White Sox Swept As Race Nears End

There are just 4 games left of the 2013 regular season. I'm struggling to believe it, that the season is nearly over already. It's gone pretty fast for me. And the Indians have played some incredible baseball throughout. As we near the finish line, the Tribe are now so close to clinching a post-season berth through the Wild Card. 4 games left to get the job done...

With the Indians' two-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox last night, they still hold onto the second spot in the Wild Card race, 1 game behind Tampa Bay, 1 game ahead of Texas. Both the Royals and the Yankees were finally eliminated from contention last night, so it's just the three of us now, and we all know three is a crowd. As it currently stands the Indians would face off against the Rays in a one-game playoff to determine who would go on to play Boston. It's exciting times Tribe fans. 

Anyway, let's take a look at some of the talking points from this series:

Giambi Silences His Critics Once And For All

Coming into Spring Training, most Cleveland fans were unsure quite what to make of Jason Giambi and his role on the team. 42 years-old and a shell of the power hitter he used to be, his effectiveness as a player was questioned routinely, especially after he so nearly gave it all up to be manager of the Colorado Rockies just a few months before. A few among us believed the roster spot he inhabited could have been put to better use. In fact, as the season progressed, I saw calls for Giambi to be removed from the big league roster a lot. Well now, finally, the big man has proven his worth. 

After Chris Perez gave up two solo home runs in the 9th inning of Tuesday night's game to gift Chicago a late 4-3 lead, Giambi stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter with two outs, with Michael Brantley patiently stood at first base as the winning run (who promptly stole second base). As White Sox closer Addison Reed unleashed his pitch, Giambi got his bat on it perfectly, sending the ball deep into the right field stands. You could tell he knew where the ball was going as soon as it left his bat. The crowd erupted as the Indians emerged victorious 5-4, people going crazy having just witnessed another walk-off win, Cleveland's 11th walk-off this year, and Giambi's 2nd. It was a magical and symbolic moment of the Tribe's 2013 campaign. Just as you thought it couldn't get much worse (Perez's blown save), the Indians rally back and pull you back in. Giambi's mammoth walk-off 2-run shot will probably end up as one of the defining images of the 2013 regular season, such is the brilliant way it captures what this Indians team is all about.

I have to say it feels nice to see Giambi come through with such an important hit in such a crucial moment. Rightly or wrongly, there were times this season when he was criticised a lot but to Terry Francona's credit, he stuck by Giambi all year, never wavering. Speaking about Giambi's game winning homer, Nick Swisher said, "I almost started crying when he hit that ball." I'm sure a few of the diehards did too Nick, thanks to Giambi's heroics. He certainly earns the Player of the Series award this week. Fully deserved.

Ubaldo Poised For Playoffs

As the scheduled rotation currently stands, Ubaldo Jimenez is set to pitch against the Twins on Sunday 29th September, the final day of the regular season. If the Wild Card race is still alive and the Indians haven't yet sealed their post-season place, then I can't think of anyone else on the Tribe staff right now who I'd rather have out there for us.

However, should the baseball gods be kind and the Indians wrap it all up before Sunday's game, then Ubaldo will be rested in preparation for the one-game playoff on October 2nd, against Tampa Bay in all likeliness. The team and Francona are refusing to think that far ahead, and rightfully so, but it's worth discussing should events turn out this way.

If I'd said to you before the start of the season that Ubaldo Jimenez would become the best pitcher on the team and would be our first choice to start a playoff game, you would have laughed in my face. In fact, you'd probably have punched me, so ridiculous was the idea of Ubaldo being anything but a total mess.

Well folks, here we are, with October just days away Mr Jimenez has indeed established himself as the most effective pitcher on the Indians pitching staff. With all due respect to Justin Masterson, who has had a hell of a season and who I still consider our "ace" of the staff, Ubaldo has pitched far and above anyone's expectations and deserves the mantle of being our best pitcher. Especially given Masterson's recent injury, there is no doubt that right now, today, Ubaldo is number one. 

After yet another solid outing on Tuesday against the White Sox (6 1/3 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 7 strikeouts, 3 walks), let's take a quick look at Ubaldo's numbers. He currently sits with a 12-9 record with a 3.38 ERA after 176 innings pitched. But it gets better: In the month of September, Jimenez has a minuscule 1.04 ERA and an amazing 1.84 ERA since the All Star break. That puts him in the company of the elite pitchers in the game. Astounding.

So lets cross our fingers that the Tribe can ride this 6 game winning streak they're currently on and secure that playoff spot before Sunday's game. It would help if the bloody Rays and Rangers would lose some games too. Because I for one would really love to see Ubaldo on the mound for us on October 2nd, pitching for post-season glory. Make it happen Indians.

Thanks for reading.

Tribe Miss Out On Mets Sweep

The Indians took two out of three from this series against the visiting New York Mets and should really have completed the sweep. Behind a dominant Scott Kazmir the Tribe easily won Friday's opener 8-1, then took game two convincingly, winning 9-4 on Saturday. Sunday's contest was a closely fought battle and was tied 1-1 until Chris Perez blew the game in the 9th inning, and the Mets emerged victorious 2-1 to salvage some pride.

