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September 11, 2014More Roger Goodell talk, Net Neutrality, and Herzog… While We’re Waiting
September 12, 2014Monday night’s horrible 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins put added pressure on your Cleveland Indians. We know it and so do the players. Said Michael Bourn less than 48 hours ago: “We know what’s at stake. We need to win games like that to stay in the standings. The more we lose, the more we fall behind. We put ourself in a deeper hole.”
The Wednesday night rainout was actually just what this tired club needed. It was time to buckle down. Most of the rally-staches were gone by noon Thursday. They would play two on Thursday afternoon in Cleveland with two of their stellar starting pitchers, Corey Kluber and T.J. House, set to toil against a lineup that reminds nobody of the Twins division title groups of the mid 2000s.
Speaking of offense, the Tribe bats haven’t exactly inspired a lot of confidence this month, but every once in a while, they run into one and make you remember that they actually can score runs if they need to. Game 1 was one of those occurrences. This is an offense that came into the double dip scoring three or less runs in 14 of their last 18 innings. Had you never seen an Indians game this year or paid any attention to them and saw the first three innings against Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson, you wouldn’t have believed that last statistic.
Gibson had given the Tribe fits earlier in the year, but on this day, the bats made him look like a batting practice pitcher. After two loud outs in the first, Michael Brantley walked. That set the stage for the star of the day, Carlos Santana. Playing still on one leg thanks to an injured quad, Santana absolutely tattooed a Gibson pitch into the second deck mezzanine, a section once reserved for the likes of Travis Hafner, Jim Thome, and of course Paul Sorrento. Even Jason Kipnis’s lineout to left was to end the inning was a shot.
They were far from done.
Yan Gomes added to his monster season with a solo homer to start the second. An inning later, the Indians stepped on Gibson’s throat. Bourn and Ramirez opened things up with back to back singles. Dr. Smooth followed with a single of his own, scoring Bourn to extend the Tribe lead to 4-1. Kipnis walked with one out to load the bases to bring up that man again, Gomes, this time with the bases juiced. The Yanimal narrowly missed a Grand Slam and had to settle for a two-run double to deep center. Lonnie Chisenhall added to the scoring with a sacrifice fly that brought in Kipnis. With a 7-1 lead and Corey Kluber on the mound, you had to feel pretty good about the Tribe’s chances.
Though he gave up a run in the first, it was smooth sailing for the Tribe’s ace after that. Pitching ahead in the count almost every batter, Kluber made the Twins look silly as he was dominant for a second straight start. He headed back out for the ninth inning at 92 pitches, working on a five-hit, one-run gem. Corey ended up retiring just one and giving up three more hits and a run in the ninth before “The Fetus” Kyle Crockett came on to close out the 8-2 win. Kluber won his 15th game, striking out seven without issuing a walk.
The offensive awakened for an eight-run, 10-hit outburst and looked to take that momentum into Game 2 where House would take on Ricky Nolasco. Unfortunately, the bats reverted back to their normal, stale selves.
Carlos Santana and TJ House: They were a two-man wrecking crew.
Don’t get me wrong, I would take him probably over any other manager in the game and I still can’t believe he chose to be here in Cleveland. But at times he makes moves that just defy logic. For example, in Game 2, he chose to play Chris Gimenez, a career backup 4A catcher, who hasn’t had an at-bat since August 3, at first base. Santana’s quad needed the rest so he was placed at DH. Roberto Perez was inserted as the catcher, which meant the red hot Gomes wasn’t playing. Jesus Aguilar, a natural first baseman and a much bigger threat with the bat than the G-Man, remained on the bench. Explain that one to me?
It is clear now that Tito has little faith in Aguilar, who hasn’t shown that much in his brief stints up here, but to go to Gimenez at first in a must-win game with no margin for error? An odd choice to say the least. Gimenez, a favorite of former Tribe skipper Eric Wedge, went 0-3 with two strikeouts and left three on base. Luckily, it didn’t come back to bite Francona. He has Santana and House to thank for that. They were a two-man wrecking crew.
Santana reached out and pulled a Nolasco pitch into the Twins bullpen to break a scoreless tie in the fourth. It turned out to be a huge run because the bats could muster very little else after that. On the other side was House who once again was magnificent. T.J. is turning into the epitome of a “crafty lefty” who likes to work his way into and out of jams.
The sixth inning was where things got a little dicey for him. With one out and the Tribe still clinging to a 1-0 lead, Doug Bernier (no relation to Andre) singled and then House hit Brian Dozier with a pitch. He stormed back to get Eduardo Nunez and Trevor Plouffe on back to back ground outs.
