Indians Confidential

While the Indians have finally gotten to .500 at home at 15-15, the bigger thing that came out of Friday night’s game is the maturation process continued for pitcher David Huff. The Tribe topped St.Louis 7-3, and with it Huff again was impressive, going 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out five.

The offense did a solid job against Cards starter Joel Pineiro, getting to him for three runs on 7 hits in 6.1 innings. The key though was the Indians 7th, as against Pineiro, Jason Motte, Dennis Reyes and Kyle McClellan the team pushed three runs across, the biggest hit a Shin-Soo Choo single that scored a pair of runs.

St.Louis started to rally in the 8th, as they got runners on against Huff, then put two runs across to make it a 5-3 game. Joe Smith and Rafael Perez were able to get the last two outs of the inning though, and then the offense again was able to get some runs, scoring two to make it a 7-3 game for Kerry Wood in the 9th.

The Tribe closer was able to pitch a 1-2-3 inning and gain the team their 11th win in 18 games, and have won 9 of their last 13 at home. The bigger stat is that the bullpen is finally doing as it’s being paid to do, as they have allowed just one run in their last 14 innings covering the last four games.

On offense, the team was patient, putting up 11 hits, and again seemed to get the big hits when called upon. Mark DeRosa was 2-for-5, and Jamey Carroll as 2-for-4 and is hitting .359 over his last 11 games. The team moves to 28-35 overall.

Saturday the team will play a 4:10 game at home vs the Cardinals. Tomo Ohka (0-0, 5.40) goes for Cleveland vs Brad Thompson (0-2, 4.50).

He was 0-for-18 coming to the plate. None of that mattered. For Victor Martinez and the Indians, it was a night of being a hero, and for at least one night, Martinez got the job done. For the Indians, it was by far their best win of the season, and for a season that appears lost, it was at least one night of happiness at Progressive Field.

Martinez’s two-out, two-strike, single between second and short scored two runs, as the Indians overcame a stunning 10-0 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 11-10 in front of a spirited crowd at the Prog. The win puts the team at 18-28, still 10 games under .500, but hey, it’s better than 12 games – right?

The Rays built the 10-0 lead off a wild Fausto Carmona, who couldn’t find the plate. He lasted just 1.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on just three hits. He also walked five and struck out three. He ended up throwing 60 pitches, and only got 30 over for strikes. He was pretty bad to say the least, and left the team in a bad hole. They went to Jensen Lewis, who in 1.2 innings allowing another five runs on three hits, with two walks.

The credit from the pitching has to go to Jeremy Sowers, who went five scoreless innings, walking just one and striking out one while the offense finally started getting some hits and some runs. The big inning for the Tribe was the 9th, when down 10-4 entering the inning they piled up 7 runs, mostly again due to walks.

The team sent 11 batters to the plate, drawing five walks, getting just three hits, but pushing 7 runs across. Ryan Garko hit his second homer of the night in the inning, and by the time Martinez got to the plate, the crowd was on their feet waiting for the biggest comeback of the season to be complete.

He delivered.

Off of former Mets thrower Jason Isringhausen, who was making his first all-time relief outing, Ben Francisco walked, Jamey Carroll walked, Grady Sizemore walked to make it 11-10, then Martinez singled to finish off the win with two runs to make it an 11-10 win.

Yes, at least for one night the Indians played like the team we’ve grown to love for their miracle comebacks over the years. The issues remain with Carmona, a leaky bullpen, and an offense that never seems to get runs across when they need them, but the bottom line is this – it was a win, and for this team this year – they will take it.

The Indians today announced the club has activated INF JAMEY CARROLL from the 15-day disabled list. To allow room for Carroll on the 25-man roster the Indians optioned INF JOSH BARFIELD to AAA Columbus after last night’s game.

Carroll suffered a fractured left hand after being hit by a pitch in his final spring at bat on Saturday, April 4 in Houston vs. the Astros. He hit .295 (18-61) this spring with 7 RS, 2 2B & 6 RBI in 20 games. He embarked on a brief rehab assignment in AAA Columbus on Friday, May 8 and was 3 for 11 (.273) with 2 runs in 3 games, collecting 2 of the Clippers’ 4 hits last night (2-4, RS, 2B).

Barfield has appeared in 5 games this year for the Indians (3-3, 3RS, RBI).

The Cleveland Indians today placed INF JAMEY CARROLL on the 15-day disabled list with a fifth metacarpal shaft fracture of the left hand. The DL transaction is retroactive to Sunday, April 5. To assume Carroll’s spot on the roster, the Indians have purchased the contract of INF TONY GRAFFANINO from AAA Columbus.

Carroll was hit by a pitch by Astros reliever Doug Brocail in the 9th inning of Saturday’s exhibition game against the Houston Astros in Minute Maid Park. He will be examined in Baltimore later today. This is Jamey’s first career trip to the disabled list at the Major League level. Carroll batted .295 (18-61) with 7 runs scored, 2 doubles and 6RBI in 20 games this spring. He is eligible to come off the DL on April 20th.