Right, I have next to no time this morning to wrap up this series so unfortunately you guys are going to get my series recap in bullet points. Here we go:

• Scott Kazmir. So much for that arm fatigue huh? He looked amazing on Friday, practically untouchable. Kaz pitched 6 strong innings, scattering 4 hits, didn't allow a run and didn't walk a single batter. To top it all off he had 12 strikeouts. 12! Scott was dialled in and it was easily the best game he's pitched this year, and probably one of his best games ever. 
• Nick Swisher. Dude picked a good weekend to get hot. Swisher had 5 hits in the series, including 2 home runs for a total of 6 RBI. His grand slam in the 8th inning of Friday's game was a thing of beauty, he absolutely launched that ball into the stands. I'm really hoping this was a sign of things to come from Swisher in September. Lately he's been playing like the player we all hoped he would be when we signed him. Keep it up Swish, and take home the Player of the Series award whilst you're at it.
• Congratulations must go to Jason Giambi, who recorded the 2,000th hit of his major league career late in Sunday's game. He blooped one into left field to reach the milestone and it's quite an achievement. Well done big guy! I was really happy to see him get it done, in what will almost certainly be his last season as a professional. He was replaced by pinch-runner Mike Aviles, who then proceeded to ruin the occasion by getting caught trying to steal second base, a totally unnecessary and frustrating move that late in the game.
• Drew Stubbs had a pretty awful weekend and continues to be the black hole in this lineup. He had 7 strikeouts over the course of this Mets series, including 4 in Sunday's game (the ol' Golden Sombrero). There are times he looks completely hopeless at the plate, like he is already consigned to defeat. I love what Stubbs brings to right field as a defender, he covers a lot of ground out there, but he has been a huge disappointment with his bat in 2013. This Mets series was yet another example.
• Speaking of disappointments, nothing can go right for Asdrubal Cabrera right now. Don't get me wrong, it's all his fault. Apart from smashing a welcome 3-run homer during Saturday night's win, Cabrera had an awful series. He got the only RBI of the game on Sunday, but that was only because he was hit by a pitch in his calf with the bases loaded. He had so many chances to bring runners home during this series and failed nearly every time. His worst moment was during the 8th inning rally on Sunday, when with 1 out and the bases loaded, he swung twice at a pitcher with known location problems, connecting the second time to result in an inning-ending double play. It was a complete joke and a perfect moment to sum up what an awful 2013 Cabrera has had.

Anyway that'll do it for me this morning, I gotta run. The Indians face the Royals tonight to start a three game series. The resurrected Ubaldo Jimenez (10-9, 3.79 ERA) takes the mound for the hometown team and will face KC's Ervin Santana (8-8, 3.33 ERA), who I always think looks like Snoop from The Wire.

Thanks for reading.

Indians Win In Minnesota The Hard Way

I was beginning to get really worried there for a second. Heck, I still am worried about this team and their chances at making the playoffs. With the way they're playing right now, despite grinding out a much needed series win against the Twins, I don't think we'll be watching October baseball in Cleveland in 2013.

But let's try to lose the pessimism and focus on the fact that the Indians battled throughout this series and emerged victorious. It didn't look like they would most of the time but they did and that's all that really matters.The Indians haven't had the best August (6-8 so far) but we're still just 3 games behind in the wild card with everything still to play for. Let's take a little look at some of the key points from this series in Minnesota.

Old Man Giambi Still Got It

Jason Giambi, our 42 year-old designated hitter, has had his fair share of detractors and critics this season. Many fans see him as a glorified cheerleader on this Indians team, at best an assistant coach to Francona in the locker room. But Giambi to his credit steps up to the plate every time he is called upon. He's not even close to the juggernaut he was at his peak and we knew that when the Indians signed him in the off-season. Hell, he's 42 years old, the guy should be coaching or sat in a commentary booth. 

However, since Mark Reynolds' release the DH position has lost a viable option, thus increasing Giambi's chances of being in the lineup and starting games more often. And if he can keep producing big hits like he did on Wednesday afternoon then his spot on the team will be more than validated. Down by 3 runs in the 8th inning, Giambi stepped up with two runners on base and proceeded to smash his 8th home run of the season off Twins reliever Casey Fien to tie the game. It was a huge moment for the Indians, and without Giambi's homer the odds of the Tribe coming through victorious were slim that late in the contest. 

He's not going to bat .300 and he won't produce for us every time, but I'm glad Giambi can still provide a meaningful contribution to this Indians team on the field and not just through his leadership in the clubhouse.

A Japanese Alternative To Carrasco?