For good measure, House came out for the seventh and struck out the side. He walked off the field with seven scoreless innings, eight Ks and no walks. I mean, how about the control of these Tribe starting pitchers? It is like they are averse to walking anyone. House was relieved by Bryan Shaw and became the first Indians pitcher since 1914 to make three consecutive starts allowing one run or less without issuing a walk. That is impressive stuff for a kid who was on the verge of being a minor league midseason cut just two short years ago. What a long way he has come.
After Shaw pitched a scoreless eighth, it was Santana yet again who came through with an enormous insurance run on an single that scored Bourn. Cody Allen made things stand up in the ninth as the Tribe swept the doubleheader from the Twins, something that had to do.
The win moved them to within three and a half games of the second AL Wild Card, and essentially three if you count the three outs needed in that Royals game to be made up September 22nd. Now comes the all important three game series in Detroit against the Tigers. Talk about a must win series. A sweep would be even better.
Friday night will be a doozy as the Indians send Carlos Carrasco to tame the Tigers, who will counter with a guy you may have heard of, David Price.
14 Comments
TJ House forever.
Houseketeers!
Every time this team goes against Detroit when it matters they lay an egg. I expect them to get swept by Detroit, effectively closing the book on any playoff chances. Which is fitting, because if you can’t win when it counts why would making the playoffs even matter?
I have a question for those that know more about baseball than me. Can TJ House be the real thing? Or will he be a one hit wonder like Jeremy Sowers, Josh Tomlin etc.
I don’t think he’s “the real thing” in the sense that he’s a top of the rotation kind of guy. He’s likely “the real thing” in the respect that he throws left-handed and will therefore be a 12-year 5th starter in the majors.
It’s a real shame they’re going to even bother showing up in Detroit tonight.
Shhhh….don’t tell Tron that we are 8-8 against Detroit this season. Or that we have a winning% against every other team in our division. It just doesn’t fit the narrative.
If you’re a lefty starter who doesn’t walk guys, you’re going to have a place in any mlb rotation. If TJ can keep this up, he’ll be a #4/5 at the very least.
No narrative here, just an observation based on passed performances going back to last season. The Tribe have yet to prove they can win against competitive clubs when it matters most.
I hope I’m wrong but you can hear what you want to hear. Let me help;
Snark snark, blah blah, snark snark…etc
“lefty starter who doesn’t walk guys, you’re going to have a place in any mlb rotation
Well – Sowers. But I can’t figure out if he’s turned a corner and learned to strike out a few more hitters (6.6 k/9 in AAA is no great shakes) or just that the White Sox and Twins lineups aren’t even AAA worthy.
“The Tribe have yet to prove they can win against competitive clubs when it matters most”
They’re a bit of tidying up from sweeping the Royals in a big series. They took 3 of 4 last time they went to Detroit. It’s all freaking narrative and can be driven by whatever selective bits you want to look at.
we were terrible last year against the Tigers. wretchedly bad, in fact.
the rest is just a pet peeve of mine. “when it matters most” is the narrative portion.
this year, we have 8 wins against them so far. they all count the same no matter what time of year you win them.
we just swept the Royals who are in 1st place, yet that doesn’t count in the narrative?
mid-August we beat Baltimore 2 out of 3. right after we had beaten the Yankees 2 out of 3. we did go 1-3 v. Detroit last time out. we lost the weird day game against the Angels.
so, August 1st through now, we are 9-6 against teams above .500 (if we finish off that KC game).
Hahaha! Don’t get too offended bud. What’s the narrative then? I want the Tribe to lose? You sound like you’re really into numbers Steven. What’s the Tribes record against the Tigers the past two seasons with the chance to tie, take or come within one game of the division?
I have absolutely no clue what it is but It seems to me that every time there is a meaningful series against the Tigers with the division standings on the line they don’t show up.
Again, I hope I’m wrong and I’ll sure be watching and cheering for them as hard as anyone but until they prove they can go toe-to-toe with a competitive team when it matters most I’m going to be skeptical.
Who is offended?
The narrative is whatever people want it to be. Statements like “Every time this team goes against Detroit when it matters they lay an egg” are narrative. Why do Tigers games, or games that tie, take or come within one game matter more than other games? Are the Royals not a competitive team? Have they not won games that were of great importance?
To do your googling for you, they went 2-3 in that very specific scenario. If anything, the narrative should be that they played the Tigers tougher when the top of the division was on the line.