Cleveland Indians: Carrasco, Tribe Win Rubber Match

6-29-11     at Arizona     W, 6-2     42-37

     Baseball teams that play in the southwest have been known to wilt during the hot summer months, but the Indians definitely enjoyed their brief trip to the Arizona desert.

     On Wednesday afternoon, Carlos Carrasco tossed 7 strong innings, and the Cleveland offense exploded for 6 runs and 15 hits as the Tribe produced a series victory over the Diamondbacks.

     Carrasco continued to show why he might actually be the ace of the Indians rotation.  The young right-hander did allow solo home runs to Justin Upton and Stephen Drew, but his final numbers were brilliant.  Carrasco yielded only 4 base-hits, he struck out 7, and he merited his 4th win of the month.

     On the other side of the pitching matchup, Zach Duke was not nearly as effective as his counterpart.  The Tribe tallied 4 times off Duke in 5 frames, and the Arizona lefty suffered the defeat.

     Carrasco was the only member of Cleveland's starting lineup that did not reach base at least once.  Carrasco did have a pair of sacrifice bunts, but the 2 Cabreras, Orlando and Asdrubal, were the stars of the show.  Orlando and Asdrubal combined to collect 7 hits, 2 RBI, and 2 runs.

Carrasco improved his record to 8-4

Cleveland Indians: Pena's Blast Sinks the Tribe

6-28-11     at Arizona     L, 6-4     41-37

     On Tuesday night at Chase Field, the Indians and Diamondbacks exchanged leads and several clutch hits as the contest neared its climax.  But, unfortunately for the Tribe, the D-backs had the last at-bat and, consequently, the last laugh.

     Tony Sipp immediately encountered trouble in the bottom of the 9th when he walked the lead-off man, Ryan Roberts.  Sipp then completely forgot about Roberts, and the speedy 3rd baseman easily stole both 2nd and 3rd.  Sipp was able to record 2 outs before Wily Mo Pena stepped to the plate and brought the evening's proceedings to an abrupt halt.  Pena turned on a hanging slider and drilled it over the left field wall.  Sipp walked dejectedly off the mound, while the Diamondbacks celebrated their walk-off victory.

     Pena's heroics were made possible by an Indians rally in the top of the 9th.  Facing J.J. Putz, Orlando Cabrera worked a walk, and Carlos Santana launched a game-tying, 2-run homer inside the right field foul pole.

     After 4 1/2 innings of play, the Tribe enjoyed a 2-0 advantage, but the D-backs scored 4 unanswered runs to shift the momentum.

     Overshadowed by the defeat was the fact that Josh Tomlin had 1 of his best games at the major league level.  Tomlin allowed only 2 tallies in 7 frames of work, and he collected 2 base-hits, a bunt single and a RBI single.

A scene the Indians did not want to see

Cleveland Indians: Orlando's Homer Propels Tribe to Victory

6-27-11     at Arizona     W, 5-4     41-36

     Orlando Cabrera jacked a 2-out, 9th inning homer, Lonnie Chisenhall made his major league debut, and the Indians slipped past the Diamondbacks to begin an interleague series between a pair of surprising teams.

     Arizona, the National League West's 2nd place club, rallied to tie the game off of Vinnie Pestano in the bottom of the 8th.  Kelly Johnson's RBI triple evened the score at 4, but Pestano and Chris Perez were able to strand Johnson at 3rd base.

     The momentum had shifted toward the Tribe.

     J.J. Putz, the D-backs closer, was given the task of holding the Cleveland bats silent in the top of the 9th.  Putz did complete the 9th, but he was unable to silence Cabrera.  The veteran 2nd baseman, who had been inserted for defensive purposes in the 7th, lofted a solo home run into the 1st row of the left field bleachers.

     Perez returned and finished off the Diamondbacks in the last of the 9th to earn the win.

     The dramatic victory put the Indians' frustrating weekend at AT&T Park in the proverbial rear-view mirror, and Chisenhall also gave the team a glimpse of the future.  The highly-touted prospect started at 3rd base and collected 2 base-hits, a double and a single.  The single, which occurred in the 6th, plated the Tribe's 4th tally.

     Asdrubal Cabrera continued his magical season as he launched a 2-run shot in the 1st.

Asdrubal scores on a close play at the plate

Cleveland Indians: Carmona's Solid Outing Not Enough

6-26-11     at San Francisco     L, 3-1     40-36

     The rumors were swirling as Fausto Carmona delivered his 1st pitch, a fastball strike to Andres Torres, on Sunday night at San Francisco's AT&T Park.  Several baseball experts were claiming that if Carmona did not pitch well, he would be removed from the Tribe's starting rotation.  But Carmona, who had allowed at least 4 runs in each of his previous 8 outings, silenced the critics by yielding only 3 tallies over 6 frames of work.  However, that quality start, Carmona's 1st since May 8th, simply netted him his 10th loss of the season.

     Carmona's mound opponent, Madison Bumgarner, overpowered the Indians offense.  Bumgarner limited the Tribe to 1 run in 7 innings, and the big left-hander struck out a career-high 11 batters.

     Aided by a horrendous call, Cleveland scratched for its only run in the 6th.  Following Michael Brantley's lead-off walk, Orlando Cabrera hit a grounder down the 3rd base line that was clearly foul.  Due to an injury sustained by Hunter Wendelstedt, there were only 3 umpires instead of the usual 4.  On this particular play, none of the 3 umps had a clear view, the ball was ruled fair, and Cabrera had himself a gift double.  Moments later, Asdrubal Cabrera's tapper to shortstop plated Brantley.

