Browns Bullet Points: Week 1 Loss to Favre and Vikings
September 14, 2009Tribe Passes Browns in Latest Championship Watch
September 14, 2009In all seriousness, how many of you paid attention to the Indians weekend series against the last place Kansas City Royals? Not even I, the Tribe apologist, could stomach these three games. With the Buckeyes taking on USC at the Horseshoe on Saturday night and the Browns home opener on Sunday just a few minutes towards the lake, the corner of Carnegie and Ontario was not exactly the place to be.
The team for the most part played like it as well most of the weekend. Sure, they scored 13 runs Saturday night, but the bats were asleep Friday and Sunday. Including Wednesday’s shutout against Texas, the Indians offense played three games in which they totaled one single run.
That is bound to happen when the young kids take over the lineup and begin to get exposed to major league pitching with a scouting report out on them. After a .372 month of August, Matt LaPorta is hitting just .146 in September. Fellow Columbus Crew member Andy Marte finished a solid August with a .282 batting average. In September, he is a dismal .132. The catchers – Kelly Shoppach, Wyatt Toregas, Chris Gimenez, and Lou Marson – are in a four man rotation, which doesn’t allow any of them to get into any sort of rhythm.
Then there is rookie pitcher Carlos Carrasco. The 22 year old who came over in the Cliff Lee deal entered the rotation on a roll. He was 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA in Columbus and seemed ready for his shot. After three starts with the big club, it looks pretty clear that he isn’t ready.
Yesterday’s six inning performance was far from impressive. The line shows four earned runs on eight hits and a 7-0 loss. Manager Eric Wedge tried to spin it to the positive from Carrasco. “He’s made improvement with all three of his starts,” said Wedge. “The fastball was good again, better command. He threw some good breaking balls and decent change-ups. … It’s been a nice path for a young pitcher with some ability.”
The truth is he has looked completely over-matched against major league hitters. His fastball is flat and up. That certainly won’t do him any favors. Neither will an offense that puts up just two hits against Kyle Davies and the Royals bullpen. But if Carrasco is trying to make an impression that he will be in the mix for a rotation spot on opening day 2010, this is certainly not the way to go.
Keep in mind, Scott Lewis came up last September and won all four starts to close the 2008 season. Don’t know what that is worth, but wanted to mention it anyways.
On a positive note, OF Michael Brantley has been the antithesis of Carrasco. The other key member of the CC Sabathia trade has made his presence felt immediately while getting everyday duty in Center with Grady Sizemore out for the rest of the season. His plate approach is that of a 10-year veteran and his defense has been very solid. That isn’t even taking into effect his speed at the top of the order and his .346 batting average in 44 at-bats. Saturday night’s four hit game was just the tip of the iceberg for Brantley.
No matter who is the manager in 2010, the message Brantley is making is clear – he should play everyday somewhere in the outfield and be the leadoff man, pushing Grady to his rightful spot in the middle of the order.
We will examine this later in the week, but the way this team has been playing over the last week and a half – they have lost 10 of 13 – The Grind seems like it has to come to an end. If Eric Wedge survives all of this, the guy is a miracle worker. To his credit, he stays on message, “never giving into the fight.” Unfortunately for him, we are now in the 12th round and he is on the canvas, hearing the 10 count.
Photo by David Richard/AP
14 Comments
I, for one, am glad they are playing lousy. A strong finish would’ve given the Dolans an excuse to keep the Grindmaster. With the way the team is playing lately, there is no way they can bring him back next year.
Brantley for President
Wedge won’t be fired after this season, he has one more left on his contract and they certainly won’t pay him to leave.
It’s amazing how the Indians vanished from my consciousness this weekend. Even in the doldrums of this season, I’ll catch an inning or at least check the scores of each game.
This weekend, they didn’t even enter my mind. Seeing the photo of Carrasco on this post along with that title was weird.
A busy weekend + a big OSU game + Browns opening game = who are these Indians you speak of?
Tribe. Browns. Bucks.
It sucks to be us.
I’d rather they lose with the kids than lose with the scrubs.
for some reason I couldn’t read that as Carnegie and Ontario…I kept seeing it as Carnage and Ontario
#3 — They’ll pay Wedge to leave, just as they paid David Dellucci and Masa Kobayashi to leave. He makes chump change, and there’s no logical reason to think that money will factor into the team’s decision.
Not being much of a football fan, I’m kind of stuck with the Indians until the Cavs start playing again. And it is interesting, in a “preview of 2010” kind of way. I’ve become numb to the actual end result, just trying to get some read on what the kids like Carrasco and Brantley might offer in the future.
I saw the headline and just assumed this was a Browns article.
At least my fantasy baseball and football teams won this weekend!
Judging by the number of ticket gates and concession stands that the Indians didn’t even bother to open on Saturday night, they’ve pretty much given up on the fans paying attention as well.
Chris M-remember what you just said about Wedge, ok?
He’s gone, he’s the scapegoat (and he should be gone, but he’s far from the core issue/problem), and his meager year left on his contract is peanuts-cmon dude. Did you not hear what Shapiro and Paulie Dolan already have said? If you don’t know or think he’s gone than you certainly can’t read the blood letters written (carved) on the wall.
How hard is Philly laughing at the crapola they schnooked on Shapiro?
@ # 12/Isis — Dead on, man. I am shocked we haven’t heard of Wedge’s house for sale already, given the crap housing market, I figure he’d want a head start. I do not see him lasting long in the off-season.
I wonder who will replace him?
[…] attention to the Indians games this weekend – I actually completely forgot about them until reading TD’s recap earlier this morning. And this is coming from a guy who wrote the preview about the very same […]