Game 21: Indians 9, Red Sox 8

by Ryan on Apr 29, 2009 12:29 AM EDT in Game Recaps

It was fitting that this bizarre game ended on a pitcher dropping a simple flip at first base. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and Mark DeRosa at second, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a grounder wide of first, and Kevin Youkilis made a very good diving play in getting to the ball. All that remained was to toss the ball to the pitcher covering the bag, and the game would go to extra innings. But Javier Lopez couldn't watch the ball and find the bag at the same time, and the ball bounced off his mitt. DeRosa, who with two outs had kept running, crossed home plate, and the Indians celebrated their first walk-off win of the season thanks to an error.

The weather had changed dramatically since yesterday. Gone was the summer-like weather, replaced by seasonably cool temperatures with a mist hanging over the ballpark. The wind had also shifted, and was blowing in. Seems like a perfect recipe for another pitcher's duel? The only pitching duel tonight was the battle to get out of the third inning. Starters Brad Penny and Anthony Reyes were in constant trouble from the beginning of their outings, giving up runs in each of their three innings of work. Reyes only lasted two innings, and Vinnie Chulk had to pitch very well to keep Anthony's runs allowed at seven. Penny walked out to the mound in the bottom of the third up 7-3, but he couldn't even hold that lead, though his defense helped set up the inning. Mike Lowell threw wildly to second with one out, and instead of turning a double play and ending the inning, a run scored, leaving runners at first and second and still one out. Ben Francisco made Penny and the Red Sox pay, catching up to a high fastball and hitting the foul pole for a three-run game-tying homer.

The bullpens then took over, and both were very effective, allowing just one run apiece until the bottom of the ninth. Tony Sipp again was outstanding, striking out three in 1.1 innings. The Red Sox took the lead once more in the seventh, but a Mark DeRosa homer in the bottom of the inning tied the game again. Kerry Wood, brought on in the exact situation as last night, pitched his way out of a major jam, and this time kept Boston off the scoreboard, setting up the bottom of the ninth.

The Red Sox loss ended an eleven-game winning streak, and to tell the truth, they did more to lose this game than the Indians did to win it. Four of the Indians' nine runs were unearned, including the winning run. But a win as ugly as this counts the same in the standings as the Indians' 22-4 massacre of New York last week.

Next Up: Lester vs. Carmona, 7:05 PM.

via www.fangraphs.com

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Mark DeRosa	.515	Anthony Reyes	-.528
Asdrubal Cabrera	.419	Grady Sizemore	-.246
Ben Francisco	.355	Joe Smith	-.158

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Comments

Still no archived audio, I want to hear the Hammy call.

And, uh oh, Putnam came out after two strong innings tonight, up 2-0.

by dgcambridge on Apr 29, 2009 12:47 AM EDT reply actions

Sounds like I missed a good one, didn’t get a chance to watch or listen to it. Gotta love seeing the bullpen pitch so well as I refuse to believe it won’t be above-average.

by ClarkM on Apr 29, 2009 1:04 AM EDT reply actions

Working from home, miserable, and watching it on tape. 5-1 in the second, so I figured I’d just check LGT, see how bad it was, and then go to bed.

Now I’m forcing myself to keep working and watch the game. It’s one of those years — even when it’s good, there’s a bad side to it.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Apr 29, 2009 1:12 AM EDT reply actions

And … my DVR stopped with 2 outs in the top of the ninth. Marvelous.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Apr 29, 2009 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh

by dgcambridge on Apr 29, 2009 3:35 AM EDT up reply actions

It was really ugly to watch, actually. The only good part was watching the incredulous look on Youkilis’s face for about 5 minutes after the game was over. Well, and the fact that we won.

"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter

by Denver Tribe Fan on Apr 29, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions

It was a grueling game to watch, and the torture was not entirely redeemed by the ending.

The opposite of what we’ve usually been getting, it was a win with a few troubling big-picture elements. Reyes, Grady, Jhonny, Smith, even Wood struggled to get through the 9th for the win.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

by Jay on Apr 29, 2009 7:56 AM EDT up reply actions

I think the most troubling big-picture element was Reyes. I was never very high on him, but the more I see him, the more he looks like a Paul Byrd junk-baller, without as much junk… or control.

by Ryan Kelsey on Apr 29, 2009 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I agree, Reyes is the most troubling. Jhonny will get out of it, as will Grady (sooner). I wasn’t high on Smith to begin with and Wood GOT OUT OF IT BY SLAYING BEARS.

Ben Francisco: An Outfielder only on baseball cards and roster sheets.

by westbrook on Apr 29, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Reyes is going to need better fastball command if he’s going to throw it 84-86 mph.

by TribeJay on Apr 29, 2009 8:38 AM EDT reply actions

wait, is that all he’s throwing? I thought he was an around-89 guy. DL him.

Ben Francisco: An Outfielder only on baseball cards and roster sheets.

by westbrook on Apr 29, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Reyes is up around 88, or at least was in that game.

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfx/index.php?month=4&day=28&year=2009&game=gid_2009_04_28_bosmlb_clemlb_1%2F&pitchSel=435039.xml&prevGame=gid_2009_04_28_bosmlb_clemlb_1%2F&prevDate=428

Webmaster of Driveline Mechanics
http://www.drivelinemechanics.com - An Unconventional Look at Scouting

by Kyle Boddy on Apr 29, 2009 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, that analysis also says that he threw 42 changeups and 19 fastballs. That clearly wasn’t the case. I will guess that more than a few fastballs were classified as changeups. And that’s not a good thing to say about a pitcher.

