Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds series preview, pitching matchups
CHICAGO -- Here is the preview and pitching matchups for the Indians' series against the Reds.
Where/when: Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Monday through Wednesday.
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM/1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the series.
Pitching matchups and starting times: RHP Mike Clevinger (7-7, 3.38) vs. RHP Homer Bailey (1-9, 6.19) Monday at 7:10 p.m.; RHP Corey Kluber (14-6, 2.74) vs. RHP Sal Romano (7-9, 4.94) Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. and RHP Shane Bieber (6-2, 4.24) vs. RHP Robert Stephenson (0-1, 6.76) on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.
Series: The Reds lead the Indians, 2-1, this season. The Indians lead, 57-49, overall.
Hot pitchers: Kluber is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA (five earned runs in 23 1/3 innings) in his last three starts for the Tribe. Reds closer Raisel Iglesias has converted seven straight saves since July 3, including two against the Indians. He has eight saves this season in which he's pitched more than an inning.
Hot hitters: Jose Ramirez is hitting .308 (4-for-13) with three homers and six RBI against the Reds This year. Cincinnati's Joey Votto is hitting .273 (3-for-11) with one homer and four RBI against the Indians this season.
Team updates: The Ohio Cup will be decided in this series. The Indians have won it two of the last three years, but trail in the interleague series this year. The Tribe has won seven of its last nine games. The Reds just completed a three-game series against Arizona, taking two out of three from the NL West leaders.
Disabled list: Indians - 1B-DH Edwin Encarnacion (right hand, left biceps), OF Leonys Martin (illness), CF Tyler Naquin (right hip), RHP Josh Tomlin (right hamstring), OF Lonnie Chisenhall (left calf), RHP Nick Goody (right elbow), RHP Danny Salazar (right shoulder) and RHP Cody Anderson (right elbow) are on the disabled list. RHP Trevor Bauer (right ankle) is day to day. Reds - 2B Alex Blandino (right knee), RHP Rookie Davis (right hip), OF Scott Schebler (right shoulder), RHP Jackson Stephenson (right knee) and OF Jesse Winkler (right shoulder) are on the disabled list.
Next: The Orioles open a three-game series at Progressive Field on Friday night.
Can't stand inter league play ! That's what the World Series is for ..
I just hate how the rules are different .. and how some of the matchups are SO bad (I remember being bored and turning on an MLB game late at night ... and it was the freaking Rays vs Diamondbacks)
and how some of the matchups are SO bad (I remember being bored and turning on an MLB game late at night ... and it was the freaking Rays vs Diamondbacks)
Sadly, the networks have to show SOMETHING when the Yankees and Red Sox are off.
Indians outfielder Leonys Martin is recovering from a bacterial infection that was life threatening a few days ago, Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti announced Monday.
Martin's outlook is currently positive, and he's in stable condition at Cleveland Clinic.
"We're optimistic that he'll have a full recovery," Antonetti said. "Now, to give you a little bit of backstory of how we got to this point, Leonys had a bacterial infection that entered his blood stream, and when it entered his blood stream, it produced toxins. Those toxins did damage to his internal organs and the functioning of those organs was compromised, and it was severe. ... Thankfully, he's made a lot of progress in the last 24 to 36 hours, and he's regained a lot of the organ function."
Martin was placed on the disabled list on Thursday with what was deemed a non-baseball condition, but details of the illness had been scarce until Monday.
Martin, 30, was acquired in a trade with the Tigers on July 31 and has hit .333 (5-for-15) with two homers and four RBIs in six games (four starts) with the Tribe. He's batting .255/.323/.425 on the year. Martin is one of four Indians outfielders on the DL, along with Bradley Zimmer (right shoulder surgery), Lonnie Chisenhall (left calf strain) and Tyler Naquin (right hip surgery).
Chad Thornburg is a reporter for MLB.com based in Los Angeles
and how some of the matchups are SO bad (I remember being bored and turning on an MLB game late at night ... and it was the freaking Rays vs Diamondbacks)
Sadly, the networks have to show SOMETHING when the Yankees and Red Sox are off.
Chris Antonetti, the Indians’ president of baseball operations, made the drive down I-71 on Monday to hold a team meeting. The subject: Leonys Martin. Antonetti was happy to have positive news to report to his players, as Martin is in stable condition after contracting a bacterial infection that became life threatening. Here is the update Antonetti gave to reporters.