     Chris Stewart, the Giants catcher, produced the biggest hit of the game, a 2-out, 2-run double in the bottom of the 2nd.

Despite a decent start, Carmona suffered his 10th defeat

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Finds Another Way to Lose

6-25-11     at San Francisco     L, 1-0     40-35

     The Indians knew a 10-day road trip to 3 different National League cities would be a grind, but they never expected to make it so difficult on themselves.

     Following Friday night's meltdown lowlighted by Carlos Santana's 2 6th inning errors that led to 3 unearned runs and, ultimately, a Giants victory, the Indians experienced a sickening case of deja vu on Saturday afternoon.

     Justin Masterson and Matt Cain were locked in a classic pitchers' duel as the game entered the the bottom of the 7th.  Leading off for San Francisco, Nate Schierholtz laced a liner to the left-center field gap, but he stumbled, fell flat on his face, and was thrown out attempting to scamper to 3rd base.  Bolstered by Schierholtz's gaffe, Masterson induced a weak bouncer off the bat of Miguel Tejada.  However, Cord Phelps, the 2nd baseman, made a wide throw to 1st, enabling Tejada to reach safely.  The next batter, Chris Stewart, popped out, and Masterson was on the verge of rendering Phelps' miscue a meaningless footnote.  But Phelps did the unthinkable: he committed another error.  Cain chopped a routine grounder off the glove of Phelps, and the Giants suddenly had a legitimate threat.  Sensing that, Manny Acta summoned Tony Sipp from the bullpen.  The usually reliable Sipp issued a walk to load the bases, and then he balked home the go-ahead run.  The defending world champs were on the scoreboard despite not collecting a base-knock.

     Cleveland had a golden opportunity in the 8th, but it was wasted.  After Travis Hafner and Michael Brantley hit back-to-back singles, Phelps dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt.  The Giants' slim lead was looking even slimmer, but Adam Everett, pinch-running for Hafner, was thrown out at the plate on Asdrubal Cabrera's tapper to 3rd.  Carlos Santana was intentionally walked, and Grady Sizemore's groundout ended the frame.

     Brian Wilson and his thick, black beard slammed the door on the Indians' last gasp in the 9th.

     Justin Masterson, who has been unable to notch a W since April 26th, was once again a tough-luck loser.  Masterson yielded only the 1 unearned run in his 6 2/3 innings of work.

The Tribe failed to overcome Sipp's stunning balk

    

Cleveland Indians: Carrasco Receives Very Little Support

6-25-11     at San Francisco     L, 4-3     40-34

     Carlos Carrasco clearly deserved to win.

     The Tribe's right-handed hurler surrendered only 1 earned run in a complete game effort on Friday evening at AT&T Park, but neither his offense or his defense offered much help.

     Despite the fact that the Indians managed only 2 hits, Carrasco actually enjoyed a 3-1 advantage after 5 frames of play.  However, in the 6th, the wheels began to fall off of Cleveland's defense.  1st baseman Carlos Santana committed a throwing error and a fielding error, resulting in a trio of unearned tallies.  The Giants' 3rd run scored when Andres Torres scampered home on a foul pop to the 3rd baseman Jack Hannahan.  That makes absolutely no sense until you realize that Hannahan was stumbling backwards as he made the catch.  Once he started to lose his balance, Hannahan probably should have allowed the ball to drop foul.  Instead, San Francisco had a lead that its dominant bullpen never relinquished.

     The Giants' starter, Jonathan Sanchez, struggled to command his pitches, and the Tribe made him pay early in the contest.  In the 1st, Orlando Cabrera and Asdrubal Cabrera drew walks before Santana cranked a 2-run double into the left-center field alley.  The Indians scored again in the 3rd, but Shin-Soo Choo was injured in the process.  A Sanchez fastball drilled Choo in the left hand, forcing the native South Korean to exit the ballgame.  X-rays showed that Choo had broken his thumb, and he will be headed to the disabled list.  The costly hit-by-pitch did aid the Tribe because Jack Hannahan later hit a RBI single to center.

     Hannahan's base-hit was Cleveland's last of the night.

The sight of Choo lying face-down in the dirt was more discouraging than the loss

Cleveland Indians: Perez Seals the Tribe's Triumph

6-22-11     vs. Colorado     W, 4-3     40-33

     Less than 24 hours removed from allowing his 1st home run of the season, an eventual game-winning blast off the bat of Seth Smith, Chris Perez found himself on the mound at another critical juncture on Wednesday evening. 

     Once again, Smith was at the dish, but, this time, the Colorado slugger hit a drive off the wall and not over it.  What could have been a game-tying homer simply became a 2-out double. 

     That was the only break Perez needed.

     The next hitter, Ty Wigginton, flied out meekly to center field, and the Indians avoided the sweep.

     Josh Tomlin pitched 6 1/3 solid innings to give his club a chance to win.  Tomlin improved his record to 9-4 as he yielded 3 runs.

     The only Rockie that Tomlin could not stop was Wigginton.  Wigginton hit a wall-scraping solo jack in the 5th and a 2-run bomb in the 7th.

     Wigginton's 2nd tater sent Tomlin to the showers, but that proved to be bad news for the visitors.  Vinnie Pestano breezed through a scoreless frame, Tony Sipp retired the 2 batters he faced, and Perez did the job in the 9th.

