While We’re Waiting… Wedge’s Record, Paging Matt Jones, and Comparing Rich-Rod/Cooper
July 22, 2009To Quote John Bender: “B-O-O H-O-O”
July 22, 2009Here is was, all set to write another “poor Cliff Lee” recap. You know the one where I talk about how the reigning Cy Young award winner pitched another gem only to watch it be wasted by a slumping Indians lineup which failed to give him any semblance of run support. But then something magical happened – someone actually came through with the big hit to take Cliff off the hook!
The 2-1 Indians win was actually pretty entertaining when consider all of the missed opportunities by the Wahoo attack. In the first inning, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a one out triple off of Jays rookie left hander Brett Cecil and never made it home. Travis Hafner and Shin-Soo Choo both K’d to sandwich Victor Martinez’s HBP.
In the second, Ben Francisco’s one out double was followed by Jamey Carroll’s sharp single. Kelly “the windmill” Shoppach K’d and Grady Sizemore weakly grounded out to third to end that rally.
In the third, Choo singled and Martinez walked with one out. After Hafner K’d, Jhonny Peralta worked a walk to load the bases. Naturally, Francisco K’d to end another threat. So after three innings, the Indians had stranded seven and failed to score a single run. Meanwhile, Cliff was grooving and putting up zeroes.
Oh, but there is more. In the fourth, the Tribe loaded the bases with one out thanks to two walks and a Cabrera single. That brought Choo, mired in a 4-33 slump, to the plate. I bet you can’t guess what happened next? Yep – a tailor made 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. In case you are scoring at home, that’s four innings, no runs, and 10 left on base.
Once again in the seventh, with the game still scoreless, the Tribe had a shot.Choo singled with two outs followed by a Vic the Stik double. But again, Pronk failed to come through with the big hit, grounding out to second base. You just knew something bad was going to happen to Cliff at this point. His offense had blown so many chances for him. You could just sense it. In the bottom half of the inning, Scott Rolen hit a one out solo homer to Center to put the Jays on top. With the way the Indians were hitting with runners on base, you figured the game was all but over.
But that is why they play nine innings.
With closer Scott Downs on the mound, the Wahoos actually caught a break. Pinch hitter Ryan Garko beat out an infield single to lead off the ninth. He was replaced by pinch runner Luis Valbuena. Grady Sizemore, sent up to bunt,, dragged one towards first baseman Lyle Overbay. Strangely instead of taking the easy out, Overbay went to second to try to get the lead runner. His throw sailed wide of shortstop Marco Scutaro into left-center field, allowing Sweet Luis and Grady to both move into scoring position with nobody out. “It’s the right play,” Overbay said after the game. “Maybe if I don’t get a good grip on the ball I’ll think twice but I got a good grip on the ball, he bunted it hard. It was an easy play that wasn’t executed.”
AC was intentionally walked to set up the force at any base.
So here it was, yet another chance for the Indians 3-4-5 hitters to come through with the big hit. All I could think of at that point was “lets see how they screw this one up.” Choo was the first to get a crack at being the hero. Instead he hit a grounder to Rolen at third who threw home to get the force and the first out. Next up was The Stik. Still struggling to break out of his month long slump, Vic was overdue for a big hit. And what a big hit it turned out to be.
Martinez hit a line shot down the left field line scoring two and putting the Indians ahead for the first time all night. “I had two strikes, I wasn’t trying to get too big,” Martinez said. “I saw the ball middle-in and just reacted.” The double was all Cliff Lee needed. Manager Eric Wedge smartly sent his horse back out for the ninth so he could finish things himself. That is precisely what Cliff did, earning a complete game win, just his sixth of the season. Talk about somehow who deserved it.
Said the one and only leader on this team – Martinez: “It’s always great when you win a game, especially like this and especially for the guy who was on the mound. Cliff has been throwing the ball great for us and it’s kind of sad to watch Cliff pitch and not get any run support.”
Amen.
19 Comments
watching Garko “leg out” that infield single was one of the funniest things I’ve seen…he looked like the pickup truck from the Dukes of Hazzard “flying” down the first base line…I was fairly convinced that he dislocated his hip when he hit the base…
Good things happen when you take Kelly Shoppach out of a game.
i watched fausto pitch in columbus last night: only a handful of mistakes, but the guy is certainly not dominant. i still think we bring him up
Insert your own punchline contest…
“Wahoo!!! Cliff Finally Gets What He Deserves” …
A trade to either Philly or Los Angeles
pre-cursor – the DD rip job is ready for 11 AM….
Cliff Lee is a stud. Wedge is pitching Lee nine because he knows he’s being showcased.
Say goodbye to Cliff Lee and hello to the next batch of A Shapetti longshots.
What about Shapiro telling us just a few years ago the Indians would not be in rebuild mode again?
That game was a nice example of why we need to keep both Victor and Lee! I’m tired of hearing stuff about only being able to keep one of them. Suck it up and pay the price Larry!
Did anybody else notice how awkward the post-game interview w/ Victor was? He looked upset/like he had been crying and seemed to be struggling to answer the questions…
I would’ve bet a lot of money on Victor hitting into a game-ending double play. I was shocked when he got a hit. Not so much because it was Victor, but because of how this team can’t hit in the clutch.
Which brings me to my next point – how does Derek Shelton still have a job?!!!! It’s obvious that guys like Peralta and Shoppach aren’t responding to his “coaching”.
Bacon, both Cliff and Victor are gone. Good news for you, Garko remains.
oh good you brought jokes Isis!
That was a great game last night. Go Cliff!
this team needs a makeover from the ground up…keep a few here and there, but for the most part, its time to blow it up…
BG – That was one of the most awkward post game interviews I have ever seen. I went back and forth between thinking he was out of breath or a family member had died.
i say trade cliff lee next season if the indians fall out of contention, but not now unless someone absolutely blows the indians out of the water with an offer. hes going to be 32 by the end of next season. once he hits the open market, what is he going to command salary-wise? i think at a minimum he is getting 5 years and $12 million/year, no? chances are, AJ Burnett’s 5-year, $82.5 million contract he signed with the yankees will be a starting point, and Burnett is older than Lee, is not a lefty, and does not have a Cy Young on his resume. i really dont think the indians can afford (literally and figuratively) to invest that kind of money in a guy who will turn 33 in the first year of that contract.
i dont think we should or will resign Lee…I would like to, but he’s too $ for a team that isnt going to contend til 2011, if then…
maybe this has been covered, but why was v-mart catching? (not that i have a problem with it!)
just curious, and i wonder who initiated that decision (my guess would be lee himself as the pitcher usually gets SOME say in who his battery partner is)
@ Menday – Garko pinch hit for Shoppach (who was 0-3 with 2 K’s) and stayed in the game at first with Vic moving to catch.
Oops, Valbuena ran for Garko, then Gimenez played first in place of Valbuena.