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June 22, 2015While the Cleveland Indians spent much of the weekend celebrating the 20-year reunion of their storied 1995 roster — a team with a ridiculous .839 collective OPS — the current incarnation of the club seemed determined to show its nostalgic fan base just how rare and precious the commodity of offense has become in 2015. In a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays (40-31), Cleveland (32-36) scored a grand total of three runs — a solitary tally for each contest. And while that sort of output wasn’t going to remind anyone of the heydays of Lofton, Thome, Belle, and Ramirez, it was still enough to squeak out one victory, thanks to the exploits of a rookie pitcher who was five years old when you bought your VHS copy of Wahoo! What a Finish!
Come to think of it, if memories were people, our recollections of the 1995 Indians would almost be of legal drinking age. And the more you think about that, appropriately enough, the more you’ll want to drink. Back in the strike-shortened 144-game season of ’95, the Cleveland offense was held to one run or less on just 10 occasions. Through 68 games this year, the 2015 Tribe has already had 15 such games — five of them on days in which Cy Young winner Corey Kluber was on the hill.
But rather than wasting time comparing a decent enough ballclub to a once-in-a-lifetime juggernaut, maybe it’d be healthier to try and appreciate the current Cleveland lineup on its own merits. After all, just because thousands of runs are scored over the course of a Major League Baseball season, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stop to appreciate just how much work went into each one. A run is like a snowflake — special, unique, and increasingly complex the closer you look at it. And while a run in baseball may not be as rare or exciting as, say, a goal in soccer, it at least involves fewer Dutch men with mohawks running around with their shirts off.
So, to commemorate this special weekend of Indians baseball, let us revisit each one of the three runs your beloved boys of summer were kind enough to bestow upon you.
Rule 5.08 (A): One run shall be scored each time a runner legally advances to and touches first, second, third, and home base before three men are put out to end the inning.
Run No. 1: A Wild Pitch to Remember
Game 1, Inning 1, Two Men On Base, Carlos Santana at Bat
It wouldn’t be accurate to say that the first inning of Friday night’s game set the tone for the entire series, because it pretty clearly didn’t. But no one can accuse the Indians offense of holding out on the hometown fans on “1995 Reunion Night.” The bats came out swinging off Tampa starter Nate Karns, as Jason Kipnis led off the first inning with a double to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, and young phenom Francisco Lindor reached base on a bunt single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. After Michael Brantley lined out to first, Carlos Santana stepped to the plate with an opportunity to even the score after the Rays’ Joey Butler (no relation to Joey Belle) had homered in the top of the inning. Could Santana come through with that big clutch hit to help pick up Tribe starter Carlos Carrasco?
No. But the Axe Man’s famous plate discipline paid big dividends as he watched an errant Karns pitch scoot away from catcher Rene Rivera. Without hesitation, Santana aggressively waved his arm in the direction of Kipnis at third base, summoning his teammate to take advantage of this fortuitous twist of fate and claim what was rightfully his. And claim it he did, tearing down the line and crossing home plate to tie the game as Rivera and Karns sunk their heads in defeat. The Indians had tied the game!*
*The Indians lost the game 4-1. Karns (4-3) was the winner. Carrasco (8-6) was the loser. Kipnis had three hits. The rest of the team had four.
Run No. 2: The Force-out That Launched 1,000 Ships
Game 2, Inning 8, Bases Loaded, Francisco Lindor at Bat
Lindor-mania has already taken Cleveland by storm, as all the enthusiasm the city was pumping into the Cavaliers’ NBA title chase has been re-bottled and assigned to the 21-year-old Puerto Rican prospect. Some say Francisco will need some time to adjust to Major League pitching, and that his glove is still well ahead of his bat. But on Saturday night, in front of a near sellout crowd (“near” meaning just 14,000 shy or so), the youngster came up to the plate in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and his team trailing 4-0. It was the sort of scenario that winds up on page one of a legend’s memoir. One big swing would not only give Lindor his first big league homer, it would also tie the game and save Corey Kluber from the frustration of yet another tough luck loss. The crowd — presumably none of whom had left the park at this point in the thrilling contest — roared in anticipation.
Remember when Albert Belle hit that game-winning grand slam off Lee Smith in ’95? Well, that didn’t happen this time. Lindor hit a grounder to second base, leading to a force-out of Kipnis at second…but the Rays couldn’t turn the inning-ending double play, as Lindor beat out the throw to first, successfully scoring Michael Bourn from third on the fielder’s choice! It was now 4-1 Tampa, and the Tribe still had two men on with two outs.*
*The Indians lost the game 4-1. Michael Brantley grounded out right after Lindor, and after loading the bases again in the ninth inning, Giovanny Urshela struck out to end the game. Cleveland was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Corey Kluber (7 IP, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K) took the loss (3-9), matching his loss total from all of 2014. The Rays only got three innings from starter Erasmo Ramirez, but still won with a bunch of middle relievers dominating the Indians line-up. Jason Kipnis had two hits. The rest of the team had four.