Carlos Carrasco has had a bad year in the big leagues. That much is obvious, and it's been well documented. I was hopeful he had begun to turn things around after his impressive 5 inning relief appearance against the Angels last week. But with Carrasco it always seems to be one step forward, two steps back. Francona was swayed enough by that Angels performance to hand Carlos the start for Wednesday's rubber game but the 26 year old right-hander couldn't capitalise on the opportunity and had a disappointing game yet again. Carrasco was pulled after 4 and a 1/3 innings, giving up 10 hits for 4 runs with 4 strikeouts (he didn't walk anybody, a positive sign, but his pitches weren't missing many bats, the Twins hitting practically everything). His season statistics make for ugly reading: a 7.82 ERA, an 0-4 record, 58 hits surrendered in 38 innings, and opponents hitting .356 off him. 

Now if I was the manager, I think I'd safely say that Carrasco's future as a starting pitcher for the 2013 Indians should be over. I'm not saying his days as a starter are over for good; nothing is stopping him from coming back in 2014 and proving he has what it takes. But I think now that every game from here until the end of September is considered "must win", putting Carrasco out there as part of the rotation is a bad idea and doesn't give the Indians a great chance of winning ball games. I still think he could provide some effectiveness out of the bullpen this year, and maybe his major league future belongs as a reliever, but his time as an Indians starter needs to come to an end this season.

So who would replace him then? Who takes Carrasco's spot? 

The answer is more obvious than you might have thought. Remember a Japanese veteran pitcher named Daisuke Matsuzaka? Oh yeah, that guy. Only one of the most famous and successful Japanese pitchers in modern times, who caused a media storm when he signed for Boston in 2007. Well he's not at the level he once was and poor Dice-K didn't make the big club out of Spring Training, but after overcoming some injury troubles, Matsuzaka has quietly been having an impressive year in Columbus. Especially when you look at his numbers recently. In his last 8 starts, he pitched at least 7 innings in 7 of those 8 games. Since the All Star Break he has a 4-2 record with a 2.36 ERA and has been throwing some real gems these past few weeks. 

Matsuzaka's dominating run of late at the AAA level earns him a shot in my opinion. With Kluber out of action until mid-late September, I'm sure an opportunity will arise where the Tribe will need an emergency starter at some point over the next few weeks. Especially if another injury were to occur. What do the Indians have to lose by putting Matsuzaka out there? He's obviously in form and he's surely a better alternative than Carrasco right now. I would very much like to see what the 32 year old right-hander has to offer and judging by what he's exhibited in Columbus, it's pretty good.

Player Of The Series

A tough choice this week. Nobody on the team really stood out head and shoulders above everybody else during this series. Jason Kipnis was at his usual best, an offensive spark-plug. Giambi's important contribution I've already discussed, but he didn't do much else during the rest of the series. Michael Brantley had another fantastic day with the bat on Wednesday and right now looks like the best guy to put in the 4th spot, ahead of the struggling Asdrubal Cabrera. But the guy who wins the award this series for me is Zach McAllister, who pitched a solid game on Tuesday and was largely responsible for getting the Tribe back into this series. McAllister has been a bit rusty since returning from the DL but appeared to have his stuff working better this time around. Zach pitched 6 solid innings, giving up 4 hits for 2 runs, only 1 of them earned though. He walked just 1 batter and struck out an impressive 7 Twins. A very good day at the office for McAllister and we'll need more performances like this from him between now and the end of the season. Keep it up Zach and congrats.

The Indians remain on the road but travel a little farther away from home, way out west to Oakland for a three game series with the A's. It's going to be a tough trip as Oakland are having another fantastic season but we've fared well against them so far this year and the Tribe will be hoping that success continues, starting tomorrow when Justin Masterson (13-8, 3.59 ERA) faces off against Oakland's A.J. Griffin (10-8, 3.88 ERA). 

Thanks for reading.

First Half Season Review: Position Players

The Indians enter the All Star break with a 51-44 record, good enough for 2nd place in the AL Central, just 1.5 games behind Detroit. It's been quite a journey so far and we've seen a good deal of ups and downs along the way. Here is my season review for the position players up to this point, based on my expectations of what we expected out of Spring Training, as well as my feelings about how they can go forward into the second half of 2013. Enjoy:

Catchers

Carlos Santana B+

Despite a slump here and there, Santana has been one of the Tribe's more consistent hitters so far and a constant threat in the middle of the lineup. He's only just behind Kipnis in terms of OBP (.382), amazing for a catcher. He narrowly missed out on being an All Star this year and arguably deserved it more than the Royals' Salvador Perez. Santana has become one of the best catchers in the American League, albeit with some concerns about his defensive abilities behind the plate. Still, he's had a very good first half all in all.

Room for Improvement: Work on preventing so many passed balls. Keep getting on base.

Yan Gomes C+

A revelation behind the plate and effective with the bat as well, Gomes made a considerable impact on the fans in the first half. I'd like to see Francona try and fit him into the lineup more often in the second half, slide Santana to first base and let Gomes catch. He's probably a better catcher than Sanrana defensively, so it will be interesting to see how much playing time Gomes sees from here on. Hopefully a lot.