     The Indians gave Tomlin some early breathing room as they tallied twice in the 3rd.  Travis Buck's lead-off double and Jack Hannahan's ensuing walk presented the Tribe with a viable scoring opportunity.  Grady Sizemore's single through the hole on the right side of the infield plated Buck and advanced Hannahan to 2nd.  However, Colorado starter Jason Hammel almost worked out of the mess, but he committed a costly, and stunning, mistake.  There were 2 outs when Hammel started into his delivery before suddenly stopping.  That odd occurence was correctly ruled a balk, enabling Hannahan to cross home plate.

     The night's biggest hit came courtesy of Travis Hafner.  In the 5th, following an Asdrubal Cabrera double, Pronk hit a laser inside the right field foul pole.  The Rockies were never able to overcome Pronk's 7th jack of the campaign.

Tomlin's quality start helped the Tribe end a brief, 2-game slide

    

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Can't Finish Comeback

6-21-11     vs. Colorado     L, 4-3     39-33

     Suddenly, the script has changed.

     The Indians, who produced 1 heart-stopping victory after another early in the season, are now watching their opponents deliver in the clutch.

     On Tuesday night, Chris Perez surrendered a go-ahead solo homer off the bat of Seth Smith in the top of the 9th inning.  The timely blast provided the winning margin for the Rockies as the Tribe lost its 2nd consecutive 1-run game.

     Trailing 3-1, Cleveland roared back to knot the score in the last of the 8th.  Facing Rafael Betancourt, a former Indian, Cord Phelps and Asdrubal Cabrera hit back-to-back singles to begin the rally.  The next batter, Travis Hafner, worked the count full before lining a RBI single to right-center.  Matt Belisle, after replacing Betancourt, quickly recorded 2 outs, but Travis Buck snapped an 0-24 skid by grounding a single through the right side of the infield.  Cabrera scored the tying run, and the Tribe appeared destined for a dramatic win.

     Even though Smith hit that long ball in the top of the 9th, the Indians had an opportunity in the home half of the frame.  Phelps yanked a 2-out triple down the right field line, and Cabrera drew a walk.  However, Huston Street whiffed Austin Kearns to end the contest.  Hafner should have been at the plate in that situation, but he was replaced by a pinch-runner following his RBI base-knock.

     Smith also hit a 2-run shot in the 6th, and Jhoulys Chacin held the Tribe hitless through the 1st 5 innings.

     Mitch Talbot's 6 1/3 frames, in which he allowed 3 tallies, did not merit a decision.

Hafner, not Kearns, should have been swinging for the fences in the 9th

Cleveland Indians: Rockies Outlast the Tribe

6-20-11     vs. Colorado     L, 8-7     39-32

     Fausto Carmona appeared to be turning his season around. 
     The big right-hander, despite not having a quality start since May 8th, had won his most recent outing, and he cruised through the 1st 4 innings on Monday night. 

     In the 5th, Carmona quickly retired the 1st 2 batters. 

     He would not record another out. 

     The Rockies, aided by Troy Tulowitzki's 2-run double that hit the 3rd base bag, exploded for 6 runs.  Jason Giambi's 3-run blast finished Carmona, who watched his record dip to 4-9.

     Prior to Carmona's meltdown, the Tribe enjoyed a 4-1 cushion thanks to a pair of long balls.  Travis Hafner lined a 3-run homer into the right field bleachers in the 1st, and Carlos Santana squeezed a solo shot inside the right field foul pole in the 4th.

     The Indians could have thrown in the proverbial towel following that brutal top of the 5th, but they battled back valiantly.  Shin-Soo Choo flaired a 2-out, 2-run single to left-center in the bottom of the frame, and the Rockies' lead was trimmed to 1.

     This wild and unpredictable game would have 2 more critical moments.
     First, Lou Marson airmailed a throw to 1st base as he tried to catch the base runner napping in the 8th.  The errant delivery rolled down the line, enabling a key insurance run to cross home plate.
     Then, Cord Phelps delivered a timely RBI single in the last of the 8th.  However, Phelps was thrown out at 2nd attempting to move up 90 feet on the throw to the plate.  In actuality, though, Phelps was safe, but what was a terrible call robbed the Indians of a chance to even the score.

     Ultimately, the Tribe was unable to overcome that blown call and Carmona's horrendous start.

The Indians must decide if they can allow Carmona to pitch, and lose, every 5th day

Cleveland Indians: Phelps Walks Off the Tribe

6-19-11     vs. Pittsburgh     W, 5-2 (11 innings)     39-31

     A Sunday afternoon thunder storm that caused a lengthy rain delay at Progressive Field merely delayed the inevitable.  Once play resumed and extra innings were forced, the Indians finished off a sweep of the Pirates in dramatic fashion.

     The Tribe and the Buccos were tied at 2 runs apiece entering the bottom of the 11th frame.  After Travis Hafner flew out to left, Shin-Soo Choo grounded a base-hit through the right side of the infield.  Choo promptly stole 2nd base, and Pittsburgh decided to intentionally walk Carlos Santana.  The move made sense on paper because Santana has significant power, and the man on deck was Cord Phelps, a rookie.  However, Phelps made the Pirates pay by launching the 2nd pitch he saw over the right field wall.  The clutch blast, the 1st of Phelps' major league career, sparked a wild home plate celebration as the few fans who remained made their presence felt.

     The Cleveland bullpen's exceptional performance set the stage for Phelps' heroics.  Following Justin Masterson's relatively short outing, Chad Durbin, Rafael Perez, Vinnie Pestano, Chris Perez, Joe Smith, and Tony Sipp combined to hurl 6 scoreless innings.

