While We’re Waiting… Should a DB hit high or low?
August 19, 2013Norv Turner impressed with Brandon Weeden so far
August 19, 2013Another week and another huge series came upon our Cleveland Indians. This time, it wasn’t a division foe, but rather one of the teams they were facing for one of the two AL Wild Card spots in the Oakland Athletics. The A’s are a lot like the Indians in that their offense leaves a lot to be desired and when you look at the lineup. It doesn’t wow you, but they hit you with quality starting pitching and one of the league’s best bullpens. The Tribe had a huge opportunity in front of them: Take two of three and you gain nice ground; lose the series and not only do you lose ground in the standings, but it is a momentum killer.
Friday night’s series opener was a completely blown chance, which turned Sunday’s rubber match must win. Sunday’s 7-3 loss wasn’t a season killer by any means, but it really puts the Indians behind the eight-ball. They now sit four and a half games back of the two wild card spots with Baltimore a game and a half in front of them.
Losing two of three from the A’s came at an inopportune time, but there are 38 games remaining. I know I sound like a broken record, but that soft September schedule awaits. Damage can be done against the likes of the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, and Chicago White Sox. But this team needs to start winning series against the good teams.
So what happened this weekend and how did the Tribe lose a series it probably should have won? As we do every Monday morning, let us look back at the weekend that was in Wahooland.
Ubaldo is Ubaldo and we need to be happy with that
I will be the first one to admit it here – Ubaldo Jimenez frustrates me about as much as any Tribe pitcher since Fausto Carmona circa 2008. Every time you think he may have turned the corner, he implodes. Then when you are about to completely write him off, he either a spins a gem or strings together a three or four quality starts that makes you sit up and take notice. He is a mechanical mess with about a thousand moving parts and many an Indians pitching coach has tried to figure out the enigma that is Ubaldo.
Saturday night’s performance was the quintessential Ubaldo Jimenez start. He held the A’s hitless into the sixth inning with eight strikeouts. Yet he was completely on the ropes and over 100 pitches at that point, because he walked five and hit a batter. With two outs in the sixth, he gave up his first hit, an RBI single by Josh Donaldson and his night was over. It would have been great to see him get through that point to see exactly how long Terry Francona would have stuck with him. After all, there were still nine more outs to get and Ubaldo was being Ubaldo.
Maybe at this point we need to stop talking about what Ubaldo should be or was supposed to be when the Indians traded two former number one draft picks to get him. Let us just appreciate him for what he is – a back end of the rotation guy who can give you six innings.
“However he gets there, he finds a way,” Francona said. “When he gets to that sixth inning, that’s the inning that’s been tough for him to get through. Regardless of how many pitches he has or doesn’t have, he seems to kind of run into a little bit of a wall there. But, if it happens, and he’s given up one run, we’ll take it.”
In his last 15 starts, Jimenez has an ERA of 2.90, which is incredible, considering the fact that he is walking a whopping 5.2 hitters per nine innings. The Indians are going to need more of that from Ubaldo with the current state of the rotation.
Is Kazmir completely out of gas?
In his last start now 10 days ago, lefty Scott Kazmir admitted he tried to gut his way through, but his arm felt like it was going through a “dead period.” The original plan was from Danny Salazar to come up and be a part of a six-man rotation. With two off days coming in the mix, it would allow extra rest for whoever would need them, Kazmir in particular. But that plan fell apart when Corey Kluber went down for 4-6 weeks with a finger injury. Kluber and Kazmir had been ridden so hard and unfortunately both of them have suffered physically.
The Tribe’s lone lefty had been so good and seemed to be getting stronger as the year went on, that it was hard to put the breaks on him. Unfortunately, the lack of innings he logged over the past two years looks like it is starting to catch up to him.
Yesterday, Kazmir took his first start in nine days and said he came in feeling fresh. It was a pivotal game and a superb start from Scott would be needed. However, the Tribe’s reclamation project didn’t fool anyone.
He lasted just five innings and Oakland’s no-name offense teed off on his for five runs on 10 hits. After the game, Kazmir said physically he was more than ready.
