Game 114: Orioles 3, Indians 1
by afh4 on Aug 12, 2010 12:08 AM EDT
in Game Recaps
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PrintThe Indians are deep into the dog days of summer, those days that, over the last three seasons, have seen my brain consuming itself as we all watch a losing team play out the string. Just a few days ago, I wrote that this team offered us something to dream on and I still believe that. However, the last two days and the stultifying losses to the Baltimore Orioles (seriously, Baltimore: It's not just The Wire. There's a baseball team there, too) have certainly sapped some of the momentum from my jig or wherever it is that momentum resides.
Incidentally, I'm deep into my vacation and I'm writing from Hilton Head, South Carolina and, by deep into my vacation, I mean that I'm hot and flushed with red wine. Earlier, I saw a family of 6 walking from the pool led by a large, bald man who wore a t-shirt, still chlorine soaked, and a towel wrapped around his waist, giving the impression of a giant, cinematic, pale-skinned samurai.
The Indians lost tonight, if you didn't grab that from the title or the first paragraph. They were two-hit by a man named Brad Bergesen. Bergesen, despite the uninteresting career numbers, had a couple of good starts before this against bad teams (Kansas City and Chicago (AL)), so his good start against another bad team (Cleveland (Underworld)) was not exactly shocking. Josh Tomlin, who increasingly is becoming my mental image of John Grady Cole, Cormac McCarthy's protagonist in All The Pretty Horses, took the loss. Tomlin pitched decently through his five innings and, bafflingly, operated as a groundball pitcher. I don't know what to make of Josh Tomlin except that, as long as he gets results, commentators will fawn over his toughness or grit or whatever it is that make men under six feet tall out of places like Texas Tech stick in the bigs.
Then there's this:
"There's a big difference between Triple-A and the big leagues," manager Manny Acta, "and it's not just the meal money."
Manny's talking about David Huff there and it seems increasingly clear that this isn't a happy marriage between Huff and the Indians. Then again, this is only a marriage in the sense that mail-order brides are married: no one here owes each other anything and there wasn't any emotional foundation to build on. The sentiment expressed in the internet buzz, mentioned in an earlier recap, seems increasingly to be irking the Indians or, at least, irking Acta and he's more than willing to fire a shot across the bow of Huff, or Huff's agent or Huff's mom or the anonymous internet denizens who love Huff or whoever runs the show that is David Huff's career.
Briefly, a shout-out to Brick and his terrific recap last night in the stead of your four mainstays who are either installing SAP software, working in Eastern Europe, child-rearing or vacationing. Hopefully, there's better baseball ahead.
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Earlier, I saw a family of 6 walking from the pool led by a large, bald man who wore a t-shirt, still chlorine soaked, and a towel wrapped around his waist, giving the impression of a giant, cinematic, pale-skinned samurai.
If there’s a prize for best non sequitur in a recap, I nominate this one. For a game detailing a second straight loss to the Orioles, there might not be a more appropriate place for something like that.
Steel Nick
So looks like Matt Packer skipped High A. He was dominant in Low A. I am very excited to see what he does in AA. Could be a very nice piece.
LGT's resident moderate Yankee hating fan.
On Matt Packer: “What happened was when he was in the pen he showed us four good pitches, so he has a chance to start being a lefty and is doing a great job. He can really pitch off his offspeed stuff a curveball, slider and changeup, and has a decent fastball with sink. He has a good arsenal to have as a starter. His changeup really has a lot of deception and depth to it as it really dives. If he can pitch off the changeup which is his main weapon and sneak the fastball in there and mix in the curve and slider he can do a good job. He has been up to 93 MPH, and sitting 90-91 MPH which is pretty good for a lefty. I think he is more of a guy who needs to locate as I don’t see a lot of swing and misses because he is throwing a ball by a guy, he gets a lot of swing and misses on his offspeed stuff.”
LGT's resident moderate Yankee hating fan.
Woops, clicked post by accident. That was the LCC pitching coach.
http://www.indiansprospectinsider.com/2010/06/coachs-corner-mickey-callaway.html
LGT's resident moderate Yankee hating fan.
he has a chance to start being a lefty
Is he being a righty now?
