May 23, 2013

Tribe Weekend Recap: Two Walk Offs and a Shutout – What More Could You Ask For

May 20, 2013 by 67 Comments

Jason KipnisMagnificent weather. First-place baseball. Hot Dogs.  Walk-off wins. Shutout Sunday. Beating down another Cy Young Award winner in front of the home fans. I mean, honestly, could it get any better down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario this weekend?

I vowed not to discuss the attendance at Progressive Field, but after a night where 34,282 came out to support the Tribe, two weekend afternoon games drew a combined 37,000 plus. The weather was perfect. The Indians were coming off a walkoff win. They are in first place. Seriously, folks, what were you doing this weekend? Most interesting to me is how immensely popular $1 hot dogs and fireworks are here in Cleveland. Regardless, the Indians continued their unbelievable hot streak, taking all three games this weekend against Eric Wedge’s Seattle Mariners. The wrap around of the series takes place this afternoon where the Tribe goes for a four-game streak, but the series has already been clinched. It is the 10th consecutive series that the Indians have either won or split.

Think about that for a second: It was just three weeks ago that the Tribe got smoked in Kansas City in that first game of a Sunday doubleheader. Since then, they are 17-4, the best record in baseball. This weekend provided a ton of highlights, so let us look back at the weekend that was in Wahooland. [Read more...]

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Indians 10, Phillies 4: The Return Of The Big O

May 15, 2013 by 7 Comments

Asdrubal CabreraI know none of you were really concerned about the offense after the last three games, right? I mean, what you can’t forget is that there was a time earlier in the year where they were shut out back to back games in Tampa and then followed it up by dropping a 13 spot on the Rays. Make no mistake about it, this was a tired ball club. It is also a very streaky ball club offensively. These types of hot and cold streaks will probably continue most of the year. You just hope that the cold spells don’t last very long.

After scoring just three runs in three games Monday and Tuesday, the Tribe had a quick turnaround afternoon tilt against tough lefty Cole Hamels and his Philadelphia Phillies. It was their seventh game in the last six days in three different cities (Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia), so another bat slumber could have easily occurred. Then again, this is a new era of Tribe baseball. ActaBall is dead. Long live TitoBall.

One of the things you come to learn while watching years and years of baseball is that on the mid-week “getaway day” games, you often see both clubs give “getaway-day at-bats.” Guys swing early in the counts and strike-zones seem to be more liberal.  However in this one, the Indians approach against Hamels was the opposite. They were set to work the lefty deep into counts and wait for him to make mistakes. [Read more...]

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Phillies 6, Indians 2: Tired Tribe bats shut down again in Philly

May 15, 2013 by 13 Comments

Scott KazmirBaseball is a game of extreme ups and downs. The Indians won 12 out of 14 games with an offense averaging 6.5 runs per game and mashed their way to the league lead in home runs. On Monday, they were supposed to have a well-earned and much needed day off. But thanks to April rainouts, The Tribe played a traditional doubleheader against the New York Yankees. They would split the pair, but other than a Jason Kipnis first inning solo home run, the offense failed to score a single run.

After the brief spot at home, they went back on the road to Philadelphia for an interleague matchup with the Phillies. Ex-Tribe manager Charlie Manuel sent out rookie Jonathan Pettibone to the mound, a right-hander that the Indians had not seen. In the second inning, the bats looked like they were regain their mojo. Nick Swisher opened the frame with a single. Carlos Santana followed by going the other way for a double, which landed just fair down the line. After a Mark Reynolds pop out (on the first pitch) failed to bring in a run, Michael Brantley singled two center, scoring both Swisher and Santana. The inning ended with Drew Stubbs and pitcher Scott Kazmir striking out, but the offense was off to a good start, or so it seemed.

The game really changed course in the third. [Read more...]

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Elias: Indians’ Masterson, Kipnis join the record books

May 14, 2013 by 7 Comments

Justin Masterson struck out nine batters and went the distance in a 1-0 win over the Yankees in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader. Per Elias Sports Bureau, the only other Indians pitcher who authored a complete-game 1-0 victory against the Yankees with at least that many strikeouts: Bob Feller. Rapid Robert did so in 1946 via a no-hitter at Yankee Stadium where he had 11 strikeouts.

