The Dellavedova Movie and Pete Rose scandals, While We’re Waiting
June 23, 2015Buckeyes will be double-digit favorites in every regular season game
June 23, 2015The missing ingredient for the Cleveland Indians offense is often said to be a right-handed power bat. Perhaps a hitter capable of knocking around 50 extra base hits while winning a Silver Slugger Award would give them the necessary boost. Of course, the 2015 Indians expected to have such a hitter in their lineup, but catcher Yan Gomes has battled a slow start and multiple injuries thus far.
The Indians could have used another power bat in the lineup on Monday, as the Detroit Tigers slugged their way to a 8-5 victory, the latest in an increasingly long line of Tribe losses to the Motor City Kitties.
Yan Gomes was injured on April 11 when Tigers centerfielder Rajai Davis slid through his right leg while attempting to score. Gomes went through intense rehabilitation for six weeks to force his way back into the lineup by May 24. By June 9, Gomes was already hitting the ball well again and demonstrated that he was getting back to his potential by blasting two home runs.
But, recently, Gomes has struggled again, and he after he left the June 18 game against the Chicago Cubs early, it was revealed that he has had a stiff neck. As such, Roberto Perez has started for three of the past four games for the Indians at catcher. While Terry Francona hopes to insert Gomes back into the lineup soon, he also recognizes the need to be cautious. As Jordan Bastian writes:
“Yan’s feeling a lot better,” Francona said. “But, I probably messed up a little bit. He was feeling good the other night when he caught Klubes, and I probably should’ve stepped in and not let him catch that day. He felt it probably more after he had caught that night.
There has been no mention of the specific cause of his recent ailment, though Paul Hoynes did attempt to guess:
Tito on whether catcher Yan Gomes got a stiff neck from sleeping wrong: "I don't know, I didn't sleep with him."
— paul hoynes (@hoynsie) June 22, 2015
Hopefully, the extra caution now will result in a healthier Yan Gomes for the rest of the season. The Indians lineup could certainly use his right-handed power bat in the middle of the order.
Keys of the Game
Timeliness:
The Indians are actually 2.5 games better than the Tigers versus the rest of MLB (read: non-Tigers). However, the Indians are now 2-8 versus Detroit, which puts them 3.5 games back of the third place Tigers in the AL Central. Against the Tigers, it just seems that even when the Indians catch a break, the successive plays conspire against them.
In the first inning, Francisco Lindor got on base with an infield single when third baseman Andrew Romine could not barehand a slow roller down the line. Michael Brantley then fouled out to Romine and Ryan Raburn hit one on the ground to him, with Romine ending the inning by throwing Lindor out at second base.
The Tigers got away with Jose Iglesias putting his arms around the first base umpire in the top of the fourth inning after a close play at the bag that was initially called an out, but overturned on replay. Instead of starting the inning off with an out and Iglesias tossed from the game (he grabbed the ump in a good-natured way, but the rule is that a player must never come in contact; Iglesias had his arm wrapped all the way around Eric Cooper’s shoulders), the Tigers started the inning off with a baserunner and they continued to hit, scoring four runs (and Iglesias would provide solid defense at short for the rest of the game).
Roberto Perez had a good day at the plate. He hit a double in the third inning, which helped score two runs as Giovanny Urshela had walked ahead of him and Jason Kipnis doubled behind him. Perez also took a walk to load the bases in the fourth inning (more in a moment). And, in the ninth inning, Perez hit a strong home run that traveled over the playable surface as fast as any ball hit on the night. However, after a Jose Iglesias error put Giovanny Urshela on first base to begin the seventh inning, Roberto Perez hit the ball right back at the shortstop, who atoned for his error by starting a double play.
Jason Kipnis hit similarly well and extended his hitting streak to 17 games. As noted above, he doubled in the third to net two RBIs. After the Perez GIDP in the seventh, Kipnis singled, only to be stranded at first base. His most crucial at bat of the night came in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Tigers had just scored four runs in the top half of the inning, and the Indians responded by loading the bases for their best hitter. Kipnis hit a line drive to right field, but one that J.D. Martinez could easily grab.
Finally, designated hitter Ryan Raburn ended an inning in each of his three at bats, with men on base in two of those innings1. When David Murphy pinch hit for him, he hit a home run, but no one was on base.
Middle of the order bats:
The batters in the second through fifth place in the order provided a stark contrast in this game, with the Tigers sluggers again getting the best of their Cleveland counterparts. Detroit had Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Yoenis Cespedes wind up going 8-for-15 with three walks, five runs scored and seven RBIs.