     The Bucs jumped on top when they tallied twice in the home half of the 1st, but that lead was short-lived.

     Santana and Phelps helped the Indians even the score in the 2nd.  Santana crushed a solo homer deep into the right field bleachers, and Phelps doubled to the right-center gap.  Phelps eventually crossed home plate courtesy of a double play.

Phelps (35) will remember this moment for the rest of his life

Cleveland Indians: Carrasco Leads the Tribe Past the Pirates

6-18-11     vs. Pittsburgh     W, 5-1     38-31

     After watching Carlos Carrasco halt extended losing streaks in each of his 2 most recent starts, Cleveland manager Manny Acta called his right-handed starter "a stopper."  That is obviously high praise for such a young pitcher, but Carrasco continues to show that he is worthy of it.

     Carrasco, on Saturday night, was once again brilliant.  He held the Pirates hitless through the 1st 5 innings before a pair of infield singles in the 6th derailed his no-hit bid.  Carrasco's streak of 21 2/3 consecutive scoreless frames came to an end in the 7th, but that did not prevent him from earning his 7th win of the season.  Carrasco hurled 6 1/3 innings, struck out 5, and surrendered only 1 run.

     Offensively, the Indians executed perfectly against Paul Maholm and the Pittsburgh bullpen. 

     In the bottom of the 1st, there were runners on the corners when Carlos Santana stepped into the batter's box, and the Tribe's cleanup hitter delivered.  Santana lofted a sacrifice fly to fairly deep left field, giving the Indians an early lead.

     Grady Sizemore stretched that advantage in the 2nd when he bounced a 2-out RBI double over the 1st base bag.

     Orlando Cabrera's 6th inning solo homer that barely cleared the 19-foot wall in left allowed Carrasco and the Tribe to breathe a little easier.

     The Indians finally crushed the Pirates' hopes of a victory in the 7th.  Sizemore hammered a triple high off the center field wall, and Michael Brantley contributed a sac fly.  Then, Asdrubal Cabrera singled, swiped 2nd base, and scored on Shin-Soo Choo's 2-out RBI single.

     That 2-run rally sent Maholm, the eventual losing pitcher, to the showers.  4 of the tallies were charged to Maholm, who, despite a solid ERA, now has a 3-8 record.

Carrasco is beginning to look like an ace

    

Cleveland Indians: Hafner Returns, Tribe Wins

6-17-11     vs. Pittsburgh     W, 5-1     37-31

     Pronk is back.

     And, judging by their Friday night performance, so are the Indians.

     Travis Hafner, who had been on the disabled list due to a strained oblique muscle since May 18th, drew a walk and hit a RBI double as the Tribe topped the Pirates at Progressive Field.

     The announcement that Hafner would be making his return helped bring a crowd of 38,549 to the ballpark, and those fans were treated to a gem thrown by Josh Tomlin.  Buoyed by his impeccable command, Tomlin allowed only 1 run in 6 2/3 innings.  Of Tomlin's 85 pitches, 63 were thrown for strikes.  The young righty whiffed 5 and earned his 8th victory of the season.

     A bases-loaded balk and Carlos Santana's solo homer gave Cleveland an early 2-0 lead.

     Xavier Paul's RBI single pulled the Buccos to within a run, but the Indians removed all doubt in the bottom of the 8th.  Michael Brantley and Asdrubal Cabrera hit back-to-back singles to begin the rally, and Hafner socked a double off the very top of the right field wall, plating Brantley.  Following an intentional walk, Santana laced a RBI single to right, and the Indians finally had some breathing room.  Orlando Cabrera later added a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-run inning.

     The Tribe's series-opening triumph was definitely a positive, but it was costly.  Matt LaPorta suffered what appeared to be a sprained ankle when he was caught in a rundown in the 3rd.  It is unclear how serious the injury is.

Hafner provided the spark that pushed the Tribe back into 1st place

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Unable to Sustain Fast Start

6-16-11     at Detroit     L, 6-2     36-31

     Sole possession of 1st place was on the line as the Indians and Tigers completed their 3-game series at Comerica Park.  And the Tribe, after racing out to an early lead, saw its miserable road trip reach a frustrating conclusion.

     In the top of the 1st, Michael Brantley laced a sharp grounder past a diving Miguel Cabrera and into the right field corner.  Brantley, who runs well, had an easy triple, but the cut-off man, Ryan Raburn, decided to throw to 3rd base anyway.  Raburn's ill-advised throw skipped out of play, allowing Brantley to score.  Asdrubal Cabrera then stepped to the plate, doubled, and crossed home plate courtesy of Shin-Soo Choo's triple off the left-center wall.

     That 2-0 cushion proved to be short-lived, to say the least.  Mitch Talbot walked Austin Jackson to begin the bottom of the 1st, and it was all downhill from there.  Detroit eventually tallied twice in the 1st, and the home team's fun was only beginning.

     Jhonny Peralta and Raburn stroked back-to-back solo homers in the 4th, giving the Tigers a 4-2 advantage.  The 2 long balls were carbon copies of each other as they both landed in the Detroit bullpen, which is located down the left field line.

     A quartet of singles in the 5th plated 2 more runs and chased Talbot.  Talbot failed to record a single out in the 5th, and the right-hander surrendered 6 tallies.  Talbot's biggest problem was his command, or lack thereof.

     Cleveland's offense fell asleep following the 1st frame, and the Indians dropped to 2-5 on the current road swing.

