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Indians move back into a first place tie with an 8-4 win over the Orioles tonight.

Time to get on a roll.

Nice win tonight. I really hope Santana's performance tonight was a sign of things to come.

Hafner had a perfect day too.

Nice performance by a lot of guys who we're going to need to get going strong in the 2nd half.

I'm curious who gets Talbot's spot? Man I am disappointed in him. I thought that he was really going to be something for us. Looks like I missed on that one.

Gomez goes Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!

the Indians crush RHP. especially mediocre ones like Guthrie. that's what having a predominantly LH lineup does, I suppose.

even still, great to see us do it. and even greater that 9 of the next 10 are RHP we get to face.

Arrieta isn't anything special, we should be able to do the same to him (and he actually gives up more HRs than Guthrie)

The fact that the Indians kill right handed pitching is exactly why I don't want to see them in the post-season.

We have left handed Lester, then right handed Lackey, Beckett, and Bucholz.

i don't want to see Boston in the postseason either.

the fact that we've blown 6 straight series clinching games to that team gives me nightmares.

interesting. this is from the Fox Sports website, so I assume it's a legitimate link. refs, if you disagree, please remove and I won't post from that site anymore.

Quote:

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http://mlbbuzz.yardbarker.com/blog/mlbbuzz/scouts_show_up_to_watch_jimenez/5545417
The Rockies are not looking to move right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez.

They will, however, listen to what other teams might want to offer.

And with the Rockies have failed to meet expectations in the first half, and pitching in a severe shortage in the major leagues, plenty of teams at least want to explore the possibilities with the Rockies and Jimenez.

There were requests for 17 scouts tickets for the Rockies game against Milwaukee, in which Jimenez started, well above normal. Among teams with interest are Detroit, Atlanta, Cincinnati, the New York Yankees, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Chicago White Sox and Cleveland.

Jimenez struggled at the start of the season, but finished the first half strong. After going 0-5 with a 5.86 ERA in his first nine starts he was 4-3 with a 2.53 ERA in the eight starts prior to Thursday. He has had problems at Coors Field this year (1-5, 6.24), but is 3-3 with a 2.28 ERA on the road.

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I'd rather play the yankees than anyone else. The Rangers gives us fits all the time as well.

I don't see the Yankees making the post-season, honestly.

That team has overachieved this year. They are not that good.

Sox win the East, Indians win the Central, Rangers win the West, Angels win the Wild Card.

In the NL, I'll take...

Atlanta (still) to win the East, Milwaukee to win the Central, San Fran to win the West, and Philly to win the Wild Card.

**I wouldn't be surprised to see Pittsburgh win the Central**

AL East

The Red Sox are by far the best team in the AL in terms of talent (I just puked), and I fully expect them to win the division.

NYY have enough hitting to make up for their pitching when it comes back to Earth (as it has been doing the past few weeks). The good news is that Ubaldo Jimenez has a team-friendly deal and the Yankees do not have enough good prospects to overwhelm the Rockies if another team wants him as badly.

That said, I think the Rays take the wild card. I think they actually have been under-performing a bit to date, and I think that now that Upton is trying to drive liners instead of swinging for a HR every AB that they could be a force the rest of the season (he's definitely the catalyst of that offsense).

AL Central

The Indians have issues at 1B, 2B, 3B (Chis is still just a rookie), CF (Sizemore, not Brantley), and RF. Along with the 4th and 5th pitchers (Carmona and Talbot at present but soon to be Gomez and McAllister? and eventually White). Even with all that, because of the top3 SP and their bullpen along how Asdrubel/Hafner/Santana have been turning it on and their defense, I think they win the division. More an indictment on the rest of the division, but I'll take it.

The Tigers have major issues after Verlander. They definitely have the best offense in the division though.

The White Sox 'pen will kill any streak they start to get on as they have all year.

The Twins just dug too deep of a hole and don't have the depth to keep digging out of it (and the Tribe matches up really well with them, so I suspect we'll put some more space between in our upcoming series).

AL West

Offense vs. Pitching/Defense - can the Rangers offense and suspect pitching (which has overachieved and will hit an IP-wall with many of them) overcome the Angels superior pitching/defense but suspect hitting? With the A's and Mariners also having the pitching/defense like the Angels (and a ton of intradivision games left), I think the Rangers actually have the advantage (they can hit well enough to overcome those staffs while the Angels may lose a bunch of close games to them).

NL East

Phillies and Braves are the class of the NL this year and both should make the playoffs. The order doesn't really matter.

NL Central

I don't want to see Milwaukee win the Central. They would set back baseball years if teams tried to copy their putrid defensive schemes and players.

I'm rooting for Pitt there as it'd be a great story but I expect St. Louis to take it. Cinci just hasn't been consistent enough.

NL West

I'd be shocked if the Giants didn't outlast Arizona. They have more pitching and more hitting with Sandoval providing clutch hits and they have the experience of a pennant-race, which is important (I think Arizona will learn a ton but ultimately fall short).

stuff like this article really get me mad. the Tigers are so over-hyped it's ridiculous. yes, their hitting is really good. much better than the Indians. But, Austin Jackson is not the next great thing and their pitching after Verlander is terrible.

Quote:

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http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_lea...3rn=mlb-wp12508

10. The Indians will miss the playoffs: It gives me no pleasure to make this prediction as the Cleveland Indians have been perhaps the best story in baseball all year. But they've relied on people like Josh Tomlin(notes) and Justin Masterson(notes) to pitch over their heads, and an out-of-his-mind Travis Hafner(notes) to turn back the clock, and they've basically been treading water since their brilliant April. In May, June and July, the Indians are a combined 29-34. The Detroit Tigers are by no means a perfect team, but Justin Verlander(notes) and Miguel Cabrera(notes) are better than anyone on the Indians, and underperforming regulars like Austin Jackson(notes), Max Scherzer(notes), and Rick Porcello(notes) offer the Tigers a bit of room to dream on. Thanks to the AL East, the wild card is effectively not in play, so the only way for a team in the AL West or AL Central to get to the playoffs is to win the division outright, and the Indians just aren't as talented as the first-place Tigers. Of course, the division could hardly be closer, and neither team is flawless, and considering that the Indians already caught lightning in a bottle once this year, they may well be able to do it again. Just because they aren't as talented as the Tigers doesn't mean that they can't win anyway. But it's less likely. I don't think they get the job done this year.

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Porcello, Scherzer, and Austin Jackson are underperforming? Or are they performing at their career norms?

Austin Jacksons OPS+ is 91 (last year at 104…90% of his rookie year barely even makes for a sophomore slump. perhaps this is just who he is as he struck out 170 times last year and pitchers are going after him this year.)

Porcello’s HR/9 is actually down, his SO/9 is up, and his BB/9 and Hit/9 is right at his career average. This is just who he is.

Scherzer’s SO/9 is down and his HR/9 is up. Really all his numbers are worse off across the board. So, yes he can improve. But, guess what? He’s 10-4 (13-6 in games he started). Even if he improves his numbers, are the Tigers going to win more than 70% of his starts?

webbage

Baseball
Michael Arace commentary: Indians and Reds should be buyers, not sellers
Friday, July 15, 2011 02:51 AM
By Michael Arace

The Columbus Dispatch

Yesterday, the first day of baseball after the All-Star Game, marked the symbolic start of the second half of the season. The symbolism was heaviest in the National League Central, where K-Rod was tossed into the machinery.

The Milwaukee Brewers are not messing around. All-Star MVP Prince Fielder is in the last year of his contract and, while the Brewers can still afford him, they are taking an honest stab at winning the NL Central. To that end, they acquired right-handed reliever Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez from the New York Mets over the break.

Rodriguez is in the third year of a three-year, $37 million contract. He has finished 34 games this year and if he finishes 55, a clause in his contract extends him one more year at $17.5 million. Yowza. What was a major salary dump for the Mets is an unmistakable message writ in Milwaukee, the message being Win Now, with an accent on both syllables.

And what is the message in Cincinnati? The nonwaiver trade deadline is July 31. At the start of play yesterday, the Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals were tied for first place in the Central, the Pittsburgh Pirates were a game back and the Reds were four games back. Will Reds general manager Walt Jocketty be buying or selling at the deadline? That is the question.

Last year, the Reds were the surprise champions of their division. This year, their starting pitching has been at least two-fifths suspect, the bullpen has had a Arthur Rhodes-sized hole in it and production has lacked in left field (Jonny Gomes has fallen to earth) and shortstop (can slick-fielding Zack Cozart hit enough in the long run?).

The Reds have slipped below .500. Does it make sense for them to flip any of their top prospects for expensive help? Is the help they need even out there?

Jocketty will probably sit and wait for another 10-plus days. If the Reds continue to slip, he will sell. But he ought to buy, in any case. Go get a right-handed bat, put another arm in the bullpen and move Aroldis Chapman into the starting rotation, which is his destiny.

Be proactive. Move a prospect or two. Get a known commodity in exchange for something that is difficult to quantify. Get the boys some help because they are still in this race.

So are the Indians, the feel-good story of the baseball season to date. Despite injuries to key players - including Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo, just to name a few - the Indians were 30-15 at one point, and it was almost unfathomable. Have they played over their heads in a weak division? Yes, but look at them, they're still there; they came out of the break in second place, a half-game behind the Detroit Tigers.

Like the Reds, the Indians have a core of young talent (pitching and defense), they have prospects in their pipeline and they can use immediate help in the way of right-handed pop in the batting order and another arm for the pitching staff.

These tightwads should do something. Indians fans are accustomed to watching Cy Young Award winners parceled off this time of year. They need a meaningful gesture to fully commit to Manny Acta's plucky lads. The Mets are having a fire sale. How about Jason Bay? If the Mets pick up a portion of Bay's hefty contract - as they did with K-Rod in the Brewers deal - it is doable. Do it.

