A trick play, an interesting fact and stepping aside …While We’re Waiting
September 17, 2014Is Tristan Thompson a “skilled NBA mooch?”
September 17, 2014This just in: Corey Kluber is good a baseball. While Opening Day starter, Justin Masterson, was a complete and utter flop and later traded to St. Louis at the deadline, the Tribe’s number two turned himself into not just the ace of the staff, but a Cy Young candidate in the process. Kluber is flat out special. What we have seen from him this year may be even more impressive than Cliff Lee’s dominant 2008 season.
Just three starts ago, there were concerns that Kluber had worn down by going way over his previous career high in innings-pitched. Hogwash, I tell ya! After getting a tad testy with media members who asked the question, Corey let his pitching do the talking. He pitched a complete game in a win over Chicago then followed it up with an eight and a third, two earned run performance to beat the Twins. So what did he do for an encore to those two starts? How does 14 Ks through seven innings of one-run ball sound to you?
“There were times tonight we needed strikeouts, not just outs,” Terry Francona said. “He looks as strong as ever.”
The punch outs came in pairs. Incredibly, he struck out two Astros in each of the first seven innings. He got them with his fastball, his cutter, and his slider. He got them up in the zone and down, away and in. You name it, Kluber baffled the Astros with it. His 14 whiffs set a new career high. It was his 10th game with 10 or more strikeouts, which is the first time that has happened for an Indians pitcher since 1970. Look up “dominant” in the dictionary, and there should be a picture of mean face Kluber.
The offense did just enough against something called a “Nick Tropeano.” They received some help from bad Astros defense. First inning singles from Michael Bourn and Michael Brantley spawned an RBI ground out from Carlos Santana to put the Tribe on the board first. The Astros tied the game in the bottom of the frame on a two-out RBI single by Marwin Gonzalez. After that, it was nada for the ‘Stros.
The Tribe took a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in the fourth. With two outs and Lonnie Chisenhall on first, Yan Gomes sent a slicer to left for a single. Outfielder Robbie Grossman booted the ball which allowed Lonnie to come around all the way from first to score. Two innings later, it was Gomes who once again put the game away.
With first base open and the left-handed Jason Giambi on deck, interim manager Tom Lawless thought it was a good idea to let lefty Darrin Downs pitch to the Yanimal. It wasn’t. Gomes sent a laser over the high wall in left for a two-run homer. Terry Francona should send Lawless a thank you card.
Kluber? With a three run lead the way he was going? Houston had no chance. He would depart after seven innings and 110 pitches with those 14 strikeouts.
Francona is one loyal guy. Loyal to a fault at times. Poor Bryan Shaw. His arm is going to fall off. He says he is healthy, but the last few weeks have been a real struggle for him. He made his league leading 75th appearance Tuesday night and again was not real sharp. Obviously, he has been the eighth inning guy all year and with a 4-1 lead, that’s who should be out there pitching. You want Shaw back out there, back on the horse, after his back-to-back blown leads in Detroit over the weekend? But there he was again, putting himself in a dicey situation.
A leadoff walk to Chris Carter and a two-out single by Max Stassi (my in-laws, by the way are Max and Stacey!) brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Alex Presley. Presley singled to inch the Astros closer and Francona finally had seen enough. On came closer Cody Allen for the four-out save. Pinch hitter Jason Castro was now the lead run with two on and two out. The catcher laced one to left, but Brantley ran it down to end the threat.
Exhale.
Allen would retire the Astros in order for his 21st save of the season. The win was badly needed and ended the Tribe’s four-game losing streak.
“We’re trying to finish the year strong these last two weeks,” said Francona. “We’re showing up every day to win and meet our goals, period.”
Game three of the series in Houston features Carlos Carrasco and lefty Brett Oberholzer.
23 Comments
Pffffttt….and it took him 110pitches to do it 😉
Kluber is really good and it’s a shame that our team didn’t do enough around him to give him a chance to show himself in October.
