Indians Confidential

With an offense that has been anemic at best all season, Sunday the Tribe finally got some hitting from their bottom spots in the lineup, helping the team break their five-game losing streak with a 7-4 win over the Tigers. The win wraps up their homestand at 2-8, but in retrospect it’s better than 1-9, which is what it seemed they would be if they couldn’t get their bats on track like most of the homestand.

“Last week or so, week and a half we’ve found ourselves behind the 8-ball so to speak, getting down 3 or 4 runs early,” secondbasemen Mark Grudzielanek said. “It was nice to jump on them there and get ahead, get a lead, get our pitcher a little confidence, get him comfortable as possible.”

That pitcher was Mitch Tablot, who maybe got too comfortable as the team had a 4-2 lead after a four-run second inning, but Talbot allowed Detroit to get back in the game with a run in the 3rd and then two in the fourth. He was able to get the win however when the Indians scored a run in the 5th to go ahead 5-4.

They added two more in the 7th to go up 7-4, and relief pitchers Aaron Laffey, Kerry Wood, Tony Sipp and Chris Perez made it stand up. Sipp struck out the side in the 8th, and Perez allowed two runners on in the 9th, but was able to get out of the jam for his 5th and possible last save of the season.

After the game Manny Acta said that Wood will be the teams closer starting with their next game Tuesday night in Kansas City, and Perez will go back to a possible setup role.

The game was defined by the Indians 7-8-9 hitters, which combined to go 5-for-10 with 6 RBI, helped out by a rare big day for Andy Marte in the 8 hole, as he had a triple and three RBI. Grudzielanek had three hits and added two RBI, and over his last 12 games is hitting .326.

The club now is at 11-18 on the year, and will start a road trip with a series against the Royals in KC, and then will play in Baltimore and two in Tampa Bay before they come home for an 8-game homestand starting next Wednesday night.