Antonetti: “Leonys is currently in stable condition,” Antonetti said. “He continues to get treatment at the Cleveland Clinic. And we’re optimistic that he’ll have a full recovery. Now, to give you a little bit of backstory of how we got to this point, Leonys had a bacterial infection that entered his blood stream and when it entered his blood stream it produced toxins. Those toxins did damage to his internal organs and the functioning of those organs was compromised, and it was severe. And he’s not in a process… Thankfully, he’s made a lot of progress in the last 24 to 36 hours and he’s regained a lot of the organ function. And so, we’re optimistic and he’s on a good path right now and we’re hopeful that he’ll have a full recovery. But, he’s got a long path to get to full health in front of him. It’s going to take him some time, but we’re in a much better spot today than we were 24 to 36 hours ago. And I do want to make a particular point that the care that he got at the Cleveland Clinic was extraordinary. The team of caregivers — from the doctors to the nurses to the specialists to everybody that facilitated his care — was truly extraordinary. Without their herculean effort we may be in a different spot today than we are. So, I’d like to extend our gratitude to them.”
Q: Can you walk us through the timeline of Martin’s situation?
Antonetti: “Yeah, so, it was exactly as we shared. Leo played that game that night [Tuesday], felt fine. As Tito mentioned, he felt sick in the middle of the night and that morning, when he woke up, he continued to feel ill. At that point, we took him to the hospital and that’s when things progressed from there. He was really sick.”
Q: Could this have originated at the ballpark? In the training room or shower?
Antonetti: “We don’t know exactly how the bacteria entered his system. It’s not a communicable thing. It can’t be transferred from one person to the next, but the bacteria somehow entered his blood stream. We don’t yet know how. I’m not sure we will know how. But, once that bacteria entered the blood steam, it produced toxins that led to him getting really sick.”
Q: Which organs were impacted?
Antonetti: “It was pretty widespread throughout.”
Q: Was he in critical condition?
Antonetti: “I’m not sure the technical term for it, but it was very serious.”
Q: Is he done for the year?
Antonetti: “We haven’t really even thought about baseball yet. I don’t know whether or not he’ll play again this year. Our first focus is let’s make sure we get him back to full health. His wife’s with him now, his dad and his brother — they’re all in town.”
Q: Do you know the official name of this particular bacterial infection?
Antonetti: “The doctors are still working to figure out exactly what happened. I don’t know the specific bacteria name.”
Q: Was there a chance he could’ve died from this?
Antonetti: “It was life-threatening. Thankfully, today he’s in stable condition. He’s able to communicate. He was able to get up and sit in a chair for a few hours yesterday. He’s in a much better spot today than he was a couple of days ago.”
Q: How quickly did his condition worsen?
Antonetti: “Very quickly. It progressed rapidly, within hours.”
Q: Is there any sort of timeframe for his recovery?
Antonetti: “No. We have no idea. Like I said, I think progress will be measured in weeks, not days.”
Q: Will this situation necessitate looking for outfield help again via trade or waivers?
Antonetti: “We’ve been continuing to look for ways to improve the team, irrespective of Leonys’ position. Obviously, in August, it’s a lot more difficult to make trades. Very few players have cleared waivers. Very few players have even made it to us on the waiver process. I’m not sure what the likelihood of that will be, but we’ll continue to look for ways to improve.”
Q: What has the reaction been within the clubhouse?
Antonetti: “Today was the first day where we could really share much. Obviously, we wanted to make sure we had the family’s permission to share. Yaimira, Leonys’ wife, actually encouraged me, because so many people have reached out both in the organization and externally. She thought it would be helpful if I shared some context for others. So that way it would relieve the burden on her to have to get back to so many people. Our players have been — throughout this process — they’ve reached out and let him and his wife know that they’re thinking about them and lending their prayers and support.”
Q: You noted that it’s non-communicable, but will you need to take precautionary steps with any of the shared spaces at Progressive Field?
Antonetti: “It’s not communicable. We continue to emphasize with guys good hygiene practices. Not this particular situation, but this is why we — staph infections, MRSA, things like that — it’s one of the reasons why we emphasize all those things that seem boring in Spring Training, but they’re important.”
It felt like Clevinger was constantly on the verge of coming unglued last night.
He did walk 6 batters to go with 5 hits in only 5 innings pitched for a horrific H+BB per inning of 2.2!
But he did get the win.
I wonder which one Tito, Clevinger and the rest of the team and the rest of the fans and anyone with detectable brain waves would think was more important?