Room for Improvement: Keep doing what you're doing.

Lou Marson N/A

Limited to just 3 games before getting hurt and is now on the 60 day DL for a shoulder issue that's kept him away from the club since April. Surely considered the 3rd choice catcher now since Gomes has done so well in his absence.

Room for Improvement: Get healthy, fight for your spot when the opportunity arises.

Infielders

Nick Swisher C

The face of the franchise has struggled to play like the star he was expected to be. That might be unfair on Swisher, he's never been a true star player at any stage in his career, but the Indians paid him a lot of money to perform like one in Cleveland. Had a terrible June when he played through injury but has started to turn things around a bit lately. His positive attitude and enthusiasm in the clubhouse has undeniably had an impact on the team though. He's a big reason why this team has been so fun to watch.

Room for Improvement: Get that batting average up. Play like a guy who deserves to be hitting 4th/5th.

Mark Reynolds C-

Reynolds got off to a blistering start, crushing every ball in sight in April, before declining rapidly in May and he hasn't been able to turn things around since. The grade I've given him might seem a bit harsh for a guy who has hit 15 home runs (still leads the team) but he's been such a liability at the plate since April that its easy to forget how good he was earlier in the season. Maybe now we're seeing why Arizona and Baltimore were happy to let him leave, despite his impressive home run totals. When he's slumping, he's a black hole in the lineup. Reynolds need to take the All Star break as an opportunity to re-focus and re-energise.

Room for Improvement: Improve on the woeful .218 batting average. Bring the power back.

Jason Giambi C

The veteran has had his critics all year but he's been better than I thought he would be up to this point. The .200 batting average is painful to look at but considering he's effectively a 42 year-old cheerleader on this team, he's not doing too badly. And I mean no disrespect with that cheerleader remark (just being a wise-ass) because the job he's been doing as a leader in the clubhouse has obviously had a positive effect on the team so far. Francona loves him and he's met my expectations so far in his limited opportunities.

Room for Improvement: Make the most of your time left in The Show. Get to 10 HR's by end of year.

Jason Kipnis A

Quickly becoming the heart and soul of this team and now an All Star, deservedly so too. Hard to find many faults in his game, especially since he got hot with the bat in June, winning the AL Player of the Month award for his efforts. Got off to a slow start in April but he was playing hurt in his defense. Has more than made up for it since though, and now leads the team in batting average (.301), RBI (57), stolen bases (21), hits (96), runs (53) and OBP (.383). Nearly every offensive category actually. I've even seen him mentioned in some AL MVP conversations (way down the ladder in 8th/9th but still, just to be part of the conversation is incredible). An amazing first half for the JK Kid.

Room for Improvement: Cut down the strikeouts. Stay consistent with the bat in second half.

Mike Aviles B

The invaluable utility man would likely be starting every day for a lot of other teams, such is his quality. He's been a great addition to the team and his versatility off the bench has been put to use by Francona in a variety of ways. We've seen him at SS, 2B, 3B, even LF once or twice, and he's been solid at every position. His production dipped slightly when he was thrust into the role of starter, when Cabrera went on the DL, but overall he's been a reliable and effective option off the bench in the first half. I'm a big fan of Aviles.

Room for Improvement: Try and get those power numbers up, otherwise just continue as before.

Asdrubal Cabrera B-

Injury has hindered his season a bit but he's still one of the best shortstops in the AL and remains a wizard with the glove, pulling off some spectacular plays in the field and making it look routine. Seems to be finding his groove a bit lately, hopefully an encouraging sign heading into the second half. He's still our premier trade chip, with the Cardinals and Yankees very keen, but I'd be sad to see him go this month. I'd prefer the Indians to keep hold of him for as long as possible, at least until the end of the year, but his days are likely numbered since Lindor is progressing so well. Time will tell just how much longer Cabrera will remain in Cleveland...

Room for improvement: Get the .255 batting average up. Stop chasing so many pitches outside the zone.

Lonnie Chisenhall C

After an impressive Spring Training, Lonnie struggled to start the campaign and was soon sent to Columbus to fix his swing and reset himself. His stint at AAA did wonders for him and he's been remarkably solid since his return. Looks a lot more comfortable now at the major league level than he did previously. See my KC re-cap yesterday for more on Chiz's encouraging performances.

Room for Improvement: Be more disciplined at the plate and the .243 batting average will grow in time.

Outfielders

Michael Brantley A-

Brantley is quietly having a great 2013, some might even say a breakout year for the outfielder. He's starting to look like the talent we hoped we'd get in the CC Sabathia trade of 2009. Brantley has successfully hit in nearly every spot in the lineup and has become an invaluable part of the offense, especially adept at scoring runners in clutch situations (48 total RBI, second on the team behind Kipnis). He's been equally good in the field as well, a crucial part of the outfield trio that has helped make us much better defensively. Brantley is one to watch in the second half, so long as he keeps up this level of performance.

Room for Improvement: Not a lot since his power is progressing nicely of late. Keep up the first half pace.

