Anthony Bennett isn’t being traded to Philadelphia after all
August 21, 2014
Nick Swisher doing a Hafner impression and the Foo Fighters on TV… While We’re Waiting
August 22, 2014
This is what is so frustrating about our Indians. Here they are, winners of seven of nine, going for a sweep of the Minnesota Twins with their ace Corey Kluber on the mound and the offense can’t even muster a single scoring chance outside of a solo blast from Zach Walters. Despite the 4-1 loss at Target Field, the Tribe still won another series and that is what is important right now.
You had hoped for better, but for some reason of late, when the offense sees Kluber on the mound, the bats turn into noodles. Over his past three starts while Corey was still in the game, the Wahoo offense has scored four runs. We are so used to Kluber being all but perfect that you feel as though two runs should get it done. Thursday afternoon he was off, which is still better than most other options. Kluber hasn’t walked more more than two batters since June 15 in Boston and hadn’t allowed more than two runs in a start since July 11th. Wednesday afternoon he walked four and gave up three earned runs. He was due for something of a clunker, but really it was just two hits that did him in.
A solo blast from Kennys Vargas in the fourth put the Twins on the board. Walters tied the game up in the next frame with a bomb of his own, his second of the series and fifth since joining the Tribe on August 10. Throughout the game, Kluber had some command issues, but always seem to come back with the big pitch to get out of the jam. In the sixth inning, the dam finally broke. With one out, Vargas got him for a ground rule double in front of an Oswaldo Arcia walk. A double play ball could have been huge. Instead, Trevor Plouffe who seems to have a knack for hitting against the Tribe in big spots, delivered the knock of the game. The double to left scored two and broke the tie. With the way the Indians offense was swinging against Phil Hughes, a two-run deficit seemed like 10.
Kluber departed after seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits and the four walks. He struck out eight and joined the 200K club for the first time in his career. The loss was his first since June 30.
Hughes, Casey Fien, and closer Glen Perkins kept the Wahoos completely at bay to the tune of just four hits, one of which was Carlos Santana’s single in the sixth where he was thrown out going for two. It just wasn’t their day.
Back to the business at hand. The Indians won another series. You will take two of three all day in every series. That is .667 ball. Now they continue the stretch of games with the soft underbelly of the American League. Houston comes to town for a three-game set and the Tribe will miss their best pitcher, Dallas Keuchel. Carlos Carrasco and his 12-inning scoreless streak will take the mound Friday night to see if he can keep his personal hot streak going. He will be opposed by Brad Peacock.
(photo via Jim Mone/Associated Press)
10 Comments
Yeah, hard to complain when you win the series.
Glad to see Walters playing well, but lordy does he have a weird game. Middle infield, plus power, strikes out a ton. Guys this season with around a 30% K rate and +.450 SLG: Christ Carter and Marlon Byrd. Maybe a Mark Reynolds in his prime. While I’ll take that, that seems unsustainable or at least a very fine line to walk. And when a guy like that slumps or loses a step, they tend to fall hard.
I think he’s going to be a very frustrating player to watch.
agree 100% on Walters. either he is going to learn to be more selective at the plate (BB% up, SO% down) or he is going to fall hard at some point. if he does figure it out though, then he’s going to be one of the ever more rare natural power hitters in MLB. I think Nelson Cruz is a good target for him (if he figures things out).
Still a great return. Frankly surprised that the Nats would rather go with ACab than him.
No doubt. If he does end up as a Cruz type, it’ll be another veteran rental swap steal (our specialty).
Cruz who?
always liked Nelson. just didn’t like the idea of paying $8-10mil for a 1 year rental while also giving up a 1st round pick and not knowing how he would come back from a PED suspension (would power still be there?).
I was speaking to the part of your statement “end up as a Cruz type” but I didn’t realize you had used the word “if” to start that statement. That’s a huge if in my book.
But as far as the money goes it’s not like the Indians don’t waste a ton of money. Myers, Axford, Raburn and Murphy all come to mind and everyone remembers Grady Sizemore. As for the draft pick, well, okay the Indians are finally producing some home grown talent but lets not kid our selves it’s not like the Indians draft well. As for the rental part, I could argue that Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn have all but been rentals with the number of games they’ve actually played. The sad part about them is they are rented for a few more years.
He could be Nelson Cruz…or the Russell Branyan of the middle infield.
He ain’t no Rusney Castillo I can tell you that! ;=)
Thanks for the well written analysis.
I have a request. In your future excellent work, if you would consider removing the written phrase “to the tune of”, I think it would improve you work.
Thank you for posting your articles.