Game 102: Angels 3, Indians 1 (Santana throws no-hitter)

by Ryan on Jul 27, 2011 3:18 PM EDT in Game Recaps

Blech.

It's been quite a while since the Indians were officially no-hit. On September 4, 1993, Jim Abbott no-hit the Indians at Yankee Stadium, and since then, there have been close calls, but no one had gone the distance. Mike Mussina took a no-bid to the ninth inning one time, Randy Johnson flirted with a no-hitter into the eighth inning in the first game played at then Jacobs Field. And of course last season Armando Gallaraga missed throwing a perfect game only because of a blown call.

But today Ervin Santana did what the roughly 2800 starting pitchers couldn't do since Abbott. After Ezequiel Carrera reached on an error to open the game, he retired the next 22 he faced. He walked Lonnie Chisenhall with one out in the eighth, and that was it. There was one nice defensive play made on a ball hit by Jason Kipnis, but nothing extraordinary.

The Indians scored a run thanks in the first, so they could have won the game regardless of not collecting a hit. Or had they just allowed one run, the game could have gone into extra innings. But thanks to one of the worst defensive efforts I've seen from a major-league baseball team, the Angels took the lead in the sixth, and added to it in the ninth. Carlos Santana in particular had a horrible day; his passed ball allowed the second of the game, and his wild throw in the ninth led to the second one. In all, the Indians made five official errors, and that's not counting the passed ball. And Matt LaPorta's throw...just, wow. Today was a confluence of offensive and defensive nadirs.

Thankfully the pitching was good. David Huff made his second with the Indians and although he only last 5.1 innings, pitched well. His next two starts, depending on how the rotation is juggled, will come against either Boston and Detroit or Texas and Detroit, so we'll have a good idea after those two starts if Huff can handle good lineups as well as poor ones.

It's just one game and one loss, and the Indians may end up tomorrow morning in the exact same position that they started today's game in. Thankfully the rest of the teams in the AL Central are allowing hope to an overachieving and still-rebuilding baseball club. But even if the Indians maintain hailing distance with first place, their ability to win seems to be disintegrating with each passing day.

20110727_angels_indians_0_20110727133231_lbig__medium

via www.fangraphs.com

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Huff	.129	Kipnis	-.125
Carrera	.088	Brantley	-.123
Pestano	.048	Santana	-.110

Tweet Comment 80 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I’m glad I wasn’t able to watch today. 5 errors and no hits would have been to much.
There is a reason why this is the first no-hitter at Progressive.

I think I will go to Oakland tomorrow and check out Willingham, Crisp, and Upton unless Antonetti has pulled the trigger by then.

1-4 on this homestand. They really need to use the Royals to get back on the winning track.

by palcal on Jul 27, 2011 3:45 PM EDT reply actions

1-4 and basically all because of poor hitting (and fielding). They wasted some pretty solid pitching over the last five games. Sigh.

by peter m on Jul 27, 2011 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions

You might see some actual hitting in Oakland since the A’s seem to have figured how that works.

by ameliorate on Jul 28, 2011 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Are you sure about that?

by JulioBernazard on Jul 28, 2011 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Seattle has exploded for 5 runs in the 7th against the Yankees. Barring a late-inning collapse, their streak will end at 17.

by palcal on Jul 27, 2011 3:48 PM EDT reply actions

Blech. Recap to come….

Recap to come? You mean there’s more to say than “Blech”?

by MTF on Jul 27, 2011 4:00 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, skip the recap.

by emd2k3 on Jul 27, 2011 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions

The “Lowest WPA’” portion of the chart is going to take a bit of time.

by MTF on Jul 27, 2011 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions

that’s splitting hairs; in a game like this, how much differentiation can there be.

by palcal on Jul 27, 2011 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I think the explanation lies right there: no diffeentiation is needed. The entire line-up seems to have offended Keyser Söze somehow and must now pay the price.

by MTF on Jul 27, 2011 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I disagree, even though I’m assuming you’re speaking out of exasperation and not any real desire not to have a recap. One of the things I like about this site is that the managers and editors hold themselves to a high standard, regardless of what they might be feeling about the team/game/whatever. While the temptation might be to write “we sucked” in forty different fonts or use the Google translation tool to put it up in the native tongue of every player involved in today’s game, an actual recap both gives us some real content and is in keeping with the high standards of the site. Kudos to the writers for setting the bar so high that they have to occasionally fight some bile back down while they reach it.

Trombone/creamy/soda.

by Joel D on Jul 27, 2011 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

Yowzers.

by JulioBernazard on Jul 27, 2011 4:05 PM EDT reply actions

I think I might put out feelers on selling Hafner. I think the LAA would actually be the only team in the hunt that could use him. But hell the Blue Jays just made a deal so you never know.

by johio1 on Jul 27, 2011 4:27 PM EDT reply actions

He’s more valuable to us than what we’ll get back

Lou Marson fan.

by Gradyforpresident on Jul 27, 2011 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Really? It would be awful PR and it would pretty much dash our last hopes for this season, but at the beginning of the year if somone told us we’d have the opportunity to shed his contract?