Francona: Indians have placed Bauer on 10 day DL with “small fracture of right fibula.” Was discovered after TB went back to CLE for MRI. Plutko will start Saturday. Olson promoted in Bauer’s place.
and how some of the matchups are SO bad (I remember being bored and turning on an MLB game late at night ... and it was the freaking Rays vs Diamondbacks)
Sadly, the networks have to show SOMETHING when the Yankees and Red Sox are off.
and Cards/Cubs
Very true, that is option B.. followed by option C, the Dodgers..
and how some of the matchups are SO bad (I remember being bored and turning on an MLB game late at night ... and it was the freaking Rays vs Diamondbacks)
Sadly, the networks have to show SOMETHING when the Yankees and Red Sox are off.
and Cards/Cubs
Very true, that is option B.. followed by option C, the Dodgers..
Highlights of Indians manager Terry Francona’s pregame Q&A on Wednesday.
Q: Is there anything new on Trevor Bauer’s timetable?
Francona: “No. I’d bet you Friday we’ll have more. And we may not even have clarity, because it’s going to heal when it heals. I do think we’ll probably have more information Friday, just because he’s seen some doctors and things like that. But, I think the biggest thing — like with setting a timetable — is I don’t think we want to put Trevor in that spot, because we all know he’s going to pitch the minute he can. And these things heal kind of when they [heal]. I think you get my point, but we should have more information I’d bet you Friday after he gets a few more opinions and things, on maybe things we can do to hopefully hasten up the healing process.”
Q: Is Bauer in a boot or a soft cast or…
Francona: “I believe he’s in a boot right now.”
Q: Do you get the sense that Bauer will be back this year?
Francona: “Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Well, I hope. Like I said, now I just said that and…”
Q: It’s too late now.
(laughter)
Q: What’s Lonnie Chisenhall’s activity level right now?
Francona: “He’s doing some ground-based running — not full speed. He’s doing, like when we’re home, he’s on an alterG [treadmill]. Here, he’s out and throwing to bases and hitting and doing all that stuff. He’s got a little ways to go, though. The good part is he doesn’t feel anything, but he hasn’t progressed to where he’s all-out, either.”
Q: What’s the next step for Josh Tomlin?
Francona: “He pitched Monday. I believe Saturday he pitches, I think it’s sin Triple-A.”
Q: Will Tomlin be stretched out a little more than four innings?
Francona: “I think we probably will a little bit this time, yeah. It depends on innings, volume, things like that.”
Q: Is there anything new with Leonys Martin in the past 48 hours?
Francona: “Yeah. He’s out of the ICU, which is good. We’re trying to respect [their family]. I don’t know how much the family wants out. I know you know that, but I think they were getting inundated, so they wanted us to [give an update]. But, I think he’s making progress, which is really good. I don’t know if you guys saw it, but the Reds did something for him. That was very nice. I don’t know who was responsible for that, but that was very nice.”
Q: Is it tough to remain patient with the bullpen when you have the pieces to have a dominant group, but guys are still working through some things?
Francona: “I think that’s our best way to have the bullpen we need to win, is to be patient. Yeah, everybody wants to have it yesterday or last week. I think, being realistic with Andrew, the best way to get him [on a roll] is we have to be patient, so we will be. He’s worth it. I don’t know how many games we’re going to win, but if we’re short a few of where we were last year, but we have a bullpen that’s on a roll, we could still be dangerous. So, that’s the idea. I mean, we’ve all seen. There’s no givens. You can end a year with 102 wins and guys are a little beat up, or you can end at 88 or 90 and being feeling great. So, that’s why you just play the game right and do what you think is right. You can’t tell guys to be careful. That doesn’t work.”
Q: How do you think Tyler Olson has handled the ups and downs this year? He obviously can see the makeup of the bullpen, but he was a big piece last year and has had to deal with going back to the Minors this year.
Francona: “You know what? Yeah, I think he was pissed. And I don’t blame him. I kind of expect that. But, he’s a great kid and he’s very professional. Shoot, man, I mean, when you’re in our shoes, that’s all you can [ask for]. Guys being respectful and polite and professional. We understand that they’re not going to be thrilled about it. Shoot, I know that better than anybody.”
Q: Without the DH under National League rules, what do you think about the pitcher batting in the eighth spot?
