Martin Rickman talks Chasing Mimi, Miley Cyrus, VMAs, media culture and movies – WFNY Podcast – 2013-08-28
August 28, 2013NFL News: Browns to rest most starters during final preseason game
August 28, 2013Stop me if you have heard this one before: The Indians pitched well enough to win, but could never muster enough offense to overcome the deficit they faced.
In what has become a disturbing trend, the bats continued their drought as the Indians were shut out in Atlanta 2-0 by lefty Alex Wood and four relievers. It is not like they didn’t have their chances. Wood walked four and gave up five hits in five and tw0-thirds, but the Tribe never could come up with a single big hit to change the game. Let us count the missed chances, shall we?
Michael Bourn singled to open the game and with two outs Carlos Santana walked. Both were stranded when Mike Aviles popped out.
Asdrubal Cabrera led off the second and was quickly erased on Michael Brantley’s double play ball. Drew Stubbs then walked but pitcher Danny Salazar was due up so naturally that inning fizzled. I want to say once again for the record how absolutely ridiculous it is to have American League pitchers hit in National League parks during interleague play. Here we are fighting for our playoff lives and Salazar has to bat for the first time in years? Makes a ton of sense!
With two outs in the third, Wood walked both Kipnis and Santana but both were stranded when Aviles grounded into a fielder’s choice.
Cabrera started the fourth with a double and was moved to third on Brantley’s fly ball to right. Stubbs couldn’t bring the run home as he grounded back to the mound for the second out and of course there was Salazar up again with a man on and two outs. He K’d.
Did I mention how much I despise AL pitchers hitting?
Kipnis doubled with two outs in the fifth but never got any further as Wood got Santana to ground to shortstop Andrelton Simmons who made a terrific play to end the inning.
Again with two out an inning later, Brantley singled and stole second. Wood was replaced by reliever Luis Ayala who walked Stubbs. With the pitcher’s spot up yet again, Manager Terry Francona called for pinch hitter Jason Giambi. Braves manager Freddy Gonzalez countered with lefty Scott Downs. Tito had no counter move with Ryan Raburn still nursing the sore calf and despite being 5-15 against Downs lifetime, Giambi struck out to kill yet another scoring opportunity.
The seventh was the first inning the Tribe went in order all night.
Meanwhile, Salazar essentially made one mistake, and it easily could have been taken care of by his defense. With runners at the corners and two out, eighth place hitter Elliott Johnson stepped to the plate. The pitcher Wood was on deck and Francona could have called for an intentional walk to load the bases. However, Johnson came in hitting below the Mendoza line. Salazar made a mistake by shaking off his catcher Santana, leaving a fastball in Johnson’s wheelhouse and he sent it deep to right field.
Stubbs looked like he would make the play, but as he raced to the fence the ball glanced off of his glove for a two-run triple. It is a play Stubbs makes 97 out of 100 times with his speed. Instead, it turned out to be the biggest play of the game and the only hit that scored runs for either club.
“I was a little bit disappointed in myself,” Salazar said. “Santana was calling for offspeed pitches. I just didn’t trust myself to throw it and I just tried to throw the fastball away.”
After the game, Francona was asked why he didn’t walk Johnson to face the pitcher Wood.
“The idea is you really have an advantage when you have an eight-hole hitter and you have the pitcher up behind him. Second and third, maybe [you walk Johnson]. But a guy that’s hitting .180-something, that’s a real good time to pitch. You set up the next inning also.”
Salazar was worked over in the second inning for 29 pitches, which essentially killed any chance for him to go deep into the game. With his workload being monitored, he departed after four innings and 77 pitches. He allowed those two runs on three hits, striking out three and walking two.
The Tribe pen took over from there. Marc Rzepcynski, Matt Albers, and Carlos Carrasco retired the final 12 Braves, giving the offense a chance to tie things up. It just never happened. Atlanta lefty Luis Avilan and closer Craig Kimbrel closed things out as the Tribe suffered a loss on the first of their brutal nine-game stretch of playoff contenders.
Said last night’s third baseman Mike Aviles: “Danny did his job. . .he gave up two runs and I’ll take that from a starter. The bullpen came in and put up zeroes. We, the hitters, especially myself, didn’t do the job. There’s no sugar coating it.”
The offense has been offensive during this month. They rank dead last in the American League in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS (h/t to IBI’s Tony Lastoria) in August. Last night was an extremely winnable game that the Indians just couldn’t take. They went 0-7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.
They look to somehow find themselves again tonight in Atlanta as Justin Masterson (14-9, 3.50 ERA) takes on Atlanta lefty paul Maholm (9-10, 4.51 ERA).
(photo via Curtis Compton, MCT)
48 Comments
I have a bad feeling that this week will finally KO the Tribe’s season.
Shoot Alfonso Soriano alone would have produced enough offense to lead the Indians to victory. Steve you paying attention man two more homeruns last night. That’s what, 10 now in a month. In two weeks he’d be the Indians leading homerun hitter.
Battle of the Indians
The schedule if not their play should keep them afloat. All of the teams ahead of them are playing each other so if there are series splits the Indians will at the least not lose any ground.
It’s all good. We just have to bounce back. For some weird reason I still believe.
OH YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEA!
and it’s also HUMP DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
last night, we spoke loudly but carried a toothpick.
Chief Wahoo and the Tomahawk Chop in the same place at the same time! The PC Police must be having seizures! :O
(Can I say seizures? Or is that offensive to people with Epilepsy and Parkinson’s?)
I can’t fault Francona for pitching to Johnson. The odds were in our favor. And who knows, if he does walk him, maybe the pitcher gets a triple that glances off Stubbs’ glove. That’s about as likely as Johnson getting a triple. Them’s the breaks.
Ca– Can we go get a bat now…….?
Pittsburgh just got Byrd and Buck soon there won’t be anyone left. I’m sure the Indians will tell you they tried though.
I disagree with the sentiment on the Stubbs play. That is an extremely tough play crashing into the fence. Stubbs is a good defensive outfielder but that was no cake walk, especially in an unfamiliar stadium.
It wasn’t that unfamiliar with Cincinnati he played there enough times but even still it was a tough play. You can’t fault Stubby. I just wish he could hit.
You don’t need to respond to every comment. You know that, right?
What?
I was giving you the Kool-Aid salute for your continued enthusiasm and belief that is very topical despite the loser who downticked my comment.
Plus my comment got me one close to dethroning mgbode and becoming MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE!!!!
the morning links said we might be going after Morales. not sure that’s the help we need though.
Ideally probably not but at this point he can’t hurt. He got pretty hot for awhile and was putting up some nice offensive numbers. Not sure what he’s doing of late.
On second thought with Giambi still around not sure how Morales would work. Not to mention Giambi and Santana at 1B.
would it be a bad thing to replace Giambi?
That loss is squarely on Markie Shapiro and Company. Horrendous front office management. They were 1.5 games out on Monday. Obviously needed offensive help. Did NOTHING. How does this guy keep his job? It’s freaking Cleveland. Chances don’t come around often. GO FOR IT. Do something that will help you win. I am sick and tired of the “stand pat” and “trade down” people. How’d that Phil Taylor for Julio Jones trade pay off? How did “standing pat” work at trade deadline? Also, how about the first time I ever root for Detroit, they’re likely going to get swept … before sweeping us. Of course. So Cleveland.
Cause he didnt provide the only offensive spark in our last win
who would be throwing to Julio Jones? Colt McCoy?
Not at all if they are serious about the postseason.
Please take my photo down. Thank you.
I know, right? I can’t believe that Antonetti went 0-4 last night! At least lay down a freaking bunt, for cryin’ and spittin’! And don’t get me started on Shapiro’s pitching “performance”! That guy can’t find the strike zone to save his life. That loss – that failure to win a close baseball game on the field – is clearly on the front office.
If we had a marginally consistent, or fearful hitter in our lineup, these games start swinging our way.
I understand Shappie and Annie don’t play on the field, but with the glaring hole in parts of our lineup, you would think we would be trying harder to find a bat.
The 2012 lineup had glaring holes (like, 6 of them). The 2013 lineup has historically good hitters that simply aren’t hitting when they need to (except when they do – and sometimes, indeed more often than not, they have). I’m just not sure that “finding a bat” is going to fix our problem, and I’m not aware of a truly “fearful hitter” that was available. We have bats. Those bats need to hit balls. This 2013 lineup is a good enough lineup to win, and it was put together by the front office. It’s not their fault that these guys aren’t performing the way they should, when they should. Besides, the Tribe out-hit the Braves last night, something like 6-3. It just don’t think it’s the front office’s fault that these hits didn’t score runs.
What marginally consistent, fearful hitter is out there for us to get?
I love that the reason that the front office is terrible is that they are not doing something stupid to improve the near-playoff caliber lineup that they themselves constructed by not doing something stupid.
Can I get an “amen”?
I don’t think I said terrible.