Michael Bourn B

A finger injury on April 14th kept him out for nearly a month and prevented him from finding his groove early on but he's been everything we expected since his return. Fantastic defensively and near-unstoppable running down the first base line, he's proving his worth since we poached him late in the off-season.

Room for Improvement: I expect to see more stolen bases. Produce more RBI's in the second half.

Drew Stubbs C+

A terrific outfielder and natural defender, and practically impossible to catch in a double-play, Stubbs' speed is deadly both defensively and offensively. But the guy strikes out too much, even for a number 9 guy (he's second on the team behind Reynolds, with 93 strikeouts in 287 at-bats). It's hard to knock his effort and he comes across as a very likeable guy, but he has to be more disciplined at the plate. Too often he's an easy out.

Room for Improvement: Cut down the strikeouts. Other than that, keep doing what you're doing.

Ryan Raburn C+

Versatile like Aviles, Raburn has seen the majority of time in right field and has been an important figure in the Indians' first half success. His power threat has been a big bonus off the bench, with an impressive 10 home runs before the All Star break. Raburn even earned the AL Player of the Week award for April 29th -May 5th. Hopefully Raburn can maintain this pace in the second half and Francona can find a way to maximise his bat when he's at his best.

Room for Improvement: Get hot with the bat again like you did in late April/ early May.

Ezequiel Carrera N/A

Began 2013 with the club but was among the unlucky few cut before the end of Spring Training. He managed to get picked up by the Phillies though, before they eventually released him and the Tribe re-acquired him once again in early May. Has only played in 2 games so far, both in May, and hasn't featured for the Indians since. Carrera could still prove to be useful though; the Indians could put his impressive speed to good use late during a playoff-push or he could become a useful trade chip if the club decide to make any moves in the near future.

Room for Improvement: Make yourself useful, via performance on the field or as a potential player to trade.

Not applicable for grading: Omir Santos, Cord Phelps, John McDonald

McDonald and Phelps had more at-bats than Carrera and Marson combined in the first half but their influence on the team was negligible at best. McDonald has been traded and Phelps doesn't really figure into the Indians future, not yet anyway. Santos is strictly a depth player in case of injury.

Overall, despite their ups and downs, the offense has been impressive as a unit and the biggest reason for the Tribe's success in the first half. The good news is there is still room for improvement. Provided Cabrera doesn't get traded, he has the ability to produce more. Reynolds can hopefully break out of his slump and Swisher can revert back his career-norm in terms of offense. There's a lot more to look forward to from this offense. They aren't finished yet.

Thanks for reading. Pitchers review coming shortly.

Tampa Tops Tribe, Takes Two

That's some serious alliteration in the title huh? Unfortunately it's not in the Indians favour as the Tribe lost the rubber game yesterday afternoon, losing the series to Tampa Bay two-to-one. It began on Friday night in a bizarre rain-delayed game which the Tribe couldn't muster enough energy for, losing 9-2 in the early hours of Saturday morning. Cleveland didn't let the lack of sleep bother them Saturday afternoon though, shutting down the Rays offense in a 5-0 win to even the series. Despite getting plenty of hits yesterday, the Indians couldn't turn them into runs and lost the game 11-3 after McAllister ran into some early trouble, and lost the series overall. Luckily the Tigers haven't taken advantage and we are still just a 0.5 game behind them in the AL Central. Let's have a look at what I liked and didn't like against the Rays:

A Sunny Saturday With Ubaldo

Ubaldo Jimenez took to the mound Saturday afternoon and pitched an absolute gem, one of his best games in an Indians jersey. I got home from work in time to catch it all and was overjoyed to see Jimenez pitching so well. He was dominant against the Rays offense, pitching 8 shutout innings, giving up just 4 hits and walking only 1, whilst striking out 7. What impressed me most was his level of control, his ability to get ahead in the count, and the way he made the Rays swing and miss so often. Ubaldo doesn't have overpowering stuff anymore but he's using what he's got left to outsmart the opposition and nowhere was that more evident than Saturday. Tampa Bay just couldn't figure him out. It was an almost perfect day for Ubaldo and it was great to see him go 8 innings, the first time he's lasted that long since his second game as an Indian, on August 10 2011 against Detroit. The win takes his overall record to 4-3 and gives him a much healthier looking 4.83 ERA, with 60 strikeouts in 59.2 innings pitched.

Jimenez has really turned his season around and I for one could not be happier. Credit must go to pitching coach Mickey Callaway as well, who has worked wonders fixing Ubaldo's herky-jerky mechanics and getting his head straight. Only a month ago we were debating whether to cut our losses with the Dominican pitcher, since he looked totally lost on the mound and there was no hope in sight. But Callaway and the Indians staff have performed a miracle on a Biblical scale and Jimenez looks like a new man, pitching with confidence and getting his command under control. He's a joy to watch now (most of the time, he's still a pitcher after all) and gives the Indians a legitimate chance to win every day he pitches, something you couldn't say with a straight face only a few weeks ago. I'm not ready to proclaim that Ubaldo is back, because we'll never see the dominant Jimenez of 2010 again, but at the very least I can say he's on the right path now and will have a successful future in Cleveland if he can maintain this level of performance.

