Search This Blog

Friday, April 18, 2008

The Tribe 08

4/18/2008 10:36 PM ET
Lee, Blake disable Twins
Lefty allows just two hits over eight innings in shutout win
By Joe Kieser / Special to MLB.com
tickets for any Major League Baseball game
ADVERTISEMENT
print this pageprint this page | e-mail this pagee-mail this page
• Blake's solo homer 400K
• Blake's two-run single 400K
• Martinez's RBI single 400K

MINNEAPOLIS -- Cliff Lee pitched another stellar game en route to his third win of the season, shutting down the Twins over eight innings in a 4-0 Tribe win on Friday at the Metrodome.

The victory improved Cleveland to 7-10 this season, while Minnesota fell to 7-10.

Lee shut out the Twins through eight innings of work and allowed just two hits before being lifted for Rafael Perez after throwing 109 pitches. The left-handed Lee was nearly perfect through his first three innings of work, allowing no hits and just one baserunner, Delmon Young, by way of a walk. Coming into the game with the Twins, Lee sported a 0.61 ERA over two starts. He kept Twins hitters off balance all night and looked in complete control.

Cleveland's offense was led by former Twin Casey Blake, who collected two hits, including his first home run of the season, and three RBIs. Coming into the game with Minnesota, Blake was hitting just .152 (7-for-46) with seven RBIs in 14 games.

The Indians combined two hits with two walks off Twins starter Francisco Liriano to take an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. The big hit came from Blake, who drove in two runs with a single after Cleveland loaded the bases.

Three innings later, the Indians notched another run after a Victor Martinez RBI single to left field, which scored Kelly Shoppach to make it 3-0.

Blake was at it again in the seventh inning, when he homered to left field off reliever Juan Rincon to make it 4-0.

Frustrated Sabathia remains optimistic
Tribe ace has scuffled with location in first starts of 2008
By Joe Kieser / Special to MLB.com
tickets for any Major League Baseball game
ADVERTISEMENT
print this pageprint this page | e-mail this pagee-mail this page
• More Sabathia: Stats, bio | Highlights | Jersey
• Catch the Tribe wherever you are
• Get tickets to the next Tribe homestand

MINNEAPOLIS -- If Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia wants to repeat as the American League Cy Young Award winner this season, he has a lot of work to do.

Sabathia has gotten off to a slow start this season and is still looking for his first victory. He is 0-3 with a hefty 13.50 ERA in four starts. The lefty has given up more home runs, five, than any other Indians pitcher and has walked 14 batters in 18 innings of work. In his last start, Sabathia gave up nine runs, for the second straight start, in a 13-2 loss to Detroit.

Sabathia said his slow start comes down to not being able to locate his pitches.

"I have not been able to command both sides of the plate," he said. "I'm not making hitters aware of the inside part of the plate and I'm not making good pitches with two strikes."

The Cleveland ace said it has been tough getting out to such a slow start this season after coming off such a successful 2007 campaign.

"I'm frustrated. I need to make better pitches," he said. "I'm not making good pitches right now. I just want to be able to keep us in the game and compete."

Neither Sabathia nor Cleveland manager Eric Wedge are overly concerned about Sabathia's early showing, and both believe things will turn around.

"He will be better," Wedge said. "He's working hard to get himself going."

The Indians, coming off an AL Central Division title, have struggled through the first 16 games of the season, but Sabathia believes better days are ahead for himself and his teammates.

"I think everybody knows what we have to do to turn it around," Sabathia said. "We've got a good attitude. We are a close-knit group, we've been through a lot together."

Sabathia won't pitch in the series with Minnesota that began Friday night. He is scheduled to pitch the first game of a road series with the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.

Tribe looking to light fire in bats
Cleveland (6-10) at Minnesota (7-9), Friday, 8:10 p.m. ET
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
tickets for any Major League Baseball game
Travis Hafner and the Tribe will hope Thursday's outburst carries over into the weekend. (Mark Duncan/AP)
ADVERTISEMENT
print this pageprint this page | e-mail this pagee-mail this page
• Lee's bio, statistics
• Catch the Tribe wherever you are

CLEVELAND -- The Metrodome is regarded as a hitter's park.

