White Sox Wipeout: Indians Drop Series

Well that was disappointing. The Indians played their first divisional games of the season and hosted the White Sox, but unfortunately lost the series, despite winning the first game. After a walk-off victory in game one, the Tribe dropped a close one in the second contest, before being blown out early in the rubber game to lose the overall series. Let's take a look at some talking points from the past few days, starting with a positive.

Calling Dr Smooth

"He's back. Brantley's back."

So said Francisco Lindor after his teammate, and my favorite player Michael Brantley, hit a 10th inning walk-off double that scored Lindor all the way from first base to cement a 2-1 victory in the Indians' home opener.

Brantley's comeback is a story in and of itself. I don't expect even the most optimistic of us thought he would be back with the team this early, let alone contribute in such a big way. So far this season he's featured in 8 games and has batted .241/.313/.414 (BA/OBP/SLG) with 1 home run, 6 RBI, and a stolen base. His home run on Thursday night was his first since September 10 2015, a gap of 581 days between dingers.

I'm still going to proceed with caution and reign in my expectations. I don't expect him to produce those near-MVP level numbers of years past and he may well have some struggles or setbacks in his immediate future. But right now I'm just enjoying seeing him out there, back in the heart of the lineup, coming through in the clutch. It's good to have him back.

Josh Tomlin Cooked, Michael Martinez Relief Ace (!)

Josh Tomlin has not started 2017 in the way he might have hoped. In two outings so far, Tomlin has an ERA of 18.47. He's pitched a total of 6.1 innings and given up 13 earned runs. Those 13 runs result in Tomlin currently leading the major leagues in earned runs given up. There's no other way you can spin it, it's been an awful start to the year.

Tomlin's success is based on his ability to pound the strikezone. When he's on, he hits his spots with ease and gets ahead of the count, putting hitters on the defensive. But when he's off, those pitches in the strikezone get crushed. And that's exactly what happened on Thursday night. Chicago chased Tomlin from the game in just the second inning, as he surrendered 8 hits, 2 of them homers, for 7 earned runs. His first pitch of the game, the very first pitch, was knocked over the left field wall by leadoff hitter Tim Anderson. By the time Tomlin got out of the first inning, the Indians were in a 5-0 hole they never recovered from.

It's only 2 appearances but you begin to wonder how long the club will continue to trot Tomlin out there. He's looks a defeated man right now and needs a confidence boost in a big way. He is slated to make his next start against the Twins next week and for his sake, I hope he pitches better.

The pitching wasn't all bad in this series though, and the standout performance came from an unlikely source. Step forward Michael Martinez. The utility man who usually gets a lot of stick from fans got a round of applause instead, when he entered the ninth inning of Thursday's game as a relief pitcher.

What's that you say? Martinez isn't a pitcher? I'm sorry you're mistaken, but Martinez is a baseball player who can do everything. With the game already dead and buried and Terry Francona reluctant to burn another precious bullpen arm in a lopsided loss, Tito turned to his trusty do-it-all utility man Martinez. The 34 year-old veteran took the mound and pitched a scoreless inning, recording three groundball outs, and only allowed a double to Leury Garcia. Martinez was quoted after the game, via interpreter, "I'm here to help out whenever they need me. I play almost every single position, so I try to get in and help whenever I can." Martinez can confidently add 'relief ace' to his résumé now.

A couple of other honorable mentions must go to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, who both pitched well in their second starts of the season. Carrasco pitched 7 innings, with 4 hits, 1 run, and 7 strikeouts and Salazar lasted 6 innings, with 4 hits, 2 runs, and 11 strikeouts, matching his career high.

Player Of The Series

Francisco Lindor will soon need a very good chiropractor, since he's been carrying the Tribe on his back so much this year. With the offense still yet to find it's mojo (*cough* Edwin *cough*), our star shortstop has pretty much been the only consistent hitter thus far. Against the White Sox he had 10 at-bats, with 4 hits, 2 of them doubles, 1 home run, and 3 walks, whilst playing his customary elite defense. For the season so far he's batting .324/.415/.765 with an OPS of 1.179. Lindor is leading the Indians in every major batting category at the moment, including home runs (4) and RBI (8). Keep it up Frankie, and hopefully the rest of the lineup will help you out soon!

Cleveland now welcomes Detroit to Progressive Field for a three game series over the Easter weekend. Trevor Bauer will toe the rubber in the first game and will face off against Tigers' left-hander Daniel Norris. The Indians manhandled the Tigers in 2016, winning 14 of 18 games, and will be looking to continue that trend, beginning tonight.

Thanks for reading.

Taking Care Of Kipnis: 2B Options

When it was announced recently that Jason Kipnis was going to miss some time with a shoulder injury, fans started to worry. Not outright panic but cautious concern. Given Michael Brantley's shoulder struggles over the past couple of years, it's definitely understandable to be concerned. Kipnis will likely miss out on making the Opening Day lineup, and the Indians are doing the right thing protecting their All Star second baseman. Kipnis himself has said if this injury had occurred mid-season he could have probably played through the pain but it's better to make sure he's 100% before any long term damage can be done.

With that being said, Terry Francona and crew are already looking at their options to fill Kipnis' boots on Opening Day, and I am going to do the same thing. Let's take a look at some of the guys the Tribe can send out there:

Jose Ramirez

Considered by most to be the clear favourite to take Kipnis' place, Ramirez could slide over from his home at third base with relative ease. The versatile 24 year-old has spent time in many different positions and shown he can fill in adequately all over the infield, so second base is no stranger to him.

There is some hesitation on Francona's part however: "I think our first choice is not to (move him to second), but we'll see," the skipper said. After a few years as the Indians' utility man, Ramirez seemed to have found a nice home for himself at third base so I understand why the club are unwilling to shift him around again, especially off the back of a superb 2016 performance. In a perfect world Ramirez could use 2017 to really make third base his own but he's also the best option where this particular problem is concerned.

If Ramirez is chosen to replace Kipnis then it leaves a hole at third base. Thankfully this is a position where the Indians have some depth. Giovanny Urshela is my choice to fill Ramirez's spot and it could be a great opportunity for the 25 year-old Colombian to showcase his skills. We've seen in the past what a defensive wizard he is at the hot corner but his bat has always held him back from sticking in the bigs full time. Urshela has only appeared in 9 games for the Indians so far this spring but has hit well (he's spent the rest of the spring with the Colombian team at the WBC). He spent all of 2016 at Triple-A Columbus and had a decent year, slashing .274/.294/.380 (BA/OBP/SLG) with 8 home runs and 57 RBI over 117 games for the Clippers. I'm a huge Urshela fan and would love to see him have an impact with the club this season, so seeing him feature early on would be a plus.

The other candidate to fill in at third would be Yandy Diaz, who I wrote about recently. Diaz has been limited this spring with a right groin issue (just 8 appearances), which has likely hindered his chances to crack the Opening Day roster. I'm excited about Diaz's future in Cleveland but he's almost certain to start 2017 with Columbus, given he has no major league experience. It would be a big test for the rookie to chuck him in the deep end on Opening Day, whereas Urshela has been tried and tested.

Erik Gonzalez, Michael Martinez, Ronny Rodriguez

This trio from the Dominican Republic are Ramirez's closest competition for the second base spot. If Francona is truly against moving Ramirez from third base then one of these guys will likely be partnering Francisco Lindor on Opening Day.

So far all three of these gentlemen have seen about the same amount of action thus far this spring but let's take a look at them individually.

Erik Gonzalez is probably the best option to spell Kipnis until the All Star is ready to return, plus he's already on the 40-man roster, unlike Martinez and Rodriguez. Cleveland's number 8 prospect saw some time in the majors last year, although he only had two starts over a 21 game span where he was almost always used to pinch hit/run in the late innings. In his limited time at the plate he didn't hit well but then I wouldn't have expected him to given how rarely he got the opportunity. Down in Columbus however he was much more productive, slashing .296/.329/.450 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI, good enough for a 122 WRC+. Gonzalez is a natural shortstop but his path to the majors will be blocked for many years to come by Francisco Lindor. Second base is going to be Gonzalez's best opportunity to show off his abilities because if the Indians don't have a future place for him, somebody else will and they'll be willing to trade. If the young infielder is given the chance to play well and put himself in the shop window, then that will only serve to benefit both himself and the club. Gonzalez is certainly a safe choice if Kipnis isn't expected to miss significant time, and he can easily be optioned back to Columbus.

Michael Martinez is the veteran option and you pretty much know what you're going to get where he's concerned. The 34 year-old has spent 6 years in the majors and is now on his second stint with the Tribe. Francona has always supported Martinez, despite the player having his many detractors, and trusts him in late inning situations. He's a career .197 switch-hitter and most often suited to a bench role, but his versatility in the field makes him useful in a crisis. I would argue that the Indians have better options than Martinez and despite his usefulness, the club should be looking to move forward without him.

Ronny Rodriguez is the wildcard in this pack. He, like Martinez, is also of the utility infielder category but I just can't envision Francona opting for Rodriguez as his starting second baseman over the other options he has at his disposal. As Rodriguez is the least experienced of this trio, his chances of filling in for Kipnis are slim at best.

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Ultimately the Indians and their fans will be hoping Kipnis' absence is brief and his replacement just a temporary visitor at second base. If he has to miss some time, even if just for a few weeks, I'd be much more comfortable with Ramirez covering for him, and Urshela being given a chance at third base. If Francona doesn't want to unsettle Ramirez on the corner, then I'd like to see Gonzalez be given a chance as an everyday player. He certainly looks the best option, at least defensively, and will likely emerge victorious from his battle with his compatriots.

Thanks for reading.