Game 54: Rangers 7, Indians 4
The Indians received a break when Rangers scheduled starter Matt Harrison was scratched because of a blister. Dave Bush, who started in Harrison's place, had started a couple games this season, but hadn't gone long into the game. And it looked like they'd take advantage, scoring three runs in the second inning. Included in that second inning was yet another double by Grady Sizemore, who now has 20 extra-base hits in just over 100 at-bats.
But Carlos Carrasco and the defense couldn't hold the lead. Carrasco gave up three runs in the fifth inning, two of them coming with on two-out singles. In the the sixth, bad defense led to three more Texas runs. The rally should have been short-circuited when MItch Moreland got caught rounding first base (my guess is he was assuming Nelson Cruz would try to score), but Matt LaPorta was distracted by Cruz, and he let Moreland go safely back to the bag. Cruz would score on a sacrifice fly; if LaPorta tags out Moreland, that fly ball would have been the third out of the inning. Later in the sixth, Carlos Carrasco threw a pitch by Carlos Santana; the runner did not attempt to go home, but Santana's toss to Carrasco at the plate was wild, and after the ball bounded back towards the infield, Endy Chavez did come home.
The Indians gifted the Rangers another run in the ninth when Matt LaPorta made an awkward toss to Rafael Perez, who trying to cover first base.
Meanwhile the Rangers got a nice outing from Michael Kirkman, who had relieved Bush in the fifth inning. Kirkman had made one appearance in April, got rocked for 6 runs in 1.2 innings, and was sent back to the minors. He was recalled earlier this week, and tonight he went three innings, allowing the Rangers to only have to use their back-end relievers for two innings.

| Highest WPA | Lowest WPA | ||
| Santana | .217 | Carrasco | -.455 |
| Hannahan | .051 | Brantley | -.141 |
| Smith | .030 | Duncan | -.092 |
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The later I’m up working on this paper, the harder I want to smack Carrasco and just be like PLEASE DON’T TURN INTO FERNANDO CABRERA
My watch is broken... it's stuck on Tribe Time
#suckitLaw
I could see him having a solid year for the River Cats in 2016…
by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Jun 3, 2011 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Kirkman did not pitch three scoreless innings. He gave up the home run to LaPorta.
@grantgw - sports and Cleveland and Columbus stuff
Growing pains…
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin
by Spidey on Jun 3, 2011 8:45 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
And playing the role of the cute flash-in-the-pan kid…
Jeremy Miller = Jeremy Sowers…

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin
by Spidey on Jun 3, 2011 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I had the same feeling.
Although LaPorta’s toss to Perez was awkward, it looked to me on the replay that Perez should have had it. Then again, any toss to first with the pitcher covering that doesn’t lead the pitcher to the base pretty much puts all the responsibility back on the first baseman.
I agree. Giving runs away depresses me more than seeing young pitchers knocked around occasionally by good hitting teams. Our pitchers need solid defense behind them.
I have to keep telling myself that the Indians are a young team, and it isn’t realistic to expect the pitching and defense to be as good as we’ve seen for most games so far. Just when I’ve convinced myself that the inevitable rough patch is starting, they win a series.
"I just try and keep it simple. I could elaborate, but that would be ironic." - Jeremy Sowers
A tree fell on the power lines near our house yesterday afternoon. We lost power for about eight hours, and I missed the whole game. This morning I woke up and thought, ‘What if Carrasco threw a no-hitter last night?’
So he didn’t. At least I don’t have to go knocking trees onto power lines for the rest of the season.
by YoDaddyWags on Jun 3, 2011 10:29 AM EDT reply actions 5 recs
Do you live near TribeJay? Because he was mowing his lawn and checking his cellphone at the same time, which seems like a recipe for knocking over a power line to me.
by LondonTribe on Jun 3, 2011 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Unless you are talking about PULGT Car-Car, any reference to him throwing a no-hitter is a blatant attempt at achieving Soylant Green status. Sure, we’re going through a storybook season right now, but let’s not talk fairy tales…
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin
Absurdist humor is tricky. Maybe if YDW made reference to the Rabbit of Caerbannog cutting down the tree with his killer fangs, I would have captured it?
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin
I think I would have preferred Buck to face Oliver rather than Duncan to face Lowe in that situtation.
It’d be nice to have two lefties following Buck for late-game situations. If we bring in Duncan and they counter with a righty, at least our next two guys will benefit.
by supermarioelia on Jun 3, 2011 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions
The Rangers thankfully don’t have the same ability as many other teams to stack the lineup with LH for Masterson. Still curious why Murphy stays on the bench today, but with only 3 LH in the lineup, it should set Justin up for a good day.

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