We would have almost no money locked up in anyone after this year. Even after the obvious contract/arbitration awards, we’d have a ton of space on payroll to give Antonetti a lot of freedom. Doubtful that the biggest guys on the market would want to come here and I obviously don’t want to completely pull the plug on this season, but I also likes saving zee money. If I get an offer for him, I probably jump in it.

by TKilbane on Jul 27, 2011 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I think we would definitely have to trade him if we had the chance. Our O would be in trouble, but the payroll flexibility is worth it.

by Roger Dorn on Jul 27, 2011 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I understand this perspective and it is very reasonable, but I think you undersell the fact that the no matter how much money is saved you’re just not going to be bringing in the biggest guys on the free agent market. If you can trade him for something substantial, that’s fine, but to shed his contract (primarily) for monetary freedom (sweet, horrible freedom) seems to be more than just a tough PR sell.

Maybe I’m too cynical and the 13 mill of extra payroll would result in two upper level free agents, but I just don’t see it.

by painaxl on Jul 27, 2011 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions

If Hafner was a FA next year is that how you would choose to spend 15+ million? (with his 2013 buyout added in)

I feel very confident saying that he would not get that on the open market, and that I would like to spend that money elsewhere if given the opportunity.

by TKilbane on Jul 27, 2011 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions

But where is elsewhere?

Lou Marson fan.

by Gradyforpresident on Jul 27, 2011 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions

When did we start talking about the beginning of this year? And how does that matter at this point?

He’s making $13 million next year. It’s not like we can’t afford his contract, and his (healthy) bat is vital to contention next year. You’re not going to get more in value for a DH with a history of injury problems in the last year of his contract than what he would provide the Indians.

There are only 14 possible teams that could trade for him, and quite a fair number of them already have a DH. There is no way you get more for him than what he’d provide us.

Lou Marson fan.

by Gradyforpresident on Jul 27, 2011 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions

If we have any hope of contending next year, we’ll need his bat. Otherwise, you are writing off the next couple years (I’m assuming we wouldn’t be getting a AAA bat ready to knock in 20-30 homers).

by tyler083 on Jul 27, 2011 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, considering there’s no OF stick in the minors to help, it would be brutal to lose him.

by JulioBernazard on Jul 27, 2011 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Five errors, a passed ball that allowed a run to score, and no hits. Huff’s performance might be the only thing stopping this from being in the pantheon of worst played professional baseball games of all time.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Jul 27, 2011 5:07 PM EDT reply actions

Nobody fell down and hurt themselves funning to first either, so we got that!

by OscarDog on Jul 27, 2011 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions

i dare say there was no “funning” on the indians’ side of the field this day

by DontCallMeJoey on Jul 27, 2011 9:33 PM EDT up reply actions

watching the all 27 highlight reel now, and it’s a lot like the Liriano one was—such a weak offensive showing on the other side that it doesn’t feel like a great accomplishment.

"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 Jul 27, 2011 5:32 PM EDT reply actions

that laporta throw is just…

…

wow.

"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 Jul 27, 2011 5:37 PM EDT reply actions

oooh had forgotten about that! good times

Lou Marson fan.

by Gradyforpresident on Jul 27, 2011 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions

We just don’t have the offensive (and I guess defensive) personnel right now. We have 3 good to very good hitters in Asdrubal, Hafner, and Santana. If most everyone else was league average that would probably be enough… but sadly that’s not the case.

We have 2 brand spanking new rookies trying to learn on the fly with below league average growing pains. We have replacement to sub-replacement players in Kearns, Buck, Orlando, and Zeke. We have LaPorta’s rotting carcass and Brantley who somewhat resembles a league average player.

by cheech99 on Jul 27, 2011 5:38 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t have anything to add, I just wanted to draw attention to how neatly you’ve summed up our current state.

Trombone/creamy/soda.

by Joel D on Jul 27, 2011 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Not so sure we can call Santana a good hitter at this point. The dude walks, and… that’s about it.

My watch is broken... it's stuck on Tribe Time
#suckitLaw

by Turkmenbashi on Jul 27, 2011 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions

He also hits for good power when he gets a hit. an ISO of .190 is quite good. 51st in the majors, 25th in the AL, 2nd among AL catchers in ISO.

His problem is he is not consistently making good contact. He still gets on base and hits it hard which is why he still has a solid OPS. Considering how hitting is down across the majors, I wouldn’t say calling him “good” is a stretch. often, good is relative.