The Indians had Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley, Ryan Raburn, David Murphy (as a pinch hitter), and Carlos Santana go 4-for-15 with zero walks, one run, and two RBIs.
Defensive beauty of Francisco Lindor:
Lindor started the game off by saving at least one run by making a diving play to his left, grabbing a hard grounder, and flipping it to Jason Kipnis for the force at second base, ending the first inning.
Lindor could not quite make up for defensive deficiencies in the second inning (Brandon Moss failed to run down a ball that nipped the right field line, Urshela could not come up with a tough barehanded play down the third base line, and Mike Aviles averted disaster when he tumbled between Brantley and Lindor to come up with a blooper), when Ian Kinsler hit the ball just slowly enough to him that he could only get the force at second base as a run scored.
Lindor then ended the fifth inning before it could get back to the middle of the Tigers lineup with a great diving stab (this time to his right) of an Anthony Gose line drive.
Key Scorecard:
Detroit Tigers: 2
Cleveland Indians: 1
Old Friends; Help or Haunt
Victor Martinez: Martinez has struggled a bit this season and that was no different on Monday. He actually accounted for four of the seven outs from the middle of the Tigers lineup depicted above. Thanks, Vic! HELP
The Nine
The Cleveland Indians have had issues with the Detroit Tigers all season, so here are the numbers of the players against Detroit thus far in 2015.
Jason Kipnis: 13-for-43 (.302/.326/.326) with two walks, one 2B, zero HR, four RBIs, four runs
Good numbers other than power, but well below his season averages.
Francisco Lindor: 2-for-5 with zero walks, 2B, HR, RBI, or runs.
Michael Brantley: 13-for-33 (.394/.412/.515) with one walk, four 2B, zero HR, four RBIs, and five runs.
Brantley would be the Indians’ Tiger killer if it weren’t for Santana.
Ryan Raburn: 4-for-18 with zero walks, two 2B, zero HR, four RBIs, and one run
David Murphy: 8-for-17 with one walk, one 2B, one 3B, two HR, three RBIs, and five runs.
Carlos Santana: 11-for-36 (.306/.432/.444) with eight walks, two 2B, one home run, seven RBIs, and nine runs.
The one true Tiger killer on the team.
Mike Aviles: 5-for-32 with two walks, zero 2B, zero HR, zero RBI, three runs.
Brandon Moss: 10-for-34 (.294/.342/.618) with three walks, two 2B, three HR, 11 RBIs, seven runs.
Giovanny Urshela: 3-for-11 with three walks, zero 2B, HR, RBI, but two runs
Roberto Perez: 2-for-12 with two BB, one 2B, one HR, two RBIs, one run
Not a typo: Perez came into Monday night 0-for-9 versus Detroit.
Note: Overall, as can be seen above, the Indians have not hit all that poorly against the Tigers. However, they also have not been able to keep up with the scoring that the Tigers have put up against the Indians pitching.
The Arms
Trevor Bauer: Somehow, despite the Indians facing the Tigers nine times in 2015 before Monday, Bauer had managed to miss Detroit until Monday. Perhaps Bauer would have preferred to miss them again, as the Tiger hitters did not miss many of his pitches.
Bauer turned in his worst performance of the year as he pitched fewer innings (three) and gave up more earned runs (seven) than any other start in his 2015 season.
Jeff Manship / Bryan Shaw / Ryan Webb / Scott Atchison: Old Man Atchison was hit hard in his lone inning and wound up giving the Tigers an insurance run that they did not even need. However, the rest of the bullpen pitched five innings and only allowed three baserunners (two hits and a walk).
- Though the double play he hit into in the third inning was merely the result of a fantastic defensive play, as Jose Iglesias began the turn so quickly [↩]
13 Comments
Every time we play the Tigers, I think, “wow, I hate that team.”
I’m never quite sure which team I mean.
Get Murph in against Tigers…cmon tito
We are such a bad bad team.
Only against Detroit.
Fifth worst record in the AL, ninth worst in all of MLB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPcLaO4ey4g
Above .500 versus non-Detroit teams.
We are 13-21 in the Division
8-2 v Detroit
4-5 v Chisox
2-4 v Twins
4-5 v KC
So we are 19-14 outside the Division. If only we could find a way to not play the teams we have to play the most.
July and August should be fun (only 4 series against AL Central — none against Detroit).
What’s your point?
Keep hope alive!!!
http://www.familytreecounseling.com/marksblog/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/tuna1.jpeg
Thank God