Indians Confidential

The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has activated LHP AARON LAFFEY from the 15-day disabled list. To allow room on the 25-man roster the Indians have optioned LHP RAFAEL PEREZ back to AAA Columbus.

Laffey, who will start tonight’s game against the White Sox, has been on the disabled list with a right oblique strain since May 23rd. So far with Cleveland this year he has gone 3-1 with a 3.93 ERA (34.1IP, 32H, 15R/ER, 19BB, 19K) in 10 games/ 4 starts. He made 4 rehab starts between AA Akron and AAA Columbus going 0-1 with a 6.91 ERA (14.1IP, 21H, 11R/ER, 10BB, 9K) most recently starting on July 3 for Columbus (L, 4.0IP, 10H, 7ER). In 4 starts for the Indians this year he was 2-0 with a 4.09 ERA (22.0IP, 21H, 10ER, 15BB, 10K) before being moved to the bullpen on May 6th.

Perez has gone 1-2 w/a 8.88 ERA in 31 appearances (25.1IP, 37H, 25R/ER, 18BB, 21K) over two stints with Cleveland this year.

While Sunday nights game vs St.Louis was a pitchers duel in every stretch of the word, Monday’s matchup with the Brewers was more like a bad beer league softball game. Walks, blown leads, six homers, and 26 runs later, the Indians again have only themselves to blame for a sickening 14-12 setback to a Milwaukee team that looked like more than once they were ready to pack it in for the night. The Indians blew some big leads – 8-3 in the 4th and 12-7 after 6 innings.

They still lead 12-8 heading into the 8th, when the bullpen from Hell, who had been doing much better as of late, went back to the form that gave the team this lousy record in the first place. Luis Vizcano started the inning for the Indians, and got an out but then allowed two walks. Matt Herges then came in and gave up another walk to load the bases, and then a sac fly to make it a 12-9 game. Enter Rafael Perez. The matchup for Perez is one that he probably wishes wouldn’t have happened, as power hitter Prince Fielder took his first pitch, a rather weak attempt at a fastball, and deposited it 400 feet into the stands for a grand slam and a 13-12 Milwaukee lead.

That wasn’t all.

Perez then allowed a single, a walk, and then another single by Matt Gamel to score another big insurance run to put the Brewers ahead by two at 14-12. Perez, was loudly booed by the Indians faithful at Progressive Field as he left the game, and he deserved it. The Indians were able to get out of the inning, but by then the offense was pooped after putting up 12 runs and could do no more, finally settling for the two-run setback.

The offense can’t be blamed, as the team hit four homers (Shin-Soo Choo, Victor Martinez, Mark DeRosa, and Travis Hafner), and had 11 hits. They were able to build those big leads, only to see the pitching staff, led by starter Carl Pavano who has now had two bad starts in a row, give it right back, and then some. Milwaukee seemed dead after they were able to get to 8-7 in the 6th, and then DeRosa and Hafner each homered in the bottom of the inning to build on the lead to 12-7.

The team got just five innings out of Pavano, who allowed 6 earned runs on 9 hits, walking one and striking out two.

The Tribe is now 29-37 on the year, and 4-3 as the homestand enters its final two games vs Milwaukee Tuesday and Wednesday night both at 7:05pm.

Don’t let it get to your head – but how good does 4th place feel now in the AL Central?

For at least one day, the Indians can celebrate being out of the Central cellar, as thanks to a solid comeback led by a game-winning grand slam from Mark DeRosa in the 7th, the Indians topped te Royals 8-4 to move ahead of them for 4th in the division.

It didn’t look like it would go that way for most of the night, as the Royals built a 4-0 lead off Cliff Lee with two in the 3rd inning, and two more in the 6th to make it look like yet another long night for the Indians. But the offense finally responded and put together a nice comeback to get the win.

The Indians were able to rally to tie it in the 6th with four runs. Shin-Soo Choo reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Jamey Carroll. Then Travis Hafner got on the same way, scoring Victor Martinez to make it a 4-2 game. Kelly Shoppach hit a sac fly to make it 4-3, and then a Jhonny Peralta fielder’s choice tied it.

The winning rally saw Ben Francisco single, Martinez walk, then Choo was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for DeRosa vs Jamey Wright. The relief pitcher threw a pitch down the middle of the plate on the first pitch, but then DeRosa got the good wood on the second pitch, putting it over the wall in right for the grand slam to make it 8-4.

The Royals got a hit in the 8th, and then a walk in the 9th off of Kerry Wood, but could do no further damage as the door was closed and the Tribe got the win. Rafael Perez got the win in relief to move to 1-1. The win puts the Indians at 26-34, dropping KC to 24-33, losers of 9 of their last 10.

Carl Pavano who is 6-4 goes for the Indians Wednesday against Gil Meche for the Royals (2-5) at 7:05.