Masterson also became the first Indians pitcher to record multiple 1-0 CG shutouts in the same season since 1989 when left-handers Bud Black and Greg Swindell both accomplished the feat twice, as Masterson also pulled the trick back in a 1-0 walk-off win on April 12 vs. Chicago. Black recorded wins on June 16 vs. Kansas City and Sept. 12 vs. Detroit, while Swindell’s victories came on May 28 vs Baltimore and June 7 at California. With six wins already this season, Masterson is now tied with Boston’s Clay Buchholz (6-0), Texas’ Yu Darvish (6-1) and Tampa Bay’s Matt Moore (6-0) for the A.L. lead – one behind Washington’s Jordan Zimmerman for the MLB lead. Masterson also leads the Majors with 63.0 innings pitched

When Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis’s turned a David Phelps 2-2 fastball into a 414-foot first-inning home run, it accounted for the only run of the Monday’s Game 1. It was the first time in the Indians’ 113-year history that they won 1-0 with a home run in the first inning. Two other teams defeated the Yankees by that score on the strength of a first-inning home run: the 1910 Tigers on a home run by Ty Cobb, and the 1965 Angels with a homer by Albie Pearson.

Kipnis now has five home runs on the season, all of which have come in the first inning of their respective games.

[Related: Tribe splits with Yanks in front of larger-than-expected crowd]

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Tribe splits with Yanks in front of larger-than-expected crowd

May 14, 2013 by 8 Comments

Justin MastersonI attended last Thursday afternoon’s 9-2 Indians win over Oakland at Progressive Field. It was an absolutely perfect day; mid-70′s and sunny. We are talking shorts and t-shirt weather. Fast forward four days and I was breaking out the winter coat and gloves that I had put away about three weeks ago as the Indians and the New York Yankees played a traditional doubleheader.

There is certainly a buzz in the city about our Tribe. They entered this double dip winners of 12 of 14 and tied for first place in the AL Central. While the vibe was palpable, it had yet to translate into any real attendance spike.

Talking about attendance at Progressive Field is my least favorite topic. The Indians have been bad for five straight years. There hasn’t been a lot of trust between the fans, ownership, and the front office. The season ticket base had dwindled down to historic Progressive/Jacobs Field lows (though the Indians never speak on the subject, it is believed that the base is about 6,500). It takes years to build that trust back up. With Terry Francona and his shiny new toys on board, the Wahoos want to be more than just relevant in Cleveland again. They want to be the top dogs. [Read more...]

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Tribe Weekend Recap: How Does First Place Sound To You?

May 13, 2013 by 11 Comments

Nick SwisherSay it loud. Say it proud. Your Cleveland Indians are a first place baseball team. Sure, you can tell me how two years ago they were 30-15 and how last year they spent time on top of the AL Central during the first two months of the season, but this just feels different, doesn’t it?

Manny Acta’s clubs were fools gold. They won a lot of low scoring, one-run games thanks to a fantastic bullpen and timely hitting. The roster was not exactly loaded. The Terry Francona version play with a different sense of urgency and confidence. This is a group that expects to be good and plays like it. Of course it helps Francona to have veteran additions like Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and Mark Reynolds to go along with the maturation of Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, and Carlos Santana. Having that deep and solid bullpen certainly doesn’t hurt.

Francona and his Wahoos ended their 8-1 homestand with a four-game sweep of Oakland and headed to Detroit for a measuring stick series with the AL Champion Tigers, who entered the weekend in first place. The pitching matchups for the most part weren’t going to favor the Tribe, but all weekend they battled and came out with a series win and a move into a tie for first with the team from that state up North. [Read more...]

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Animated: Asdrubal Cabrera’s amazing double play

May 12, 2013 by 6 Comments

The Indians took two of three from the Tigers over the weekend and had to play pretty exceptionally on Sunday to do it. They came back in the ninth inning before winning it in the tenth. The highlight of the game, however, was a defensive play by Asdrubal Cabrera to pull off an unlikely double play throw to first to nab Torii Hunter (video) .

Asdrubal DP 1

Asdrubal DP 2

[Related: Kipnis burns his pants on dugout heater]

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Jason Kipnis gets too close to a dugout heater in Tribe’s win over Detroit

May 12, 2013 by 2 Comments

Jason Kipnis has been on a hot streak lately. Today, he got a little too close to a heat source however-

Kipnis drove in a pair of runs in the Indians’ 4-3 extra innings victory over the Tigers. The win moved the Tribe into a first place tie with Detroit atop the Central Division with identical 20-15 records.

