Game 130: Royals 6, Indians 2

by Ryan on Aug 29, 2010 5:43 PM EDT in Game Recaps

Since the All-Star Break, Fausto Carmona has been only occasionally good. In the second half, he's gotten more strikeouts, but his ERA is 5.59 compared to a 3.64 first half ERA. Today he looked better; his changeup was sitting in the mid-80s, where it's effective, and at times his two-seamer was dropping off the table. His problem was staying in the strike zone. He walked four Royals, and although he lasted into the seventh, he came to the mound already having thrown over 105 pitches.

The Indians faced the well-traveled Bruce Chen, and couldn't solve the soft-tossing left-hander until the bottom of the sixth, when Jason Donald hit a drive to center field that somehow cleared the wall, tying the game at two. Donald started the game on the bench, but was put in when Matt LaPorta left after tweaking his left hip. The Royals responded the next inning, as Kila Ka'ahiue drove home a run with a double. The next inning, Tony Sipp gave up a no-doubt homer to the left-handed Mitch Maier. With Joakim Soria looming in just an inning, the Indians were going to have to get to Blake Wood if they had any shot of coming back, but Wood struck out the side. Manny Acta, perhaps knowing the chances of the Indians getting back in the game, send Hector Ambriz into the game to pitch the top of the ninth. Ambriz gave up three hits and two runs in what's likely his last non-garbage time appearance of the season.

20100829_royals_indians_0_83_lbig__medium

via www.fangraphs.com

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Jason Donald	.252	Jayson Nix	-.153
Luis Valbuena	.086	Shin-Soo Choo	-.149
Shelley Duncan	.071	Trevor Crowe	-.135

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Comments

It’s damn near September and we’re two back of the Royals, but at least we won’t go down without a fight. And – what’s this? – only 110 comments in a come-from-behind victory. Hell they get more comments than that over at Bucs Dugout!

Resident LGT results-oriented boob.

by mauichuck on Aug 29, 2010 7:45 PM EDT reply actions

What are your thoughts on the Hafner contract? And dead horses that have been beaten sufficiently?

by Brick. on Aug 29, 2010 10:31 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

You’re not the real brick, you’re some kinda imposter. The real brick doesn’t use capitol letters and is occasionally funny. Clearly, you ain’t that guy.

Resident LGT results-oriented boob.

by mauichuck on Aug 29, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Equus Mortuus: Complaining whenever Chuck points out the Royals have a better record than the Tribe.

by odradek on Aug 30, 2010 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Kila Ka’aihue has a 538 OPS.

Chuck ain’t always right, it’s just memorable when he is.

by Jay on Aug 30, 2010 2:11 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s memorable because it gets brought up enough.

"I spoil a lot of people with my play."
"But I mean, even my family gets spoiled at times watching me doing things that I do, on and off the court." -Lebron James

by Roger Dorn on Aug 30, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

He’s wrong about the Hawaiian fellow, but he’s right so far about the Rpyals.

by odradek on Aug 30, 2010 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions

What Kila doesn’t get the same breaks as Marte?

Resident LGT results-oriented boob.

by mauichuck on Aug 30, 2010 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions

marte is an indian – whose career is of interest of indians fans and bloggers.

kila’s a royal – whose career is only of interest of you who want to say “I am right again and am so much wiser than you nerdy wipper-snappers”

by Brick. on Aug 30, 2010 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions

You know of course that I’ve never actually seen Kila play baseball, or any other sport for that matter. I’m rooting for him cuz he’s from Hawaii. The Royal player I’m more interested in is Kanekoa Teixiera, who like Kurt Suzuki and Shane Victorino is from Maui. It’s got nothing to do with me being right, just like to see a local boy do well.

Resident LGT results-oriented boob.

by mauichuck on Aug 30, 2010 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions

where do i hand out the chocolate chip cookies and gold medals and get this ceremony over with already?

chuck was right about the hafner contract.
chuck was right about the indians record sucking this year – to the point that it might be worse than the royals.

does ANYONE at LGT forget these things? No, because chuck brings them up every time he sees an opportunity to do so. Does anyone bring up Ka’aihue every time he grounds out to point out that he was wrong about that? No, because that would be just as freaking annoying.

Can we put all his predictions on the front page or something? Maybe part of the essential guide to cleveland… because all this reveling in seeing bad coming and being glad about being right about it is nauseating.

by Brick. on Aug 30, 2010 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

“chuck was right about the indians record sucking this year – to the point that it might be worse than the royals.”

There’s a lotta people here who were in agreement with chuck about that.

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 30, 2010 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Few, damn few, in fact so few I can’t name one, thought the Indians would be worse than the Royals in 2010.

Resident LGT results-oriented boob.

by mauichuck on Aug 30, 2010 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions

In March of 2010 of course.

Resident LGT results-oriented boob.

by mauichuck on Aug 30, 2010 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Are they worse?

The Royals have scored only 10 more runs, but their pitchers have alllowed 55 more runs.

A two-game difference is insignificant — well within the margin of error. They appear to be pretty evenly matched team, and the Royals spent an extra $15 million on this season’s big-league roster and still have the worse three-year outlook. (The Indians spent more on the draft.)

I suggest you take a look at the Royals’ player contracts. If you were a Royals fan, based on your views on the Indians, there can be little doubt that you’d be urging the team to trade Greinke to any club willing to take on Meche’s contract, while lamenting the $12 million being spent on the likes of DeJesus, Betancourt and Kendall.

The Indians aren’t following your exact strategy for lucking into beating the big-payroll clubs, but the Royals are much farther away from that ideal.

by Jay on Aug 30, 2010 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Nauseating, I presume, is an exaggeration. If it isn’t, that’s a strong reaction to something that is actually funny.

by odradek on Aug 31, 2010 1:46 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah, this is worth saying. thanks for being the keeper of “nauseating” usage

by Brick. on Aug 31, 2010 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for this extremely necessary comment as well.

by odradek on Sep 3, 2010 1:06 AM EDT up reply actions

The Royals are well on their way to a 2011 world series victory. That 4th place finish is preparing them for greatness. A fifth place finish 2 games worse is clearly a sign of bad things to come. Bad, bad things.

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 30, 2010 2:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Blake Wood striking out the side was truly depressing. This isn’t Soria; Blake Wood has Laffey numbers. Laffey!

Another injury, and another stupid loss.

by dgcambridge on Aug 30, 2010 11:30 AM EDT reply actions

He’s only induced 5 Laffeys though.

http://www.justingermanofanclub.com/

by westbrook on Aug 30, 2010 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m actually most disappointed by the fact that Bruce Chen has 3 wins against us, and is 2-0 as a starter. I know, idiot stat and all, but Bruce Chen?

"If Brown is the answer, then you’re asking the wrong question." - Ryan

by woodsmeister on Aug 30, 2010 2:04 PM EDT reply actions