Game 43: Reds 3, Indians 1

by Ryan on May 22, 2009 10:29 PM EDT in Game Recaps

Anthony Reyes only lasted three innings before leaving the game with a sore elbow. If he had been pitching all game with the balky elbow, his performance was understandable, if not miraculous. The first three Cincinnati batters he faced reached without a hit, but after the smoke cleared and the mirrors were carted off, the Reds had just a run to show for their promising start. Reyes dodged the big inning the next two frames then finally couldn't continue. Reyes has had elbow trouble his entire career, including a flare-up that shortened his 2008 season.

Even on teams with deep bullpens, a starter leaving the game before the fifth is a tough obstacle to overcome, especially if there's no longman around to get the game to the short relievers. Tonight Jensen Lewis gave the Indians a welcome three innings of shutout relief, and at the end of his outing, the game was still tied at one. The advantage still rested with Cincinnati given the relative strengths of the bullpens, but at least the Indians had a chance to win.

Aaron Laffey took over for Lewis in the seventh. With Reyes' injury, assuming that it was serious to put him on the DL, Laffey seemed the logical choice to replace him in the rotation. After all, Laffey wasn't moved to the bullpen because he was pitching poorly. But after the Reds took the lead off him in the eighth, he injured what looked like an oblique muscle and had to leave the game. It looks like the Indians will have four starters on the Disabled List (Westbrook, Lewis, Reyes, and Laffey), and that starter depth at the beginning of the year is now gone. I'm going to assume that Jeremy Sowers will get called up to take Reyes' place in the rotation, but until then, the Indians probably will go with an extra reliever. As who the two relievers are, your guess is as good as mine.

Meanwhile, the offense had a couple opportunities to take the lead, the biggest being the seventh. With one out, Peralta went from first to third on a Mark DeRosa single to right, but Ryan Garko grounded into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.

Next Up: Huff vs. Bailey, 7:10 PM

via www.fangraphs.com

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Jensen Lewis	.206	Ryan Garko	-.247
Jhonny Peralta	.091	Aaron Laffey	-.178
Grady Sizemore	.087	Asdrubal Cabrera	-.141

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Comments

Terrible news with those injuries. Looks like I picked a good game to miss out on.

Tomorrow is pretty critical to win if we want to pretend we are still contenders.

by Toxicadam on May 22, 2009 10:32 PM EDT reply actions

in Reyes’ next spot, could we do the 3-3-3 thing again with … say… Zaxx, Jensen and Herges?

FE WEE

by westbrook on May 22, 2009 10:45 PM EDT reply actions

Have a hunch Perez will come back to fill Laffey’s bullpen role. His efforts in Columbus have been good … but not great.

While I agree we may see more of Sowers … what about making a reach for Lofgren … he’s really seemed to return to form in AA.

by FallsTribeFan on May 22, 2009 10:45 PM EDT reply actions

Even if Lofgren were pitching so well that we thought he might be ready for big leaguers, I’m no sure he gets that call. As of this morning, we have about a 7% chance of making the post-season, including a negligible chance of being the wild card. (“I CUT THE BRAKES! WILD CARD, B$%^#ES!”) I think the emphasis swings back to prospect development at that point. In other words, if the major leaguers figure it out, great, but you don’t jeopardize Chuck’s renaissance as a prospect for 7%.

by fleerdon on May 23, 2009 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions

I also was wondering about Lofgren, FTF…and Tyler, I think the concern about ruining prospects gets overplayed. Do we have evidence for this? That being said, if there’s anyone that needs a soft hand, it’s probably Lofgren.

by dgcambridge on May 23, 2009 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, if they think he can handle it, I agree, go for it. The counter-point is just, if there’s any doubt, the risk-reward ratio is awfully low.

by fleerdon on May 23, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions

I doubt they want to make such a major move considering this is the first time Lofgren’s been anything but non prospect terrible in two years.

by world dictator on May 23, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions

Er, high. High risk, low reward. High.