It was also good to see a bunch of the young kids play later in the game. How did the defense look? Any of the young players making a statement? I flipped through some of the ABs this morning, but it’s killing me not being able to watch the whole game live.
He still isn’t winning it but I’ll settle for him pitching this way next season. Astros sure like to swing at pitches!
71E to I-10 E to 59S. Get off on Hamilton.
Sounds so simple until you factor in the 7+ hours of drive time.
Lol, I think your directions are bad, 71 starts at the 10 (and is inland a bit)
He is giving the directions from Austin. I actually work closely to 71, so if I take it East to 10-E, then take 59-S in Houston, I’d arrive at Minute Maid.
I’ve stayed at the Westin and the Sam Houston, which are both walking distances to MMP (gotta watch those groupons). The series being middle of the week just made it not possible this time around.
Though Houston still ended up with double the attendance for a Tuesday game for a team fighting the cellar than the Indians did for Sunday game against the Tigers.
No quicker way to get from Brady to El Campo.
I’m less than 15 minutes away and I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to any games.
Maybe if it wasn’t during the school year.
wait, there are places South of I-10 and West of Freeport? Surely, you jest.
So claims Google Maps. I for one am not convinced.
yeah, how dare they not adhere to my schedule. it does make it impossible with school and the kids’ sport practices/games.
So even though I declared the season dead, I woke up this morning thinking the playoffs are still possible. Why? Mainly because we’re chasing the Mariners and Royals, two of the few MLB franchises more hapless and star crossed than us.
Okay, I think M`s probably deserve it the most, but we all know that doesn’t mean much. Let’s take a look at the schedules and remember we have 4 games to make up (yes, I’m just counting the 1/2 inning game to make it easier).
M`s:
2 @Angels
3 @Astros
4@Blue Jays (who are tied w/ Indians)
3 v. Angels
Royals:
1 v. Chris Sale
3 v. Tigers
3 @ Indians
4 @ White Sox
Indians:
2 @Astros
3 @Twins
3 v. Royals
3 v. Rays
So, outside the Royals (whom we have to sweep to even consider things, really), we have a pretty hapless bunch left. If we go 10-1 over those 11 games, then we need the Royals to go 6-5 (6-2 outside our sweep). That seems do-able though unlikely for us. Continuing, the M`s would also have to go 6-6 with the Blue Jays not matching our wins.
It is not out of the question, but obviously we have to go on a pretty good tear here and we are not slated to start Kluber v. KC either.
Yeah, the whole thing is predicated on the unlikely scenario that we basically win out.
Looking at the numbers, it seems highly unlikely. I can see us catching the Royals, but not the M’s. Way to kill my last vestige of hope.
unless the M`s get swept by Toronto as we sweep the Royals!!!
That’d be the last few miles of a 1,300 mile drive, give or take. Here’s the part I know: Turn right when you get to Oklahoma.
Wait, aren’t you coming from the East? If so, then turning right would put you in Omaha. Wrong time of year for good baseball up there.
Scratch that… I’m a nincompoop.
Is that all? Good lord man I’m having my cooks brew up a special batch of Kool-Aid in your honor!
http://www.x-entertainment.com/pics/kool1.jpg
We’re all bozos on this bus.
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ee/07/25/ee0725daa1417f633f76a5418a45eb42.jpg
After 4+ years of hoping/pretending Justin Masterson was our ace, it’s really refreshing to have the real thing come out of nowhere. And to think he’ll be under Indians control for another half-decade! It will really give the farm system time to develop some front-of-the-rotation starters, the only true Achilles heel of the Antonetti era.
On a side note, how about a round of applause for Eddie Taubensee, the ultimate Indians trade chip and the gift that keeps on giving! Consider the following trade “tree”:
Taubensee –> Lofton –> Justice –> Westbrook –> Kluber.
Look at that. One middling prospect produces 3 All-Stars plus one of the biggest snubs of the last few years! Once Kluber makes the AST next year (and if he has half-decent numbers at the break in 2015, he’ll make it on rep alone), that’ll be 4-for-4 in terms of All Stars. Long live Eddie!