     Max Scherzer, the winning pitcher, yielded those 2 runs in his 5 2/3 innings of work.

Asdrubal Cabrera and the Indians did not have much to cheer about on Thursday

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Rallies to Support Carmona

6-15-11     at Detroit     W, 6-4     36-30

     Fausto Carmona and the Indians desperately needed this.

     Facing the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night, the Tribe, which had lost 15 of its last 20 games, overcame an early 3-0 deficit and moved into a 1st place tie with the Tigers.

     Searching for his 1st victory since May 3rd, Carmona struggled mightily in the 1st inning.  Following Brennan Boesch's 2-out, solo homer, Jack Hannahan committed a critical error that opened the floodgates.  Victor Martinez doubled, Magglio Ordonez walked, and Alex Avila laced a 2-run single through the middle of the infield.

     Cleveland roared back in the 4th and knocked Detroit starter Brad Penny out of the game.  Asdrubal Cabrera's single and Shin-Soo Choo's walk brought the tying run to the plate.  And, even though he did not hit a home run, Matt LaPorta had a productive at-bat because he lined a RBI single to left field.  Expecting a bunt, third baseman Don Kelly pinched in at the corner, but that was a poor decision.  Orlando Cabrera hit a high chopper over Kelly's head, and Choo came around to cross home plate.  Suddenly, the Indians were only trailing by 1.  Hannahan then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, and Lou Marson drilled a RBI single to right.  Grady Sizemore's sac fly completed the offensive explosion.

     Boesch's RBI groundout tied the game, but the Tribe responded in the 5th.  Choo singled, and Orlando Cabrera rifled a go-ahead RBI double down the left field line.  However, it was Boesch's inability to cut the ball off that enabled Choo to score.

     Given the lead, Carmona battled through 5 innings, allowing only 2 earned runs, and he picked up his 4th win of the season.

     Boesch's nightmarish evening continued in the 7th as his error turned Choo's single into a virtual double.  A wild pitch advanced Choo to 3rd, and the South Korean scored on LaPorta's grounder.

     Due to the relative brevity of Carmona's outing, the Tribe bullpen was forced to pitch the final 4 frames.  Rafael Perez, Vinnie Pestano, and Tony Sipp teamed up to hurl the 1st 3, and Chris Perez nailed down his 17th save by tossing a 1-2-3 9th.

Back in 1st: Carmona's gritty effort has the Tribe .001 ahead of the Tigers

Cleveland Indians: Verlander's Near No-No Knocks Tribe Out of 1st Place

6-14-11     at Detroit     L, 4-0     35-30

     Justin Verlander did not quite throw his 3rd career no-hitter, but he did pitch the Tigers past the Indians and into 1st place.

     Orlando Cabrera's sharp single to center field in the top of the 8th ruined Verlander's bid to become only the 4th hurler in major league history to toss more than 2 no-nos.  Verlander eventually settled for a complete game 2-hitter and a well-deserved victory.

     Aided considerably by the Tribe defense, Detroit scored 3 runs in the 3rd.  Cabrera's fielding error and Travis Buck's misplay of a fairly routine fly ball gave the Tigers a golden opportunity.  And the Tigers capitalized.  Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila each contributed sacrifice flys, and Andy Dirks flaired a RBI single into shallow left-center.  The Detroit offense had done its job, and now all eyes were focused squarely on Verlander.

     The flame-throwing right-hander cruised through the 1st 7 frames before Cabrera's base-hit signaled the end of an historic evening.  A few seconds after Cabrera's liner dropped in front of Austin Jackson, the Comerica Park crowd of 28,128 gave Verlander a standing ovation.

     Once again, Justin Masterson did not receive any support, offensive or defensive.  Masterson allowed 4 runs, only 2 of which were earned, in 6 1/3 innings, and his record sunk to 5-5.  Masterson has not won a game since April 26th despite posting an earned run average of 3.69 during that span.

     When Jackson robbed Shin-Soo Choo of a homer in the 2nd, it was evident that this would be Verlander's night.

For the 1st time since April 7th, Michael Brantley and the Indians are not atop the division

Cleveland Indians: Carrasco and the Bullpen Dominate the Yankees

6-13-11     at New York Yankees     W, 1-0     35-29

     Throughout Spring Training, Manny Acta told anyone who would listen that Carlos Carrasco had the potential to be a premier pitcher in the American League.  The overwhelming response was a subtle rolling of the eyes because Carrasco, a September call-up in 2009 and 2010, had never pitched in a meaningful big leauge game.  But since returning from the disabled list on May 11th Carrasco has begun to show why his manager was so talkative prior to the season.

     On Monday night at Yankee Stadium, Carrasco helped the Indians halt a 4-game slide as he tossed 7 scoreless innings.  Using a variety of nasty pitches, the right-hander whiffed 7 and earned his 6th victory.

     Carrasco played the role of Houdini in each of the 1st 3 frames, but he walked his most difficult tightrope in the 1st.  2 singles, including Derek Jeter's 2,994th career base-hit, and a walk loaded the bases before Carrasco could record a single out.  However, Alex Rodriguez flied out to shallow center field, Robinson Cano struck out, and Nick Swisher grounded out to shortstop.  Carrasco had escaped unscathed.

     For his 2nd consecutive start, Carrasco received, and needed, only 1 run.  In the top of the 4th, Michael Brantley tripled and scored on Asdrubal Cabrera's high chopper that snuck through the left side of the infield.

     Following Carrasco's exit, the bullpen mowed down the Yankees.  Tony Sipp and Vinnie Pestano combined to post a goose egg in the 8th, and Chris Perez struck out the side in the 9th to merit his 16th save.