[Related: Indians will call up Bauer to start game 2 of the double header]

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Tribe win streak snapped: Tigers 10 Indians 4

May 11, 2013 by 1 Comment

Corey KluberHaving won 10 of 11 and fresh off a four game sweep of Oakland, the Tribe headed north to the Motor City looking to stay hot for a weekend series against the AL Central leading Tigers. The Tigers however wanted no part of succumbing to the Indians’ winning ways and thumped the Tribe 10-4 with Max Scherzer getting the win and Corey Kluber picking up the loss.

The Indians jumped out to an early lead in the top of the 1st with a two out double from Nick Swisher, scoring Jason Kipnis who also doubled earlier in the inning. The lead didn’t last long as the Tigers tagged Indians’ starter Corey Kluber for three runs in the bottom half of the second.

Prince Fielder extended Detroit’s leadto 4-1  in the forth with a monster solo shot off the brick wall passed the stands in right center. ESPN Stats Inc. measured the homer at an astounding 460 feet.

The Tribe answered back thanks to Swisher’s one out triple in the top of the fourth and Santana’s ground out that scored him. Swisher would finish the day with 3 hits, a home run shy of the cycle.

In the bottom half of the inning with Detroit leading 4-2, last year’s Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera clubbed a deep three run homer extending the Tigers lead to five. The lead would move to six as Alex Avila singled in Johnny Peralta in the fifth, giving the Tigers runs in four straight innings.

Reynolds and Brantley would each knock in runs for Cleveland in the 7th, but the Indians two runs were matched by the Tigers who chipped in a run in both the 7th and 8th giving Detroit the 10-4 win. [Read more...]

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Indians 9, Athletics 2: Kazmir Sweeps Out Oakland

May 9, 2013 by 18 Comments

Scott KazmirThe Indians just keep the train rollin’. They do it with power. They do it with some speed. They do it with solid defense. They do it with a lock down bullpen. They do it with quality starting pitching.

Wait….what did I just say?

Yes, that’s right, they do it with solid starting pitching.

A night after Justin Masterson was sharp for six of his seven innings of work and the Indians caught a major break from the umpiring crew, they went for a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics with Scott Kazmir on the mound.

Kazmir’s story has been well documented. He went from 21-year old phenom to All-Star to broken down to out of baseball at 27. He spent 2012 in the Independent Leagues trying to remake himself. The Indians watched him throw this winter and decided to give him one last shot on a minor league deal. He came to Goodyear this Spring with an outside shot at becoming the Indians fifth starter. He ended up not only getting the job, but won it in a walk. Manager Terry Francona spent the month of March raving about him. Unfortunately  the injury bug bit him and the start to his season was postponed by a DL trip. [Read more...]

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Tribe Weekend Recap: Streak ends, but series Tribe takes series

May 6, 2013 by 7 Comments

Jason KipnisRemember back just eight short days ago heading into the night-cap of the double-header in Kansas City, the Indians looked completely lost. They were sunk. They couldn’t hit. The couldn’t get any semblance of quality starting pitching outside of Justin Masterson. They were banged up and sitting in the basement of the AL Central. And then, with one big win, the light switch just turned on.

A four-game winning streak (two against Kansas City and two against Philadelphia) had energized the club and had them riding high into the weekend, primed to go over .500 for the first time since the first week of the season. The Indians welcomed the Minnesota Twins to town, who look like a shell of the team that spent close to a decade at or near the top of the division. While Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are still there, there isn’t much else to speak of outside of these two and Josh Willingham. With the way the Tribe has been playing, you had to like their chances to take the series and potentially keep the winning streak going.

The Wahoos ended up taking the first two games of the series behind more big time offense and stellar starting pitching, but the six-game winning streak came to an end yesterday as Minnesota’s Mike Pelphrey of all people finally shut them 4-2. But it is all about winning the series, and that is exactly what the Tribe did. But how did they do so? As we always do, let us take a look back on the weekend that was in Wahooland. [Read more...]