The Indians could use its help.

As the Tribe begins a six-game road trip Friday night in Minnesota, the club will be looking for consistency on the offensive end. The Indians showed some major signs of life in Thursday's 11-1 win over the Tigers, and they hope that carries into the road trip.

Hitting coach Derek Shelton has generally not been pleased with the Indians' pitch selection and recognition in the early going.

"The biggest focus is the inconsistency in our approach," Shelton said. "It's not one specific guy, it's throughout the lineup."

Indeed, the Indians have several "dead spots" -- as general manager Mark Shapiro called them -- that need to be addressed.

Designated hitter Travis Hafner is batting .242, shortstop Jhonny Peralta is batting .237, right fielder Franklin Gutierrez is batting .208, and platoon left fielder Jason Michaels (.139), second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera (.173) and third baseman Casey Blake (.152) are all below the Mendoza Line.

"As a whole, hitting-wise, I don't think we've had good at-bats on a day in and day out basis," Michaels said. "As hitters, we've got to bear down and have some good at-bats."

What do the Indians mean by "good at-bats"?

"If you're making an out, you're making an out headed in the right direction," manager Eric Wedge said. "You're tough in the box and you're a tough out. It's a team sport with one-on-one battles. Whether you're on the bump or in the box, you've got to fight through it."

The Indians' offense has hit many bumps in the road this season. Before their outburst against the Tigers on Thursday, they were last in the American League in batting average (.232) and slugging percentage (.340). They were batting .250 (28-for-112) with runners in scoring position.

The hope is that Thursday's showing, which came after a team soul-searching meeting, is a sign of things to come.

When the Indians are at their best, they are very selective at the plate, wearing the opposing pitcher down and forcing an early exit for starters. That hasn't often been the case this year.

"It's about making sure we get the right pitches to hit," Shelton said. "The biggest thing for us is making sure we swing at the right pitches, whether it's early in the count or late in the count. We continue to work on it. It's not like it's anything new to us. It's something we've done in the past. We have to retrain ourselves and refocus it and make sure it's at the forefront of our mind."

Pitching matchup
CLE: LHP Cliff Lee (2-0, 0.61 ERA)
Lee tossed his second straight outstanding start in a victory over the A's on Sunday in Cleveland. Continuing to push aside a disappointing 2007, Lee was as good as he's been in perhaps two years. Lee found himself ahead of almost every hitter, relying mostly on a precisely commanded fastball before mixing in a few more offspeed pitches to keep the A's guessing late. In all, Lee allowed only one run on two hits while striking out eight over eight innings. Save for back-to-back hits in the fourth inning, Lee was perfect. He retired all 23 other hitters he faced. Lee attributes the strong start to a healthy Spring Training, which he missed last year and says contributed to his disastrous 2007.

MIN: LHP Francisco Liriano (0-1, 7.71 ERA)
Liriano's return to the Major Leagues following a 19-month layoff due to Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery wasn't quite as impressive as the Twins had hoped. In bitter cold conditions in Kansas City, Liriano gave up four runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. Walks were big trouble for the left-hande, as he issued five while struggling to find his command. Liriano is 1-1 with a 3.29 ERA in four career starts against Cleveland.

Tidbits
Entering Thursday, the Indians had allowed three of the nine grand slams hit in the American League this year. ... Travis Hafner needs just eight RBIs to reach 500 for his career. He needs just five homers to reach 150. ... The Tribe had lost four consecutive series before earning a two-game split against the Tigers. ... The Indians set season highs in runs (11) and hits (13) on Thursday night. ... Ryan Garko has reached base safely in every game this season. He has a nine-game hitting streak.

Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.

