Ball Played: Anything Brew can do Tribe can do better

There is just something about the Milwaukee Brewers that brings out the power slugging memories of the Cleveland Indians in the early seasons at Jacobs Field. Despite both teams changing ownership¹, the Brewers moving to the NL in 1998, the Detroit Tigers taking their place in the AL Central², and even Jacobs Field being renamed³, the two ballclubs getting back together required stadium personnel to bust out spare boxes of home run fireworks. And, just like in those days, the Cleveland Indians were the better team on Tuesday as they outslugged the Milwaukee Brewers and won 11-6.

Of course, it could just be that the Brewers pitching staff has the 24th ranked ERA and that the Indians are actually tied with the Brewers for 26th in home run rate given up this season, but that narrative is boring and based on facts. The more fun storyline is that the ghosts of Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Kenny Lofton, and Omar Vizquel make their way into the ballpark on these special nights and invigorate the team so that they can remind the fans⁴ of those wonderful glory years in the past with the hopes that the current young crop of players can recreate those seasons in the future. But, this time with the pitching necessary to win it all.

Keys of the Game

Anything Brew can do Tribe can do better:

Josh Tomlin pitched well enough last Thursday to deserve a ballad be written in his honor. However, the Indians had to realize that Josh Tomlin is still Josh Tomlin and accept that it was more likely than not that the Milwaukee Brewers were going to find a couple of pitches and deposit them over the outfield wall. As WFNY’s TD stated (most likely with a shrug) after one of these home runs given up on Tuesday:

Tomlin gonna Tomlin. #tribelive

— T.D. Dery (@TD1TribeKU) August 25, 2015

The important part of having Josh Tomlin pitching for your hometown ballclub is to have them respond. And, the more immediately they respond, the better. So, when Jonathan Lucroy reminded Indians fans of 2014 Silver Slugger Award winning version of catcher Yan Gomes by hitting a first inning solo home run, it was important for the Indians to respond in the bottom half of the inning. And, the Indians did just that by having four of the five batters reach safely off of Wily Peralta to begin the game. Only Francisco Lindor was out as Terry Francona had him sacrifice bunt Jason Kipnis over to third base despite his rather scorching August statistics. Regardless, the Indians scored two runs to counter the one run the Brewers had off the home run.

And, when Domingo Santana tied the game at two runs in the top of the second inning with another solo home run⁵ , the Indians could not allow that tie to stand. They might not have even needed shortstop Jean Segura’s help when he threw the ball away to allow Giovanny Urshela to reach safely. Nor did they likely need Scooter Gennett’s help with a second consecutive error when Jose Ramirez dribbled into what should have been a fielder’s choice at second base. But, that type of help is what happens when a team is 27th in defensive runs saved on the season⁶. Of course, the Indians were not complaining either as Kipnis and Lindor followed those gifts up with hits to ensure that two more runs were scored and the Indians led 4-2 after two innings⁷.

Finally, when Ryan Webb caught Tomlin-itis and allowed Lucroy to hit his second home run of the night in the eighth inning (this one a two-run blast), the Indians needed to close the door on the game. Michael Brantley joined the three-hit brigade by lining his second two-run home run to the right field gap (Kipnis, Lindor, and Brantley each had three hits on Tuesday). The 11-6 margin that the home run gave would also serve as the game’s final score.

In fact, the only time during the evening that the Indians did not immediately respond to the Brewers scoring runs was when Ryan Braun reminded everyone of the player he was before he not only cheated by taking PEDs, but also went on a national rampage defending himself (only for it to come out later that he was, in fact, guilty). Perhaps, the Indians were too disgusted by the sixth inning home run to respond properly. Or, there was the little fact that even the two-run shot left the game with the Indians winning 9-4.

Wait, there’s more!:

It is fun when more than one key category gets to be dedicated to the offense. Despite six response runs by the Indians being detailed above, there are still five runs unaccounted.

Two of those runs were courtesy of Michael Brantley’s first home run in the fourth inning, which was a full inning after the Indians had chased starter Peralta from the game and had the privilege of facing the shell of the one-time starter Kyle Lohse⁸ . On his second home run, he would escort Lindor to home plate, so it is only fitting that Kipnis would be the benefactor of this earlier home run. Those three hitters have been on somewhat of a roll lately as WFNY’s Jacob Rosen noted:

Since the All-Star Break:
Michael Brantley .385/.483/.631
Francisco Lindor .362/.396/.517
Jason Kipnis .329/.396/.412

— Jacob L. Rosen (@JacobLRosen) August 26, 2015

In addition, Kipnis and Lindor did not spend the entire night merely on the receiving end of scoring runs. No, they also were helping give the gift of runs scored to teammates. In the fifth inning, Honest Abe Almonte drove a line drive off the very tippy top in the left field gap, and he was able to glide into third base because he did not assume that it was a home run and took off at full speed from the batter’s box⁹. Jose Ramirez also walked to set the stage for the top of the lineup to do their damage despite two outs also having been recorded.