Jack Hannahan's stellar defensive play supported Carrasco

 

Cleveland Indians: Yanks Trounce the Tribe

6-12-11     at New York Yankees     L, 9-1     34-29

     As the Bronx Bombers battered Josh Tomlin to the tune of 5 runs in the bottom of the 5th, the Yankee Stadium loudspeakers blared "We Will Rock You."  And through the 1st 3 games of this weekend series the Indians have been rocked by the Yankees and their merciless lineup.

     That aforementioned 5th inning was Tomlin's undoing, but he did not pitch as poorly as his numbers would lead you to believe.  Tomlin allowed 6 runs in 5 frames, and he suffered his 4th loss.  However, if his defense had been better, Tomlin might have enjoyed a different fate.  In the 5th, Shin-Soo Choo and Austin Kearns both turned fairly routine flyouts into doubles by taking bad routes to the baseball.  Neither play was ruled an error, but the plays definitely should have been made.

     Several Yankees had huge days at the plate.  Curtis Granderson collected 4 hits and 2 RBI, Alex Rodriguez had 3 hits and 3 RBI, and Brett Gardner scored 3 times.  Derek Jeter also hit safely twice, elevating his career total to 2,993.

     Orlando Cabrera's 2nd inning single off the glove of Jeter gave the veteran 2nd baseman his 2,000th career hit.

     The Indians avoided the shutout in the 7th when Kearns doubled, advanced to 3rd on Jack Hannahan's groundout, and scored on Michael Brantley's groundout.

    

Ouch!: Tomlin and the Indians lost their 4th consecutive game

Cleveland Indians: Free-Falling Tribe Blanked by the Yankees

6-11-11     at New York Yankees     L, 4-0     34-28

     The Indians were a magical team during the month of April, but that is simply no longer the case.

     On Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, the Tribe lost for the 8th time in 9 games, and the club's lead atop the Americal League Central has nearly evaporated.

     Bartolo Colon, who was a Cleveland Indian from 1997-2002, pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory.  Colon could have easily pitched deeper into the contest, but he injured his leg while running to cover 1st on a play in the 7th.

     The Yankees turned to their bullpen following Colon's freak injury, and David Robertson and Boone Logan recorded the game's final 7 outs as the anemic Tribe offense continued to slump.

     Mitch Talbot, much like his counterpart, had his outing come to an abrupt ending.  Talbot limited the potent New York lineup to only 2 runs in 5 2/3 frames, but his start was cut short when he plunked Alex Rodriguez.  Home plate umpire Dan Iassogna, remembering Friday's benches-clearing altercation, ejected Talbot.  Manny Acta argued vehemently, but to no avail.  A television replay clearly showed that Talbot's foot slipped as he was making the delivery, proving that the beaning was unintentional.

     The Cleveland pen enabled the Bronx Bombers to plate 2 insurance tallies, but the Yanks never needed the extra runs.

     Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Mark Teixeira each hit solo homers for the Pinstripers.

Talbot reacts in disbelief after being tossed by Iassogna

    

Cleveland Indians: Carmona Rocked in New York

6-10-11     at New York Yankees     L, 11-7     34-27

     On Friday night in the Bronx, the Indians turned to their ace, hoping that he could halt the team's recent slide.

     But Fausto Carmona continued to show that he is actually a problem and not a solution.  Carmona allowed 6 runs in 4 innings, and his record dipped to 3-8.  It is now painfully clear that Carmona is not the ace the Tribe envisioned him to be prior to the season.

     Carmona's lack of command was his biggest issue.  He walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the 1st, and all 3 of those runners eventually crossed home plate.

     The game then took an ugly turn in the 2nd.  After watching Curtis Granderson deposit his fastball into the upper deck, Carmona retaliated by plunking Mark Teixeira.  Both benches promptly cleared, and the 2 managers, Cleveland's Manny Acta and New York's Joe Girardi, were the most upset.  They engaged in a heated discussion before the umpires separated the 2 irate skippers.

     The Tribe bullpen also experienced a collapse, and the Bombers enjoyed an 11-3 lead as the contest entered the 9th.

     The Indians, though, finally showed some signs of life.  Carlos Santana, who belted a solo homer in the 6th, hit a RBI single, Shin-Soo Choo worked a bases-loaded walk, and Matt LaPorta fisted a 2-run single in front of the diving right fielder, Nick Swisher.  Unfortunately, Cleveland was unable to climb any closer.

     In addition to the valiant comeback attempt, Cord Phelps added another bright spot to the Tribe's rough evening.  Phelps collected his 1st major league hit, a 5th inning single, and his 1st RBI, a bases-loaded walk in the 8th.

This benches-clearing altercation appeared to fire up the Yankees

Cleveland Indians: Hannahan's Homer Not Enough as Tribe Loses Series

6-8-11     vs. Minnesota     L, 3-2 (10 innings)     34-26

     Jack Hannahan's clutch 9th inning homer appeared to rescue the slumping Indians, but the Tribe was unable to complete what would have been a morale-boosting victory.

     Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Minnesota closer Matt Capps quickly recorded 2 outs before grooving a fastball to Hannahan.  And the Cleveland 3rd baseman did not miss it as he launced a game-tying solo home run over the right field wall.

     Unfortunately, the Twins were not fazed by the sudden change in momentum.  Chris Perez allowed a 2-out double off the bat of Drew Butera in the 10th, and Ben Revere flaired a single into shallow left that scored Butera.  Michael Brantley's throw could have nabbed Butera at the plate, but Lou Marson failed to field it cleanly after the ball bounced in the dirt.