Francona: “Honestly, for us, it means that that seventh hitter has a chance to not get pitched to. I don’t know how I’d feel about it if we were doing it all the time and had guys that were used to doing it. I know now, like I told you guys yesterday, I want to back those guys up as far as I can. I’d hit ’em 10th if we were allowed. (laughter) I know there are some statistics that say [it’s a good idea]. I’d just be worried about taking the bat out of your seven-hole hitter’s hands.”
Q: Unlike some prospects around baseball, Shane Bieber stepped right into a situation where the focus is on winning now, but he’s surrounded by experienced pitchers at the same time. Can that be beneficial for a young player?
Francona: “Regardless of what situation he came into, it’s our objective or our challenge to make it work right. Like you said, he’s coming up to a group that’s really talented, really hard working, and he can learn. On the flip side, we’re also a team [that is] trying to win. For the young guys, you don’t always have that three-month [period where it’s], ‘Let’s just see if he sinks or swims.’ We need to win. It probably evens out a little bit. You have to come up and perform because we’re not rebuilding.”
Q: How much of a benefit do you think it has been for Bieber to have the other starters here as a resource?
Francona: “I think they all do a good job regardless of their age. They all go out and watch each other’s sides. I think there’s a lot of value to that. One, I think it keep the guy throwing his side maybe on the day he doesn’t feel like it, he knows there are four other guys standing there. And they talk about stuff with [pitching coach Carl Willis] and they interject things. I’ve had a number of people come up to me and say, ‘I see your guys doing that. I wish I could get our guys to do it.’ I think that’s valuable.”
Q: What have you thought of Corey Kluber’s approach this season? His strikeout rate is down, but he’s still having success.
Francona: “I think he’s a really smart pitcher. I think he sees what’s going on in a game. Different teams do different things, but you’re seeing a lot of teams that want to make contact early. He’s taking advantage of that. If they’re going to swing early rather than go out of the zone, I mean, we’ve seen Trevor do it. He’ll have 12 strikeouts in six innings. Kluber is staying off the barrel for the most part and getting early contact and having really quick innings. I think he probably prefers that. The only thing is he has to answer questions about his strikeouts. I know when he has a nine-pitch inning, he looks happy as hell to me. I would say that if he needed it, he could go back and get a strikeout. You saw last night. He needed a strikeout, he’d go get it.”
Q: Before the Trade Deadline, there was discussion about possibly moving Jason Kipnis to the outfield. In light of the Martin situation, is that under discussion at all again or is that off the table?
Francona: “No. No. We talked about it. But, I just think that, no, we’re just going to keep him right where he is. I mean last year was so different. He was coming back off of an injury. We had our infield set. We didn’t have an outfielder. So, it’s different circumstances.”
Highlights of Indians manager Terry Francona’s pregame Q&A on Wednesday.
Q: Is there anything new on Trevor Bauer’s timetable?
Francona: “No. I’d bet you Friday we’ll have more. And we may not even have clarity, because it’s going to heal when it heals. I do think we’ll probably have more information Friday, just because he’s seen some doctors and things like that. But, I think the biggest thing — like with setting a timetable — is I don’t think we want to put Trevor in that spot, because we all know he’s going to pitch the minute he can. And these things heal kind of when they [heal]. I think you get my point, but we should have more information I’d bet you Friday after he gets a few more opinions and things, on maybe things we can do to hopefully hasten up the healing process.”
Q: Is Bauer in a boot or a soft cast or…
Francona: “I believe he’s in a boot right now.”
Q: Do you get the sense that Bauer will be back this year?
Francona: “Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Well, I hope. Like I said, now I just said that and…”
Q: It’s too late now.
(laughter)
Q: What’s Lonnie Chisenhall’s activity level right now?
Francona: “He’s doing some ground-based running — not full speed. He’s doing, like when we’re home, he’s on an alterG [treadmill]. Here, he’s out and throwing to bases and hitting and doing all that stuff. He’s got a little ways to go, though. The good part is he doesn’t feel anything, but he hasn’t progressed to where he’s all-out, either.”
Q: What’s the next step for Josh Tomlin?
Francona: “He pitched Monday. I believe Saturday he pitches, I think it’s sin Triple-A.”
Q: Will Tomlin be stretched out a little more than four innings?
Francona: “I think we probably will a little bit this time, yeah. It depends on innings, volume, things like that.”
Q: Is there anything new with Leonys Martin in the past 48 hours?
Francona: “Yeah. He’s out of the ICU, which is good. We’re trying to respect [their family]. I don’t know how much the family wants out. I know you know that, but I think they were getting inundated, so they wanted us to [give an update]. But, I think he’s making progress, which is really good. I don’t know if you guys saw it, but the Reds did something for him. That was very nice. I don’t know who was responsible for that, but that was very nice.”
Q: Is it tough to remain patient with the bullpen when you have the pieces to have a dominant group, but guys are still working through some things?
Francona: “I think that’s our best way to have the bullpen we need to win, is to be patient. Yeah, everybody wants to have it yesterday or last week. I think, being realistic with Andrew, the best way to get him [on a roll] is we have to be patient, so we will be. He’s worth it. I don’t know how many games we’re going to win, but if we’re short a few of where we were last year, but we have a bullpen that’s on a roll, we could still be dangerous. So, that’s the idea. I mean, we’ve all seen. There’s no givens. You can end a year with 102 wins and guys are a little beat up, or you can end at 88 or 90 and being feeling great. So, that’s why you just play the game right and do what you think is right. You can’t tell guys to be careful. That doesn’t work.”
Q: How do you think Tyler Olson has handled the ups and downs this year? He obviously can see the makeup of the bullpen, but he was a big piece last year and has had to deal with going back to the Minors this year.
Francona: “You know what? Yeah, I think he was pissed. And I don’t blame him. I kind of expect that. But, he’s a great kid and he’s very professional. Shoot, man, I mean, when you’re in our shoes, that’s all you can [ask for]. Guys being respectful and polite and professional. We understand that they’re not going to be thrilled about it. Shoot, I know that better than anybody.”
Q: Without the DH under National League rules, what do you think about the pitcher batting in the eighth spot?
Francona: “Honestly, for us, it means that that seventh hitter has a chance to not get pitched to. I don’t know how I’d feel about it if we were doing it all the time and had guys that were used to doing it. I know now, like I told you guys yesterday, I want to back those guys up as far as I can. I’d hit ’em 10th if we were allowed. (laughter) I know there are some statistics that say [it’s a good idea]. I’d just be worried about taking the bat out of your seven-hole hitter’s hands.”
Q: Unlike some prospects around baseball, Shane Bieber stepped right into a situation where the focus is on winning now, but he’s surrounded by experienced pitchers at the same time. Can that be beneficial for a young player?
Francona: “Regardless of what situation he came into, it’s our objective or our challenge to make it work right. Like you said, he’s coming up to a group that’s really talented, really hard working, and he can learn. On the flip side, we’re also a team [that is] trying to win. For the young guys, you don’t always have that three-month [period where it’s], ‘Let’s just see if he sinks or swims.’ We need to win. It probably evens out a little bit. You have to come up and perform because we’re not rebuilding.”
Q: How much of a benefit do you think it has been for Bieber to have the other starters here as a resource?
Francona: “I think they all do a good job regardless of their age. They all go out and watch each other’s sides. I think there’s a lot of value to that. One, I think it keep the guy throwing his side maybe on the day he doesn’t feel like it, he knows there are four other guys standing there. And they talk about stuff with [pitching coach Carl Willis] and they interject things. I’ve had a number of people come up to me and say, ‘I see your guys doing that. I wish I could get our guys to do it.’ I think that’s valuable.”
Q: What have you thought of Corey Kluber’s approach this season? His strikeout rate is down, but he’s still having success.
Francona: “I think he’s a really smart pitcher. I think he sees what’s going on in a game. Different teams do different things, but you’re seeing a lot of teams that want to make contact early. He’s taking advantage of that. If they’re going to swing early rather than go out of the zone, I mean, we’ve seen Trevor do it. He’ll have 12 strikeouts in six innings. Kluber is staying off the barrel for the most part and getting early contact and having really quick innings. I think he probably prefers that. The only thing is he has to answer questions about his strikeouts. I know when he has a nine-pitch inning, he looks happy as hell to me. I would say that if he needed it, he could go back and get a strikeout. You saw last night. He needed a strikeout, he’d go get it.”
Q: Before the Trade Deadline, there was discussion about possibly moving Jason Kipnis to the outfield. In light of the Martin situation, is that under discussion at all again or is that off the table?
Francona: “No. No. We talked about it. But, I just think that, no, we’re just going to keep him right where he is. I mean last year was so different. He was coming back off of an injury. We had our infield set. We didn’t have an outfielder. So, it’s different circumstances.”
- Bieber pitched pretty well yesterday, worked himself out of a couple of jams. That was good to see.
- Guyer made a couple of horrible plays out in right field. He should have made the catch on the one he jumped too early and overall just had a bad read and bad jump on the ball. The other one he caught, but he made it more difficult than it should have been.
- Brad Hand has made me pretty nervous his last couple of times out. He settled down and got the outs, but I was hoping he would be a little more lights out. I guess Andrew Miller spoiled me last year.
- Cody Allen had a good outing for once, but I feel like he is just one pitch away from losing the game for us.
- Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor are fun players to watch.
Not really Tribe related, but Ronald Acuna has been on a tear lately, hitting home runs in 5 straight games. So, in his next game, on his first pitch, Jose Urena drills him with a 97mph fastball right into his side. A complete bush league move. He got ejected from the game, but MLB really slapped him on the wrist, giving him a 6 game suspension. As a pitcher, it means he misses one start. Big whoop. Way to send a message MLB. He probably should of been suspended for a month for that crap.
That's the one thing I hate about MLB. A pitcher can try to seriously injure a guy by throwing at him, and the most punishment he'll get is one missed start. If a batter does anything to defend himself, he misses 5 or more games.
Urena should have been suspended 30 games, but 20 would have been fine with me. A six game suspension is horsebleep.
If he tossed a curve up there, okay fine. That would have been poor sportsmanship but he didn't try to hurt the kid. However, he threw the fastest first pitch of his career (97.5MPH) which Acuna took off his elbow.
I am a huge fan of the Tribe and the Braves. I get the baseball package so I can follow both teams since I live in Reno.
I was watching the game live. Acuna had homered in the leadoff spot three consecutive games and in 5 games straight and 8 homers in 8 games.
I followed him in the minors. He is special 5 tool player. At only 20 years old he could be the next Griffey Jr.
Urena is a punk. He has hit a bunch of players. This was no Marlins directive. Urena did this on his own.
The Braves are locked in Division battle that will most likely go down to the wire. Urena tried to hurt Acuna. And hurting him would hurt the team. The Braves have destroyed the Marlins who are a bad team.
This is bad for baseball. Acuna is a great young talent just living a dream and doing his best (which is damn good). And this punk intentionally tried to take him out.
"Tito says timetable for Bauer to return to game activity is four to six weeks. Bauer says team’s timetable and his are not the same."
Knowing what I know about Bauer, I would bet he's back in time for a couple starts before the post season begins. I heard on the radio that he's keeping his arm strong by playing long toss (169ft) from his knees. This guy has a bionic arm.
Kipnis is actually swinging the bat better the last week or two. In the last week his BA is over .300 and his OBP is well over .400. I heard Kipnis offered to move to the OF if it would help, but Tito said no. Its too bad Yandy can't play RF.
Jose Ramirez's 37th homer of the season is a two-run shot to right. Ties J.D. Martinez for most in MLB. Ramirez leads the Majors with 13 first-inning homers this year. Next in the AL is Mike Trout (9).
Jose Ramirez's 37th homer of the season is a two-run shot to right. Ties J.D. Martinez for most in MLB. Ramirez leads the Majors with 13 first-inning homers this year. Next in the AL is Mike Trout (9).
Kip has had a couple of good weeks this season , but can't sustain anything . Always been a Kip guy but not going into play-offs this year . I would like him on the bench or outfield if necessary .
The Indians officially announce that Jim Thome's No. 25 has been retired by the ballclub. Joins Averill (3), Boudreau (5), Doby (14), Harder (18), Feller (19), Robinson (20) and Lemon (21) as the only members of the Tribe to be honored in that manner.
We get an early taste of playoff atmosphere with a trip to Fenway Park over the next 4 days. Its amazing to me that its August 19 and we still haven't played Boston this year. Anyway, here's the pitching matchups:
Monday - Kluber (15-6) vs Porcello (15-5) 7PM Tuesday - Bieber (6-2) vs Eovaldi (5-4) 7PM Wednesday - Carrasco (15-6) vs Johnson (4-3) 7PM Thursday - Plutko (4-3) vs Price (13-6) 1PM
I'd be happy with a split, but I can't help wishing we had Bauer going against Price instead of Plutko.
Report: Indians can have 3B Josh Donaldson and OF Andrew McCutchen Fall in Their Lap By End of August
By Payton Vince August 18, 2018
On Saturday night, news came out that the Cleveland Indians can potentially grab Toronto Blue Jays third baseman, Josh Donaldson and San Francisco Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen by the end of August, according to Bob Nightengale of MLB Network.