Graffanino, who was re-assigned to minor league camp on April 4, batted .271 (13-48) with 8 runs scored, 2 doubles, a homer and 5RBI in 23 spring games. He wears #4 and will be in uniform for today’s game against the Texas Rangers at 2:05PM ET in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The Indians now have 3 players on the Major League disabled list (Westbrook/Dellucci/Carroll). The 40-man roster now stands at 39.

The Indians had one wild fifth inning Friday night at Kauffmann Stadium, seven consecutive hits, five successive RBI singles, six runs, as the Tribe topped the Royals 9-3. The fifth inning took what was an Indians 2-0 lead and extended it to 8-0. Pitcher Anthony Reyes wasn’t able to do much Friday night, as a sore elbow stopped him after just three innings. He is still having a solid year for the Indians, as he continues to make a push for a look at being in the rotation in 2009.

The win for the Tribe matches the fourth-longest road winning streak in franchise history and they now have won five straight and 13 of 18 overall. The win puts the Indians at 68-71 on the year, just three games under .500. They are still 10.5 games back of the White Sox, but are looking more and more like the worst they will be this year is a third-place team, as they are two full games ahead of fourth-place Detroit.

The offense for the Indians was paced by 12 hits. Everyone minus Franklin Gutierrez had at least one hit, and Jamey Carroll, Victor Martinez and Shin-Soo Choo each had two hits. Zach Jackson (0-1, 6.17) goes Saturday night for the Indians against Royals starter Gil Meche (10-10, 4.07 ERA) at 7:10pm.

Saturday night was one of those nights for the Indians where they strung hits together, but when they needed a big hit to put some runs across, they were futile in that department. The team was 0-for-10 at the plate with runners in scoring position, and it showed on the scoreboard as they dropped a 5-0 decision to the Reds in front of over 39,500 at Progressive Field.

They put base runners on all night long, with the only inning popping by without a runner was the third. In the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 9th they were able to put multiple runners on, but again, when they needed the big hit they were left with nothing in the tank. Reds starter Johnny Cueto was able to work out of each and every jam he got in, and was good enough to move to 6-8 on the season.

Paul Byrd started for the Indians, and as usual, allowed a homer early, this time as Adam Dunn laced his 19th homer of the season just over the wall in right to make it 1-0 in the first. It was the 21st homer that Byrd as allowed this season, a staggering number. He’s allowed homers in 8 straight starts. The other big hit of the night was a Paul Bako bases clearing double that gave the Reds a 4-0 lead in the 4th.

While Byrd was unable to get any run support with the team leaving runners on all over the place, he was able to pitch well enough to go six innings, allowing four runs on six hits, walking three and striking out four. His record now sits at 3-9, and his ERA is at 5.26. Rafael Perez gave up another run in the 7th to make it 5-0 when old pal Brandon Phillips drove in a run.

The loss snaps a modest two-game winning streak for the Indians, as they fall to 36-44 on the season, 8.5 back of the White Sox who won Saturday afternoon vs the Cubs. The Reds improve to 37-45. Sunday the finale of the set kicks off at 1:05pm, as Aaron Laffey (4-4, 2.83) goes for the Indians vs Bronson Arroyo (4-7, 6.52).

As the Indians continue to try and fight and stay in the AL Central race, the two things they seem to have going for them as of late is the pitching of starters C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee. Last night it was the pitching of Lee that led the team to a 4-1 win over the Giants, and Friday night it was Sabathia’s turn – giving the team another strong outing as the Tribe spanked the Reds 6-0.

Sabathia, who continues to hear his name in trade talks almost non-stop by the local and national media, remanis focused on the task at hand. Friday night he went 8 innings, allowing 0 runs on 4 hits, and striking out 11 while walking 2. It’s the fifth time this season he’s thrown double digit K’s, and over his last three starts he’s 3-0, allowing just 4 earned runs. He moves to 6-8 on the season.

On offense, the team put up a crooked five spot in the 6th off three Reds pitchers to blow the game open. They batted around that inning, putting up the five runs on four hits to go along with a Reds error. The big hits were a Casey Blake two-run single, and a Grady Sizemore double that scored two more runs. Sizemore opened the scoring in the 5th inning with a solo homer off Reds starter Daryl Thompson, his 18th blast of the season.

Overall the offense put up 10 hits on the night, Jamey Carroll continued his hot hitting with three hits, and is now hitting .304. Shin-Soo Choo and Blake each had two hits, as did Sizemore. The win puts the Indians now at 37-43 on the season, 2-2 on this homestand. They still trail the White Sox by 7.5 in the Central, as Chicago of the AL topped Chicago of the NL Friday afternoon.

Two struggling pitchers go at it Saturday night at Progressive Field, as Paul Byrd at 3-8 with a 5.21 ERA takes the hill for the Indians vs Johnny Cueto (3-8, 5.01) at 7:05pm.