While We’re Waiting… Trick Shots, Jordan Confusion and Resting Hillis
May 6, 2011Cavaliers Facing Plenty of Roster Holes This Offseason
May 6, 2011
OK, maybe it wasn’t so fun. Maybe it was a little bit painful. I don’t have any finger nails left after yesterday’s 4-3 extra inning win in Oakland. This was a strange game to say the least.
Maybe the Indians were a little confused because they actually saw the sun for four straight hours. I can say that I have never seen a game where more balls were lost in the sun in my 35 years of watching baseball. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun was big and bright. Between Shin-Soo Choo’s adventures in right field, Orlando Cabrera’s battles, and Shelley Duncan’s no-sunglasses routine, it made for an interesting afternoon by the bay.
Jeanmar Gomez got the ball for the Tribe and from the first inning, you knew the sun was going to be an issue. Austin Kearns misplayed a fly ball into a double, then Jack Hannahan bobbled an infield hit with two outs. Luckily Gomez was able to work out of the jam, but the tone was set for the game.
In the fifth inning in a scoreless tie, Mark Ellis led off with a pop up to shallow right. Choo immediately couldn’t locate the ball. Orlando Cabrera and Duncan both made attempts, but the ball fell to the ground and was ruled a hit because no one touched it. After a walk and two outs, Daric Barton singled home Ellis for the game’s first run. Ellis should have never scored and it was concerning considering the Tribe could not touch Brett Anderson.
The lefty was perfect through four and was breezing with a lead into the sixth before the Wahoo attack finally awoke. Lou Marson, who had three hits on the day, singled to open the frame. Michael Brantley followed with a single of his own, moving Marson to third. Brantley smartly advanced to second on an odd throw to third from Center fielder Ryan Sweeney. Asdrubal Cabrera then put the Indians on top 2-1 with a sharp single up the middle. Sweeney’s ill advised throw was another in a long line of defensive mistakes by both teams on this day.
Just like that, the Indians were ahead against a pitcher they literally couldn’t get a hit off of for the first five innings.
Gomez did all he could to keep the A’s off the base-paths, but was lifted with one out in the sixth after an infield hit and a throwing error by Asdrubal Cabrera. Joe Smith relieved and did a great job, inducing two pops, one of which he made a great over the shoulder catch on. Smith would retire Andy Laroche to start the seventh before handing the ball over to Rafael Perez, who got the next two batters.
The Tribe looked like they had their insurance run all but taken care of in the eighth after Marson tripled to lead off the inning. Yet somehow, Marson never scored. Cliff Pennington robbed Brantley of an RBI single with a diving stop for the first out. AC struck out after failing to lay down a squeeze bunt and Choo, who is in dire need of a day off, weakly grounded out to second.
You just knew not getting Marson home would come back to haunt them. It did.
Vinnie Pestano entered to set up closer Chris Perez for the ninth. Except Vinnie didn’t have any command on this day. With one out, Pestano walked both Connor Jackson and Josh Willingham. Then he was bitten by yet another bloop double, this time to left by Sweeney. The game was now tied at two with two runners in scoring position with just one out. Vinnie managed to get Kurt Suzuki on a short fly to left before being yanked by Manny Acta for lefty Tony Sipp.
Facing the guy who got him in the same spot the night before, Coco Crisp, Sipp this time won the battle as Coco flied out.
The Tribe and A’s both went in order in the ninth and this one went to extras. The issue for the Indians was that while Anderson had gone nine for the A’s, they had already used everyone out of their pen except long man Justin Germano, mop-up king Chad Durbin, and Pure Rage. So Durbin got the first look.
Believe it or not, he pitched two scoreless innings, allowing his offense to save the day. Facing former Indian Craig Breslow in the 12th, the Wahoos went to work. Orlando Cabrera started things with a one out single. Kearns then walked, bringing Hannahan to the plate. With Jackie working the count full, Acta started the runner hoping for some action. Hannahan, like so many other hits on this day, placed a blooper perfectly between short and left that went off the glove of the outstretched Pennington. OC was running all the way and took the chance that Pennington wouldn’t make the play. He didn’t, and he easily scored putting the Tribe on top. Marson, who has rapidly become one of the best backup catchers in the league, followed with an RBI single, scoring Hannahan for a key insurance run.
They would need it as Chris Perez ran into some trouble in the bottom of the 12th. In the end, he got the three outs he needed, despite allowing a run, and the Indians won the game and the series.
“This was a very good win for us, especially winning the first series on a West Coast trip,” said Manny Acta. “To do that against Oakland, with the pitching they have, and the lack of success we’ve had here was big.”
This was yet another character building victory for this young team who has the best record in baseball at 21-9. Its the best 30-game start in the history of the team.
“They believe in themselves,” Acta said. “We’re trying to put together a club that’s resilient, that is scrappy, pesky. We throw around all those words, all the time.”
Next comes a three game set in Anaheim against the Angels. Justin Masterson (5-0, 2.25 ERA) gets things started for the Tribe at 10:05 EST. He faces Angels rookie Tyler Chatwood (2-1, 4.94).
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
25 Comments
This is definitely the kind of game that we would have dropped the last few years. So refreshing.
Had to leave work to go home at the end of the fifth inning and missed the rest of the game. I assumed we were going to get creamed with the way Brett Anderson was pitching up to that point. Imagine my surprise to see that we won the game in extra innings! Let’s just hope Masterson can put in 7 or 8 innings today. The bullpen got worked pretty hard yesterday.