Over The Hill?

Poor Rich Hill. Life as a major league relief pitcher is never easy, and is always full of inconsistencies but the 33 year-old left-hander is struggling mightily in 2013. After getting off to a decent start in Cleveland, getting us through some tough jams and pitching well in the clutch, Hill's form has nosedived off a cliff of late and he's become somewhat of a liability out of the pen now. Hill sits with a bloated 8.44 ERA, giving up 20 hits in 16 innings, with a 1.88 WHIP. He had a really tough series against the Rays; Hill got pounded Friday night after the rain delays, giving up 5 hits for 3 runs in just an inning of work. Then yesterday he came into the ballgame and gave up 3 hits for 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning, effectively putting the game out of reach for the Indians.

I know Francona levied hard to get Hill to Cleveland in the winter, and he earned his spot on the team out of Spring Training, but I think it's time the manager had a serious look at whether keeping Hill on the team is really in the Tribe's best interests right now. At the moment Hill is doing more harm than good, to himself and the team, and might benefit from a stint in Columbus to try and fix his problems on the mound. Watch this space...

Player Of The Series

I've already spoken at length about Ubaldo and I have a habit of choosing starting pitchers for this award. It would be easy to give it to Jimenez again and he's very deserving. But he wouldn't have gotten that win if it wasn't for a certain designated hitter and his big day at the plate. Our grizzled veteran Jason Giambi powered the Tribe offense on Saturday and provided the run support for Jimenez. Giambi has been red hot at the plate lately, and had a fantastic Saturday. He smashed a 2 run homer, his 5th of the year, in the second inning to give the Tribe the lead and then added an RBI single in the third to pad the lead a little bit more. Giambi now has a .203 batting average (it was a lot worse last week) with 5 HR and a pretty impressive 19 RBI in 69 at-bats. The 42 year-old has been really productive in that DH role lately and long may it continue. He's Player of the Series against the Rays, congrats old man.

The schedule doesn't relent for the Indians now, in fact it gets worse. Cleveland travel to New York today to face the Yankees and Justin Masterson (8-3, 3.07 ERA) will face-off against Andy Pettitte (4-3, 3.83 ERA), whose returning from injury. This is the start of a long and testing road-trip for the Tribe and I'm not expecting miracles; a clean split would suit me just fine. As long as we get back to Cleveland still in touch with the Tigers at the top of the division, I'll be happy.

Thanks for reading.

That's More Like It; Indians Sweep Reds

The Indians bounced back from their miserable road-trip in Boston and Cincinnati, beating the Reds twice in  a row at home, snapping the 5 game losing streak they were in. There was even better news in the shape of Pittsburgh doing us a favour, beating the Tigers twice and allowing us to climb back to within a 0.5 game in the AL Central. Let's look at the positives from this mini two-game sweep against our Ohio foes:

Good Pitching = Wins

Both the starters in this series pitched fantastic games these past two days. Justin Masterson started things off on Wednesday, lasting 6 innings and giving up only 4 hits and 1 run, a solo homer by Joey Votto in the 1st inning. He settled into his groove after that mistake and struck out 7 Reds batters, his two-seam fastball breaking down and away from hitters beautifully. He did walk 4 batters but that was a minor blemish on an otherwise perfectly pitched game. Masterson picked up his 8th win of the season in the process, a quite amazing feat considering how hard he struggled last year to earn victories. He's on track to get a career high in wins if he can continue this pace. The bullpen came in after Masterson finished his 6 innings and were relatively incident free for once, Cody Allen and Joe Smith combining well to get the Tribe to the 9th. Vinnie Pestano, newly elected closer, came in and immediately gave up a lead-off homer to Xavier Paul which helped unsettle the Tribe faithful but he dug in and got through the rest of the inning unscathed. The Indians won 5-2 in the end and snapped out of their losing streak in the process. Masterson got his run support from Mark Reynolds and Jason Giambi, the heavy hitters both striking for home runs to fuel the Tribe offense. Reynolds hit his homer, his 13th of the year, in the 3rd inning to tie the game and Giambi smashed a 3 run bomb with 2 outs in the 6th inning for 3 RBI to put the game beyond the Reds.

Scott Kazmir went one better than Masterson last night, lasting 7 innings, surrendering 8 hits and only giving up 1 run. Kazmir also limited his walks, allowing just the 1, and struck out 5 Reds batters to earn his 3rd win of the season. It was a very impressively pitched game by Kazmir, a performance he was due after going through a bit of a rough patch lately in his comeback tour. He got all the run support he needed when the Tribe exploded in the 4th inning for 7 runs, chasing Reds starter Homer Bailey from the game. With 2 outs in the 4th, the Indians were relentless and kept lining hits into the corners to pad their lead. With such a commanding lead, the bullpen could relax when they relieved Kazmir in the 8th and Nick Hagadone and Matt Albers pitched a clean inning each to get the Tribe to the finish line for a 7-1 Indians win and the series sweep.