“My arm felt fine,” said Kazmir. “It just wasn’t my day. I felt good. I left a lot of pitches up and right over the middle of the plate.”
Francona agreed.
“He’s fine. He just didn’t command real well today,” the manager said of Kazmir. “I think the layoff was good for his arm strength, but it looked like he didn’t have his best changeup and he didn’t command his fastball. He had a lot of deep counts, especially early in the game.”
It may be the case that he is fine physically and that this was an ill-timed poor start, but with Kluber down, Salazar still completely green, Ubaldo being Ubaldo, Zach McAllister still trying to get himself completely back to 100%, and Masterson doing what he can do, Kazmir has to find himself and fast.
The Asdrubal awakening…will it last?
Terry Francona finally put us all out of our misery. For the last couple of weeks, I felt as if he was trolling Tribe fans by continuing to hit slumping shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the cleanup spot. Then Friday, Tito made the move, sending Asdrubal to the sixth spot in the lineup, switching spots with Carlos Santana.
“I actually think Cabby hit a lot of balls hard,” Francona said before Friday’s 3-2 loss. “When you hit in the middle or the order, you’re going to get pitched different. That’s why I like a veteran hitting there. … I just think it works better. Right now I’m just looking for a little balance. I really think Cabby has hit a lot of balls hard, but hasn’t gotten rewarded for it.”
With his average dipping to .234 and locked in a 4-46 skid, the move was long overdue. Friday night, Francona was prescient, as Cabrera took another 0-fer. But in his final at-bat, with the tying and lead runs on base in the ninth, he smoked a ball the other way that looked like a hit off the bat. The problem was the ball went right to the third baseman Donaldson who then doubled off pinch runner Mike Aviles to end the game.
Something looked like it clicked for Cabrera as he put up back to back 2-4 games Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s RBI single snapped an 0-20 skid and his teammates jokingly asked him if he wanted to keep the ball. To his credit, he never blamed anyone or made any excuses about his poor play.
“I’ve got nothing to say,” said Cabrera. “I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing and good things will happen.”
Hopefully it is the start of getting Asdrubal back on track, because as Masterson said “as he goes, we go.”
“We have an offense where we have to keep the line moving,” said Francona. “Asdrubal, being a switch-hitter, is so important to that. We don’t have the big guy in the middle who is going to hit 30 homers so we have to keep the line moving. When Asdrubal and Nick Swisher get hot our lineup fits together so much better.”
About Friday night…..
It is just too bad the Cabrera didn’t awaken a night earlier. The A’s did everything they could to hand the Indians Friday night’s game. The Tribe just never wanted to take it for some odd reason. Justin Masterson did his part pitching into the eighth and should have received a better fate. Oakland starter A.J. Griffin and four relievers walked a whopping nine Indians while giving up eight hits. That’s 17 baserunners (see, I can do math!). Yet the Indians offense could only push across two runs.
They loaded the bases in the fifth and didn’t score. After tying the game in the seventh on a Nick Swisher RBI single, they loaded the bases again, yet couldn’t take the lead. They put two on with two out in the eighth and couldn’t score, but the ninth was the most frustrating. Facing closer Grant Balfour, Santana walked and Brantley singled with one out, putting the Tribe in business. But the game would end there on the Cabrera double-play lineout to Donaldson. They finished the evening a 3-2 loser and went just 1-9 with runners in scoring position, stranding a season-high 13.
“Early on, their starter (Griffin) was having a tough time finding the strike zone,” said Francona after the hard luck loss. “But besides driving his pitch count up, we didn’t have much to show for it on the scoreboard.
Put this in the column of games we will lament should the Tribe fall just short of the playoffs.
Other oddities of the weekend
- Was anyone shocked that in his first at-bat as a New York Yankee, the swing and miss king Mark Reynolds hit a home run? How about his three RBI-game Friday night? Reynolds hadn’t driven in three runs combined from June 28th to August 4th. Don’t lament his loss. We’ve seen the best of him already. That hot streak wasn’t going to arrive in time.
