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May 14, 2015Sometimes, it is only from the depths of frustration that one can create an assemblage of beauty. Sometimes, it takes the threat of having everything taken away to create the proper focus required. Seven starts into the 2015 Cleveland Indians season, Corey Kluber was still searching for his first win, as well as the first win for the team in a game he starts. On Wednesday, Kluber came out and efficiently eviscerated a powerful St. Louis Cardinals lineup as he struck out 18 batters in just eight innings while allowing a single hit and not walking a batter1 . The Cleveland Indians defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0, but even more, the Indians regained a sense of hope for the 2015 season.
The 2015 season began on Opening Day with a pitcher’s duel between Kluber and Houston Astro Dallas Keuchel, but since that game, Kluber has seen the barometer tracking his earned run average rise and the pressure to win go up with it as the Indians have encountered a season-long storm2 .
The whispers had also begun about Corey Kluber’s regression the past week. Baseball Tonight held a segment to discuss what was wrong with Corey Kluber as the Cauldron, Vice Sports, and countless other websites asked the same question. Most of the better write-ups indicated that Corey Kluber still had sparkling peripheral statistics, though they did note that he was getting hit harder and was doing specifically worse against left-handed batters in 2015. However, the conclusions still often ignored the strengths and focused on the negative.
Kluber’s next scheduled start comes against the St. Louis Cardinals. A strong performance against the best team in baseball will go a long way towards rebuilding his credibility as an elite pitcher. Another poor effort, however, will make it harder to ignore the growing sense that Kluber’s Cy Young-caliber performance in 2014 might have been aberration.
However, even before Wednesday night, it seemed obvious that bad fortune was playing a large part in the 2015 narrative for Corey Kluber. As indicated in the look at the 2015 Cleveland Indian rotation earlier in the week, Corey Kluber had not pitched quite as well as he did in his Cy Young-winning 2014 season, but he had not pitched poorly either.
Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco are great representations to how a pitcher is not fully culpable to the overall team results. These pitchers have had incredibly similar years statistically, but drastically different years from a team result standpoint. The Indians have lost all seven games when Corey Kluber has started, while they have won four out of six Carlos Carrasco starts. Both pitchers have demonstrated better peripheral numbers than their standard numbers bear, so there is some legitimate hope that their ERAs will regress in a positive direction for the team.
Then came Wednesday. Corey Kluber came out clean-shaven in an outward display that he would look like a different pitcher than had been seen in 2015 thus far. It would not matter that the St. Louis Cardinals ranked in the top ten in most offensive categories3 despite having the disadvantage of having their pitchers hit. It would not matter that the Cardinals are one of the few NL teams that have a legitimate designated hitter on their bench in Mark Reynolds (who had three of the Cardinals’ 13 hits just one night earlier). All that would matter was that Corey Kluber was on the mound, and not even the best hitters in the world can touch his stuff when he is at his best.
The game began with some dramatics. After Corey struck out Kolten Wong, Matt Carpenter failed to get a surprise bunt down before harmlessly flying out to Michael Bourn in center. Then, Corey dropped an inside first-pitch fastball that fooled Matt Holliday so much that he did not flinch in time, and the ball hit his elbow. Matt fell to the ground in agony though he stayed in to run. The pain was obvious though, and he would be replaced by Pete Kozma for the rest of the game. Kluber would finish his half of the inning by striking out Jhonny Peralta.
In the bottom of the first, the Indians refreshingly took advantage of John Lackey walking the first two batters as Brandon Moss and David Murphy both hit hard singles to plate two runs. In fact, Brandon Moss hit the ball so hard that the multiple Gold Glove-winning Jason Heyward had no chance of making a play on the ball and had to wait for it to come ricocheting off the wall. Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Bourn would leave Moss and Murphy stranded, but the Indians offense had already provided more than enough runs for Corey Kluber on this particular night.