Player Of The Series

There are many deserving candidates for the award this series, with nearly everybody having a good game. But my award goes to Yan Gomes, who despite playing in just one of the two games, had a fantastic day at the plate yesterday. This award is as much for his great game yesterday as it is for his impressive performance so far in 2013 and I thought it was about time I recognised his greatness here at England Tribe. Gomes got 3 hits yesterday, leading the team, and an RBI as well, which leaves him with a .319 batting average with 5 home runs and 13 RBI in total so far. The 25 year-old Brazilian backstop is impressing every day he plays and has grown into the perfect back-up catcher when Santana needs a day off behind the plate. Keep it up Yan, and congrats!

So the Indians have broken out of their funk just in time, as they begin what is arguably the toughest stretch of the schedule this campaign. The Tribe welcome the resurgent Rays to Cleveland for a three-game series beginning today, before jetting off to New York, Detroit and Texas for a long and season-defining road-trip.

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Cincinnati Crush, Tribe In Free Fall

How the mighty have fallen. The Indians are in a bit of a slump at the moment and after losing this short two-games series in Cincinnati, have now lost 5 games in a row. It began on Monday afternoon, when the Indians kept the game close and even tied it late on with a pinch-hit solo home run by Jason Giambi, but it wasn't enough as the Reds came back that very inning to add two more runs, winning the game 4-2. Cleveland looked to split the series last night but got off to a rough start and never recovered, losing 8-2 and with it, the series.

Now we shouldn't be too hard on our Tribe; we are in the midst of a very tough schedule and these recent losses to the Reds and the Red Sox should probably have been expected. They are two great teams, contenders in their respective divisions for sure, whereas we are still very much a work in progress and still trying to find an identity. So despite it being sad to see our boys drop these games, don't be too hard on them, since we're not really supposed to be challenging these teams anyway. The frustration is understandable of course, hopes are much higher this year and the hot start has helped increase expectations but like I said, the Indians are very much a developing ballclub and will have these losing streaks from time to time. The key is to quickly find a way to prevent this drop from turning into a season-ending tailspin like the last two years. That remains to be seen but I still have faith this new group will find a way to stop the bleeding and turn things around.

Suicidal Bullpen

The biggest factor in the Tribe's recent decline in form has been the bullpen's inconsistency and inability to hold onto a lead. We're losing these games because we're shooting ourselves in the foot with these terrible performances from our bullpen. What was considered to be the rock of this team entering 2013, the Indians bullpen has regressed significantly and is costing us games, especially of late. They were the shining light of 2012. We might have sucked on the field and at the plate but we all knew are bullpen was legit and the envy of many major league clubs. How times have changed huh?

I actually like this group on the whole but I feel we are still sorely lacking some experience. We're throwing Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen, Scott Barnes and Nick Hagadone into some pretty tight spots and asking these young guys to perform miracles. It's no surprise when they get destroyed. I'd prefer to see us make a move for a veteran arm for the 'pen, particularly a left-hander since we really lack any talent there. I like Rich Hill, his breaking ball can be a thing of beauty, but if he continues to come into games and walk the first guy he faces I'm going to scream. Matt Albers has hardly been used and has looked mediocre at best when he has. Since Corey Kluber looks better and better after every start, is there anyway we can move Brett Myers into the pen when he comes back from his rehab stint? It's not like he's a stranger to being a relief pitcher and he'd certainly qualify as an experienced arm, something the bullpen desperately needs. I know we're paying him $7 million to be in the rotation but maybe we can use him to address a more glaring need for now. It's an interesting thought and something I hope the Indians are at least considering.

The normally dependable trio of Smith-Pestano-Perez has also seen it's share of failures this year and is perhaps the most worrying trend. Smith I still like a lot and I felt bad for him entering the game on Sunday in Boston, it was an impossible situation for anybody. He'll be ok. Pestano just needs to get healthy and I think he'll be fine in the long-term as well. The news that he is the closer now Perez is on the DL is good, I think this move was going to happen eventually anyway. Despite earning 6 saves this year, Perez has been downright horrible for the Indians and it probably didn't help he missed most of Spring Training. I expect him not getting a proper pre-season has been somewhat responsible for his decline this year but the writing has been on the wall for a while now. Remember the blown home-run call Angel Hernandez made against Oakland a few weeks ago? Yeah, that was Perez's pitch that should have been ruled a homer and a blown save, but luckily for him he escaped. The meltdown he had against the Mariners, giving up back-to-back home runs, was bad enough but his car-crash of a performance at Fenway on Sunday really stole the show. We'll never truly know if his shoulder was hurting before he took the mound but his performance would indicate that was the case.

