Game 157: Indians 6, Tigers 3

by Ryan on Sep 28, 2010 4:05 AM EDT in Game Recaps

It's been difficult to reconcile Galarraga's numbers with how he's pitched against the Indians. There's nothing eye-popping about his ratios; in fact, they aren't all that different than the numbers Mitch Talbot has put up. But, for whatever reason, be it a lineup uniquely disposed to flail at his stuff or the Indians' uniforms calming his psyche, he's been the incarnation of Greg Maddux in his two starts against the Indians this season. But not tonight.

Even though he didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning, Galarraga didn't have the same polish as his previous two starts. He walked three batters in those first four innings, and the Indians were making some loud outs. So the Indians didn't really figure him out in that fifth inning, it was pretty much inevitable that the hits would start to fall in. Or, in this case, fly out. Matt LaPorta started things off with a shot that cleared the wall in center field. Luke Carlin* followed with a home run to right for his first homer of the season. Now the spell was broken, and the base runners started to come in earnest. Michael Brantley doubled to the right field gap. Shin-Soo Choo walked, bringing Detroit's pitching coach to the mound for a visit. In retrospect, Jim Leyland should have been the one to come out, for Travis Hafner, the next batter, jumped on a nothing fastball and crushed a three-run homer into the right seats. The Indians now had a 5-2 lead, and Galarraga was done.

Carlos Carrasco didn't really pitch any better than Galarraga, but his saving grace was that he didn't give up any home runs. He allowed a single in the first, two singles in the second (no runs), a single, double and walk in the third (one run), four singles in the fourth (one run, since Alex Avila was caught stealing), and a single and a double in the sixth (one run). All told, he allowed 11 hits and a walk, striking out five. But he fit all those things into six innings and just under a hundred pitches, and in today's parlance that's a quality start. But not really.

Smith, Sipp, and Chris Perez finished the game, pitching a scoreless inning apiece.

*Carlin, who played with San Diego and Arizona previously, had spent most of the season with Pittsburgh's AAA affiliate before coming over to Columbus for the playoff run.

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via www.fangraphs.com

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Travis Hafner	.293	Jayson Nix	-.080
Luke Carlin	.139	Trevor Crowe	-.053
Joe Smith	.072	Luis Valbuena	-.050

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No Jayson Nix at 3rd base next year, please. I feel bad for the guy, if he could just field the damned ball he would probably have a starting position next year.

by Toxicadam on Sep 28, 2010 11:09 AM EDT reply actions

I’ve been a big supporter of Nix, but that experiment has reached its conclusion. Oh well, we’ll continue to search for power and defense elsewhere. It’s too bad that he plays the position where we have the most depth.

by dgcambridge on Sep 28, 2010 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Should we sign Jay Gibbons as one of our buy-low deals this offseason? Since he was called up, he started in LF for the Dodgers and has batted .288. Maybe he can fill in for us well even sharing time at DH with Hafner and then eventually land us a nice A baller at the trade deadline?

In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).

by V-Mart Shopper on Sep 28, 2010 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

Hey, batting average over 78 PA in the NL West! I like it.

Seriously though, Gibbons is fine with me. We need a cheap but grown-up outfielder, and I think I still prefer Kearns. But on any of these guys, the first question is “Is there any other team who really wants him?”

by dgcambridge on Sep 28, 2010 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, while that # is not usually useful, it is for a player who hasn’t been in the majors for 2 years, isn’t it? It shows he has some kind of major league ability at least. Not to say it’s an indication of what he will hit over an extended time, but at least that he didn’t look completely overmatched in his return to the bigs

In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).

by V-Mart Shopper on Sep 28, 2010 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions

You really need to stop with the batting average thing. You’re not a rookie anymore, think about setting an example for the noobs.

by Jay on Sep 28, 2010 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions

A 126 OPS+, 286 BABIP; K% up and BB% down from career marks; only 11% LD rate, much lower than his norm, but a 19% HR/FB ratio. He’s more circumspect with age: swinging at 4% of first pitches, compared to 46% (!) as a rookie. Ladies and gentlemen, Jay Gibbons.

by YoDaddyWags on Sep 28, 2010 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions