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August 8, 2013
It was Lou Brown who said it best: “One day we are gonna figure out how to beat those guys.”
The last three games against the first place Detroit Tigers have been absolutely demoralizing to say the least. I don’t know what it is, but every time they have seen the Indians this season, the Motor City Kitties just seem to come through when they need to, breaking the hearts of the Indians at seemingly the worst possible time.
If this were “Major League” the movie, the Tigers are the pre-final-scene New York Yankees and Miguel Cabrera is a real life Clew Haywood.
Rookie Danny Salazar was making just his second Major League start in a move the Indians brass would usually opt against. They said inning-limit be dammed, we are going to let the kid go the rest of the way. 89 pitches were the most he has thrown in any start and he has mostly been a five-inning pitcher. With the injury to Corey Kluber, Salazar had been told the spot is his the rest of the way. Reportedly the original plan was to bring Salazar up for not just this start, but to be a part of a six-man rotation through the end of the season. That has obviously gone by the wayside now that Kluber will miss the next 4-6 weeks.
The kid once again was absolutely electric. His fastball was regularly hitting 97-98 MPH, topping out at 100, and the Tigers had little answer for him. “That kid was really something special,” said Tigers manager Jim Leyland.
Heading into the eighth inning, the Tribe led 3-2 thanks to the second of two RBI doubles from Nick Swisher. Salazar was still going strong and under 100 pitches. He struck out Austin Jackson for the second out – his 10th of the night, but then the veteran Torii Hunter singled, bringing Cabrera to the plate.
Francona had a decision to make – stick with the kid or let Joe Smith face baseball’s best hitter. Salazar had already K’d Miggy three times on the night – the first starting pitcher to do so this season. To me, it was a no-brainer. You stick with the kid, especially when you consider how shaky the pen has been this season.
“That would’ve been his last hitter,” Francona said, “but to that point I would’ve had a hard time justifying having him not pitch. That’s how good I thought he was.”
Interestingly enough, Cabrera himself said after the game he was hoping to see Smith.
“I don’t want to face him the fourth time,” he said. “I was saying to myself, ‘It’s time to bring in the bullpen.’ And when they decide to leave him in there, I say, ‘Let’s grind out this at-bat, try to make something happen.'”
So the stage was set. Salazar came right at him and on the first pitch he saw, Cabrera blasted a two-run homer to deep center field that felt like the Clew Haywood grand slam off of “Wild Thing” Ricky Vaughn. Talk about a kick to the man region. Cabrera is just that good.
The homer ended Salazar’s night and once again he left a lasting impression.
“Besides a couple of mistakes, I thought he was tremendous,” said Francona. “The poise, the competitiveness. . .I wish I could be sitting here talking about a win, but it doesn’t change the fact of how he pitches or how we feel about him. That was pretty awesome.”
The Indians offense still had two more chances to tie the game, which they would do in the eighth. Now trailing 4-3 and facing left-handed reliever Drew Smyly, the slumbering offense went right to work. Michael Brantley led off with a double, which was followed by another double from Carlos Santana. Because Brantley thought that left-fielder Andy Dirks could make the catch, he stopped in his tracks half-way and was unable to score. Still the Wahoos had runners on second and third with nobody out.
Out went Smyly and in came hard-throwing righty Bruce Rondon to face pinch hitter Ryan Raburn. The former Tiger could have played the hero, but instead struck out. Luckily, Leyland decided not to bring the infield in and conceded the tying run. Yan Gomes, who homered earlier in the game, hit a ground-ball to the right side which tied the game at four. Mike Aviles would pop out and strand the lead run at third.
That’s when the battle of the bullpens really began. Rich Hill tried his best to hand the Tigers the game in the ninth, walkking Don Kelly and giving up a single to backup catcher Brayan Pena to start the inning, but Cody Allen came on to work out of a bases loaded, one out jam. The Tribe went in order against Rondon and on to extra innings we would go.