I teach good life choices. That’s why I almost didn’t graduate High School.
Intensive Purposes? I could care less...
your whole argument is a fallacy!

by bross09 on Jul 27, 2011 9:31 PM EDT up reply actions

He’s an above average hitter, especially for a catcher.

LGT's resident moderate Yankee hating fan.

by Joe. on Jul 27, 2011 9:32 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

“catcher”

"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 Jul 27, 2011 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Stop that right now.

LGT's resident moderate Yankee hating fan.

by Joe. on Jul 27, 2011 11:10 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

How many catchers have as many HRs?

by Roger Dorn on Jul 28, 2011 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions

I think Brantley is great when he isn’t slumping. I love that Carrera is a speedster, but the whole idea of having Kearns and Buck still around just confounds me. They bring nothing of value to the table. Kearns would have been gone had he not been Manny’s butt buddy.

by Denarchy on Jul 27, 2011 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Brantley is great when he isn’t slumping.

Likewise, Fausto is an ace when he’s not pitching poorly.

Trombone/creamy/soda.

by Joel D on Jul 27, 2011 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs

Kearns and Buck shouldn’t be around. Sizemore and Choo should. That’s a hell of an outfield. I’ve argued before, and others have done it a lot more intelligently, that it’s not always in the top line talent that baseball’s payroll disparity will get teams like us; it’s the depth. There’s just nothing there without someone coming out of nowhere to save this lineup from injury.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Jul 28, 2011 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Brantley has an OPS of .722 and an OPS+ of 103, and that after a 16 game stretch at .765. He’s remarkably consistent, but he’s never great or anything close to it. He’s as average as can be. Carrera is just awful.

by Brad D on Jul 28, 2011 3:52 AM EDT up reply actions

I am fine from that from brantley, too.

I teach good life choices. That’s why I almost didn’t graduate High School.
Intensive Purposes? I could care less...
your whole argument is a fallacy!

by bross09 on Jul 28, 2011 4:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Keep in mind that Brantley is doing that in his first full year in the bigs (start to finish). Not that he has a huge ceiling, but he’s made some nice progress this year.

by TribeJay on Jul 28, 2011 7:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah being league average in your first full season is a pretty good start for a 24 year old.

by hans on Jul 29, 2011 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Pleased I didn’t get up at 4am to watch

One day I'll get over to watch the Tribe play

by new zealand tribe fan on Jul 27, 2011 6:09 PM EDT reply actions

What hurts worse than this loss is that we didn’t get Rasmus at that absurdly cheap price.

LGT's resident moderate Yankee hating fan.

by Joe. on Jul 27, 2011 6:15 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

This is what I am most upset about.

by Buckeye Brad on Jul 27, 2011 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions

There are 3 PTBNLs. I think something else is at play here.

by afh4 on Jul 27, 2011 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Think you have to be right frankly

Lou Marson fan.

by Gradyforpresident on Jul 27, 2011 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions

And I think the Cardinals will also be getting draft picks for 2 of the guys they received that will be FAs this year.

by Buckeye Brad on Jul 27, 2011 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions

or cash considerations…be interesting to see what the conditions are for the ptbnl’s vs. the cash

by The Grimace on Jul 27, 2011 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions

The best known cure for an anemic offense is Royals pitching.

Hopefully.

by thestreaksofbenfrancisco on Jul 27, 2011 7:02 PM EDT reply actions

Kyle Davies!

by jayme on Jul 28, 2011 12:27 AM EDT up reply actions

yuck

by DontCallMeJoey on Jul 27, 2011 9:41 PM EDT reply actions

I think a trade needs to be made to get this team back in contention. They are playing like a last place team, which is what they were expected to be this year. I don’t like that the front office is just sitting back watching this team begin to tailspin out of the playoff race, but then again, maybe they don’t care if the team makes the playoffs this year…….

by Denarchy on Jul 27, 2011 10:24 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t like that the front office is just sitting back watching this team begin to tailspin out of the playoff race

Support your assertion.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Jul 27, 2011 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree. I think it’s downright stupid to think that the front office is prepared to punt this season without caring.

Trombone/creamy/soda.

by Joel D on Jul 27, 2011 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions

That wasn’t even the worst half of that sentence!

Lou Marson fan.

by Gradyforpresident on Jul 28, 2011 8:24 AM EDT up reply actions

maybe they don’t care if the team makes the playoffs this year…….

I’m certain they would rather not have all the current and future revenue associated from a playoff run.

What kind of person do you have to be to think that management of your team doesn’t want to make the playoffs? Seriously.

Lou Marson fan.

by Gradyforpresident on Jul 28, 2011 8:23 AM EDT up reply actions

The kind of person who succumbs easily to conspiracy theories, not giving too much thought to whether they make sense. There are evil forces plotting against his happiness, and those evil forces include the GM of the Cleveland Indians.

by Jay on Jul 28, 2011 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs