Game 41: White Sox 8, Indians 2

by Ryan on May 20, 2011 6:36 AM EDT in Game Recaps

The Cleveland hitters were in a fog as well.

It was difficult to see the action on the field thanks to a fog at US Cellular Field, but the White Sox could see Fausto Carmona's offerings just fine. They jumped on Carmona for the second time this season, this time scoring eight runs on 7 hits and 2 walks in five innings. Most of the damage was done in the first couple innings; Carmona allowed two runs in the first, and four in the second, so by the time the Indians came up to at-bat in the third, they faced a five run deficit.

The lineup that Manny Acta sent out tonight was depleted, with three starters out for various reasons. Travis Hafner sat out again with a side injury, and will be re-evaluated in Cleveland before the Cincinnati series. Travis Buck was held out with a turf toe injury, and Orlando Cabrera was not injured, but was in South Carolina to officially become a United Stated citizen. So the Indians almost had to empty their bench to field a lineup, and had to call up Luis Valbuena (designating Justin Germano in the process) in case there were any injuries.

The Indians had a good opportunity to get back into the game in the fifth after two singles to lead off the inning, but Adam Everett struck out and Michael Brantley hit into a double play. Everett also struck out in the seventh with runners on second and third

Austin Kearns took advantage of the starting opportunity by going 2-for-4, including a double. When Grady Sizemore comes back, the Indians will have to chose to send down Travis Buck or designate Kearns for assignment.

20110519_indians_whitesox_0_medium

via www.fangraphs.com

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Choo	.070	Carmona	-.396
LaPorta	.038	Brantley	-.088
Kearns	.020	Everett	-.076

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Comments

Didn’t see a whole lot of this series, but during the game last night I decided I needed to post about how good LaPorta looks – and that was before his home run. He’s been keeping that hip from flying open, and if he does that consistently, he’s a dangerous hitter. Acta was quoted as saying that with his progress, he expected LaPorta to eventually move up in the lineup behind Hafner. That might happen fairly soon with all these injuries.

by TribeJay on May 20, 2011 7:59 AM EDT reply actions

I find myself holding my breath for the hoped-for explosion

"(We) did not generally despise those trades. We despised being in the position where we had to make them" -Jay

by stuart dean on May 20, 2011 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions

I think it happened last night. LaPorta batted sixth, right behind Hafner’s usual spot, instead of in the 8th spot he has been in previously.

by MTF on May 20, 2011 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, but OCabrera was out…that’s the change that will happen (they will flip in the order).

by TribeJay on May 20, 2011 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Carmona with runners on base:

2010: .234/.263/.282
2011: .344/.356/.500

Lots of muti-run innings off Fausto this year. It’s possibly coincidental, but it also may be something mechanical out of the stretch or he’s tipping his pitches out of the stretch.

by TribeJay on May 20, 2011 8:12 AM EDT reply actions

I can’t figure him out this year. As far as I could tell, he didn’t throw his patented sinker much at all last night, and is throwing it less in general. I think you mentioned that earlier in the year. Fewer ground ball double plays to get out of those innings with multiple baserunners? But then again, his GB% is good. Last night his pitches just seemed flat.

by madherb on May 20, 2011 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe he thought he could pitch letter-high and get strike calls.

"I want to be playing at the end of October or the end of September -- not just at the beginning of April." —Grady

by westbrook on May 20, 2011 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

From the perspective of Detroit fans, Chicago beat the Indians twice in the past two days, leaving Detroit’s division lead intact, but reduced to only three games.

by Deep South Ken on May 20, 2011 8:21 AM EDT reply actions

Link

On Saturday, Cleveland will have their first (non-opening day) sell-out since May 24, 2008.

by Toxicadam on May 20, 2011 9:36 AM EDT reply actions 6 recs

Now that is something.

The Once and Future King
Editor at Alligator Army

by FlaGators on May 20, 2011 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions

This must mean the world is going to end.

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

by Spidey on May 20, 2011 10:45 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 2 recs

Wait, really? This is very encouraging.

by jakesinger777 on May 20, 2011 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Very encouraging indeed….but I wonder how many tickets would have sold if it were not Choo Jersey day?

by kedda13 on May 20, 2011 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I would guess a lot, because if you look at the indians website and try to buy tickets for tonight (no Choo jersey), you would see a lot of ticket sales. I’m guessing tonight is going to be another 30,000 plus night.

by sandyalomarfan on May 20, 2011 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it happened last night. LaPorta batted sixth, right behind Hafner’s usual spot, instead of in the 8th spot he has been in previously.

by MTF on May 20, 2011 9:39 AM EDT reply actions

I hit the wrong reply button. I meant to reply to TribeJay, above.

by MTF on May 20, 2011 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions

No mention of the ACab play at shortstop in the writeup cause the game was a laugher by then, but if you haven’t seen it, go watch.

It WILL make the year-end list of best plays.

by MikeCP on May 20, 2011 10:04 AM EDT reply actions

fun as hell to see in-person. he made a few nice plays before that. the sox fans around me had nothing but praise for him. fun that he pulled that one against omar, for whom he wears #13

by Brick. on May 20, 2011 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s looks to be landslide, but vote here to make it Baseball Tonight’s top web gem of the year. (The poll is on the bottom right of the page.)

by Harry Doyle on May 20, 2011 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions

just 32 votes so far. ALSO! they have him listed as playing for Cincy in their Web Gem standings

by Gradyforpresident on May 20, 2011 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s all the same out here in flyover country.

by emd2k3 on May 20, 2011 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions

So lame.

by JulioBernazard on May 20, 2011 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions

The other two have been up for a lot longer, the poll continuously updates.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on May 20, 2011 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Did anyone catch Mark Buerhle mouthing “wow” in the dugout?

Okay, I made that up.

by emd2k3 on May 20, 2011 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Outfielder Ezequiel Carrera was taken out of the Columbus lineup Thursday. He could be headed to Cleveland today if Buck or Hafner goes on the disabled list. Carrera is hitting .317 (45-for-142) with 33 runs, five doubles, 17 RBI and 15 steals in 17 attempts

link

by Toxicadam on May 20, 2011 11:27 AM EDT reply actions

Travis Hafter sat out with a “side injury”. What does that mean exactly? We desperately need his bat in there.

by AlkiTribesman on May 20, 2011 2:10 PM EDT reply actions

Oblique strain is the fear. They won’t know until they run more tests today.

by Toxicadam on May 20, 2011 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions

the Tigers are the one team that has no “rival.” So for no reason we can discern, they’ll play six games against the Mets and Pirates. But the Indians, because they’re “fortunate” enough to have a true rival, are the only team in their division that has to match up with the Reds six times.

"I want to be playing at the end of October or the end of September -- not just at the beginning of April." —Grady

by westbrook on May 20, 2011 2:24 PM EDT reply actions

PIT is the more logical rival to this NEOHian

by JulioBernazard on May 20, 2011 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions

So I guess you didn’t live in Columbus in the 70’s and hafta listen to all those front-running Columbus Reds “fans”. Oh wait, you probably weren’t even alive then. Nevermind.

Our best players wear suits.

by mauichuck on May 20, 2011 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions