While We’re Waiting… Odds on O’Neal, Keeping the DeRosas, and more on Joe Tait
June 15, 2009Shaq Deal Too Little Too Late?
June 15, 2009Cliff Lee is a stud. No two ways about it, Tribe fans. He has proved it for a year and a half, and did it once again last night. The current AL Cy Young award holder had a no-hitter into the eighth inning and finished off the Cardinals for a three-hit, complete game shutout as the Indians won 3-0 in a tidy one hour and 58 minutes.
Lee’s arm and the long-ball did in Tony Larussa’s ego team. (SIDE NOTE #1 – I hope you caught Larussa’s dugout interview with the ESPN crew. Dan Shulman says “thanks for taking the time to talk to us” and Larussa says “I’m sure I wont be enjoying it.” Points for an honest response.) It was 2-0 in the blink of an eye thanks to a Jamey Carroll walk and a Mark DeRosa two run shot to left, his 11th of the season. Kelly Shoppach added a solo blast of his own in the fifth to finish the scoring.
But this night was all about Lee. At one point, the Wahoo ace retired 2o straight from the first to Yadier Molina’s double to lead off the eighth and end Cliff’s no-hit bid.
It was vintage Cliff after the game when asked about his no-hit bid: “Whatever, man,” Lee said. “They didn’t score any runs, that’s the ultimate goal. I knew I had a no-hitter, but I wasn’t real excited or anything. I didn’t want to get caught up in it. When we got the win, then I was excited.”
He was painting corners and working both sides of the plate with precision. He was as close to perfect as we have seen him, and this was the guy who went 22-3 last year. Talk about precision – Cliff threw just 93 pitches on the night, 70 for strikes. “I started locating my fastball on both sides of the plate, but my changeup was key,” Lee said. “I had a good change and got some outs with it.” “Cliff had great arm action with the change-up,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “He was really selling it.”
After seeing Albert Pujols single-handedly take down his team on Saturday, Cliff didn’t shy away from the best hitter in the game. He went right at him with a rising fastball and a knee-buckling change-up. Even Pujols was no match for Lee on this night. (SIDE NOTE #2 – any particular reason that Eric Wedge and Carl Willis didn’t instruct Tomo Ohka to toss four pitches in the dirt after the first Pujols homer? I mean, look at that lineup. Other than Albert, who exactly scares you? Ryan Ludwick? Please. With that one year fluke? Avoiding Pujols Saturday for the last eight innings gives the Tribe a sweep.)
In the meantime, anyone who thinks this season is over is kidding themselves. The Tribe has now won three straight series after knocking down two of three from St. Louis. The Red, White, and Blue truly have taken on the personality of their manager Eric Wedge. Despite the fact that they are missing Grady Sizemore and 60% of their rotation, they “haven’t given into the fight,” they continue to play hard every day and are finding ways to win, unlike they had during their miserable April.
Wedge’s crew, still grinding, is now six games out of first and just two and a half games behind second place Minnesota. Make no mistake, this division is wide open for any of the five teams to grab. All it takes is one long winning streak. Look at the Tigers. They won seven in a row earlier in May and that is the sole reason they sit atop the Comedy Central. Now the Indians get two more NL Central foes in Milwaukee (Monday-Wednesday) and the Cubs (at Wrigley, Friday-Sunday), who are both scuffling at the moment. Carl Pavano (6-5, 5.40) opens the series for the Tribe tonight against Dave Bush (3-3, 4.58).
13 Comments
Pujols looked lost against Cliff last night. Masterful.
I just cannot believe this team is not out of it yet. When you look at who/what the Tribe runs out there most nights, this team should be 10+ games back right now.
Thank goodness for the AL Central!
Is anyone else not just surprised, but flat-out alarmed that the Indians’ divisional deficit is down to six games after the Tigers floundered against the mediocre Buccos? Begging the question, if the Indians win the division with nobody in the ballpark, do they still get to go to the playoffs…?
“Comedy Central” – I like that.
If they start improving it just means there won’t be any changes for next year. Even if they should make it to the playoffs they aren’t going to beat a team like the red sox or yankees.
Thanks for the optism, Marc.
Given all the Tribe has faced this year, I’ll take my chances with what we have now, combined with a healthy Westbrook, Pronk, Grady, Betancourt against the so called “beasts of the east.”
A “grind” of a season in the Central could be exactly what we need in a playoff run.
Woah, woah, woah there folks. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves with the playoff talk. Yes the Indians are playing better (winning the last 3 series) and yes the AL Central is putrid, but this team is still several games back of .500 and is sitting in LAST place in that aforementioned putrid division. It’s a nice change of pace that this team MIGHT be worth watching again, but I’m still not very confident about their chances. They seem to be teetering along now held together by scotch tape and band-aids.
If they are within a couple game of .500 at the All Star break and within 3-4 games of the AL Central lead, maybe then it’s worth talking about if they can contend.
Good point, AMC.
I tend to jump way ahead of rational thought when we look good in front of a nationally televised audience.
Baby steps … baby steps …
I’m sorry, can’t get excited about winning a few series in a row. I see Lee dominate and think: he’s meeting with his financial planner right after the game, and he’s gone any minute. I see Shoppach playing wall ball and think: wow, an opponent with scouting so bad they actually don’t throw him a fastball above the eyes followed by two breaking balls in the dirt. Even when Grady and his big, pull-happy uppercut swing come back, this lineup defines “mediocre,” offensively and defensively. If the Browns reach this level of competence, it will be refreshing. But for a supposedly solid organization? Blah.
For the Indians to make a run they have to keep playing good defense, get good pitching, and score more runs. Oh wait, that’s every team.
But in all seriousness. They are playing better and a lot of guys have picked up their level of play. Francisco has stepped up some, Carroll has been decent in the lead off spot. If A-Cab can hit like he was when he gets back, V-mart and Choo continue to produce and Pronk gets it back. We will be good.
We do have to go out and make a trade though, a starting pitcher or a bat. Probably a starter though. I wonder what it would take to get Dan Haren from the D-Backs? It’d be expensive, but it just might be worth it. Lee and Haren? WOW.
Oh ya, they should pick up Lee’s option then re-sign him this offseason to a new 5 or 6 year deal. I think he’s proven he’s for real.
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