Indians Confidential

With the Indians’ recent success at home, they now travel to the once dreaded West Coast. The Tribe is headed to Colorado for 3 games and San Diego for an additional 3 game set. This very well could be a blessing in disguise. The Indians currently sit in 3rd place in the American League Central well with in reach of the Chicago White Sox, and coupled with Grady Sizemore welcoming the summer breezes by tearing the cover off the ball.

All the while the Indians are beginning to score more and more runs a game. Now they meet two teams who have been less proficient than the Tribe at scoring runs. The Colorado Rockies average only 4.17 runs per game, and the San Diego Padres average a dismal 3.79 runs per game. In comparison, the Indians currently average 4.57 runs per game this season. The Indians need to embrace this west coast trip and take advantage of this disparity. If the Indians are going to make a run at the White Sox, there is no better time than the present.

Sitting at 5.5 back of the White Sox, the Indians should be feeling the pressure over the next two days to pull out all the stops to try and gain wins and get themselves back on track. Paul Byrd was a quote machine last night in the locker room, telling the media that the season is far from over, and that this team is too good to be sub-par much longer. Is that really the truth though at this point?

This is getting close to being a repeat of the 2006 season, a year where by Memorial Day the Indians were so far back of the Tigers you could turn out the lights. Two more losses over the next two days to the red-hot Sox, and this might be 06 all over again, complete with a season already down the drain.

The last thing a team with a black hole of offense needs is the pressure of being 6-7 games back with an 11-game road trip, their longest of the season, ahead of them. Win the next two, and at least your 3.5 back, and you can take baby steps in getting back and staying in the race while waiting, and waiting, for the offense to finally start hitting.

Since May 15th, the offense is hitting .163 with runners in scoring position, and that was the big issue again last night. They had shots in the 8th and 10th, and once again, like a broken record, could not get the job done. It’s becoming a lost season, and the next two days could very well finally define if the Indians are going to be a factor in the AL Central in 2008.

FIREWORKS NIGHT ADDED MAY 26:  The Cleveland Indians today announced they have added a FIREWORKS NIGHT to the Indians vs. White Sox MEMORIAL DAY game at 7:05PM on May 26.   This date will also be highlighted by SUGARDALE DOLLAR DOG NIGHT.  Great Lower Level Seats Still Remain

While Jake Westbrook was awfully good, John Danks was just a bit better, and because of it the Chicago White Sox avoided a sweep in Cleveland as they eeked out a 2-1 win on Thursday afternoon. Westbrook (0-1) made two mistakes, both solo homer to Juan Uribe and Joe Crede, the 8th and 9th batters in the Sox order. Westbrook, who shined in the playoffs for the Tribe last season, lasted 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits. The story though was Danks, who even getting the no decision pitched a whale of a game, holding the Indians without a hit for the first five innings. In 6.2 innings, he gave up just 1 earned run on two hits. The Sox pen then didn’t allow a hit as Crede’s 8th inning solo homer was the difference.

For the Indians, they struggled all day, getting just a handful of runners on, and then not being able to take advantage of it when they did get on. They left four men on base. Westbrook was able to sail through the Sox order with basic ease the first time around, not allowing a hit himself until the 5th. The problem was the bottom of the order, as both Uribe and Crede came back to haunt Jake after he fell behind in the count to put the ball out of the ballpark. The Indians only run came in the 7th to tie the game at one, when Ryan Garko doubled home Travis Hafner, who had walked, to make it 1-1.

The Indians board a plane and head out west, as their first road trip will be a 6-game west coast ride as they travel to Oakland to play the A’s and then three in Los Angeles. Tomorrow night their opener with the A’s is at 10:05 PM.

Click below to hear postgame comments from White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen following tonight’s 7-2 beating of the White Sox at Progressive Field. The loss drops the Sox to 0-2.

 

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Fautso Carmona didn’t have his best stuff on Wednesday night, but thanks to a bunch of double plays, and some timely hitting by Grady Sizemore, it was more than enough to help the Indians beat Chicago 7-2 at the Prog.  Carmona, trying to put the nightmare of last years playoff disasters behind him, went 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, one run, walking four and striking out four.  He was helped out by three double plays that killed the Sox on a cold night in Cleveland.

Unlike opening day when it was near 60 degrees and it was a sellout, Progressive Field was a ghost town on this chilly night - 34 degrees at first pitch, and despite an announced crowd of 17,645, it was more like 10,000, and by the 8th inning, about 6,500.  Sizemore did more than enough on offense for the Tribe, going 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI.  He was also hit by a pitch.

The Indians jumped on Sox starter Javier Vazquez for a pair of runs in the second when Sizemore hit a two-run single with two outs.  Chicago seemed to be just trying to stay warm, and finally did get on the board with a run in the 5th on a Joe Crede single to make it 2-1.  After that though, the Tribe took the game over and put it away in a hurry.

Asdrubal Cabrera singled in a run to make it 3-1, and then some patience at the plate paid off for Franklin Gutierrez, as he drew a bases loaded walk to make it 4-1.  The next inning against relief stiff Mike MacDougal, the Tribe jumped on the board for two more, with Sizemore and Cabrera both getting singles to make it 6-1.  Ryan Garko got a cheap RBI single in the 8th to make it 7-2 with two outs.

One late note was the MLB debut of pitcher Masa Kobayashi, who lasted a whole three batters, allowing two singles  before being lifted for Rafel Perez, who struck out Jim Thome to the loudest ovation of the night.  Jorge Julio allowed a 9th inning homer to A.J. Pierzynski to make it a 7-2 final.

A short turnaround for the two teams in the finale tomorrow afternoon at 12:05.  Jake Westbrook (6-9 last year) goes for the Indians against lefty John Danks, who was 6-13 last season.

The Tribe will look to clinch their first series of the year tonight as they play their first night game of the year at Progressive Field vs the White Sox at 7:05. Fausto Carmona looks to put a poor post season behind him, as he will look to be more like the 19-win pitcher he was during the regular season as he takes on 15-game winner from a year ago, Javier Vazquez for the Sox.

Weather tonight not too bad, as I can’t see anyone complaining after the mess last year. Tonight we are expecting somewhat cloudy skies and temps about 40. Not exactly Jimmy Buffett concert weather, but for April 2nd, we’ll take it. Don’t forget tomorrow is one of those strange 12:05 PM starts, as the team closes out the short series before the Indians go on the road for a week.