On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• STO-HD

On radio
• WTAM 1100

Up next
• Saturday: Indians (Jake Westbrook, 1-1, 2.38) at Twins (Nick Blackburn, 0-1, 3.57), 3:55 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Indians (Paul Byrd, 0-2, 6.08) at Twins (Scott Baker, 2-0, 4.34), 2:10 p.m. ET
• Monday: Off-day

Active Roster
Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
63 Rafael Betancourt R/R 6-2 200 04/29/75
58 Craig Breslow L/L 6-0 185 08/08/80
36 Paul Byrd R/R 6-1 190 12/03/70
55 Fausto Carmona R/R 6-4 230 12/07/83
44 Jorge Julio R/R 6-1 225 03/03/79
30 Masahide Kobayashi R/R 6-0 195 05/24/74
31 Cliff Lee L/L 6-3 190 08/30/78
50 Jensen Lewis R/R 6-3 210 05/16/84
40 Tom Mastny R/R 6-6 225 02/04/81
53 Rafael Perez L/L 6-3 195 05/15/82
52 C.C. Sabathia L/L 6-7 290 07/21/80
37 Jake Westbrook R/R 6-3 215 09/29/77
Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
41 Victor Martinez S/R 6-2 210 12/23/78
10 Kelly Shoppach R/R 6-0 220 04/29/80
Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
1 Casey Blake R/R 6-2 210 08/23/73
13 Asdrubal Cabrera S/R 6-0 170 11/13/85
7 Jamey Carroll R/R 5-9 170 02/18/74
25 Ryan Garko R/R 6-2 225 01/02/81
15 Andy Marte R/R 6-1 205 10/21/83
2 Jhonny Peralta R/R 6-1 210 05/28/82
Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
20 David Dellucci L/L 5-11 205 10/31/73
38 Franklin Gutierrez R/R 6-2 190 02/21/83
8 Jason Michaels R/R 6-0 205 05/04/76
24 Grady Sizemore L/L 6-2 200 08/02/82
Designated Hitters B/T Ht Wt DOB
48 Travis Hafner L/R 6-3 240 06/03/77
40-Man Roster
Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
63 Rafael Betancourt R/R 6-2 200 04/29/75
* 47 Joe Borowski R/R 6-2 215 05/04/71 15-day Disabled List
58 Craig Breslow L/L 6-0 185 08/08/80
36 Paul Byrd R/R 6-1 190 12/03/70
55 Fausto Carmona R/R 6-4 230 12/07/83
44 Jorge Julio R/R 6-1 225 03/03/79
30 Masahide Kobayashi R/R 6-0 195 05/24/74
* 32 Aaron Laffey L/L 6-0 180 04/15/85
31 Cliff Lee L/L 6-3 190 08/30/78
50 Jensen Lewis R/R 6-3 210 05/16/84
* 69 Scott Lewis S/L 6-0 185 09/26/83
40 Tom Mastny R/R 6-6 225 02/04/81
* 72 Adam Miller R/R 6-4 200 11/26/84
* 49 Edward Mujica R/R 6-2 215 05/10/84
53 Rafael Perez L/L 6-3 195 05/15/82
52 C.C. Sabathia L/L 6-7 290 07/21/80
* 64 Reid Santos L/L 6-1 170 08/24/82
* 70 Tony Sipp L/L 6-0 190 07/12/83
* 54 Brian Slocum R/R 6-3 210 03/27/81
* 45 Jeremy Sowers L/L 6-1 180 05/17/83
37 Jake Westbrook R/R 6-3 215 09/29/77
Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
41 Victor Martinez S/R 6-2 210 12/23/78
10 Kelly Shoppach R/R 6-0 220 04/29/80
* 76 Wyatt Toregas R/R 5-11 200 12/02/82
Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
* 68 Michael Aubrey L/L 6-0 195 04/15/82
* 29 Josh Barfield R/R 6-0 190 12/17/82
1 Casey Blake R/R 6-2 210 08/23/73
13 Asdrubal Cabrera S/R 6-0 170 11/13/85
7 Jamey Carroll R/R 5-9 170 02/18/74
25 Ryan Garko R/R 6-2 225 01/02/81
15 Andy Marte R/R 6-1 205 10/21/83
2 Jhonny Peralta R/R 6-1 210 05/28/82
Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
* 17 Shin-Soo Choo L/L 5-11 200 07/13/82 15-day Disabled List
20 David Dellucci L/L 5-11 205 10/31/73
* 12 Ben Francisco R/R 6-1 190 10/23/81
38 Franklin Gutierrez R/R 6-2 190 02/21/83
8 Jason Michaels R/R 6-0 205 05/04/76
24 Grady Sizemore L/L 6-2 200 08/02/82
* 75 Brad Snyder L/L 6-3 200 05/25/82
Designated Hitters B/T Ht Wt DOB
48 Travis Hafner L/R 6-3 240 06/03/77
* Not on Active Roster
** Not on 40-Man Roster
Sortable Player Stats
All Position Hitting Stats, 2008
 Next Stats >>