Run No. 3: A Man’s Gotta Have a Cody
Game 3, Inning 9, Bases Loaded, David Murphy at Bat
Facing the possibility of a sweep, the Indians came in fired up for the finale of the series, taking on the Rays’ inconsistent starter Alex Colomé — who’d been bombed in his last outing for six runs in two innings. Yes, it’s true that Colomé didn’t allow a base runner until the sixth inning this time around, when Michael Bourn broke up a perfect game with a single. But the bigger news was that Cleveland’s own starter — rookie Cody Anderson, making his Major League debut in place of the DFAed Shaun Marcum — was nearly matching Colomé pitch for pitch.
Anderson, who had a 1.89 ERA in 13 starts between Akron and Columbus this season, held Tampa scoreless through 7.2 innings, allowing just six hits and one walk and striking out four. It was the longest appearance by an Indians starter in his debut since OSU grad Scott Lewis, who pitched eight innings of shutout ball in his first game back in 2008. Lewis only ended up pitching in four more games for the rest of his career, but why rain on Anderson’s parade with unnecessary details like that? The kid was excellent all night, working out of mini jams several times and never losing his composure. At 24, he doesn’t exactly inject the Indians’ youthful rotation with veteran savvy, nor is he likely to put up the kind of dominant strikeout numbers the rest of the rotation is. But Anderson is at least more intriguing as a long-term option than Marcum or Bruce Chen, and he saved the day in this one, giving the Indians a chance for their obligatory one run to mean something a little more.
With Kevin Jepsen on the mound in the ninth inning of a 0-0 game, Roberto Perez led off with a single on a grounder through the left side. Jason Kipnis singled through the right side next, moving his hit streak to 16 games and pushing the winning run 90 feet from home. After Francisco Lindor failed to plate Perez on a line drive to left field, the Rays intentionally walked Michael Brantley to load the bases for David Murphy with one out. The last time we saw all eyes on Murph in the ninth, he was pitching and it was unpleasant. Tonight, however, the Cleveland faithful finally got their 1995-style 9th inning drama. Was it a moon shot to the bleachers, like Manny Ramirez off Dennis Eckersley? Again, no. But Murphy’s lazy fly ball to center field — followed by Roberto Perez’s stumbling slide into home and catcher Curt Casali’s failure to catch the ball — gave the Indians a 1-0 triumph and their first walk-off win of 2015! I’m not going to mention how many of those there were in ’95. But hey, Wahoo! What a finish! I suppose.
Cody Allen (1-2) got the win. Jason Kipnis had a hit. The rest of the team, combined, had two.
Looks like we’re ready for another showdown with Detroit! One run to rule them all, One run to find them; One run to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
14 Comments
Congratulations Andrew – you actually found a way to make this otherwise pathetic, disgusting weekend of so-called baseball enjoyable.
It could be a long summer.
If Anderson can follow up this start with a couple more solid outings, we could have a very special starting 5 for the rest of the year (and, barring injuries, the decade). We’ve come a long way since the beginning of lady season when the SR was our “ace” Justin Masterson and four question marks.
But oh, that lineup. With Gomes and to a lesser extent Brantley, injuries have made it Kipnis and 8 question marks. The middle of the order ranks among the worst in the league, particularly with respect to lack of HR power. I’m about ready to give up on Santana coming around this year as he did in 2014. As for Moss, I’ll avoid the “B”-word (bust) but he’s been at best a disappointment. I really hoped that clearing out the offensive black holes of Ramirez and Chiz would make the lineup much more effective 1-9 but without a few guys in the 4-5-6 spot who can hit the ball over the fence, this team doesn’t look like it will ever be able to score runs consistently.
We are giving Carlos credit for wild-pitches now? Interesting…
I lolled at the Lindor recap.
Agree with the earlier games (Friday never felt like they were even in the game and only so many times I can stand watching Tribe burn opportunities like they did on Saturday), but Sunday was beautiful. One of the best games of the year.
When the bats aren’t working, we better see great pitching, great defensive effort, attempts to bleed the most out of any possible opportunity on the basepaths. We saw it all and it was puncuated by a Roberto Perez completely unnecessary but emphatic stomp on the plate (as he had already touched home sliding through).
I certainly enjoy a pitchers duel as much as the next guy, but would prefer it come after my team has actually put up some runs in the previous games.
’14 Carlos (through June 21): .201/.356/.384 9 2B, 11 HR
’15 Carlos (through June 21): .211/.357/.372 11 2B, 8 HR
I’m not happy about the lack of power thus far either (will take extra bases in any form), but it is nearly an identical start that he had last year before ripping off a strong summer. We’ll see if he can do it again.
True. Long, yet not an Indian summer.
Yeah, it’s not a duel if one side (our hitters) is unarmed…and crippled.
Just like in Back to the Future, the unarmed man/team won
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/bttf/images/b/bc/Marty_duel.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20070213220220
Brandon Moss is simply being Brandon Moss, not sure what you were expecting from him?
HA!
All staff references to Lord of the Rings are vigorously encouraged.
Can’t wait to get swept by the Tigers at home.