- I am starting to run out of patience with Lonnie Chisenhall, even though I have said for weeks the Indians need to stick with him. He continues to look lost at the plate and is now mired in a 3-35 slump. He still cannot hit left-handed pitching is has become a complete platoon player at third. You have to wonder how much longer of a leash he will have with the current regime. I know that they drafted and developed him, but Chisenhall has still yet to prove his is a Major Leaguer. He has mastered AAA pitching and his time is now. I know he is only 24, but his clock is ticking.
- Yes, Masterson pitched the Indians into the eighth inning Friday night, but getting beaten by back to back two-out hits to Stephen Vogt and Eric Sogard to break a 2-2 tie in the seventh is something that just cannot happen. The A’s eighth and ninth place hitters are not exactly like facing Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder.
- Ryan Raburn homered again in Sunday’s 7-3 loss. It was his 15th on the year, which is now tied for the team lead with Jason Kipnis. One huge difference – Raburn’s 15 have come in 195 ABs. Kipnis’s have come in 428. Raburn also now has more homers, more RBIs, a higher batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage than Swisher and has done so in less than half of the at-bats (405 to 195). Incredible.
Up Next
The Indians stay out west and start a three-game series in Anaheim with the Los Angeles Angels tomorrow night. They will face the same three pitchers they did here in Cleveland last weekend, starting with ace Jered Weaver (7-6, 3.49 ERA). C.J. Wilson (13-6, 3.40 ERA) and Jerome Williams (5-9, 4.90 ERA) will follow. The Tribe will send out Salazar (1-1, 4.08 ERA), followed by McAllister (5-7, 3.74 ERA), and Masterson (13-9, 3.59 ERA)
(AP Photo/Ben Margot)
30 Comments
An Indians 1st round pick who may be a bust? You don’t say. At least Chiz made it to the majors, unlike Beau Mills.
Maybe facing the same 3 pitchers will be good for the Tribe?
I’ll admit that I just skimmed over this article but I don’t think the horrible play Swisher made at first was mentioned. I can see not mentioning it if it was his first bonehead play of the season but he has made some plays or should I say NOT made some plays this year that have left me scratching my head. This guy is our high priced free agent?
Fridays loss was tough. Vogt scoring from 1st to take the lead? Swisher had an awful throw home that was 15-20 feet off the plate. That lost us that game, then last night I don’t know how he lost that ball for the third out in the 8th, resulting in an error and widening the lead to 4 runs going into the ninth instead of 2. As bad as he has been on offense (or average, but he was expected to produce more), he has to play better defense. At least make the routine plays. Stinkin Vogt has 0 career stolen bases. Frustrating to say the least.
Friday’s night game was exhausting. I’m sure that it felt much the same for A`s fans on Saturday vs. Ubaldo (plenty of opportunity, no results). And, Sunday we just looked out-classed. Overall we played with them, but on Sunday they sure looked like the more crisp team.
Anyway, it’s going to be tough going, but hopefully we can still keep fighting. Since the Detroit-Debacle, we’re 4-5. We need to do better than 3-3 vs. the Twins & Angels this time because the following 9 games are against the Braves, Tigers, and Orioles. September won’t matter if we don’t start scrapping together wins now.
Read my post. It is not like we expect him to wow us on defense. Just be solid and make the routine plays!!!!! Oh which one are you refering to? The crappy relay throw (i think that was him on Friday) or the throw he missed from Cabrera?
4-1 the rest of the week. You heard it here first
The Cabrera throw that cost a run last night. He Roger Dorned it.
Yea but look on the bright side at least Cabrera figured out a way to produce with the bat. That sorta kinda in a way helps for his atrocious defense.
Glad someone else said it finally, “September won’t matter if THEY don’t start scrapping together wins now” 1000% right!
hey, I paid my $15 for Indians stock back in high school. I can say WE
🙂
E-Swisher (9, catch)
Even if Kazmir is kaput, this season of his has been remarkable. Maybe the brownout will give Antonetti a chance to sign him now. I would certainly try.