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Wahoo Walkoff! Stubbs Makes It Five Straight For Tribe

May 4, 2013 by 9 Comments

stubbskipnisWith high-priced free agents Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher on the shelf for the last couple weeks and last few days respectively, one would think that Progressive Field was burning. Instead, that smoke you’re seeing is coming from the Tribe bats, who have stayed warm without their leadoff and cleanup hitters. Actually, they’ve heated up and diversified the contributions. Last night, it was ninth hitter Drew Stubbs in the starring role. The Tribe centerfielder had four hits, three of which were doubles, and secured the game-winning walkoff double high off the left field wall as the Tribe won their fifth straight game of the year 7-6 in 10 innings. [Read more...]

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Tribe Weekend Recap: Boom-or-Bust Offense Concerning

April 29, 2013 by 8 Comments

Mike Aviles
This road trip can’t end soon enough for the Tribe. Yet, here they are, eight games in with one game remaining, and they are 4-4. All things considered, that is pretty astounding. There is little doubt that the Indians are a flawed team. You look at the roster and it is considerably better than it was last year. The bullpen is still loaded with options. The lineup is solid to to bottom. The rotation? Well, that is an issue that doesn’t seem to be going away, but the real concern right now has to be the boom or bust offense.

The rains certainly have not helped the Indians cause. Twice this week, the Wahoos were washed out. These guys are professionals, but they are also creatures of habit. They have their routines and they don’t like to get to far out of whack. While it is resting the bullpen, the rotation situation keeps changing. Friday night’s rainout caused a Sunday day/night doubleheader in Kansas City. Because of this, two Tribe starters are now on the same schedule and a spot starter is needed for Wednesday night’s game against Philadelphia.  [Read more...]

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MLB News: Indians call up second baseman Cord Phelps

April 16, 2013 by 7 Comments

The Cleveland Indians have recalled infielder Cord Phelps from Triple-A Columbus.

Phelps, 26, began the year on the Minor League disabled list (neck stiffness) and has appeared in two games for the Clippers at second base since his April 14 activation. In a small sample size, Phelps is batting .125 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. He is coming off a spring exhibition season where he hit .375 (18-48) with four doubles, one triple, three home runs and seven RBI in 23 games (1.143OPS).  In 49 games over two seasons with the Indians, Phelps has a career average of .173 with two home runs and 11 RBI.  

This move is on the heels of recent elbow stiffness experienced by Tribe second baseman Jason Kipnis.

To clear space for Phelps, the Indians optioned catcher Omir Santos to Triple-A Columbus. They also outrighted right-handed pitcher Robert Whitenack to Double-A Akron. 

[Related: Turning the Masty Corner?]

 

 

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Tribe Weekend Recap: The Rotation Situation Helps The Tribe Take Two

April 15, 2013 by 19 Comments

Nick SwisherThe weekend brought a fresh series and a fresh start for the Indians. They hadn’t played since Tuesday’s 14-1
debacle against the New York Yankees and the back to back rainouts were a welcome sight. Let them wash away the the memories of that brutal two game stretch and get back to baseball. The bats slumbered in two of the three games against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field, but they scratched and clawed their way to a series win, taking the first two of the three-game set.

There has been lots to talk about since we last got together, so let us get right to it.

Nick Swisher’s walkoff single was a thing of beauty on a night of hideous at-bats. Friday night’s series opener had a first pitch temperature of 42 degrees. However, for the brave 11,864 who paid to see this one, it felt more like four degrees. It was cold and rainy, a brisk night that felt more like football weather. For nine innings, the Sox and Tribe pitchers completely shut down the opposing offenses. Chicago lefty Jose Quintana baffled the Tribe over his seven innings of work. The only baserunners he allowed were Michael Brantley, who got on base via a second inning double and Swisher, who he hit with a pitch in the fourth. Other than that, he was perfect. Seven strikeouts, no walks. [Read more...]

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Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis Late Scratches In Today’s Lineup

April 13, 2013 by 2 Comments

According to AP’s Tom Withers (and many others), the Indians have scratched Jason Kipnis from today’s starting lineup with a sore elbow. He is currently day-to-day. Kipnis was originally penciled in as the third hitter at his usual second base position in the early draft of the lineup. Ryan Raburn will now instead play second base and bat third in this afternoon’s ballgame against the White Sox in Progressive Field. Kipnis is off to a slow start, hitting just .125 (4-for-32) with 2 RBI and a OPS of just .390. Raburn is 2-for-11 thus far.