Select
up to 5
players


Picks left		 Player TEAM POS G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
1. T Hafner
CLE DH 16 62 9 15 2 0 3 12 26 8 16 0 1 .347 .419 .242
2. G Sizemore
CLE OF 16 60 8 17 1 1 1 8 23 9 12 5 0 .405 .383 .283
3. J Peralta
CLE SS 15 59 9 14 3 0 3 5 26 5 14 0 0 .297 .441 .237
4. R Garko
CLE 1B 16 54 6 17 4 0 2 11 27 11 6 0 0 .448 .500 .315
5. A Cabrera
CLE 2B 15 52 6 9 2 0 0 6 11 3 11 0 1 .218 .212 .173
6. F Gutierrez
CLE OF 14 48 6 10 3 0 1 4 16 4 13 2 0 .283 .333 .208
7. C Blake
CLE 3B 14 46 7 7 3 0 0 7 10 5 10 1 0 .250 .217 .152
8. V Martinez
CLE C 11 38 2 14 2 0 0 6 16 1 2 0 0 .385 .421 .368
9. J Michaels
CLE OF 13 36 1 5 1 0 0 5 6 2 8 1 0 .195 .167 .139
10. D Dellucci
CLE OF 14 29 7 8 3 0 1 4 14 6 4 0 0 .432 .483 .276
11. K Shoppach
CLE C 10 22 6 6 1 0 1 2 10 1 6 0 0 .360 .455 .273
12. J Carroll
CLE 2B 6 13 7 4 0 1 0 2 6 4 1 0 0 .526 .462 .308
13. A Marte
CLE 3B 4 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 .143 .143 .143


Sortable Player Stats
All Position Pitching Stats, 2008
 Next Stats >>

Select
up to 5
players


Picks left		 Player TEAM W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV SVO IP H R ER HR HBP BB SO
1. F Carmona
CLE 2 1 1.96 4 4 0 0 0 0 23.0 17 6 5 0 2 18 10
2. J Westbrook
CLE 1 1 2.38 3 3 1 0 0 0 22.2 20 7 6 3 1 4 12
3. C Sabathia
CLE 0 3 13.50 4 4 0 0 0 0 18.0 32 27 27 5 1 14 14
4. C Lee
CLE 2 0 0.61 2 2 0 0 0 0 14.2 6 2 1 0 0 1 12
5. P Byrd
CLE 0 2 6.08 3 3 0 0 0 0 13.1 19 12 9 3 2 4 8
6. J Lewis
CLE 0 1 4.66 7 0 0 0 0 0 9.2 11 5 5 2 1 6 8
7. R Betancourt
CLE 1 0 4.50 8 0 0 0 0 0 8.0 11 4 4 2 0 1 8
8. J Julio
CLE 0 0 5.63 6 0 0 0 0 0 8.0 8 5 5 1 0 5 6
9. M Kobayashi
CLE 0 0 2.84 7 0 0 0 0 0 6.1 9 3 2 0 0 1 4
10. C Breslow
CLE 0 0 0.00 4 0 0 0 0 0 5.2 3 0 0 0 0 4 4
11. R Perez
CLE 0 0 6.35 7 0 0 0 0 2 5.2 7 4 4 1 0 3 6
12. J Borowski
CLE 0 2 18.00 5 0 0 0 2 4 4.0 7 8 8 3 0 4 3
13. T Mastny
CLE 0 0 13.50 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.1 2 2 2 0 0 3 2
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Walrus Archive