on the Perez situation: I still like him as a personality but he's gone from tolerable to liable. It sucks that our damn team can't seem to string together enough runs to give the guy a huge padding but he's tipping the scales on reliability. Used to be he was reliable enough to get the save but it's going the other way now where he's reliable enough to not be relied upon.

So, that's probably the end of Pure Rage. I've made my peace with it and, well, it was quick.

I've also changed my tune on Ubaldo Jiminez. But you guys knew that - I was digging him by like his 10th appearance. But it took me a long time to love Ubaldo - as long as it took me to dislike Perez! Anyway I was pondering it today and I think he might be the Indians' player of the year. What do you think? Not because he was the best but I think his role was extremely pivotal. Masterson was the best pitcher and Kluber was probably the best surprise but Ubaldo seems to have combined the ace-like tendencies with the surprise of having said tendencies and keeping it up, which was key to giving us a solid second winner in our rotation.

You can argue for Gomes and Raburn to be pivotal new members - or maybe Lou Marson's demise to be our good luck (sorry Sweet Lou!) - but Ubaldo had it all on his shoulders every 5 days. And he did good.

Tonight, though, the most important Indian of 2013 - or maybe ever, I don't know - is Jason Giambi!!! Kind of funny because he was in pinch hitting for Carson, who was our hero a few days ago. And Carson was only in because Bourn got hurt and WAIT BOURN IS HURT?! Sucks...

They keep playing the Giambi homer on the post-game on WTAM and I keep getting distracted. Hard to come up with other stuff to write about - I forget the first 8 1/2 innings!!!

My fav Q of the night: "I made him (Chris Perez) give me a hug because he needed it. He can wipe this away & start fresh tomorrow." - Giambi
— Stephanie Storm (@SStormABJ) September 25, 2013

While this was all happening, don't forget for one minute that Michael Brantley is also AMAZING and is keeping up the 13-game hitting streak I asked for, now with 8 games! And 14 hits in those 8 games. And 9 RBI in those 8 games.

He went 3 for 4 tonight, with a homer. Mister September!!!

21,083 at the park today. My friend and I bought tickets for tomorrow's game some time in April! We always go to the last home game to say good-bye. Now we get to go to say OMGAAAAAAAAWD!!! I'm guessing it'll be a playoff-like atmosphere there tomorrow. How awesome!

I didn't get any Radio Chatter today because I spent a good amount of the game scrubbing my shower. Seriously, my shower was very dirty. Also I was at my friend's for a few minutes, watching the game via Mobile Gameday. There just wasn't a lot of opportunity for me to write stuff down.

But this is all you need from the radio today anyway. Hear it again and again and again!

Sweep! Swoop!

The Tribe seemed to cruise through this game today, which is pretty awesome because that's exactly what you need after a 5.5 hour game, and then having to show up a little earlier the next day is brutal too.

Justin Masterson was the starter, which as I said last night was exactly who we needed starting today. He could go the distance! Francona told him this afternoon that he was on a pitch count - 190. haha! He actually did go 110, after 6 2/3 innings. Not an amazing start - he only gave up 1 run but walked 5 - but it was a quality start and probably longer than anyone else could go right now. He struck out 7 while he was out there - he's 4th in the league in both strikeouts and innings pitched. If he wasn't "so out of control" (using the term very very loosely) with all those walks he could have gone the distance.

But, you know, relievers can show up 2 days in a row. They're not porcelain unicorns. Rich Hill came out to finish the 7th and nobody scored. Hooray!

Next was Cody Allen, because of course. Dude puts the "bull" in bullpen! At least this year, for this team. He gave up one hit but then struck out the other 3.

Chris Perez came in for his third night in a row. Tom Hamilton reminded us what happened last time he came in for his third night in a row (3 hits, 4 runs). I listened through my fingers. He gave up 1 hit and got his 20th save! BALLGAME!!

You know who came back around today? Michael Bourn did!! He found his thang and went 3 for 5 after hitting like .180 for a spell there. He got a triple in the third inning because he was all "Damn, I'm turning this in to a triple!" and sped the heck around the bases. It kind of, sort of made me sad that the next batter hit a homer. A bit of a waste of a triple? But maybe having a fast guy dancing around on third was what distracted the pitcher into throwing one that could be hit over the fence? Yeah, that's it.

Swisher went 1 for but his 1 was the game-winning homer, in the 3rd. A two-run dealy that sort of made it easy for everyone to sit back and relax because no way was Justin Masterson going to give up 2 runs, you know?


Kipnis, who has been money while everyone else has been jake, has now been jake for 3 games while everyone else is money. Michael Brantley is also slipping in to jake-ness. Dag.

Santana got his 31st double!

Jason Giambi had another hustle double! I guess he's from the area so his dad and his brother were visiting today. Also explains why he's pushing hard. Two doubles in two games!!

Asdrubal was out today on a rest day, so we don't know how his comeback is doing until Friday!! Raburn is out with some sort of leg thing too, btw. Sad.

Aviles was in for Asdrubal and he was really feeling it - he went 2 for 4 and hustled down the line to score an insurance run in the 9th, on a wild pitch. Love that Aviles!

Did you know he's got a Twitter account that fans set up that just posts Aviles-related news? Apparently lots of people love Mike Aviles! 

Stubbs didn't hit any homers or score any runs today but he did get on base twice with walks. They must be scared of him! Also looks like he's safely up and out of his normal .240 zone, hanging tight at .253!

Off day tomorrow, then they're back at home for the weekend against the Twins. This Twins series might be the biggest series of the year, seriously. Gotta win!

It'll be Ubaldo versus RHP 3.82. Let's hope for good things from Ubaldo, to keep this streak going. The game's at 7:05, at home.

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"Josh Hamilton has just done everything wrong this series."
- Tom Hamilton

"No matter what there are always at least 30,000 fans here at the Big A. I'm glad the guy who counts the tickets isn't my tax accountant ... I'd be in jail by now."
- Tom Hamilton doesn't believe the numbers

"So far, Mike Soicia is 0 for about 12 in arguments in this series."
- Tom Hamilton

Doing Like They Do

Finally, a normal game.

And I mean a game where our starter is gonzo good, the lineup is all hitting, including home runs and Chris Perez gives up a run because he can. Ballgame!

The Tribe was still out on the left coast which was nice because it minimizes opportunity for jet lag. Don't you think? Plus it gives me the ability to get myself into a late-night groove for a few days. I did a ton of stuff between 5 and 10 today, it was nuts!

Anyway, speaking of grooves, Zack McAllister's got his groove back after getting his finger owied by whatever evil machine in the clubhouse is catching our pitchers unawares. He went 6 1/3 innings giving up just 1 run on 5 hits, and just 2 walks. He wasn't even supposed to BE here today, but he did damn good (it was Salazar, but the Tribe got my memo about 2 short-inning pitchers in a row being not good). I guess he blew through his rehab and didn't even miss a beat.

He struck out 5 and they pulled him after 103 pitches.

Shaw came in to finish the 7th and nothing went on but a strikeout. Yeehaw!

Joe Smith was in for the 8th and they said he didn't look to good but he only walked one and no one got hit by a pitch or anything. He struck out one, even. But then uh...well, I guess the Angels are really bad. The guy who struck out struck out swinging at a pitch that almost hit him.

Chris Perez came in just to get some work and he had a 4-run lead so he did what he does in those situations - gave up a run! He did get 2 strikeouts which is surprisingly a lot for him - usually it's just 1! He in fact got 2 strikeouts in his last appearance on the 14th - but it was also the first time he pitched 2 innings in one game. All told he's just had 2 strikeouts in one inning in 4 other games out of 40 total appearances. He's actually given up more home runs (6) than he's had dual strikeouts!

The boys got themselves 10 hits today and walked 5 times. That translated into 5 runs, although just in 2 innings - one big 4-run thing and then a solo homer later on.

Bourn was back up top today, going 1 for 5 again. Not bad - that was his M.O. for a while before he went on his slump-about. Unfortunately no runs or RBI to show for it.

Swish had a big night, going 2 for 5 with a solo home run that was so big that Hammy described it as not just "way back" but "way, WAY back." He also threw a putout at the plate, which I love. Still don't love Swish but...yay.

Kipnis ended his hitting streak today, but being that he's a team player to the fullest he still managed to get on base (walk), steal and come around to score. Oh, if only we were all Kipnises!!

Santana had a lovely patient night tonight. He ended up going 1 for 2 because he walked twice. He got an RBI single (RBI courtesy of Kipnis' stolen base!) and then came around to score himself in that 4-run inning. They took a risk taking him out later in the game in favor for Stubbs as a pinch runner. When you've got both catchers in the game and one goes out you better believe your other catcher isn't going anywhere!

I bet Ryan Raburn can catch, yo.

Michael Brantley didn't get a hit! BUT!!!! He did break the franchise record for consecutive games without an error, by an outfielder (213) surpassing Rocky Colavito. The AL record is 250 (Damon) which is much more reachable than the NL record, 369 (Darren Lewis). The Rock holds the league record for most consecutive games w/o an error for an outfielder in a season which is...162. Brett Butler is at 161 on the NL side. Clearly, that was from a time when men were men, and men played every game of baseball, and were named Rocky.

Oh, Asdrubal - you are melting away the ice from my cold, cold heart. A three-game hitting streak! He got another double today, going 1 for 3 - because he also got hit by a pitch. He came around to score after that double, too. Wahooooooooo!

Jason Giambi had himself a hustle double, which is not what anyone expects from Giambi (which is probably how he got a hustle double). Unfortunately he was wiped out by the time he had to run more bases, and was subsequently thrown out at the plate. Oh well - I was going to say I hope I can hustle anything at 42 but I can't hustle a thing at 34!

The Chiz Kid came out of nowhere (well, he came off his spot on the bench) and had an awesome game - his first time in a long time! He went 2 for 3 with a biiiiig 2-run homer! Whaddya know?! Not sure why but they put Aviles in later and even he got himself a hit. Hot time in the 8-spot today I guess. Great if Chiz can be out of a slump now too, since Asdrubal and Swisher seem to be heating up. If he can produce runs for the bottom half of the lineup, we'll be all set!

Gomes was back in form and went 1 for 3 today with a single and a walk. Oddly, no runs or RBI for him even though his compadres were doing some hitting. However, his average is a sexy, sexy .299!!

So they took care of Weaver today and that was cool. Usually he's a bit of a problem for the Tribe. They've got to roll over these Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim right now because next week is the Braves and Tigers and...oh my, I'm about to faint!

Tomorrow is the last late night game of the season!! Did you get some good snacks? I made cookies (since I had so much time before the game today!) It'll be Danny Salazar versus LHP 3.40. Gotta clobber this guy - his ERA is even better than Weaver's. All these dudes who are breaking out of slumps need to report FRESH and READY to go.

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"Josh Hamilton is a bit of a disappointment. It's like waking up on Christmas morning with no presents under the tree."
- Tom Hamilton

"When you've got a 42-year old guy who has done everything there is to do in baseball, then you've got a bunch of guys going 'I've got to play as hard as Jason Giambi.'"
- Tom Hamilton

"Michael Brantley...he's been at home plate for a half an hour and he's seen two pitches."
- Tom Hamilton on Kohn's slowness on the mound

"If the singing cowboy [previous owner Gene Autrey] were still with us, by now he would have lassoed Mike Kohn and brought in someone else."
- Tom Hamilton

"Unless that Rally Monkey is buying everyone a beer, they are going to be leaving."
- Tom Hamilton

"Quite frankly the Yankees and A-Rod deserve each other, and they deserve everything that is happening to both sides."
- Tom Hamilton

There's No "Perez" In "Team"

It was good while it lasted.

Corey Kluber pitched a heck of a game. Didn't look like a young guy pitching against the best lineup in baseball. He went 7 1/3 innings and although he gave up 6 hits and a walk, NO ONE came around to score! We'll throw this up there for him:

He was at 105 pitches with 6 strikeouts when they took him out in the 8th. He was replaced by Joe Smith who, while not lights-out, did get out of the 8th inning unscathed.

Then all we needed was 3 more outs. They brought in Chris Perez and...I dunno, why? Why did they bring in Perez after he'd just worked 2 nights? Why'd they bring in a guy who just left his hometown, who admittedly likes to party? I dunno if we can pin this all on Perez. But, on Perez it will  hang.

Allen wasn't too much better - he gave up a hit and a walk. Well ok, Allen didn't give up a homer to a guy hitting under .200. But he did give up a hit and a walk and only got 2 outs before needing relief.

Another appearance by Zep, who got the last out. Marc Rzepczinski....spelled that without looking. Oops! It's Rzepczynski.

The other highlight of today's game, aside from Kluber, was the fielding. It was tight as heck, with nothing getting past Kipnis or Cabrera. The infield was happy to be back on real midwestern grass, and the outfield was glad to be back in a baseball-sized stadium. Both Brantley and Stubbs had outfield assists! Holla!

The offense wasn't actually that impressive - they only got 5 hits and 2 walks. But boy, did they get hits when it mattered most!

Only 4 guys even got hits - Kipnis, Brantley, Santana, Giambi.

Kipnis went 1 for 4 and nobody brought him around to score. He's got a 4-game hitting streak!

Michael Brantley is just awesome, and in the midst of all those zeroes, went 2 for 4 and came around to score both times! He had a rough go of it in Miami so it was nice to see him being a difference-maker in this game. Because he's a difference-maker on this team! Oh and not only did he get the two hits, he also stole a base and had the aforementioned outfield assist. Smooth!

After Brantley stole second, it was Giambi who drove him in with a single in the 2nd inning. And then in the 4th, Carlos Santana had a double to drive in Brantley as well. Those were it for runs!

Props to Lonnie Chisenhall who hit one over the fence, but that dang Austin Jackson (who is quite awesome) pulled it back in. Sonofa.....

So that's it, man - just a few hits only got a couple runs and then a blown save and we're down one whole game. That how baseball go.

The jockstrap-head Indians reporters are all huffing and puffing on Twitter about how Perez didn't talk to the media tonight after the game. What the heck was Perez supposed to say to the media? And what was the media going to say to him? No good could come of it, only more rage. Nick Camino is all "A few #Indians players unhappy that closer Chris Perez did not talk with the media following tonight's loss." Wondered if it was the 5 guys who didn't get any hits, and/or the 3 guys who struck out.

Anyway, there's still 3 more games. I was so very pleased with how the starter and the defense looked tonight. Just need to get those bats working - it'll be Justin versus Justin tomorrow so something's gotta give, one way or the other. Let's hope it gives the other way.

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"I hope they keep it up all series."
- Tom Hamilton on Michael Bourn jawing at Miggy

"Austin Jackson played Spider Man!"
- Tom Hamilton on Jackson's catch in the 2nd

"Wish we could repeat what some of the Indians players said about Alex Rodriquez tonight, but they'd probably not appreciate it."
- Tom Hamilton

"The Indians have put on a defensive clinic here tonight!"
- Tom Hamilton

"They had the camera on the crowd, urging them to dance, and a 10-year-old boy decided it was time to audition for the Chippendales."
- Tom Hamilton says somewhere a mother is horrified

Giambino!

So this game was sort of messy, sort of confusing. The White Sox seemed confused, the umpires seemed confused. Even the Tribe bats sort of seemed confused. In a game where we should have been whompin' a much worse team, we were scrambling for hits and only managed to get 4 of them. We needed some help!

Just say the magic words! "Mecca lecca hi, mecca hiney ho" or, "Have a sear, Reynolds. You're up Giambi!"

Zach McAllister was the starter today and he did what his friends are doing and what we need him to do: Go long, low score. He managed 7 innings and just 2 runs for the team's 5th quality start in a row!

He only threw 90 pitches, so I'm not sure what was up with taking him out in the 7th. I guess since our guys were not getting the hits we needed more shut-em-down power out there. Allen only struck out 2, but he only gave up 5 hits and 2 walks.

The answer, I guess, was Cody Allen and Oh No Not Rich Hill.

Yeah, Cody Allen and Rich Hill were the guys who were going to save us in the 7th. But Cody Allen is perfectly good and if he doesn't leave guys on base (he didn't) then Rich Hill can strike out a lefty (he did).

Then is Chris Perez who has been dominant lately. He's got nothing to do but focus on his pitching, and is taking it way seriously. He's back to being a top-notch closer for us! Today he did give up a hit but that's nothing compared to a lot of the stuff we've seen him do out there. Hit, no prob! He got his 3rd win today. I also saw him looking incredibly jovial and team-spirited at the end of the Giambi home run clip, so at least we know he's still got his mellow.

Not much to report on the offensive side of things tonight. Kipnis was the big man with 2 hits, going 2 for 4. No runs or RBIs off that.

Cabrera and Santana both got RBIs with no hits! (See: confusion) Santana's was a sac fly and Asdrubal hit a bases-loaded GIDP which ended up not being a DP due to some hustle by Kipnis. But still Cabrera was out, but a run did score.

Santana had a nice pickoff at second, which ended up being called safe. Because....confusion.

Ryan Raburn had a double because he's awesome!

Blah blah blah blah - Jason Giambi, off the bench in the 9th for Mark Reynolds. Batting .194 but whatever - he hasn't fallen as far as Reynolds.

I'll steal some pics to show you:

A big swing!

Spider-Vinnie follows it over the fence.

Get ready for your mobbing!

A big ol' gorilla hug for Tito!

So that was pretty fun. We sure do love our walkoffs in Cleveland! And our old guys, too. Giambi is the oldest guy to ever hit a walkoff homer. Previously it was Hank Aaron in 1976. Also:

Since Progressive Field opened in 1994, the Indians have more walk-off home runs than any team in baseball.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) July 30, 2013

Here's something interesting...during the home-plate-mobbing-mele, Giambi had a big long hug with Swisher (who jumped up on him) and Kipnis had to awkwardly wait in line to hug Giambi, then it turned into a threesome. And Kipnis kind of called him out on Twitter:

Oh and @NickSwisher.. If you steal my Big Papa G bear hug again... There will be consequences and repercussions #hellyaiwantmycornbread
— Jason Kipnis (@TheJK_Kid) July 30, 2013

Now, I'm sure Kipnis was just messing around and nobody is actually hurt but man - what a douchebag that Swisher is! I wonder if all the dudes are totally tired of him now, like I am? Heh.

Anyway - sloppy win tonight but at least it was a fun one (at the end). And a W is a W, as long as we have the balls to back it up come October! Do you think we do? I'm becoming more and more convinced that we have a SHOT but it's not a lock. I'll have fun watching, though!

Tomorrow is the 2nd of 4 against the White Sox at home, and it'll be Scott Kazmir versus either Jake Peavy or a player to be named later! We're up 4 games now in this 10-game series against crummy teams - do you think we can take the next 6? Looks like the team is up for anything!

It'll be at 7:05 tomorrow - see you there!

Radio Chatter:
"Viciedo thought he was Roberto Clemente and tried to throw him out [at the plate] on the fly."
- Tom Hamilton

"Raburn's not happy. He never shows it but you can tell."
- Tom Hamilton

"Robin Ventura is still playing like they are in contention."
- Tom Hamilton on pitching changes

"This is the kind of game, Rosie...there isn't too much flow or rhyme or reason to it, but you have to find a way to win."
- Tom Hamilton

"Adam Dunn handles ground balls like they're live grenades."
- Tom Hamilton

"I guess that gives him a little more deception and it gives us all a better look at his posterior. If that's what does it for you then good for you."
- Tom Hamilton on Ramon Troncoso's pitching stance

Holding On Tight In Kansas City

Whew, that was a close one! Despite 9 hits and 8 walks, the Tribe had to really scuffle to win this one.

Kluber was the starter and he wasn't impressive. He had to come out after 5 - and after giving up a grand slam. His ERA is up over 4 now.

Hagadone didn't look very good in relief, so they brought in Cody Allen to finish the 5th. Those two managed to get away with no runs scored between them.

Then we were treated to Smith-Pestano-Perez and while it started off nicely with Smith having a 1-2-3 7th, Vinnie Pestano did not fare as well. He had a 2-run lead, so - yeah, you called it! - he gave up a run on 2 hits and a walk. By the time Chris Perez came in there was just a 1-run lead. He's not really in the business of giving up 1-run leads (shortening leads, yes) but it took him a while to get that third out. His last 2 appearances were 1-2-3 affairs but this time he was back to his old tricks of guys on base, strikeout, and a couple of outs in play. BALLGAME! Perez is up to 8 saves now.

Michael Bourn was on his final day of paternity leave, so Michael Brantley was back visiting the top spot. He got on base 3 times! Two walks and a single, and came around to score once. I haven't been rooting for Brantley's average much lately...because it hasn't been close enough to .300. Maybe in the second half?

Asdrubal is still on a post-injury tear, hitting in all 6 games since he's been back. He is 9 for 33 with 3 RBI - he had a 2-RBI single today with bases loaded! He also walked once and came around to score.

Kipnis is still amazing. He's getting a lot of press too about how he should be in the All Star Game. I bet he will be one of the manager's choices, especially since it looks like the Tribe is shut out of the voting roster. He's got a 13-game hitting streak right now and an average of .299. Tonight he went 1 for 4 with a walk and came in to score both times! Not too pleased with him getting 2 strikeouts, though - is he trying too hard? Perhaps it's just the 2-days-rest doldrums. Look for him to go over .300 tomorrow!!

Nick Swisher was totally useful today but totally wasted. Ho hum! He went 3 for 4 with a walk, so he was on base 4 times! But never got an RBI or scored a run.

Santana was similar - he went 0 for 1 because he walked 3 times! He did actually get 2 RBI because he walked with  bases loaded and then got a sac fly. But he never came in to score.

Poor Mark Reynolds....can't get anything done except for a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch for an RBI. Wah wah. Five guys left on base too, ouch.

Jason Giambi was a difference-maker today! He went 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI double! He left 4 on base himself but oh well, he's 42 (I swear, Tom Hamilton brings this up every time he's at bat!)

Chisenhall went 1 for 4 tonight, after being shut out in his last 2 games. He came around to score.

So you can see a lot of guys got on base tonight but it was way more of a struggle to win this game than it should have been. But, all that matters at the end of it is that it's a win. We're .5 games ahead of Detroit and now 5.5 ahead of Kansas City!

Tomorrow's another 8:10 game and it'll be Scott Kazmir versus RHP 4.11.

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"The Indians with that 2-nothing lead, but they may rue the day that they didn't blow this open in the first inning."
- Tom Hamilton

"His defense is almost in zombie-land right now..."
- Tom Hamilton on Mendoza's slow game

"Not saying it's ominous here in Kansas City, but Toto just ran by the booth."
- Tom Hamilton

"You never know which Hagadone is going to show up. He can shut down a batting order with mid-90s sliders, or he can walk the park full."
- Tom Hamilton

"With that kind of price - kids, go out in to the back yard and use the house as a backstop. Why not?"
- Tom Hamilton thinks these window prices are crazy!

"Feels like the Indians should have a 10-run lead, doesn't it?"
- Tom Hamilton

"There is nothing routine this year for Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez."
- Tom Hamilton

When Movin' Through Kazmir

Weird night for pitching. Despite the two starters having ERAs over 5, it was a pitchers' duel through seven innings.

Kazmir was a traveler of both time and space, cruising through the league-leading Oriole lineup like they were nothing but thoughts inside a dream. He didn't give up but one hit - a double. Did you hear me? Scott Kazmir gave up no home runs to any Oriole! Had his eyes not filled with sand there would not have been a throwing error on a pickoff attempt and thus that double would not have been able to score on a sac fly. But sure as the dust floats high in June, Kasmir had made it through 7 on only 78 pitches. I don't know how he only struck out 4 in all that time, but that's how it worked.

He actually came out to pitch the 8th but changed his mind, citing some sort of injury that I'm still not sure about. They had to rustle up Joe Smith to come in, which did not please Buck Showalter, who spent most of Smith's warmup time arguing about how Kasmir wasn't hurt and Smith should not have so much warm up time. But Buck, why would a guy in such a groove, who's only thrown 78 pitches, feign injury so the unsteady bullpen could make an appearance? Showoff Showalter, I say!

Although you wouldn't fault a guy for wanting to get out of the sticky heat of Baltimore and in to the "coffee room" (seriously - read the articles about a day in the life of a Tribe player. There's some sort of coffee room off the dugout, at least at Progressive. Probably in its' sister at Camden Yards, too.) Especially if he thought maybe he'd be covered by Joe Smith and Vinnie Pestano who, when it's 2012, are our sure-fire guys.

Not so much tonight, though. Ol' Joe had the levee break on him and gave up 2 runs in a 1-run game. That's right, he gave up the tying and go-ahead run. Now I know I just got done saying how teh awesomes the Orioles batters are but also they weren't hitting for anything tonight, and Joe Smith technically rocks. Except - except - for the fact that he's given up 5 runs in his last 9.1 innings.

In an odd stroke of fate, the Indians actually did some stuff in the 9th and got ahead, and Vinnie came in with a lead! And not a multi-run lead because those are his to blow. First, he struck out Chris Davis who is this guy:

Then he had a little help from his BFF Kipnis who caught a scorcher to second. And then he struck out another guy and that was the ballgame! Well done, Vinnie! We might be able to sit back and enjoy your appearances now! Although, Perez is on his way back this week so maybe pretty soon you'll be able to sit back and enjoy your role as holder once again.

By the way - Joe Smith got the win. YES HE DID. Lulz!

Did I mention that it was a bit of a pitcher's duel today? It was. One of our runs came thanks to their pitcher. He hit Asdrubal (Hi Asdrubal!) - barely, in the foot, thank Og - and Cabby was on when Kipnis went yard!

Yesterday I was bragging on Kipnis and his stats in June, including blowing everyone away slugging-wise. Now his stats are even better! And June STILL has more days to go! Today he went 1 for 3 with a walk, and that one was the aforementioned homer. Nineteen RBIs in June, man. Woah.

I want to punch Nick Swisher in the face.

Jason Giambi...he's growing on me. I'll never see him as some iconic Indian - not like Eddie Murray or anything (well, unless we go to the playoffs and he's awesome in the playoffs then I'll call him Eddie Murray all day long). But Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus and Jason Kipnis and even Clint Fraizer keep talking about what good he's doing. And he's not completely useless at the plate, only mostly useless. Like tonight he went 2 for 3 with a walk so that's pretty cool. And he got a double in the 9th and came around to score (by proxy) the tying run so...I do not want to punch Jason Giambi in the face.

The Chiz Kid was putting everything out there tonight. He got himself a single earlier in the game, and in the 9th he contributed his speed to avoiding a double play and keeping the inning going with just one out instead of two. I'll take hustle if he doesn't have a bat, sure!

Drew Stubbs is the king of making stuff happen with speed! One out and still with the runner on third - Stubbs nearly grounded in to a double play but dude is so fast that instead a run scored and he was safe at first! That run, you guys, was the winning run! Did you know that Drew Stubbs hasn't grounded in to a double play in some 200+ at-bats? FAST.

I liked what I saw today - even though the stupid bullpen lost the game for us, some big bats coupled with our secret weapon of speed brought it back around for a win!

I didn't realize this was a 4-game series so I mistakenly called today's game a rubber match. My bad - it was just uh, a regular match. Tomorrow is more of the same in hot hot Baltimore, a chance for us to uber-win the series I guess.

Oh! The Tigers lost! We're just 2.5 games behind! I got a whole lotta love for that!

It'll be our man Kluber versus RHP 3.75. Another even match, ERA-wise, just like tonight. Maybe there will be more Asdrubal? Maybe Kipnis will get, like, two home runs? Maybe Kluber will go 9? Maybe Tom Hamilton will read his hate mail about his bashing of the color orange? Gotta tune in to know!

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"The thing about Baltimore is that no team has hit more home runs, but no team has given up more home runs."
- Tom Hamilton

"I tell you what...not many people look good in orange."
- Tom Hamilton

"Curtis Danburg informs me that I have now ticked off Browns fans, Bowling Green fans and Florida Gator fans all in one fell swoop."
- Tom Hamilton

"She took it right on the head because she thought that this guy that she's having her last date with would catch the ball."
- Tom Hamilton on a fan who saved a beer but missed a ball

"You know why I was able to spot her?"
"She was not wearing orange?"
- Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus

"Kipnis is in a place where even when he's down in the count it looks like he's in control, not the pitcher."
- Tom Hamilton

"If you're afraid to pitch inside, then you can't win in this park."
- Tom Hamilton

"I'll be very honest with you folks, the Indian's defensively have not been real good lately."
- Tom Hamilton

"Joe Smith joins the parade of relievers that suddenly can't put a zero on the board."
- Tom Hamilton

Radi

Is This Real Life?

Ubaldo Jiminez pitched an 8-inning shutout. Vinnie Pestano came in to close and didn't give up anything but a walk. Jason Giambi has his third home run in 3 games.

Everything's coming up Milhouse!





Ubaldo had a lot on his shoulders today after yesterday's blowout of the bullpen. He could have easily crumbled under the pressure but instead he barreled through Tampa Bay like so much Tampa Butter. He held them to only FOUR hits - none for those monster bats Longoria or Loney - and struck out 7. And only one walk, nobody got hit, nobody stole a base - talk about control!

Looking at Jiminez's stats for this year, it seems like the horrible game is the exception and not the rule. Completely backwards from his previous season with the Tribe. Yeah his first 2 games were stinkers and in Detroit last week he lost it, but today was his 10th start and only 3 or 4 of them have been bad. The others were good-to-amazing!

It would appear that Vinnie is back. Some would say that he never left but nobody here is used to him being anywhere near bad so to see him struggle for a bit was to write him off as near death. He closed well enough on Wednesday, giving up a homer on a 4-run lead. Today he held tight on a 5-run lead, giving up just a walk. He got the first 2 guys out quickly and struggled to get that final out but he was finally throwing back up to 93 today (he was just up to 91 on Wednesday). How lucky are we to have this guy around when Perez can't be there? Lucky!

The top of our order was where it was at today, excepting Bourn. It actually was sort of a boring game, being that our runs came on homers and not little hits or anything weird. But hey, a win's a win!

Kipnis went 2 for 4 today with his 11th double. Ramping up with a 2-game hitting streak! Let's hope he's not in a slump so much as a valley. Need this kid producing hits and runs for the team to be good, that's for sure.

OMG ASDRUBAL!!! It's been a loooong time since his last home run - May 6, when he hit two - and today he came through with a 2-run dinger! I guess he's limping around a bit with a bum quadricep but managing. I guess it's not affecting his power! Asdrubal has 12 hits and 5 RBI in his last 10 games! Almost quietly keeping it together while everyone else is trying to figure it out.

Swisher is figuring it out too. In that I think he's on his post-paternity-leave crash but if you can't put the ball in play then put yourself in play with a walk. Today he went 1 for 2 because he walked twice. After one of those walks he came in to score on a homer. Contributing!

So what's the deal with Giambi? Ever since I wished he wasn't terrible (ok, I've been wishing it since April 1 but let's say it was Wednesday) he's hit 3 homers and gotten 7 RBI in his last 3 games. He has struck out 3 times too - which sort of makes me think he's trying too hard to keep it going. I guess he's had some sort of neck trouble that is over now and we can expect to see more good things from him coming up now. Let's hope all of these big talkers know what they are talking about! I'm ready to be Eddie Murray'd again.

The only other guy with a hit today was good 'ol Mike Aviles who is basically playing every day now that Lonnie's out. Not to say it wasn't the plan to have him in this much as a roving replacement, but the opportunities have opened up a little more for him. It always seems to me like he is doing stuff when he's in but really he's only had 6 hits in his last 10 games. But today he went 2 for 3 with a walk AND a stolen base! He's our secret speed demon. Unfortunately he didn't get any RBIs or runs but oh well, we still won.

It'll be great if we can take the series tomorrow. It's looking good with pitching at least, Ubaldo having saved the bullpen for a day. And the fans are coming out so hopefully that gets the guys pumped a bit to get some more runs.

Tomorrow at 1:05 it'll be McAllister versus RHP 5.61 so we definitely have the opportunity for a lot more runs! Here's to a great Sunday - see you there!

Radio Chatter:
"The Indians hope that it's the good Ubaldo that shows up today."
- Tom Hamilton

"For all of you who say you can golf like Tiger Woods, today you can."
- Tom Hamilton on Woods' 9-hole score of 44

"If you can average 13 pitches per inning, you're going to pitch a complete game."
- Tom Hamilton on Jiminez in the 3rd

"It's never a good sign when the paper boy is wishing you a good morning as you pull in the driveway."
- Tom Hamilton

Did Somebody Say WISH?

Giambi Jambi

I can't believe no one has made a Giambi Jambi image before (aside from this false start) but here you have it. I made a wish today at the ballpark, that Jason Giambi wouldn't be so terrible, and he granted my wish by getting a huge 3-run homer that ultimately won the game. It was indeed the thing I least expected - my reaction was all:

The secret word is "GONE!"

I'm still not a huge fan of the dude but my friend pointed out that we've got to trust Terry Francona and that's true - he's forgotten more about baseball than I'll ever know. So if Terry Francona puts in Jason Giambi instead of Gomes or Aviles or his mom, then we've got to assume that Jason Giambi is not as bad as I think he is and he can do stuff like what he did tonight all the time.

Tonight's real hero wasn't Giambi though, I don't think. It was Justin Masterson who dug deep and held those hot-hitting Reds to just 1 run in 6 innings. They got the bases loaded in the 6th with no outs and they got NO RUNS off him. That's right! No runs on bases loaded with no outs! All they got from him was a solo homer in the first. Masterson left with 7 strikeouts and just 4 hits. Tom Hamilton wondered if getting out of that inning would be a turning point for the team - perhaps!!

We got to see all the best on the mound today. After Masterson was Cody Allen who had a 1-2-3 inning, striking out 2. Then was Joe Smith, who had to face the middle of that Reds order and did so with aplomb, striking out Votto and then getting a ground out and a fly out after Phillips singled.

Then came Vinnie, who is set up for quite a show now that he's the official temporary closer. Not only does he still sprint out of the pen but they play a video montage of him being awesome and he warms up to Pantera's "Walk" which can only be described as "fuckin' a." It really pumps up the crowd but dang was that a tense 3 outs. Would he be ok? Can he get over 90 MPH? I'll admit that I was watching his warmup intensely and his last two warmup pitches were cr-ap. I think he scared himself, really.

He ended up doing just fine though - and I think sort of surprising himself. Well first he gave up a solo homer which just sucked. But the guy straightened himself up and threw nothing over 91 MPH - twice he threw under 80! - and got the next 3 guys out to end the game. I'm pretty sure all 18,000 of us breathed a collective sigh of relief. Vinnie is back! (or at least good enough)

Gotta work on that propensity for our closers to give up homers but hey if you're going to start somewhere, I'll give a solo homer in a 5-1 game. Work that out for next time though, yeesh.

Our hitters got a lot done today on just 9 hits. And they only had 1 hit going in to the 4th inning. I thought it might be a boring game. I was wrong!

Boy were there a lot of Reds fans there tonight. Every time I sit in decent seats, I am surrounded by fans of the other team. I saw the Reds last year too, right behind the plate, surrounded by Reds fans. I didn't run into many of them when I was up in the mezzanine or in the upper deck! (This is the 4th time I've seen the Reds in Cleveland now). At least Reds fans seem pretty polite. And it's not as offensive to have so many of them there because you figure most of them are actually from Cincy or Columbus - unlike all of those Boston and New York fans who show up from Parma and Ashtabula.

Anyway, the hitters got off to a slow start but they cranked it up in the 4th, ending up with 9 hits.

Michael Bourn wasn't much of a difference-maker today, oddly enough. Yes he went 1 for 4 but it's to the point where I expect a lot more from him. A stolen base, multiple hits, a fantastic play in the field. Don't get me wrong, I am over the moon about this guy being on our team and the year he's having - but that's why I can be disappointed in a 1 for 4 game!

Kipnis is back to being out of it again. He went 0 for 3 with a walk. He was solid in the field, however - no bad throws or missed balls.

Asdrubal was a big difference maker today, though! He went 2 for 4 with one double, and came around to score both times he got on base. Of course, he did strike out  with the bases loaded in the 7th and that about killed me, but I take what I can get.

Some girls sitting next to us admired OMG ASDRUBAL!! today. The one said he was her favorite player. From what I've noticed, it seems like Asdrubal is turning in to a favorite amongst the ladies at The Prog, which is weird because he's a bit durpy looking. Although I don't put it past hardcore lady Tribe fans to swoon over a guy who plays as well as Droobs. You'll overlook inverted teeth for a guy who can turn an un-assisted triple play!

Swisher had a weird night. He committed a fielding error and also came up short while running the bases. But he ended up hitting really well, also going 2 for 4 like Asdrubal, with a run scored and an RBI double.

I've already told you about Giambi. I'm not going to gush too long. I made him a special graphic, all right?! Other than his big homer he also got a double, which would have been an RBI double had Swisher had the hustle. In fact, he almost hit another homer way past the right field pole, but on the wrong side. Oh, he also tried to steal third, got caught and ended the inning. So yeah.

I'm still waiting to be completely impressed by Giambi. I am only now slightly amused.

Carlos Santana was on base again today.

He went 1 for 3 with a single and a walk, but didn't get anywhere with them. He also hit a ball off his knee and it looked terrible. But this kid is made of rock, it seems.

Mark Reynolds has shaved his beard. He also got himself a solo homer in the 3rd to tie the game! He hasn't hit a homer for 10 days, and before that 10 more days. My friend and I are hoping that the beard shaving and homer combo signifies some resurgence of the guy who so impressed us in April. He's off to a good start!

Neither Brantley nor Stubbs got hits tonight, which is surprising because they are solid. Tonight it was all the middle of the order, really. Hopefully the bottom will be on board tomorrow!

I don't have anything interesting to tell you about food or the ballpark today. It was hot and sticky that's for sure. The announcer guy Ryan was wearing this shirt and we were coveting it, but not coveting it $35 worth. I don't think I like section 128, it's pretty hard to see the batter from way down the baseline. But hey, free tickets - they got the job done well enough!

Oh, I do have one interesting thing for you: Somebody must have wished that Trevor Bauer made another rap song, because he did. It's called "From The Gutter to the Grail" and you can listen to it here and read a little about it. I heard some of it at the game - I was all like "What is this?" but I didn't say anything out loud in case I was hearing things again. But it's real and it's stoopid!

Tomorrow is the final game in the Battle of Ohio. It'll be Kazmir versus RHP 3.08, at 7:05. I guess it's a sweep situation so - bring your brooms!

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"Well Tom, is it time to go to the Herb Score 'You never know what you'll see at a ballgame'?"
"Three doubles and one run scored! [...] When things are going bad, goofy things happen."
- Jim Rosenhaus and Tom Hamilton

"When was the last time you saw an inning where the first guy grounded out, and that was the only normal out?"
- Tom Hamilton on the weird bottom of the 5th

"I tell you what - it's not dark out but there must be a full moon."
- Tom Hamilton on the bases-loaded double play in the 6th

"You get the feeling that he's about ready to unload a bomb."
- Tom Hamilton's final words before Giambi's homer

"The Reds' scouting report must be 'Stay away from the fastball with these Indians.'"
- Tom Hamilton on the proliferation of curveballs

"Joe Smith has proven he's not a matchup guy. He'll get right handers out just as well as left handers."
- Tom Hamilton

"I don't know about you but my remote died one night, I had to get out of bed to change the channels. It is not an easy life on the road."
- Tom Hamilton

"Indians fans are not exactly sitting back."
- Tom Hamilton in the 9th after Paul's homer

At Least We've Got Ubaldo?

Never thought I'd be saying that! I don't think we've had a game this season - or any season - where Ubaldo came off like a shining star amongst some crap batting and crap relief.

Was it crap batting or amazing pitching? The other guy didn't walk any of our guys, and struck out 7. I suppose if we're going to say Ubaldo did great with similar stats, then so did Leake. It doesn't get our batters off the hook, though - if they can manage all those Cy Young guys they can manage some dude from Cincinnati!

Ubaldo went 7 1/3 innings before he had thrown enough (108) and was done. In that time he only struck out 6 (I'm getting greedy with my strikeouts, thanks to Justin!) and gave up 2 earned runs. His ERA is actually the third lowest it's been all season already, thanks to the long outing. He is throwing in the low 90s, as prescribed, so that's cool. He didn't hit anyone today but he did have a wild pitch and gave up a home run to the leadoff hitter, Choo, in the first.

Best news - no meltdown!

Jiminez didn't have much help from Santana, who had 2 passed balls (one for Jiminez, one for Hagadone). Good thing Santana is hitting pretty well yet - I think everyone is chomping at the bit to get Gomes in there as our catcher and it seems like the minute Santana does something "off" he gets extra scolded for it. It's a weird spot to be in, though. There are a lot of possibilities as to who can play where and when but I'll be darned if I can tell you what the best one would be!

Hagadone was called up from Columbus today, after just being sent down to Columbus whence I said "Good, he needs to go to Columbus." He was brought up because Perez is momentarily disabled in the arm. Hagadone is not that good, but he's all we got. He started off good with an ERA under 3 all through April and the beginning of May only giving up 2 runs in 10 appearances. Then he gave up 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning. Then he did it again. Then they sent him away but they had to bring him back. Today he was back and he immediately got bitten by this bug where our relievers are giving up home runs.

Our relievers are giving up home runs.

Hagadone gave up a 2-run homer to Joey Votto in the 8th and that was that. Bryan Shaw, who is bug-free, finished off the 8th with no fanfare. What can you do about Hagadone? He's the only guy ready enough in Columbus to come up, I guess. Does he have a sore arm too? Anyone else we can try? Can Bauer do more relief? I'd like to see that.

It was "only" a 2-run deficit going in to the 9th but considering the team's take for the first 8 innings was only 2 runs, it didn't look promising that we could come back on this one. And we didn't. Perhaps if Swisher had let Chapman hit him in the head when Chapman threw at his head in the 9th we'd have had a chance at some game-tying homer. But also we might be down one Nick Swisher and the guy is really growing on me.

Speaking of growing on me - Jason Friggin' Giambi. I hate to see him up anymore, he's like Damon or Thome. Blech. But then every 10th at-bat or so (actually, he's 3/61 so I guess it's almost exactly every 20th at-bat) he hits a homer and it's some game-changing homer (today: game-tying) and I'm all "woohoo! I knew he had it in him!" It'd be so much easier if I didn't have to think about it, you know?

In other news, Kipnis and Asdrubal are keepin' on with their hitting, despite the rest of the team's poor performance. And despite their own "relatively" weak showing. Both went 1 for 4, Asdrubal with a double - extending his hitting streak to a Brantley-like 7 games.

Asdrubal also stole third! It doesn't seem like they are some huge stealing threat (although we have two of the fastest dues in the league) but it's sort of a round-robin of who might be running on you next. The Tribe is 3rd in the league in stolen bases and they've been running a lot more in recent games. Maybe because Bourn is back and Kipnis is getting on base more? The only regulars with no stolen bases are Giambi, Gomes and Chisenhall. Leading the team in SB is Kipnis with 10 but Bourn - who's got 60 fewer at-bats - is catching up fast with 8!