Chris Perez came out for the 10th and a smattering of boos could be heard inside of Progressive Field – which is ridiculous by the way. The guy plays for YOUR team. He worked around a couple of crazy strikeouts and a Victor Martinez two-out single to keep the Tigers off the board. The Wahoo offense went right back to sleep as the game went longer.
Jose Veras and Jeremy Bonderman – yes THAT Jeremy Bonderman – retired 12 of the 13 men they would face. The only Tribe base-runner – Drew Stubbs in the 12th – was quickly erased on a Jason Kipnis double play ball.
Joe Smith and Bryan Shaw did their part, holding down the Tigers into the 14th. Francona sent out Shaw for a third inning of work in that 14th inning, something he had never done in his entire Major League career. Jackson greeted him with a leadoff double. After a sac fly moved Jackson to third, Shaw looked clearly gassed as he walked rookie Hernan Perez, who had entered the game in the eighth as a defensive replacement for Cabrera. With Prince Fielder coming up, Francona called for Marc Rzepcynski, who was working his third straight game. The lefty got ahead of Fielder 0-2, but hung a slider in Fielder’s wheelhouse and the All-Star put it into the gap in left-center, putting the Tigers ahead 6-4.
“My job is to come in there and get Prince out,” Rzepczynski said. “He knew a slider was coming and I left it up. He did his job.”
The Indians tried to mount a rally in their last at-bat, but came up just short. Back to back two-out hits from Aviles and Michael Bourn got the Tribe to within a run. Bourn would advance to third on a wild pitch, but that was as far as he would get as Detroit closer Joaquin Benoit struck him out to end the game.
In a long line of demoralizing defeats, this one may have been the worst of them all for a Tribe team fighting for their playoff lives.
“They all hurt,” Indians manager Francona said. “But when you go this far, you go that deep into a game, use up your bullpen, it’s a little more fresh five minutes after the game. But, they all hurt.”
I can’t write about last night’s game without mentioning the continued struggles of Asdrubal Cabrera. How Francona can continue to trot him out in the cleanup spot is a mystery. The guy is ice cold, going 0-6 last night. He is locked in a 5-41 slump (.122) with just one walk and in his last 10 games. He’s been giving the Indians absolutely nothing.
It is tough to think about this series. It has been beyond frustrating and the casual fan is probably running towards the lake front now with the Browns first preseason game set for tonight. But I cannot stress enough the favorable schedule that lies in front of them in September. They are still just 2.5 games back of the second Wild Card spot with 48 games to play. Tonight, they try to avoid the sweep with Zach McAllister facing Detroit’s second ace, Max Scherzer.
(photo via Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer)
134 Comments
And, actually, Hafner’s three year stretch is certainly in the Cabrera-realm.
Cabrera has been hitting since he was a rookie with the Marlins. People took notice when um those same Marlins, 2 WS titles, were in the WS and Cabrera went long off the other roid poster boy Roger Clemens. (going off memory here)
But yea Hafner should be mentioned alongside Cabrera!
This is why there are less Indians fans because when you discuss them you must choose your words wisely. Enough said.
That did not take you long to get straight to the hyperbole. You did not even make an effort to respond to my point, just straight to the ad hominem. When you provide a reasoned argument that this year’s team doesn’t deserve support because last year’s wasn’t good, I’ll listen. If you want to attack me, well have fun I guess.
As far as the latter paragraph, first, I’m not sure how the opening sentence leads to the rest of the paragraph, but I guess you’ve missed that Antonetti is always talking about how this team needs to contend now. Sure, they might call this season a building block, because the improvement from the previous year to this one is a nice step. I’m not sure how that can be taken so negatively. And yes, they’ll focus on 2014 and not harp about 2013 when this season is finished, because, unlike a lot of Indians fans, they realize that harping on the past doesn’t do any good. But as far as when they were aiming for the playoffs, Antonetti already said it was this year.
And do share how they reset their goals with Hafner and Westbrook.
You’re really reaching for something, aren’t you?
Right, Cabrera is better, as he’s done it so much longer. That doesn’t mean the Indians didn’t have a hitter like that.