However, despite striking out Jason Heyward in the second inning, the game did not yet have a special feeling. Corey was somewhat efficiently working his way through the Cardinals order, but getting through two innings on 27 pitches with three strike outs is not out of the ordinary for Kluber. It was the third inning during which Corey spent 14 pitches striking out Mark Reynolds, Peter Bourjos, and Kolten Wong that made the game start to feel like more than an ordinary weekday matchup. When Kluber followed up that third inning performance with a 16 pitch fourth inning that saw the heart of the Cardinals order (Matt Carpenter, Pete Kozma, Jhonny Peralta) all go down swinging, it became apparent that Corey Kluber had a chance to make it a special night, and it was becoming more noticeable that Corey Kluber had yet to allow a hit.
So, John Lackey decided that he would try to change the momentum of the game in the bottom of the fourth. He had gotten out Roberto Perez and Jose Ramirez when Jason Kipnis came to the plate. Perhaps, John Lackey firing a fastball at Jason Kipnis was mere retaliation for Corey Kluber hitting Matt Holliday in the first inning. The umpire certainly thought that might be the case as he warned both dugouts against such tactics, causing Terry Francona to lose one of the best seats in the ballpark for the rest of the night as the umpire would force him to watch the game from the clubhouse. But Lackey had a chance to hit Kipnis in retaliation in the bottom of the first or second inning. No, if this pitch was intentionally thrown at Kipnis4 , it was an attempt to throw the game off the historical course on which Corey Kluber was sending it. STO was not helping matters either, as they prominently displayed a no-hitter infographic on the screen.
Of course, Corey would have none of it. Jason Heyward had a small victory in that he was the first Cardinal in seven batters to record an out on a ball that he hit. But, Yadier Molina and Matt Adams could claim no such victory after Heyward. In fact, after Kluber struck out Mark Reynolds and Peter Bourjos to start the sixth inning, he had struck out ten of the past eleven Cardinal batters.
It was at this point that John Lackey finally lost his grip on the game, as he had been struggling with the grip on the ball all evening5 . The Indians managed to get Michael Bourn and Roberto Perez to second and third with just one out, when Cardinals manager Mike Matheny sent in Randy Choate to relieve Lackey.
It appeared that Choate was going to pitch around Jason Kipnis with first base open as he sailed the first two pitches out of the zone, but he apparently got impatient with that approach as Kipnis got hit by a pitch for the second time of the night on Choate’s third offering. So, with the bases loaded and just one out, Carlos Santana patiently waited for his pitch. He watched the first three pitches fly by as he had watched nineteen of the twenty-two pitches he had seen thus far in the game. But he took a full swing on pitch twenty-three, and it came off his bat hard and directly back to its source. Only a self-preservation instinct causing Choate to do the Neo lean back while blindly throwing his glove up to protect his face prevented the Indians from breaking the score open. Alas, the ball found Randy’s glove and the force of the ball caused the glove to close.
The sixth inning took quite some time to finish, but if that delay affected Kluber, then it was not apparent. He immediately went back to work, controlling each at bat as he frustrated Matt Carpenter and Pete Kozma into swinging strikeouts. Up to the plate stepped Jhonny Peralta, the same Jhonny whom the Indians had signed out of the Domincan Republic back in 1999, developed in their system, and brought to MLB at the tender age of 21 back in 2003.
Much like Jose Ramirez, Peralta had some initial struggles in his first couple of stints with the Indians. However, he became one of the cornerstones of the 2005-08 Cleveland Indians that held so much promise and nearly delivered on it in an almost magical 2007 season. Jhonny Peralta was later replaced by a new superstar SS prospect in Asdrubal Cabrera, who was in turn replaced by Jose Ramirez, while the Indians now wait for their next superstar prospect (Francisco Lindor) to be ready for the jump to MLB. Peralta went to the Detroit Tigers after leaving the Indians and harassed the team as the Tigers built themselves into an AL Central Division dynasty. Jhonny had offered the Indians a reprieve from his harassment as he left the AL Central for the tenants that occupy the penthouse in the NL Central. However, the reprieve had ended Monday night, and Peralta was determined to make Corey Kluber’s night just a tad less special.