The Indians today announced the club has recalled LHP RAFAEL PEREZ from AAA Columbus. To allow room on the 25-man roster the Indians have designated OF DAVID DELLUCCI for assignment.

Perez has spent the last three weeks in Columbus where he went 1-0 w/2 saves in 7 games and did not allow a run in 9.0 innings pitched (9.0IP, 9H, 0R, 3BB, 9K, .257AVG). Triple A hitters batted .257 (9-35) off him, including a mark of .208 (5-24) by right-handed hitters. He began the season in the Tribe bullpen, going 0-1 w/a 15.19 ERA in 13 appearances (10.2IP, 19H, 18R/ER, 9BB, 5K, 1HR, .422AVG).

Dellucci hit .275 (11-40) in 14 games and was limited to 2 pinch hit appearances since May 18.

The moves continue for the Tribe, who have the worst bullpen in the Majors, but are looking to do what it takes to get it straight.

They already made maybe the best move possible today, as they sent Rafael Perez packing down to AAA Columbus. They called up Matt Herges. At this point, it didn’t matter to me who they called up, anyone is better than Perez.

Now the bigger and maybe more surprising move. Paul Hoynes at the PD wrote about 6pm that the team is moving Aaron Laffey, who has been a pretty good starter so far this season after he was called up for the injured Scott Lewis, to the bullpen.

With that, they are bringing in Jeremy Sowers, and he’ll start Thursday vs the Red Sox. Hoynes wrote “GM Mark Shapiro told reporters about the move before Wednesday’s game against the Red Sox. He said the Indians are exploring other moves as well to help a bullpen that leads the AL in blown saves and homers allowed.”

Laffey (2-0, 4.09) was pitching well, but he has come out of the pen before, In the 2007 ALCS, he threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief against Boston in Game 6. He’ll pitch tonight out of the pen if need be, even more so after another meltdown on Tuesday in Toronto.

Sowers was 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts at Columbus. He had 22 strikeouts, while allowing five walks, six runs and 23 hits in 24 innings. The opposition is hitting .240 against him.

The Indians today announced they have purchased the contract of RHP MATT HERGES from AAA Buffalo. To allow room on the Major League roster for Herges, the Indians have optioned LHP RAFAEL PEREZ to AAA Columbus. To create room on the 40-man roster for Herges, the Indians released RHP JUAN SALAS.

Herges, 39, was assigned to AAA Columbus on April 4 and so far this season with the Clippers he is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA and 4 saves in 11 appearances (10.0IP, 12H, 6R/ER, 5BB, 7K). He was invited to Major League camp this spring after signing a minor league free agent contract in January and posted a mark of 0-0 w/a save and a 5.63 ERA in 8 exhibition outings (8.0IP, 10H, 6R/5ER, 4BB, 9K, .286AVG). Matt owns a career Major League record of 40-34 with a 3.94 ERA and 34 saves in 537 career appearances (656.1IP, 701H, 287ER, 447K). He wears #40.

Perez made 13 appearances this year for the Indians going 0-1 with a 15.19 ERA (10.2IP, 19H, 18R/ER, 9BB, 5K).

It’s almost comical at this point.

The Indians bullpen could be the worst I have ever seen. Yes, I know that I am maybe being somewhat dramatic when I say that, but how could you deny that simple fact after watching Tuesday’s meltdown in Toronto that resulted in the teams latest loss – 10-6?

The bullpen allowed 7 runs in the 7th inning to the Jays, taking what seemed like a rather nice 6-3 Indians lead and simply giving it right back to the Jays. Considering the bullpen has a 6.49 ERA this season, it’s amazing that the team has even 10 wins against 17 losses this season.

“What’s happening here right now is unacceptable,” Eric Wedge said after the game. If Wedge isn’t careful, like it or not, a head is going to roll pretty soon when Progressive Field looks like a ghost town this summer, and it’s going to be his. This is simply not working anymore, and it just maybe time to shake things up – in a big way.

Today’s joke of a pen saw the following:

Rafael Perez allowing two runs on two hits in 0.1 innings.
Vinnie Chulk allowing two runs on one hit in 0.0 innings
Jensen Lewis allowed 1 run on one hit in 0.1 innings.
Tony Sipp allowed two runs on two hits in 0.1 innings.

In other words – game, set, match.

The Indians trailed 3-2 entering the 7th, then they put up four runs to take the 6-3 lead. Victor Martinez had an RBI single, Asdrubal Cabrera scored on a wild pitch, and Jhonny Peralta singled to drive in Martinez.

The offense, one day after putting up 15 hits, put up another 13 hits, and while they are still struggling with runners in scoring position, there’s no denying that they are off the hook for the last two days of pitching breakdowns.

So what does the team do from here? I guess start the train from Columbus to Cleveland more with pitching, as right now, this is painful to watch, and this team is digging a hole that they are not going to be able to get out of.