Indians Confidential

Not exactly a good nite for the Indians Wednesday in Lake Buena Vista, as the Braves put a whoopin on the Tribe 11-4. The pitching was awful, as starter Brian Slocum left the game after four batters with a strained right groin. Jeff Harris allowed an RBI double in relief, and then Aaron Fultz blew the game, as he allowed 9 runs on 8 hits after the Indians had taken a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Six of the hits by the Braves were singles, but hey - they were hits.

A few bright spots, as Asdrubal Cabrera hit his first homer of the spring, and Beau Mills continues to play well, as he hit a leadoff homer in the third to tie the game at two. Grady Sizemore also went deep to give the Tribe a 3-2 lead until Fultz came in and let the Braves blow the doors open. One pitcher who did do his job was Tom Mastny, who threw two scoreless innings of relief.

Today the Indians will be back at Chain of Lakes Park, as they host the Toronto Blue Jays. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

Looks like former number one pick of the Tribe Beau Mills is going to make a major push to make the Major League roster as a backup. Mills is hitting the ball well this spring, going 3-for-7 (.429) in six games. Against the Astros on Thursday he hit a two-run homer in the sixth to make it an 8-5 game in the eventual win. “He’s making an impression,” Eric Wedge said. Right now the big issue with Mills seems to be his defense, as the team has him working at first and third base. The guess here is that Mills gets more seasoning in the minors through the first half of 2008, and then the team gives him a look at a call up in the second half of the season.