Ratios.

by fleerdon on May 23, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions

favorite episode

by Roger Dorn on May 23, 2009 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions

“I can’t believe you both took your shirts off. You really sold me up-river there.”

by fleerdon on May 23, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions

In other words, if the major leaguers figure it out, great, but you don’t jeopardize Chuck’s renaissance as a prospect for 7%.

My gut reaction is to agree with this, but given the reality of TINSTAAPP and Lofgren’s ceiling, are we really sure the asset management math works out that way?

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

by Jay on May 23, 2009 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Here’s the latest on the injuries.

by FallsTribeFan on May 22, 2009 10:56 PM EDT reply actions

In better Cleveland news, Lebron’s WPA is through the freaking roof.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on May 22, 2009 11:45 PM EDT reply actions

Amazing!

by Cols714 on May 23, 2009 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow.

by Ryan on May 23, 2009 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions

My Dad observed, “These things don’t happen in Cleveland.”

by baergagaga on May 23, 2009 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions

SERIOUSLY

That’s totally what we said

I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck

by Turkmenbashi on May 23, 2009 3:29 AM EDT up reply actions

That’s like 40 years of WPA loaded into one shot

by Roger Dorn on May 23, 2009 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Also! Best nickname I have heard for it “Le Shot”

by Roger Dorn on May 23, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

That was a frustrating loss. We hit well against Grenkie and then go comatose against Arroyo.

I become an expert simply by doing something.

by Brad D on May 22, 2009 11:53 PM EDT reply actions

I’m sure this was point out in the gamethread, but Hafner with a homer, double and two walks. Someone else hit a homerun too.

by dgcambridge on May 23, 2009 12:17 AM EDT reply actions

Agent M had 3 more hits today (one was his 5th homer).

He has an OPS of 1.034 for the month of May.

by Toxicadam on May 23, 2009 12:38 AM EDT up reply actions

1.034 is OK. Weglarz and Chisenhall have been even better in May.

And hey, Abreu had a walk tonight!

by dgcambridge on May 23, 2009 2:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Abreu had a walk

and Lebron’s shot…clearly this is Cleveland’s golden age

by APV on May 23, 2009 9:08 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

LEBRON JAMES

Sorry LGT, I’m drunk-ish

I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck

by Turkmenbashi on May 23, 2009 3:27 AM EDT reply actions

Lee
Pavano
Carmona
Jackson?
Sowers?

Wood
Betancourt
Lewis
Aquino
Herges
Perez?
Meloan?

by fleerdon on May 23, 2009 9:57 AM EDT reply actions

Scott Lewis’s busted forearm is really grinding my gears right now.

by fleerdon on May 23, 2009 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions

Lee
Pavano
Carmona
Huff
Sowers? (but first Rundles?)

Wood
Betancourt
Lewis
Aquino
Herges
Vizcaino
Sipp or Perez?

by dgcambridge on May 23, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Forgive for forgetting Vizcaino, since I still haven’t the foggiest idea who he is.

by fleerdon on May 23, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Aquino
Herges
Vizcaino

This still makes me cry.

by Voltaire on May 23, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Meloan has got to know that the only thing holding him back is the walks. He just can’t figure it out.

by dgcambridge on May 23, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Got to be frustrating, since there’s no doubt they’d have called him up if they thought he had even a marginal chance of being effective in the majors.

by fleerdon on May 23, 2009 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions

this is not going to make things any easier

by APV on May 23, 2009 10:19 AM EDT reply actions

If things don’t improve, is Pavano deadline-deal bait, or do we try to sign him for 2010? Is this an “it depends on Carl” issue?

by fleerdon on May 23, 2009 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions

I think he gets traded. I don’t see the Indians making moves to add payroll, now or in the immediate future.

by APV on May 23, 2009 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Do these two injuries save Eric Wedge’s job?

In one fell swoop, our hopes of competing have all but been minimized and the argument that the failures of this season were outside of Wedge’s control just got two big exclamation points.

by world dictator on May 23, 2009 11:51 AM EDT reply actions