@2 I 2nd that. But if there was a guy who could do that for us it’s J-Mast
@2 I like how you weren’t able to fit in seeing the game once you got home from work… I want your job.
I’m happy with a 3-3 west coast trip so if the Tribe can win the favorable pitching matchup tonight, they can go into the weekend against Weaver and Haren a bit more relaxed.
Ugly game, but these are the kind of games contenders find a way to win.
If Perez is going to keep closing games like that, he better put on another 140 pounds.
I’m still a little worried about Pure Rage’s ability to totally close the door. He’s looked more than shaky in about 3 of his last 4 saves.
The real problem IF C. Perez can’t pull it off is that he is now entrenched as “the closer”. So it would take several massive meltdowns to remove him. Not that I think they should. But it won’t be as easy as “He’s not doing well, so put Vinnie or Hagadone in there.”
I have no doubt as to his ability to close games – his command has just been off lately and its shown in his (lack of) ability to get guys out/not give up runs.
Rage was a little shaky yesterday, but Tuesday, he had a one-two-three inning. Before that, he pitched in 3 straight games so I wasn’t surprised when he struggled a little on Sunday. Closers are gonna have their off days. They only get one inning to get it right. I won’t worry about Perez as long as he isn’t losing ball games consistantly.
it’s funny the posts today are surrounding how shaky Pereze has looked in his last few outings.
my dad and i struck up a conversation about this same topic but with a twist.
would antonetti/shapiro/dolan make the move that may cost $ at trade deadline time for that lights out closer if it looks like we are heading into the playoffs?
and for that matter would they make the same move for that player they feel they need to win it all this year?
….and yes, i just said the indians could be thinking about winning it all this year in August.
@12
I was thinking the same thing, if we could land a “lights out” closer and move Perez into a setup role, I think that would be great for this team.
The question of course, is who if anyone would be available?
KERRY WOODZ!!1
Heath Bell from the Padres could be a possibility.
@Ghost
i like Bell for sure, to me the question is would Dolan allow Antonetti/Shapiro to pull the trigger on a deal that gets you that crucial playoff piece it it means forking over future cash for just a chance at winning it all this year?
i think the answer is a yes as long as it doesn’t mean selling the talent farm down in AAA.
@2- How long is your commute?? Daaaaamn.
Great recap of the game TD. I was following the game online on espn gamecast and wanted to know if there was any opinions about the final out that Asdrubal Cabrera made after driving in the 2 RBI’s in the sixth. Was it even a close play? It seemed like such a stupid out to make, being the third out tagged at the plate when they were starting to finally get some hits amassed and score.
I thought Gomez did a terrific job on the mound and was able to keep the team in the game against Anderson. Both teams had their chances to take the lead in the final few innings, but luckily the tribe bullpen and bats prevailed. Go Tribe!
Not only is the lights-out closer rare, he’s just not worth the money imo. As a stathead, I’ve come to believe that fans and clubs vastly overrate the value of the closer. Last night was a great example in that Tony Sipp’s performance was WAY more valueable in terms of helping us win than Perez’s. Durbin’s two innings too.
I would hate to see us spend money or prospects on acquiring a new closer if Perez were to implode. Rearrange our own bullpen or bring someone up first.
Sidenot: I hope the club avoids the “trading prospects to acquire talent for the second half” mentality altogether.
@18 – He was out by a mile, but I’m not sure why/how he screwed up so bad. Stupid, stupid play.
Also, I suggest watching the game on mlb.com’s page. They post a lot of video highlights throughout the game (like that one) and also occassionally will let you watch for free (did that for the bottom of the ninth last night).
Thanks NJ. I’ll try MLB’s site next time. I used to use some free P2P streaming sites to watch live, but they all seem to keep getting shut down by Homeland Security.
Yeah, you can’t have the terrorists watching baseball.
If the terrorists watch baseball, Bud Selig wins.
My son and I have been talking lately about the cannon Choo has attached to his left shoulder. I was thrilled to read on the Oakland-area newspaper’s website about Gallego holding Jackson at third in the tenth because of fear of Choo’s arm. That, to me, is REALLY exciting. He didn’t throw him out at home, but Gallego knows what kind of arm Choo has, held the runner at third, and he ended up getting stranded. Kept the game from ending right there. I also liked seeing Choo gun guys down at home in the Minnesota series. I dunno, I just like having a guy with a laser arm in the outfield. I guess the home crowd booed Gallego pretty good for holding the runner.
@18, 20, let me break off what you’re missing here. There were two outs and Travis Hafner had just hit a piddly ground ball to the second baseman. Maybe if Michael Brantley had been at the plate, AC would have been paying more attention, but he was plainly confused that Suzuki had the ball thrown to him instead of the second baseman just throwing out Hafner at first. In fact, -I- am utterly confused by this action. If Hafner had somehow rocketed down the line to beat the throw, I sure didn’t see it.
It was sort of a slow roller, so all I can think is that Hafner was getting close to first (he’s not as slow as people think) and the guy saw AC doing what you’re trained to do with 2 outs – put your head down on contact and run for daylight just in case the defense screws the pooch on that routine grounder. So he threw it home since there was no way that play would be close. AC -should- have at least turned his head to locate the ball upon passing 3rd, but honestly I think that if he had, the guy would have just thrown Hafner out at first. Haf may not be as slow as people seem to think, but it couldn’t have been -that- close.