It also refers to him throwing 10 sliders. Never seen him throw a slider, but it did look like he was cutting a lot of fastballs last night.

It’s interesting data, but if pitches aren’t classified correctly, it’s tough to draw legitimate conclusions.

by TribeJay on Apr 29, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

True. I will admit I didn’t look hard; I just glanced at fastballs.

BrooksBaseball is not corrected data, you are right on that. His slider is probably a “cutter.”

Webmaster of Driveline Mechanics
http://www.drivelinemechanics.com - An Unconventional Look at Scouting

by Kyle Boddy on Apr 29, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Sipp has looked fantastic, but has anyone else been worried about his mechanics? He looks a copy of BJ Ryan to me. Of course as long as he lasts 6 years his mechanics are fine.

by oxforddave on Apr 29, 2009 9:10 AM EDT reply actions

I will ask my buddy Kyle at Driveline Mechanics to put him in the queue for analysis.

by SeattleVinny on Apr 29, 2009 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m very interested. I think Kyle is a tribe fan, so maybe we can jump the queue.

by oxforddave on Apr 29, 2009 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Well there is no need to jump the queue. Profile is up.

http://www.drivelinemechanics.com/2009/4/29/859108/pitcher-profile-tony-sipp

by oxforddave on Apr 29, 2009 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions

I know he fought hard here for his views on the Wood signing, but bringing it up again was an odd diversion in that piece.

At least he doesn’t pretend LGT doesn’t exist and link to some blog that I’ve never heard of.

On point, that arm recoil is scary, not that I know what the hell it does.

Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 29, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I felt it relevant since a lot of Cleveland fans think Sipp is the closer of the future, not just some middle reliever.

Webmaster of Driveline Mechanics
http://www.drivelinemechanics.com - An Unconventional Look at Scouting

by Kyle Boddy on Apr 29, 2009 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Glad to see you here.

by oxforddave on Apr 29, 2009 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks to both. I come over here once in awhile, but I’ve never been a big fan of the GameThreads on SB Nation, so I don’t comment much. My blog is one of the few exceptions on SBN that doesn’t have GameThreads since it’s a general information blog. Still, I’m an Indians fan first and foremost (despite a few other teams I enjoy watching, I’d root for Cleveland over any of them) and a recently displaced Parma resident (now in Seattle, like SeattleVinny – we both lived in Cleveland or the suburbs thereof).

Webmaster of Driveline Mechanics
http://www.drivelinemechanics.com - An Unconventional Look at Scouting

by Kyle Boddy on Apr 29, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I’ve enjoyed your stuff to the extent I understand it.

Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 29, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Which is to say, welcome.

Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 29, 2009 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks Kyle. Your stuff always leaves me worried, but somewhat informed. Also, I love that you picked that pitch called ball 4, that was clearly a strike.

by Ryan Kelsey on Apr 29, 2009 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions

What on earth is going on with Jhonny Peralta? Every game, I serenely think, “OK, Jhonny, here we go, break out of it.” Does anyone remember spring training?

by NickFantana on Apr 29, 2009 10:28 AM EDT reply actions

I think Jhonny has “homerless-itis.” He hasn’t homered yet, and he knows it.

I will say that the drive he hit in his last at-bat would’ve gone out in any of the previous few games. But with the weather changing yesterday, it just died.

by TribeJay on Apr 29, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions

i wonder when we’ll call laporta up.

by Brick. on Apr 29, 2009 10:31 AM EDT reply actions

this should be a fanpost… duh.

by Ryan Kelsey on Apr 29, 2009 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions

LaPorta would have hit a SIX-RUN homer!! Take that BenFran!!

by cleveland teamer on Apr 29, 2009 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions

On an unrelated note a made some basmati and wild rice yesterday and sautéed some red pepper, onion, and garlic in butter, but what really made it was the Parmesan cheese that I added at the end. I think its going to be my cheese of choice when making any sort of rice dish going forward.

by hans on Apr 29, 2009 10:41 AM EDT reply actions

I just got turned on to paneer cheese for this type of dish a few days ago.

You can cut it into cubes kinda like tofu (but not gross) and saute it right with all of your other goodies.

by AllenSmith on Apr 29, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions

whoa that sounds really good. I’ve had paneer in Indian food (which I love). I’ll have to find an Indian grocery store ( I think they are all over Parma actually) cause its way overpriced at Giant Eagle, which is the only place I’ve seen it so far.

by hans on Apr 29, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Wasn’t the Lowell error in the 2nd inning? The big error leading to Fransisco’s HR in the 3rd was the Lugo drop of the sure double-play throw.

Lowell’s error was a simple error that happens over the course of the season. Lugo’s error was something you never see, except in Little League. It was a perfect throw and he had plenty of time to catch and return the throw to first.

I have to admit: I felt a little shame celebrating the victory, with the team crowding the plate and Droobs. But, then I saw Youkilis pouting in the dugout and all was well with me…

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin

by Spidey on Apr 29, 2009 11:14 AM EDT reply actions