     Phil Dumatrait worked around Carlos Santana's 2-out double in the last of the 10th to earn his 1st career save.

     Both starting pitchers, Cleveland's Justin Masterson and Minnesota's Carl Pavano, deserved to win, but neither merited a decision.  Masterson hurled 8 innings of 1-run ball, and Pavano limited the Indians to only 1 tally in his 7 frames of work.

     Making his major league debut, Cord Phelps was held hitless in 4 at-bats.  Phelps, though, made a couple of fine defensive plays at the 2nd base position.

The big league debut of Phelps could not reverse the Tribe's fortunes

Cleveland Indians: Carrasco Ends the Tribe's Skid

6-8-11     vs. Minnesota     W, 1-0     34-25

     Although they remained firmly entrenched in their offensive slump, the Indians managed to halt a 5-game losing streak because of Carlos Carrasco.  Carrasco, who entered the contest with an earned run average of 5.18, thoroughly dominated the Twins.  He pitched 8 1/3 shutout innings, and he notched 6 strikeouts.  The outing was definitely the best of Carrasco's young career.

     In the bottom of the 4th, the Tribe bats gave Carrasco the only run he would need.  Carlos Santana hit a lead-off double and advanced to 3rd base when Delmon Young failed to field the ball cleanly.  The next hitter, Shelley Duncan, grounded out to the shortstop, but Santana was able to score on the play.

     Leading 1-0, Manny Acta allowed Carrasco to begin the 9th.  However, a 1-out single by Ben Revere marked the end of Carrasco's stellar start.

     Chris Perez was called upon, and the Tribe's automatic closer induced a groundout and then struck out Michael Cuddyer looking to end the ballgame.  The save was Perez's 15th, and it secured Carrasco's 5th victory.

     Minnesota's Francisco Liriano suffered the loss despite surrendering only the 1 tally in 5 frames of work.

Carrasco pitched a perfect game into the 5th as the righty snapped the Tribe's slide

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Drops 5th Straight Game

6-6-11     vs. Minnesota     L, 6-4     33-25

     Not even Josh Tomlin could halt the Indians' losing streak.

     Tomlin, who has been the Tribe's most reliable starting pitcher, allowed 6 runs in 6 innings to the lowly Twins as the Indians lost their 5th consecutive game.

     Facing a Minnesota lineup that is one of the weakest in the major leagues, Tomlin struggled to command his pitches.  Too often, Tomlin would groove a fastball right down the middle of the plate, and the Twins made him pay.

     Following a good 1st frame, Tomlin began to unravel in the 2nd.  The visitors collected 3 base-hits, and Matt Tolbert's 2-out, 2-run single evened the score at 2.

     In the 5th, the Twins managed to push 3 tallies across home plate despite not hitting the ball very well.  A couple of bunt singles and a wild pitch enabled Minnesota to grab a commanding 5-2 advantage.

     Delmon Young's bloop RBI double to shallow center field in the 6th accounted for the Twins' 6th run off Tomlin.

     The Tribe offense, after being held scoreless by Texas on Saturday and Sunday, finally woke up.  Asdrubal Cabrera drilled a 2-run homer into the right field bleachers in the 1st, and Michael Brantley hit a solo homer in the 5th.  However, the Indians were victimized by the fact that they hit several line drives directly at Minnesota fielders.  The overabundance of at-em balls helped Scott Baker earn the victory.

Cabrera (left) and Brantley combined to produce 6 hits, but the Tribe lost again

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Bats Quiet Again

6-5-11     vs. Texas     L, 2-0     33-24

     Attempting to stop the Texas Rangers potent offensive attack is a nearly impossible task, but, when a pitching staff receives no run support, the job becomes utterly hopeless.

     On Sunday afternoon, the Indians were held scoreless for the 2nd consecutive contest as the Rangers completed a 4-game sweep.

     Mitch Talbot was the Tribe starter who learned the difficult lesson outlined in the opening statement.  Talbot limited Texas to only a pair of tallies in 6 innings, but he suffered the loss due to his offense's anemic performance.

     The Rangers scored their runs on a Mitch Moreland solo home run to dead center field and an Elvis Andrus solo homer to the Home Run Porch down the left field line.

     Those 2 dingers were all that C.J. Wilson and the Texas bullpen needed on this day.  Wilson tossed 7 2/3 shutout frames, Darren Oliver retired the only batter he faced, and Neftali Feliz hurled a 1-2-3 9th.  Wilson earned the win, and Feliz, the save.

     Although it mattered very little, the Cleveland bullpen was tremendous.  In the 7th, Joe Smith worked around a pair of walks that Talbot issued to begin the inning.  Tony Sipp struck out the side in the 8th, and Chris Perez cruised through the 9th. 

If only the Indians could have scored some runs...

   

Cleveland Indians: Carmona and the Tribe Continue to Slump

6-4-11     vs. Texas     W, 4-0     33-23

     If Fausto Carmona wants to become a true ace, he will have to develop some level of consistency.  Carmona has had a few horrific starts, but, even when he is pitching well, the big right-hander usually allows a few big hits too many.  On Saturday night against the Rangers, Carmona was virtually unhittable for most of the game.  However, he made 2 critical mistakes, resulting in a pair of costly 2-run homers that were the difference in a 4-0 Tribe defeat.