As I see the hitters, we have one alpha (Kipnis) and one rock steady (Brantley). While a bunch of other guys have the skills/experience to weaken the starter by driving up pitch counts, our one alpha and rock steady are lately both essentially singles hitters who as such can’t carry the team. Some of the others can get really hot but they’re sensitive when runs are tight- sensitive to pressure, they try to do too much, they’re streaky. Alpha hasn’t homered in a month, rock steady teases power only occasionally, and the rest look crazy tense and overswing. They’re not going to be able to buy a middle of the order hitter to calm everyone down, The farm system simply needs to finally produce some.
Re Chisenhall, the leash has to remain plenty long, because all you’ve got is Aviles, which means you’re an Astrubal pulled hammy from having zilch as another option at third. They can throw some cash at decent free agents, but the sins of the farm system will ultimately keep this team from meaningful September games until they can figure the drafting/development thing out.
would have been better if one of his hits were with RISP
See if you had made it something like $20-$25 maybe the Indians could have signed more free agents or made a trade. Yes even 20 years later – no excuses – I knew you somehow had a role in all of it! 😉
Oh see typical Cleveland fan you can’t just be happy for a hit or something it has to be with RISP too! 😉
Harv, hate to pick on you, but comments like the above are what drive Jon to write long articles on how Carlos Santana is under-appreciated. Santana >> Brantley as a hitter.
the symbiotic circle of WFNY life, baby. We all just play our parts. You’ll be creating a long list of something soon.
My ‘lil buddy is back and beat me to it. Btw I thought the Indians play had put you into protective custody or at the least had you in hiding.
Anyways I wondered how long it would be before someone mentioned Santana. Point with him is he’s easy to overlook unless he’s allowing another passed ball or something. Kind of why he might be under appreciated.
NO, I can/will be happy when our 27YO AllStar SS starts playing a lot closer to his career numbers!!!!
Steven hasn’t woken up yet but I’m sure he’ll provide us with a treasure trove of statistics on just why you are wrong Harv! Either that or he’ll just tell you that you are wrong.
I like Carlos as a hitter, a lot. Never said otherwise. Just reject that he’s underappreciated, and he’s certainly no team-carrying alpha who will calm everyone else down. Now, go on, tip your holy stats dumpster on my cabeza, tell me what my eyes see means nothing, that he’s a premier hitter and a good defensive player.
[I’m just playing, don’t do that, I didn’t bring up Carlos today].
Whoa easy now I smell what ur cookin’ unfortunately it might take place next year in St. Louis or who knows maybe New York.
I did enjoy hearing the Indians mouthpiece Matt Underwood remind everyone just how important Asdrubal is to the team. I mean as one Indians player said, “As he goes, we go.” Suddenly this season is making more sense well sort of well maybe not because if this were true the Indians would be in fourth place or worse. Who in the he!! was this Indians player Underwood spoke to?
I can dig that I don’t think he’s under appreciated either more overlooked. Definitely not a team carrying alpha and definitely not even remotely close to a good defensive player. I was the dude promoting a position change for Carlos. Clearly you have me mixed up with another out of this world male model who posts on this site.
“and a good defensive player”
Who did this? Your making up of arguments just shows that you refused to even be willing to partake in a discussion on the matter. What Harv thinks is right, and everyone else is a mean dummy for suggesting otherwise.
At least you’ve moved the goalposts on offense from not equivalent to Victor Martinez to premier. You’re starting to recognize his value at the plate.
Hi, Steve. See my last bracketed comment. I said I was just rabble rousing.
But yeah, what I say is right – why else would I say it?
[Oh, c’mon, you don’t have to take every bait. Some of us commenters are goofballs who don’t take ourselves or others or sports so seriously]
that was Kipnis’ throw
I didn’t see who threw it (watching on my phone) but that throw was terrible. I guess Swiser is not as far into the doghouse. Time for someone to start heating up. i am thinking it will be Chiz or Stubbs
There’s no new “While we’re waiting” section so I’ll post this here since it has to do with a fans love for Michael Bourn:
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/23069181/your-indians-fan-sign-of-the-day
hopefully, I will this week!
I said hitter. Only hitting. I’m not going to defend his defense.
And, I wouldn’t argue that he’s not an alpha-team carrying hitter. Only that he is better overall and just as consistent as Brantley at hitting.