In 06 Hafner had a SLG 53 points higher than Miggy’s Triple Crown year. Sometimes I forget how good that guy was.
Nearly everyone was on ‘roids in the 90s. The Indians hitters were just better.
And Trevor Bauer, Drew Pomeranz and Alex White’s struggles. Once you get to the big leagues it’s a different game.
At taking roids.
Bauer doesn’t even want Bauer.
Fair enough. I would have been willing to part with Salazar for a reasonable return. I’ll admit, the more I see him throw the less confident I am in that statement, but given our needs at the deadline I would have given him up for the right return.
I don’t know I think Cardinals fans would take Cabrera over Kozma even the Cabrera we see now. I’m sure they wouldn’t have had to give up a top prospect but lets face it almost any Cardinals prospect would have sufficed. Key words: almost any.
You are probably right.
Like I said blind follower. Enjoy the rest of the season.
You need to stop hanging out with Brody Perez ‘cuz Trout is the sabremetric 5 tool guy.
Cabrera isn’t fat either!
If that was possible and we did it, people would be complaining that we traded an every day player (a former All-Star!!!) for some unknown, unproven prospect.
I know everyone is down on Acab now, but I don’t see how trading your every day shortstop for what probably would have been B-pitching prospect improves our chances for the playoffs.
People always complain but man Cabrera is killing me this season. I defended this guy maybe I’m just feeling incredibly let down.
As far as the prospect it depends on who the it was, for me. Back then when we had the Cardinals fan here who Steve looks to have scared off btw, we were discussing Wacha, Martinez, Lyons and someone else. Honestly I might take any one of them now for Cabrera.
I can’t prove it obviously, but I don’t think the Cards would have parted with any of those guys.
I think the whole ACab-to-STL thing is fueled by the homer tendency to overrate our own talent. ACab has always had some obvious issues and there was always a real concern that his power spike was fueled by a hot streak that was unmaintainable.
I was one of the people beating the drum to sell high on him for a while. I think that window has closed.
Purely anectdotally, I have two good friends that are diehard Cardinals fans. When I suggested this trade to them, they were both on board. Not excited, but definitely on board. The sentiment was precisely what you said: They would gladly take Cabrera over Kozma.
If only fans mattered.
Cabrera’s play has severely diminished his worth absolutely. Maybe during the winter something will be possible at least it gives Lindor more time to hopefully improve and quicken his rise to the majors.
We’ll never know well maybe six years from now a la Randy Johnson but I thought it made sense. I think the Cardinals could have spared a pitching prospect for Cabrera but oh well.
One year one category does not make a career at least not for people outside of Cleveland. I can just hear the statue talk now…
Don’t forget about the Royals.
Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome maybe but not Travis Hafner sorry. Hafner had a couple of great years but he’s not in the same class as Miguel Cabrera.
Absolutely I mentioned it in an earlier post.
Perez got booed because he is a coward. He skipped out of the clubhouse after he single-handedly blew the most important save opportunity in 2 years. He recorded ZERO outs and gave up a 3 run bomb to a .190 hitter. Perez left his own clubhouse and team to answer for something they couldn’t. Don’t twist it, Perez deserved to be booed. Perez wears the Tribe uniform, but he is not a member of that team.
BABABOOEY!
Thank you, Señor Obvious.
Carlos Danger can’t carry my jock!
Like how the tribe never has beaten weaver?
Part of me thinks the Tribe overachieved this year or Detroit hasn’t woken up until now. The Central could be out of reach but I still believe the Wild Card is wide open. Plus we only see Detroit 1 more time this year..
I have been wrong on recalling facts from the past, but on predicting actual things, I’m pretty spot on.
I chose not to care anymore. Well maybe ill check the score. 0-0 after 1. Cabrera is batting cleanup again. CABRERA IS BATTING CLEANUP AGAIN. AARRRRRRRRGHHHHHH!!!!! ITS LIKE FRANCONA IS BRAIN DEAD!! 34 minutes till Browns kickoff. Ho hum