     The 1st of those long balls was hit by Josh Hamilton in the top of the 1st inning, and it was crushed deep into the right field's 2nd deck.  The estimated distance of that moonshot was 445 feet.

     In the 7th, Nelson Cruz almost hit a ball further than the 1 Hamilton launched into orbit.  Cruz hit a 440 foot home run that easily flew over the left field wall.

     Shortly after Cruz's belt, Carmona was yanked.  The sinkerballer surrendered 4 earned runs in the 6 1/3 frames that he pitched.  Carmona now owns a dismal 3-7 record, and his earned run average has soared to 5.33.

Carmona's inability to avoid the big blow doomed the Tribe

     Derek Holland, the pride of Newark, Ohio, made those 4 tallies stand up.  Holland hurled a complete game shutout, striking out 5, as a host of family and friends watched from the Progressive Field seats.

     Although the Indians failed to score, they were not without scoring opportunities.  Carlos Santana's 6th inning groundout spoiled a bases-loaded situation, and Holland was also able to work around a 2 on, 0 out dilemma in the 2nd. 

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Falters Down the Stretch

6-3-11     vs. Texas     L, 11-2     33-22

     For the 2nd consecutive night, the Indians battled the defending American League champions before faltering as the 2 teams neared the finish line.

     On Friday evening, a bullpen meltdown turned a close game into a laugher, and the Tribe was dealt a lopsided defeat.

     Trailing 2-1 in the 7th inning, Justin Masterson issued a walk and allowed a bloop single following a routine groundout.  Cleveland manager Manny Acta, sensing that his starter was beginning to waver, summoned Tony Sipp from the bullpen.  The 1st batter Sipp faced was Josh Hamilton, and the fomer AL Most Valuable Player blasted a 3-run homer over the right field wall.

     Because the 2 runners for which Masterson was responsible came around to score on Hamilton's home run, Masterson's final numbers were not as good as they could have been.  Masterson yielded 4 tallies in 6 1/3 frames, and the loss was his 4th.  At 1 point this season, Masterson was 5-0, but he has not earned a win since.

     Nelson Cruz later added a 2-run blast, and the Rangers scored a grand total of 9 runs in the final 3 innings of play.

     Alexi Ogando hurled 8 frames of 1-run baseball to earn the victory.  Ogando remains unbeaten on the year at 6-0.

     Asdrubal Cabrera's 11th homer, a solo shot in the 9th, made the outcome of the contest slightly more respectable.

Carlos Santana tags out Mike Napoli at the plate in the 2nd inning

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Falls Short

6-2-11     vs. Texas     L, 7-4     33-21

     A season ago, the Texas Rangers captured the American League pennant while the Indians endured a 93-loss campaign.  And although the Tribe currently owns a better record than the Rangers, Texas showed on Thursday night that it remains the team to beat in the junior circuit.

     The Indians were able to claim an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning.  Carlos Santana drew a lead-off walk and advanced to 2nd base on Grady Sizemore's double.  Travis Buck and Orlando Cabrera then hit back-to-back RBI singles, and Jack Hannahan's RBI groundout capped the successful frame.

     Unfortunately, the tide began to turn against the Tribe as the contest entered its 5th inning of play.  Carlos Carrasco was twirling a shutout, but the Rangers tallied 3 times off him in both the 5th and the 6th.  Carrasco was hurt by the fact that he left several pitches up in the strike zone, and Texas made him pay.  A Carlos Santana throwing error did not help matters either.

     Carrasco exited following the 6th, and the 6 runs he allowed, of which 5 were earned, made him the losing pitcher.

     The resilient Indians once again made a comeback bid in the late innings, but they were unable to overcome the Rangers.  Matt LaPorta did launch a solo homer in the 7th, but the Texas bullpen slammed the door shut.

     The Rangers added an insurance run in the 9th when Endy Chavez, who collected 4 hits, scored courtesy of Rafael Perez's fielding error.

LaPorta and the Indians watched as the Rangers pulled away late

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Bats Give Tomlin Win No. 7

6-1-11     at Toronto     W, 13-9     33-20

     Josh Tomlin struggled mightily on Wednesday night, yet he managed to earn his 7th victory.

     The reason for that was the Tribe's offense.

     The Indians scored 13 runs on 18 base-hits, and they handed Tomlin an early 12-0 advantage.  And even though Tomlin surrendered a season-high 6 tallies in the 6 innings he pitched, that early cushion enabled the young Texan to tie Jon Lester atop the American League's win race.

     Cleveland plated 4 runs in the 1st and 8 more in the 3rd as the visitors erased all doubt very quickly.

     Toronto's starter, Doug Drabek, failed to make it through the 1st frame, and he suffered the defeat.

     Asdrubal Cabrera sustained his MVP-like start to the campaign by collecting 4 hits, 3 doubles, and 4 RBI.  Cabrera's phenomenal performance increased his batting average to .306 and his RBI total to 39.

     However, Cabrera was simply 1 of many Indians who keyed this offensive uprising.  Grady Sizemore hit a 3-run double in the 1st to kick-start the rout, and Matt LaPorta hammered a 3-run homer in the 3rd that blew the game wide open.

     Surprisingly, the Blue Jays were able to claw their way back to within 4, but they ran out of gas before the finish line.  Had the Jays completed the rally, it would have been a historic evening, but history was made nonetheless.  Eric Thames, Rajai Davis, and Jayson Nix hit 3 consecutive triples in the 5th, marking the 1st time that had happened since 1981.

Vinnie Pestano and Carlos Santana celebrate the Tribe's series victory