Come on, four billion!
by Joel D on Aug 12, 2010 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
They were forcing him to pitch with his non-dominant hand because lefties are sinister. But then they realized that could help his pitching.
In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).
by V-Mart Shopper on Aug 12, 2010 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
He came in to the game last night in relief of Anthony Reyes. Reyes got through the first 1-2-3. In the 2nd it went
BB
WP
BB
WP
BB
BB
WP
BB
1B
BB
and Reyes was done – 1 IP, 1 hit, 7 ER, 6 BB
Packer went 7, allowing 3 hits, no ER of his own (although he allowed several of Reyes’ to score before the second was over), walking 3 and striking out 4.
by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Aug 12, 2010 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions
That has to be among the worst one-inning lines ever
Where's your crown, KIng Nothing?
by Turkmenbashi on Aug 12, 2010 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions
After 114 games, the Indians match Wedge’s worst record at this point (his first year, 2003). There is hardly a soul who thinks Wedge would be better for this team.
What are the chances that Acta makes the post-season while he is managing the Indians?
I have no idea what upper management’s plans are for Acta. I like him, and I think he could be a winning manager. I’d like to see what he could with a team that has a few more solid pieces in place.
Typical. Really, why do you keep coming back here, palcal?
"If Brown is the answer, then you’re asking the wrong question." - Ryan
by woodsmeister on Aug 12, 2010 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Just not the Yankee stadium stuff.
by Brick. on Aug 12, 2010 9:39 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Drive-by post irrelevant statistic that makes Indians and//or their management look bad. Refuse to stick around to discuss. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Seriously, the schtick is getting old.
"If Brown is the answer, then you’re asking the wrong question." - Ryan
by woodsmeister on Aug 12, 2010 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions
We’ll have several years to find out. His leash will be long on a rebuilding team, as it should be.
I think we could have a playoff-caliber team within a few years.
Steel Nick
Glad to help out. If you can call 1/162 helping. It was fun and at the same time I thought “how do these guys do this every day?” not that it took doing it to appreciate the work you guys put in.
by Brick. on Aug 12, 2010 9:38 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Writing recaps of games like this must rank right up there with writing lab reports on chemistry experiments that went horribly wrong. Much appreciation to all of you who have willingly autopsied the various roadkills this season.
If you believe it's just a game, you're also probably wondering why Santa keeps skipping your house every year.
by LeftyCatcher on Aug 12, 2010 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Have a plate of shrimp and grits for us.
Growing pains. We are bound to see the entire spectrum of ugly games over the next few weeks. Maybe tonight will be a 4-error night. (And I hope people do not dismiss this Orioles team as complete pushover: Showalter has them playing pretty well right now – we were due for a letdown and the O’s are primed to take advantage).
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin
by Spidey on Aug 12, 2010 10:54 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
The problem isn’t that the Orioles are pushovers. It’s that, with the Indians DL list, the Orioles now have a better team. Along with crap players like Corey Patterson they have some promising players (and Nick Markakis), They have Brian Roberts signed through 2014.
And the O’s are in a division where they are years away from the playoffs. Hmmm, maybe MLB should consider realignment to put the bad teams into the East. Whoops! Didn’t mean to open that can of worm.
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin
by Spidey on Aug 12, 2010 12:37 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Loaded (So They Say) 2011 Draft Update.
Cleveland/KC are tied for the 5th pick right now. I’d say we can do no worse than 8th and probably can’t climb higher than 4th.
Steel Nick
Why can’t we end up 9th?
I count Nationals, Cubs, Astros, Pirates, Diamondbacks from the NL who can end up worse than us and Seattle, Royals, and Baltimore for the AL, leaving us 9th.
I agree we can probably feasibly end up 4th, unless Seattle beats us head to head and/or if Baltimore goes on a tear for whatever reason, we could possibly end up 3rd.
In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).
by V-Mart Shopper on Aug 13, 2010 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I think we only get to 9th if we go on an upswing and other teams go on a streak worse than their current play (which is already bad).
It’s possible obviously, but you don’t predict winning and losing streaks, you just predict current play.
Steel Nick
It’s really only a one or two game swing for the “best” of this group. It doesn’t really require much streaking. Not that I’m hoping for a worse draft pick, I hope for a better one, but I don’t know what records you’re looking at.