Where do we go from here? Well I'm honestly losing patience with Perez these days and he is not the elite closer many fans try to make him out to be (his 3.29 career ERA is far too high for that). He's had a really good past two years with us but now I think the Indians need to look to sell as high as possible over the next couple of months. I'd be overjoyed if he returned from the DL and became the second-coming of Mariano Rivera but it's unlikely to happen. I have a feeling a change of location for Mr Perez could be beneficial for all parties.

Player Of The Series

A tough pick in what has been a largely miserable trip to Cincinnati but Ubaldo Jimenez's solid effort on Monday cannot be ignored. He was chased from his last start against Detroit after only 4 innings but he rebounded with style against the Reds on Monday afternoon. Facing one of the National League's toughest lineups, Ubaldo pitched 7 strong innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 runs, walking 4 and striking out 6 batters. If we're nit-picking, the walks could be better but it was a great effort from Ubaldo and it was reassuring to see him bounce back so well after that loss against Detroit. He kept the Indians in the game and that's all you can ask from him. Congrats Ubaldo!

Cincinnati remain our opponents as they travel to Cleveland today for another two-game series. The Tribe send our ace Justin Masterson to the mound, he of the 7-3 record and 3.20 ERA. Justin will face-off against the veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo, who sits at 5-4 with a 3.39 ERA. We have to put an end to this losing streak as soon as possible and it should start tonight with Masterson. Hopefully our top guy can quieten the Reds' bats and we can get back to winning ways. We need our offense to wake up for that to happen!

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Tribe Roster Set: My Thoughts

With the news coming from Goodyear that the Indians have set out their plans for the Opening Day roster, I thought I'd weigh in on the results:

Kazmir Gets The 5th Rotation Spot

The comeback story of the Spring, once-upon-a-time flamethrower Scott Kazmir has finally beaten his competition and captured the 5th place in the Tribe's starting rotation. It's obvious he's worked incredibly hard since his exit from MLB in 2011 and done really well to regain his lost velocity. He's not going to be striking guys out like he did in his heyday (he led the American League in strikeouts with the Rays in 2007) and gone are the days of his heater blowing batters away. But he has worked his way back to getting his fastball to a respectable low-to-mid 90mph level, which is a lot better than the mid 80s stuff he was throwing prior to his release from the Angels a couple of years ago. I'm really happy Scott won the job to be the 5th starter but, and he'll be the first to admit it, the real job is just beginning. Time will tell how he performs against MLB competition after time away from the elite level and there's no knowing yet how his arm will hold up in the dog days of summer. For now though, we can all enjoy the success story that's been Kazmir's return and I'm excited to see how he does for us.

Versatility and Veterans

Possibly the biggest difference between this year's Indians and the teams over the past few years is the veteran presence on the roster. No longer must we suffer the sight of the Tribe starting every season with one of the youngest teams on the field. The oldest guy on the team is Jason Giambi and the 2000 American League MVP and 5-time All Star looks set to make the team despite being the grand old age of 42. He's been placed on the DL with a lower back strain but all signs point towards him making the bench once he's healthy. It's impossible to predict what Giambi will provide on this 2013 Indians team. He still has some power in those arms and might chip in a few homers this season. Put it this way, if he comes into a few games to pinch hit in the latter innings and his hits mean we win a few games that we normally wouldn't then that would be amazing, the best possible result from his signing. However, I think what really earned Giambi his place on the team is his experience and his ability to be a role model for the younger players. The guy has been around for a long time now and knows how to win. Francona has already stated how important Giambi could be in the clubhouse: "He's not a veteran, he's the veteran. I've already gone to him three or four times asking him questions. He's solid. Brings a lot." If the Indians can get any production on the field from the elderly DH then that's wonderful but I feel he's going to be even more productive off the field and in the locker-room. 

The other interesting addition to the roster is 31 year old Ryan Raburn (pictured above). The ex-Tiger, who can play second base as well as the outfield, provides some much-needed versatility to the team and could be an important player off the bench. He beat out the likes of Cord Phelps and Ezequiel Carrera for the final bench spot and I like the decision to go with Raburn. He's had a solid spring and earned his spot for sure. Hopefully he'll contribute, spotting Kipnis from time to time and filling in for an outfielder when they need a day off.

For more details on the Indians team set to begin the 2013 campaign, Nino over at The Tribe Daily has done a wonderful roundup on the Opening Day roster that's definitely worth checking out: http://www.thetribedaily.com/2013/03/the-roster-is-set.html#more 

Overall I really like the Opening Day roster and I'm enthusiastic about our chances in 2013. It's not very often I've said that since I've been a fan of the Tribe. There's been an amazing sense of optimism ever since the hiring of Francona last year and I've certainly never been more excited to watch the Indians. Luckily, and for the first time, I will be able to watch every and any game I like this year, having purchased MLB TV a couple of days ago. I made the decision because I was so sick of trying to watch games on crappy streams and sitting through endless pop-up ads and all the other shit that comes with illegal streaming. Best $129.99 (about £88 for you fellow Brits interested) I've ever spent. Bring on Opening Day!

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