There is a faction of jaded Indians fans who can't quite buy in, just as there is a vocal "fire Dusty" faction in Cincinnati. Between the quiet and the din there are two young teams with many fine attributes, two teams laying the groundwork for a brighter future - two teams that can, and should, have a little more help right now.

Combined, the Indians and Reds were over .500 coming out of the All-Star break. Not bad, not bad at all - with a lot of baseball yet to play.

Michael Arace is a sports reporter for The Dispatch.

marace@dispatch.com

that guy is an idiot (no offense to anyone who might know him). for one, he's leaning towards the Reds going all-in because the Brewers did? if the Brewers don't win the World Series this season, then they set their franchise back years because of their constant all-in philosophy sapping every prospect from their system.

if the Reds can get someone relatively cheap, then sure why not listen. but, they should not be buying just to buy for 'this run' they have 3 teams to jump and enough underachieving talent on their own team to place that bet with their own team.

and besides the pot-shots at the Indians, Jason Bay? Jason Friggin' Bay? That's his solution?

Here is Jason Bay's contract details (I know he said the Mets pay part, but how much are they really willing to pay of this monstrosity):
2011 $8mil remaining
2012 $16mil
2013 $16mil
2014 $3mil buyout just to cut him.

And here's the production you get for that money:
.237BA .320OBP 1HR/40AB

Do you know who has the most similar numbers on the Indians? Jack Hannahan.

Oh, and Bay is about to turn 33 years old and his production has been slipping the last 3 seasons, which is what happens to most mid-30s power hitters as their bat speed leaves them.

Jason Friggin' Bay

+1

The Indians could keep Jack or find anyone in the minors to hit .237 and have 1 HR. That's is so dumb. Heck, I wouldn't take Jason Bay if they paid 90% of the rest of his deal.

I hope the Tribe can find a decent guy to rent for 6 months. If we had the normal .290 20HR 90RBI Choo is RF, this wouldn't really be a need. Without him, this team needs a consistant bat.....not All Star, just consistant.

Sure, another starter is a need but those aren't cheap and we have Alex White coming off the DL soon. Right?

just to clarify, he has 6HRs in 240+ ABs. So, 1HR per 40ABs.

I was just about to comment about the brewers. It all started for them with the CC trade. They use to have the best talent in the farm system. AS you have stated, if they don't win it all this year, that franchise is screwed for a very long time. I don't see Fielder resigning with them in the offseason.

Tribe working on making it interesting ...... down 6-2 in the 9th .... bases loaded ...... Orlando Cabrera with a double to make it 6-5 ...... can Grady come through?

Guess not. Grady lines out.

It gives me hope though. Whether it's OCab or whoever ... there isn't a lot of players from last season or the year before who would give me confidence to even go from being 6-2 behind to have the tying run in scoring position.

"Good" or not, these young guys might be learning how to win. Not quite a moral victory, but it's still one more game that they fought back and a swing of the bat on the last play was the difference in a win or a loss. At least it's good watching and not like it was the past few seasons by mid to late july

just take tomorrow and it's all good. 3/4 even from a team as horrible as the orioles is still all ya need.

The good, but disappointing thing is that Detroit also lost, so we maintain our 1 game hold on 1st place ... but we could have moved to a 2 game lead.

11 guys LOB through 7 innings, pathetic.

It's been a rough game all around so far.

*sigh* 6-3 Orioles.

They lost what ,,,, 9 in a row before yesterday?

We definitely need a right handed power bat .... but someone who could just get a base hit with men in scoring position might be nice.

7-3 ... runners on 1st and 3rd .... 2 out .....

The bullpen is struggling now too.

I would take a starting pitcher as well. Gomez and Carmona have given us nothing all year. I know white is coming back, but it might be too late by then. We're getting nothing from 40% of our rotation. That isn't going to get it done.

The NL Central ain't all that and a box of candy either.

Indians up 4-0 after 3 in Minny. 3-run bomb by A-Cab. They need innings today from Huff and Carmona. Huff seems pretty strong so far.

good to see the hitting continue (and hey, we actually got a hit with RISP. now that is a welcome change).

Nice job by David Huff.

He was in and out of trouble through 7 innings, but never let the Twins get on the board. He walked 2 and struck out 5. Very nice job.

Now let's finish this one out and get game 1. Then let's get greedy and take game 2 tonight.

Carmona vs. just-called-up kid (Scott Diamond)

and I don't think we have the pitching advantage. hope Fausto proves me wrong.

I remember Fausto having some dominant starts vs the Twins, but that was good-Fausto in '07. Maybe he'll get his mojo back. It could happen ...

in other news, Matt Capps is allergic to the 9th inning (even in non-saves situations). and apparently, that is the only inning in which Austin Kearns is allowed to hit HRs.

Chad Durbin: Turning non-save situations into save situations since 1999. Ugh.

Pestano for the save. Hey, Durbin's a team player helping pad others stats.

Glad Vinnie came in and shut down any thoughts of us letting one get away.

woohoo! W for the good guys!