Reynolds got the only other hit, and Santana got the other run via sac fly. The end.

Tomorrow's another day is about all we can say about this, huh? We TOTALLY have to win tomorrow because my Negative Nelly friend said we'd go 1-5 on the road trip. Please please win tomorrow to prove my friend wrong! Also, because I'm tired of losing. Terry Francona is too. There better be some major heart-to-heart at tonight's Skyline Chili eating contest where Tito whips these knuckleheads in to shape and gets them back on the win train.

Tomorrow at 7:05 is McAllister versus RHP 3.17. Guy's given up 15 runs in his last 4 starts. Let's hope they can coax some more out of him tomorrow!

No Radio Chatter today. I was up at dawn (or what seemed like dawn) to go to the local parade and I crashed hard in the middle of the game. I had a good nap, and it would seem I didn't miss much of anything.

But, see you tomorrow!

OMG ASDRUBAL!!!

Fun times tonight! The home run was back with a vengance. Ubaldo was u-good-o. Jason Giambi did something good again. My weed trimmer started up on on pull after being dormant for 8 months. What a good night!

Of course the story of the night is Asdrubal Cabrera's two homers, to double his total at 4. Right?! I think this pretty much seals my theory that he did in fact see my sign yesterday, as well as acknowledge it. CLEARLY THIS PROVES IT'S TRUE! My brother intimates the reason must be that he benched Asdrubal from his fantasy roster tonight. That is often a harbinger of good luck...let's hope he forgets to start Masterson Wednesday!

I feel kind of guilty talking about Ubaldo when he's doing well, because I refused to say anything about him - good or bad - when he's doing bad. So let's just say I'm giving him a golf clap and I'll re-evaluate my stance in a game or two.

Nick Hagadone got to come back up because uhm...I think this time it's Vinnie going on the DL for his whacky elbow. So Nick finished up the 6th for Ubaldo with a strikeout, then came back for the 7th where he gave up a double and got the first out.

Bryan Shaw came in to finish out the inning with a strikeout and a ground out, then came back to throw the entire 8th. He wasn't too tight in the 8th but by then it was 7-2 so nobody noticed. He gave up a double then an RBI single, but that was the end of that.

Joe Smith, our new secret weapon, came in for the 9th and other than a double he was lights out. Other than a double - ha! But really, he was very Perez-like - strikeout, double, flyout, groundout, BALLGAME!

Cousin Michael was back to his old tricks, making up for not hitting yesterday by going 2 for 5 today. Starting the streak at one! Forget the streak, though - he's got 15 hits in his last 10 games.

What do you think - is Jason Kipnis back? I think he's heating the heck up! He's got 12 hits in his last 10 games, including 3 homers and 2 triples and NINE RBI!

Asdrubal went 2 for 4 today with a walk. He came around to score each time! TWO homers, man! He's got 14 hits in his last 10 games, has been on base in each of his last 14 games and is back swinging with a 3-game hitting streak. Is he loving the A's pitching? I hope so - cuz we're playing them 3 more times this week!

Wow that was a lot of exclamation marks!

Nick Swisher has not been his exciting old self since he was out for a bit with a little soreness. I mean he's still getting a little bit done - he's got 2 hits in 3 games - but he's not as reliable as he seemed earlier in the season. Cool pic, tho:

Mark Reynolds - DAMN!


He got ba-zeened in the first inning, like in the neck, by the pitcher who gave up back-to-back jacks to Kipnis and Cabrera. In the third inning, the kid threw a wild pitch and then walked Reynolds. His patience paid off and his next time up he hit the ball to John Adams at the top of the bleachers and then I think literally said "Yeah I just did that" to the pitcher as he walked in slow motion down the first base line.

PWNED!

He's got 10 homers now, and I guess this makes him on track for 55. Suck it, Tigers!

Carlos Santana merely walked today. He's been safely on base in each of his last 10 games, though. He's slipped down to the top 3-4 in the league in most of the categories he was leading BUT... he still leads in OBPS (on base percentage plus slugging). Gettin' it done!

Is thinking of Jambi when you hear Jason Giambi a real thing or is it just a me thing?

Mecca lecca hi, mecca hiney ho

I mean he's been around for a million years, just like this genie. I'm sure it must be a thing, right?

Giambi was facing the team that drafted him today. He hasn't played for them in 12 years, though. But he did get his digs in going 2 for 4 with a ha-uuuuuge 2-out, bases-loaded, 2-RBI double in the 8th. Ok, we would have won without it (by one run) but what's not to like about winning by THREE runs? It was pretty cool that the other team walked the bases loaded to get to Giambi, because they were thinking what everyone was thinking, and he was all "Wish? Did somebody say wish?" and got the job done.

Ryan Raburn! He's so good!

He's so good that while the other guys are taking batting practice, he's practicing his ________.

Raburn went 1 for 3 with a walk tonight. He followed up Giambi's hit in the 7th with one of his own, just to remind the world that the MLB Player Of The Week can be good for more than one week! And let's not forget that he's making some plays out in the field too. He had a nice catch today, prompting Tom Hamilton to tell us that Raburn's been putting in extra time getting better in the field. Extra time! How cool is that?!

I'm always so sad when Drew Stubbs doesn't get a hit. But I think every time he puts the bat to the ball, he runs so fast that he ALMOST gets a hit. So, maybe next time!

So let's see here...I believe Meryl Masterson's streak is now at 8 night games. She is a hero!

I'm no Charles Ramsey!

Tomorrow we get to see the A's again! Hooray! It's an extremely even matchup between Zach McAllister and LHP 3.69. Zach's been very solid for us this season so if the team keeps up their bats then it's no problem-o.

It'll be at 7:05 - see you there!

Radio Chatter:
"Parker is making a lot of pitches and not many of them are strikes."
- Tom Hamilton

"By the end of this game, [umpire] Angel Hernandez will have a new first name."
- Tom Hamilton is not a fan of tonight's strike zone

"You hit 'em that far, you better be able to watch and enjoy it. Especially off a guy who drilled you."
- Tom Hamilton on Reynolds' homer

"I think most people would rather watch a strikezone like this instead of some of the thimble-sized strike zones we've seen with other umpires."
- Tom Hamilton

"Asdrubal Cabrera saw Brantley take off and said 'You know what? I'll stand here and take a fastball...' That's very un-selfish of Cabrera."
- Tom Hamilton