But yes, this front office is not good. Especially trading two Cy Young Award winners and getting nothing in return or trading Choo for Bauer and Stubbs. (I am noting that we would have never kept Choo)
And spending expired money on two 30 year olds on the downswing of their careers.
Andrus, Morneau, Michael Young-all upgrades to the hell we have. How about keeping Choo? He may have helped in the lineup, cause Bauer can’t seem to pitch his way out of a paper bag.
Yes, do something stupid. Standing pat isn’t getting you anywhere? We have a near playoff caliber lineup. What happens when we don’t make the playoffs? What do we do next year, with our NEAR playoff lineup if they don’t make the playoffs this year? What’s our improvement?
Stubbs, Swisher, Bourn are all playing near their levels. So is Santana. These are the guys we have, none of them are superstars or close.
What are you talking about? How the F were we supposed to get Andrus? He’s under contract in Texas through 2023. Michael Young? An upgrade? Go look at his numbers. Are you being serious here?
I ask again – who should we go get? Moreneau was DFA’d. Want to trade for him and his 101 OPS+?
As for next season – trade Perez regardless of value, hang on to ACab since we’d be selling low, pick up Jimenez’s option, try to sign Kazmir, try to strike Kazmir-like gold with some minor league deals for vets, continue to draft well… other than that, I’d have to know how much money we’ll have to spend next year. I’m thinking it’ll be about $6-8M (depending on what happens with Perez and unless we increase payroll again).
As was Garry’s original point – in many ways, the players as the team is currently constructed just need to play to their potential. There is not much out there that now that we can realistically trade for that will actually improve this team. This off-season, we will also most likely have severe limitations in what we can do. There is no superstar out there for the getting that we can realistically get. That has NOTHING to do with Shapiro/Antonetti. Your favorite GM? Put him in charge of Cleveland and his options would remain the same.
Amen.
Wait. That was weird, making you “amen” your own comment. Maybe I should have said “amen”? Or maybe someone else should have chimed in?
Oh well.
They did something stupid two years ago and traded for Ubaldo Jimenez. Fans haven’t let them forget that yet. This front office is in a Catch 22. When they do something stupid, we give ’em hell. When they don’t do something stupid, we give ’em hell. That’s stupid.
And not one of those guys that you mentioned would be an upgrade over what we have now, with the exception of Choo – but we’ve been down this road. No way was Choo staying, and it would have been truly stupid for the front office to not have gotten something – anything – for him while they could (and Stubbs is better than just “anything,” even if Bauer isn’t).
Amen. (I think that’s how it’s done.)
Also, Albers and Shaw can’t be overlooked in that deal.
edit to add: Oh… and amen!
Great point. I completely forgot about them. And Albers has been a huge surprise. I thought he was going to be terrible; but he has been rock solid in a very shaky bullpen.
awkward
and you … you! You can’t both uptick and make proxy amen demands. That was like an internet traffic cop who discovers a colony of red ants crawling up his arm and next thing you know – bam, pile up.
Sad, ain’t it.
Amen.
How about down voting you? Does that break some rule?
I would be extremely consistent and very fearful at the plate (as in, I’d be afraid of those heaters).
Am I talking to both Shapiro and Antoinetti here?
How much Kool aid do the Indians give you at the beginning of the year?
I’m going to break Shapiro down pretty easy. He’s never been taken away from here, probably because the rest of baseball knows he’s a hack.
He’s been to the playoffs twice in his 10+ years as GM and or President.
Finally, not one of his first round draft picks have done anything but suck at the MlB level.
But yeah, he’s doing a bang up job here. He’s doing everything he can! (To continue to run this franchise into the ground )
Hey, how about Soriano? He could have helped.
I don’t see the general hatred and fervor for the Jiminez trade.
Shapiro’s draft trading of White and Pomeranz has shown that both of them suck, and we shan’t worry about them.
At the time the Yankees picked him up, he was hitting .254 with 17 HRs and 51 RBI. (Sorry, I don’t do sabremetrics.) Could he have helped? I don’t know. Seems like he would have just been another one of the guys that we already have (with a couple more HRs). We don’t need a left fielder. We don’t need a 2B. I suppose we could shift Brantley to RF, but that’s not an upgrade.
Besides, this presumes 2 things: First, that the Indians didn’t attempt it. Maybe they did. The word at the trade deadline (and since) was that the front office was very active in inquiring about a great number of players. Who knows? Second, it presents the typical “Cleveland” notion that when a superstar player is available and doesn’t end up in Cleveland, it’s the front office’s fault for not “making it happen.” As if Cleveland has some magical flugelhorn that, when sounded, makes all things happen, even when those things are not possible.