In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).
by V-Mart Shopper on Aug 14, 2010 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Right now, if I’m looking at it right, Milwaukee is 10th at 55-63 (466). I feel pretty confident we aren’t catching them. So 9th is the absolute worst (best) we can do, I suppose. Houston is 50-65. We’re 48-69 (.410), but there are also a few teams between us and we’d have to outperform all of them by a few games: Kansas City, the Cubs, Washington, and then Houston.
So it’s possible we get 9th, if that’s what you’re arguing. But I feel fine standing by my original prediction. Not a big difference either way.
Steel Nick
Today’s lineup is much better than the one I whined about yesterday. Of course today I can’t go to the game.
I have one complaint. Crowe is fifth.
Brantley, Cabrera, Choo, Duncan, Crowe, LaPorta, Donald, Marte, Marson.
Steel Nick
what’s the point of him batting 5th? is this one of those softball lineups where you configure two 4-man lineups in the order and stick the chump at the bottom?
I’d rather see Crowe 9th with the rest of the lineup bumped up a spot. In the rare chance Crowe reaches base, at least there’d be some speed on it for the top of the lineup to do something.
You are reading my signature.
Same thing as before. Acta is insiting on splitting up the righties, Duncan and LaPorta, with a lefty. Crowe is the only option is you refuse to move Brantley and Choo out of the 1 and 3 hole.
"I spoil a lot of people with my play." -Lebron James
ah, that’s right.
if that’s the party line, so be it. but in practice, it just looks really strange.
You are reading my signature.
I generally would rather the better hitters get more at bats regardless of which side of the plate they line up on. Crowe, ideally, would not be in the lineup at all.
"I spoil a lot of people with my play." -Lebron James
A couple things from Stark:
“Some American League team will give [Manny] a job,” an official of one team predicted. “They’ll give him a million bucks and incentives tied to plate appearances, and they’ll make him their DH. But that’s the only possibility, because he ain’t playing in the National League. I can just about guarantee that.”
“[Indians GM] Mark Shapiro said it best,” Anthopoulos said. “There’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal.”
I was struggling to put this into context at first. I was thinking, “Why does Manny Acta need a job? And why would it be as a DH?”
My primitive mind can't grasp these concepts.
Indians please
"sometimes the internet is hard for me." - ClemsonGirl
by world dictator on Aug 12, 2010 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Can you imagine how quickly the clecommers and the radio call-in listeners would have to change their stance on steroid users?
“Throw the book at `em! I wouldn’t piss on these guys if they caught fire! They disgraced this game, and they should never get to play a single inning for the rest of their lives! They’re all a bunch of cheating— What? We signed Manny? OH MY GOD I STILL HAVE HIS JERSEY! I LOVE YOU MANNY! HE WAS THE GREATEST! MANNY! MANNY! MANNY!”
Steel Nick
Dolan’s too cheap to buy him steroids.
In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).
by V-Mart Shopper on Aug 13, 2010 3:10 AM EDT up reply actions
LGFT update: The Tigers, catching a lightning bug in a bottle in Jhonny Peralta, are 4-9 since his acquisition, thanks in part to his 611 OPS for them. Tigers continue their offensive malaise: after completing a 7-2 home stand on July 11, they stood at 48-38, a half game out, scoring 4.66 runs per game. They ran into that buzzsaw that is your 2010 Cleveland Indians and were swept in a four game set. From that series to date: MoTowners are 7-21, scoring 3.10 runs per game. Jhonny’s OPS in his last 12 games is 384, after that opening 2-HR salvo for Detroit in Beantown.
I think we already won that trade. even if Soto doesn’t turn into anything, we don’t have to watch Jhonny flail at breaking balls a foot out of the strikezone.
I have been complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel that they have not said enough.
by notthatnoise on Aug 13, 2010 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Weird. He arrived with a huge bang, 5-11 with a double, two homers and two walk in his first series against Boston. 1629 OPS, and in 10 games since then, 303 OPS. Not a typo, .108 / .195 / .108.
I tuned in last night to see Jhonny coming to the plate for the Tigers. He immediately bounced a soft one to third base, where the ball was fielded cleanly and he was thrown out … by Omar Vizquel. Totally surreal.
by Jay on Aug 14, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
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