Additionally, today’s lineup originally had catcher Carlos Santana batting sixth and playing behind the plate. He, too, has been scratched, after pain in his left thumb at batting practice. Yan Gomes will replace him and bat eighth. Santana was injured on Monday at the home opener when a ball thrown by Chris Perez in the ninth inning hit off his left hand near his thumb. Lou Marson relieved him in that game before going on the 15-day DL himself the next day due to a neck injury sustained over the weekend. Yan Gomes and Omir Santos were both recalled from Columbus to give the Indians some options at catcher the past few days. Santana is 13-for-26 on the young season with two homers and 5 RBI. Gomes is 0-for-7 in two games playing catcher this week.

Related: Masterson Wins Pitchers’ Duel With A Little Help From Sir Swish

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Yankees 11, Indians 6: Home Opener interrupted by the Pronk Show

April 9, 2013 by 17 Comments

Travis HafnerOpening Day is all about the pageantry of the grand old game. Fireworks and balloons. A fresh start with fresh faces. It is a chance for a team to capture the city’s imagination for at least one day. Here in Cleveland, with a new era of baseball upon us, the Tribe welcomed a packed house of fans decked out in Wahoo Red, White, and Blue.

With a city full of apathetic baseball fans, you get one chance to make your mark in front of a sellout crowd. There were 41,567 people inside of Progressive Field yesterday. Of those, probably a third of them will go to this game and make up their minds if they should go back based on this one game. Right or wrong, the Tribe gets that one opportunity to bring in that casual fan.

With that chance, manager Terry Francona turned to Ubaldo Jimenez, the team’s number two starter in name only. Look, we all know what Ubaldo is at this point, yet here we are on year three of hoping that he finds his old Colorado form. His first start in Toronto last week was encouraging, but then again, so was his first start in 2012 where he had a no-hitter going into the seventh. The problem with Ubaldo is that you never know which guy is going to show up. Fausto Carmona post-2007 was the exact same way. But when you are counting on a guy to be a top of the rotation starter yet he really is a fifth starter, it is going to present issues from time to time. Sometimes it is there, sometime it isn’t. [Read more...]

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Blue Jays 10, Indians 8: Myers ignites fuse on Jays explosion

April 5, 2013 by 34 Comments

Brett MyersYour Wahoo Warriors headed into last night’s tilt against the Toronto Blue Jays looking for a sweep. I am trying to be a glass half-full guy when it comes to the Tribe in the Terry Francona era, so let me start with the positives.

The Indians were facing a familiar foe in former White Sox great Mark Buerhle. It seems as though the Tribe faced him almost every opening day for a decade (exaggeration here, but you get the point). Last season’s group would have cowered when a southpaw stepped to the hill, especially when you consider Manny Acta’s patented “all lefty” lineup. Francona kept his regular lineup intact for the third consecutive game. The only minor tweak was moving Mark Reynolds to first base with Nick Swisher as the DH. [Read more...]

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Animated: Blue Jays fan celebrates, freaks out the world after catching bat

April 3, 2013 by 24 Comments

Boston has Stephen King. Cleveland has Drew Carey. Toronto has Geddy Lee…and now this guy, the recipient of a wayward Jason Kipnis bat in the first inning of Tuesday’s Opening Day loss to the Cleveland Indians.

PsychoJaysFanBat

It’s a way of life. Even the guy behind him wants to pretend he is a crazy man with a bat. Toronto: Poutine and air bat. Bonus points for choking up.

[Related: WFNY 2013 Tribe Predictions]

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WFNY 2013 Tribe Predictions

April 2, 2013 by 16 Comments

WFNY_roundtable

It is Opening Day! Rejoice! Terry Francona! Nick Swisher! Michael Bourn! Do you believe the Dolan Family Ownership ponied up for free agents? Do you believe not one, but TWO big name free agents signed long term deals here in Cleveland? The offseason was as exciting as any we have seen in the long history of the Tribe. The organization wants to get the fans back and they everything they could to do so. So here we are.

As we get set for another season of Cleveland Indians baseball, I got the WFNY group together and asked them some simple questions regarding the 2013 season. What do we expect for this club? Can they contend? Who will step forward? Who will disappoint? Lets take a look and if you would like, answer along with us in the comments section. [Read more...]

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