(Disclaimer: If I missed anything early in tonight’s game that’s of note, and didn’t mention it here, it’s not my fault. My cable company (the same idiot monkeys who own the Blue Jays, by the way) simply assumed the game tonight was banged and wiped out my feed with a game that they had running already on three different channels. So I missed the first three innings before they flipped the switch. As if my night wasn’t already crappy enough waiting out the delay. Anyhoo…)
It now can be noted with certainty: The Mafia has been whacked.
In yet another wacky night of delays (weather-related and electrical this time around), the Indians lost a tough one as Brian Shaw had an appearance that probably left him wondering why he even crawled out of bed.
Starter Scott Kazmir was handed a 3-1 lead headed into the bottom of the sixth thanks to Jason Kipnis’ three-run, inside-the-park homer. Kazmir proceeded to set the table for Shaw’s nightmare by allowing the first two runners of the inning. The Royals found every hole by utilizing an opposite-field approach that had to have new hitting coach George Brett beaming. Throw in a wayward throw to first, and the Royals immediately erased Kipnis’ heroics.
After a brief power-outage, the Indians staged another comeback against former Indian Jeremy Guthrie. Clearly unnerved by the sudden stoppage, he walked both Ryan Raburn and Yan Gomes only to have both Michael Bourn and Asdrubal Cabrera bring them in with a base-hit and a sac-fly respectively.
Akron’s own David Lough now comes into tonight’s story. Lough, having come in as a defensive replacement for Alex Gordon (he suffered a possible concussion and hip contusion while trying to make a miraculous play on Kipnis’ eventual homer), came up with the play of the game as he robbed Kipnis of certain extra bases and at least an RBI. It was the last time the Tribe would threaten on yet another long evening.
Cody Allen would give up a tough-luck-on-a-pretty-good-pitch bomb to straight away center. The Indians find themselves back in second place, but only by half a game. A series win and an excellent road-trip is still theirs for the taking.
Chalk it up as “one of them nights.” For them and me as well!
W: Will Smith (1-1); L: Cody Allen (3-1); S: Greg Holland (18)
Player of the Game: Eric Hosmer
The season is half way over, and it’s apparent that the bullpen – the unit we all thought would be the linchpin of this team – will struggle to be mediocre this year.
The problem is that too many of our starting pitchers are of the “Five and Fly” variety, which puts added pressure on an already shaky bullpen.
I’m afraid that unless a quality starter is added to the rotation, a guy such as the one the Tribe faces this afternoon in James Shields for example, that this could be the ultimate undoing of the ’13 Indians.
Sean, another day, another ballgame. I hope you aren’t wanting us to add THIS James Shields that we’re facing today. He’s not doing so good. FWIW, there won’t be too many SP available right now. Too many teams think they have a chance and won’t be parting with pitching while we could use it. Gotta SIU and hope what we have pitches their butts off.
Yep, another day, another ballgame where the starting pitcher can’t get through six innings. You are right though, starting pitching will be tough to get at the deadline.
At this pace the bullpen will be toast by August.
make that another five and fly / bullpen meltdown today….friggin 5-0 and 7-5 leads and we cant hold it….ugly.
The Tigers and their huge payroll should be ashamed that they aren’t 10 games in the lead of the Central by now.
The Tribe went 7-4 on the road trip and I am beyond irritated right now. The pitching this series was pathetic – against a team that doesn’t hit.