Jason Kipnis pushed a single to right field to wet the appetite of the fans. Then, the Francisco Kid took hold of a pitch and drove it deep into right field. It would stay inside the ballpark, but was easily deep enough for Jose Ramirez and Jason Kipnis to score. When the relay throw bled through into the infield, Lindor decided to try his luck at creating a triple out of the hit. As Lindor and Herrera both dove for third base, it became obvious that it was a risk that would not pay off.

No matter, Lindor popped up, flashed a smile, and went to grab his glove as all in attendance showered him with cheers from a standing ovation.

D-Fence, clap-clap, D-Fence, clap-clap:

The Cleveland Indians defense has climbed to a top 10 ranking in Fangraph’s DRS standing for defensive runs saved. To think the season started with such horrific defense that some suggested it might be one of the worst ever to be assembled. Yes, it has required promoting Urshela, Lindor, Chisenhall finding a surprising home in right field, and finding a replacement center fielder, but these things were all known as possible upgrades in Spring Training when it was written that the Indians could field at least an average defensive team (once those promotions and changes were made).

It is getting to the point where when Abraham Almonte makes a simple catch on a ball in front of him, I am left disappointed. His running towards the wall plays with his glove outstretched and his back to the plate have become as fun as they have become commonplace. Sure, it’s not the best technique and some old fuddy-duddies might give him some grief over it, but it seems to be working for him just fine. On Tuesday, it was Shane Peterson that sent a ball to the center field wall in the third inning that required Almonte to track it down and make such a catch.

Giovanny Urshela continues to prove his MLB-worthiness with his glove. Lucroy had a big night (3-for-4 with two home runs), but it could have been even bigger had Urshela not snared a frozen rope that seemed destined to land in left field when it left his bat instead of the leather on Urshela’s hand. In the seventh, Urshela looked more like Omar Vizquel as he charged a softly hit ball by Santana and made a spectacular play look easy as he fired the ball to first base ahead of the runner¹⁰.

Those plays were merely the appetizer though as Giovanny Urshela made Peterson wish he had taken the night off when he made another play that would remind most of Manny Machado. Peterson hit the all right down the third base line and momentum carried Urshela into foul territory. With his body going away from the diamond and first base getting further and further away, Urshela made like Johnny Manziel and threw across his body and the field on the run. The ball hit its intended target and Santana ensured the out by making the tag. It was beautiful. So beautiful.

And, Michael Brantley continued to demonstrate that his back is feeling just fine these days when he robbed Ryan Braun of a hit by making a sliding catch off a Ryan Braun blooper in the eighth inning.

Even the fans are now getting into the defensive act:

Key Scorecard:
Milwaukee Brewers: Not enough
Cleveland Indians: Plenty

The Numbers

There are some good things and some bad things that came out of this game, here they are in numerical format

Now batting from the Cleveland Indians….300!
Jason Kipnis .324
Francisco Lindor .306
Michael Brantley .320

In an era where batting averages above .300 are scarce commodity (only 11 qualified batters are .300 or better – no Lindor is not qualified), the Cleveland Indians have three batters above .300 at the top of their order.

The Professional (hat-tip, August Fagerstrom for the name)

Important to note that yes, Lindor and Brantley have their own named handshake routine, and that it is fantastic.

Eric Stratton, rush chairman.

Damn glad to meet ya.

(Google "Animal House," kids.) pic.twitter.com/YMx88t8GMo

— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) August 26, 2015

Carlos Santana RBI-machine

Carlos Santana continued his rather strange recent run that was mentioned on Tuesday in his Bode Plot deep dive. He went 1-for-5, which is not particularly good (especially on a night when opposing pitchers are giving out 13 hits). However, he made the most out of that hit (a double) as he recorded a RBI.

In fact, the last Santana hit that was not of the RBI-producing variety, was on August 18 versus the Boston Red Sox.

1. Brewers now owned by Los Angelean Mark Attanasio [↩]
2. Imagine a division with no Tigers, it’s beautiful, right? [↩]
3. The Flo! [↩]
4. all 11,687 in attendance [↩]
5. Note: Tomlin otherwise struck out the side in the second inning. [↩]
6. Indians are top 10 now. [↩]
7. Kipnis even gave one of those gifts back by being a tad too aggressive running towards home on Brantley’s grounder. [↩]
8. Life comes at you fast Mr. Lohse. You were really good once upon a time. [↩]
9. Yes, my younger son noticed it and applauded him for it. He HATES MLB players who saunter out of the box. Let’s just say the he isn’t Yasiel Puig’s biggest fan. [↩]
10. Though to be fair, he did not bare-hand it as Vizquel surely would have. [↩]