The fact that the first two pitches that Kluber threw to Peralta were called balls did not seem to matter. The last time that Kluber faced Peralta in the game, he had thrown three such pitches to start the at bat before taking control and striking him out. However, it did put Corey at a slight disadvantage in that Jhonny was more likely to get a strike to attempt to hit. The defense had barely been tested during the game. Kluber had retired 15 of the 20 batters himself via strikeouts. Four of the remaining five outs were harmless fly balls, with the most recent out being a ground ball hit directly at Jose Ramirez. Despite the lack of work, the defense was at the ready, as no player wanted to be the reason that Kluber would lose his no-hit bid. The ballpark may not have been full, but there was a buzz before each pitch that was audible even on the broadcast.
As the ball left Jhonny’s bat, it was readily apparent that the grounder would be too sharp for Kluber to have any chance at getting his glove down in time to field it. The ball quickly made its way out of the infield. Then, at the last moment, a diving Jose Ramirez made a last ditch effort to somehow miraculously will the ball into his outstretched glove to preserve the zero under the “H” column on the scoreboard. Alas, the ball made it through despite the effort, leaving Ramirez to pound the outfield grass with his fist.
As Peralta stood at first and time was called, the game paused as every Indian fan, every Cardinal fan, and every person in the stadium stood to applaud Corey Kluber. He may have lost his no-hit bid, but the audience could see that they were witnessing a special game and that this moment deserved the standing ovation. I did not see if Corey Kluber tipped his cap to the crowd, but I did see Corey Kluber strike out Jason Heyward to end the inning and record his sixteenth strikeout of the night.
Kluber would come back out for the eighth inning and strike out two more Cardinal batters (Yadier Molina and Mark Reynolds) sandwiched around the only line drive he gave up on the night. On this night, though, even that Matt Adams line drive would find the glove of Michael Bourn. The inning tied Kluber with Bob Feller for the second most strikeouts in a game in Indians history6 . In a bit of synergy, it was also the night that the Indians opened their new Bob Feller museum inside the ballpark. Kluber has a long road ahead if he is ever to even approach the 2,581 career strikeouts the Heater from Van Meter registered in an Indians uniform but, much like Rapid Robert, Kluber is the leader of a fantastic pitching staff. He is a player who stands out not just for his performances on the mound, but for his consistency and approach to the game.
On Wednesday, Kluber struck out 18 batters in eight innings on a mere 113 pitches. He threw 54 strikes that resulted directly in those 18 strikeouts, and 59 other pitches the entire game. It can be argued that Brad Mills should have sent out Corey Kluber to finish the game off in the ninth inning. Perhaps Mills should have ignored the pitch count for one game and taken the small risk of increasing Kluber’s workload for the sake of chasing the 20-strikeout MLB record. And, it was a bit disappointing that Cody Allen did not shave his own beard before he came out to close out the game in a demonstrable show of appreciation for Kluber’s start.
However, on this night, none of it really mattered. The only thing that mattered was that Corey Kluber was brilliant. That Corey Kluber gave fans and players of the Cleveland Indians a reason to believe that the 2015 season is not yet lost. That the current 12-20 record and eight game disparity in the AL Central standings are temporary. That the Indians can now rally behind their ace pitcher during a stretch in which 17 of their next 18 games are against teams .500 or worse. Or, at least that if the season is destined to be lost, then that on any given night, Indians fans still may be able to witness something beautiful.
Thoughts and Prayers for Mike Aviles, Tom Hamilton, and their families
It was announced before the game that Mike Aviles spent the past week away from the team tending to his four-year-old daughter, Adrianna, who was diagnosed with leukemia. I cannot begin to understand or appreciate the emotions that he must be going through right now, but it is my hope and expectation that the Indians community can rally behind him and his daughter much like the Bengals did with Devon and Leah Still. Perhaps it is through whatever trials that he and his family are enduring that they may offer hope to other families in similar circumstances, but, please lend them your thoughts and prayers that Adrianna may make it through her battle.
Also, WTAM let the audience know that Tom Hamilton has been missing from the broadcast team this week as he copes with the loss of his mother. Please also keep Tom and his family in your thoughts and prayers this week.
***
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- Though he did hit Matt Holliday with a pitch in the first inning. [↩]
- unlike an actual barometer which it would be unlikely to encounter a storm with rising air pressure [↩]
- Including being one of the more difficult lineups to strike out [↩]
- and Lackey was a bit wild on the night, so it’s possible that he just lost control of the pitch [↩]
- even taking time to discuss his displeasure with the baseballs to the umpiring crew on a couple of occasions [↩]
- Second to Luis Tiant who once had 19 strikeouts in 10 innings of work. [↩]
14 Comments
Thanks for this great summary, Michael.
I only got to watch the last 3.5 innings, but it really was fun. I understand the concerns with pitch counts and a 2-run lead that can quickly go south, but count me firmly in the camp that thinks Kluber should have gotten the 9th Inning. With a team and fanbase so desperately in need of a spark, a couple more strikeouts could have been truly significant (but alas, a 2-run HR would also have been). Regardless, it was only even an option with Tito in the clubhouse. I have to think Mills knew that Tito wouldn’t send him out for the 9th, and acted accordingly.
This is the first that I heard about Aviles’s daughter. Heart-breaking news. Can’t even imagine what that would be like. Will be praying for peace and healing.
Only new life if the Indians win today, maybe tomorrow too otherwise it’s one phenomenal start that was Kluber’s first win and that’s all.
It’s just a pebble of sand in a very large beach, but not letting Kluber go out there in the 9th is another reason why many Clevelanders just don’t care about the Indians. A chance at history and you don’t let him take it? If Lebron has 98 points, he’s not getting benched with a minute to play. If, I don’t know, Isiah Crowell rakes up 295 yards rushing in a game, he’s going to be out there for the last drive.
Oh, and Bauer is looking good today.
Well said. As one of those fans, my feeling is: “We’re not competing for the division right now, at least go for history! Give me something to cheer about besides one measly win!” Beyond that, I also just find the arbitrary worship of the 100-pitch limit to be . . . well, arbitrary . . . and dumb. Last month when Bauer was closing in on a potential no-hitter, but with over 110 pitches, I still would not have hesitated to let him finish.
But ,this opinion is neither new nor fantastic. I acknowledge that I’m just a dumb, fickle fan.
That said, if I still lived in Cleveland, the front of this rotation would give me enough incentive to at least think about attending the games 3 out of every 5 nights. There’s always that chance that pitching history might happen (if the Indians will let it).
And Rzepczynski is not.
http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/anxiety.gif
Yeah. Just like that, my pitch count theory is proved right? (Don’t know, wasn’t watching – but why take out Bauer at that point?!)
[For the record, that gif is stressing me out!]
If you go to a baseball game, you supposedly might see something that has never, or at least rarely, happened before. Even if you’re team is in last place. A crazy triple play or a perfect game or a 21-K performance. As a fan, I now know that the Indians will actively prevent that cool stuff from happening if it suits them.
So… I don’t know… been a rough year and this is just the turd icing on a used condom cake.
He was over 100 pitches and walked the first batter in the 8th.
Of course, he was at 105 pitches starting that inning, so I guess that begs the question of why send him out there to begin with, but I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole. I agree with your point that it all seems very arbitrary.
http://myreactiongifs.com/gifs/clinteastwooddrinkingcoffeedisgusted.gif
Hey there have you heard about our Klubot friend?
He’s metal and tall, and barely walks guys at all
He’s a Cyber-Triber strikeout machine,
Our Klubot friend!
The pitches dip and daddle from our Klubot friend!
He’s smart as can be, and emotion-free
And he’s computin’ his way to our hearts,
Our Klubot friend!
Our Klubot… friend.
Hard to give Francona the benefit because he generally can’t help himself with calls to the pen. He’s an addict. I think he should have left Bauer in there to finish off the inning, but yeah the pitch count was getting up there. But besides that, man this was a tough one to lose. Sometimes I think this team must really hate its fans. Following them is subjecting yourself to constant kicks to the junk.
The only way we eke out a win is when Kluber strikes out 18 and gives up a hit. Winning 1 out of 3 ain’t gonna cut it obviously, so I wonder when they realize rock bottom and make some serious changes? (Note: Serious change does not involve more playing time for Ryan Rayburn or Walters)
I really hope you don’t work for Baskin Robbins.
“Junk kicks” sums it up.
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