Verified account @BNightengale
The #SFGiants are in a mini-free fall, which could leave Cleveland grabbing 3B Josh Donaldson and OF Andrew McCutchen by end of month
As of right now, the Cleveland Indians are looking for any help with Leonys Martin out with a bacterial infection and Edwin Encarnacion out with a bruised hand and bicep soreness.
For the 2018 season, McCutchen has batted .257/.355/.417 in 119 games, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 14 home runs, 53 RBIs, 10 stolen bases (6 caught stealing), and has struck out 112 times.
McCutchen is a 5-time All-Star and won the Most Valuable Player Award in 2013.
As for Donaldson, he has been out the majority of the season with a left calf injury. In the 36 games he has played in he has batted .234/.333/.423, had 11 doubles, 5 homers, 16 RBIs, walked 21 times, and struck out 44 times.
The Blue Jays third baseman is a 3-time All-Star and won the Most Valuable Player Award in 2015.
Both players would become free agents for the 2019 season.
I would love to see McCutchen in an Indians uniform. He was always a class act for the Pirates and plays the game the right way. It would be nice to sign him for a couple of years on top of it.
The biggest question would be: Who sits if these guys come in to play here?
The biggest question would be: Who sits if these guys come in to play here?
I assume Jason Kipnis and Greg Allen would take a seat. Donaldson to 3B lets you play Jose Ramirez at 2B. McCutcheon has played RF in San Fran this year, but he played CF last year, and I would think that's where he'd play here. Although I suppose its possible they'd bench Melky Cabrera in RF and play McCutcheon there. Indians lineup would be formidable with Donalson and McCutcheon added to it. Solid 1 through 9
I know he came back and all, but Vizquel deserved a statue and a number retiring more than Thome.
I'm glad this weekend is finally over. Enough fawning over a guy who skipped town as soon as the money got bigger.
His speech in Chicago sounded a lot like the one he gave in Cleveland.
Thome got $85M over 6 years from Philly, while getting a $60M, 5 year PR-face-saving offer from the Indians. The Indians disingenuously claimed Thome left over a measly $1-2M per year, when they had, in fact, low-balled him, expecting a "hometown discount". How many of us would turn our back on $25M?
I take a massive pay cut working in Alaska. Cost of living basically makes my salary less than what I could earn in any of the other 48 states. Hawaii is pretty bad for teachers, too.
With Sale and Bauer out, not sure it means a lot. Both teams are essentially in the same spot they'll be in at the end of the season (though, we may be able to catch the #2 seed, but we're still playing the AL West winner).
Mike Clevinger has joined Bauer, Kluber and Carrasco as the fourth @Indians pitcher with 150 strikeouts this season. 2015 & 2016 are the only other seasons in club history in which the Tribe had four such pitchers.
Games needed to turn the trick: 2018: 123 2015: 127 2016: 149
Upon further review, there have been 36 teams in MLB history to have four pitchers with 150+ strikeouts. The 2018 @Indians have achieved the feat faster than any of their predecessors.
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com phoynes@cleveland.com
BOSTON -- Edwin Encarnacion is eligible to be activated Tuesday. Manager Terry Francona said the Indians may wait a couple of more days, but the move is coming sometime this week.
The most likely player to be optioned to Class AAA Columbus to make room for Encarnacion is the same one who visited manager Terry Francona a couple of days ago -- Yandy Diaz. Francisco Lindor accompanied Diaz and served as interpreter.
The last time Diaz was sent down, he was hitting .500 (7-for-14). This time around he joined the Indians on Aug. 12 when Encarnacion was placed on the disabled list with a sore right hand and strained left biceps. Diaz went into Monday's game against the Red Sox batting cleanup and hitting .419 (13-for-31) with seven RBI.
"He and Frankie came in together and it really impressed me," said Francona. "It impressed me that he cared enough to want to articulate how he was feeling. It impressed me that Frankie took the time and was thoughtful enough to (do that). It meant a lot to me."
Diaz, who defected from Cuba to play baseball, speaks limited English. Lindor, from Puerto Rico, is bilingual.
"It gave me a chance to say some things to Yandy through Frankie that I hope were meaningful, because sometimes young guys don't understand," said Francona. "They just see black and white: I'm either here or I'm not. So, I hope it helped."
Francona said recently that Diaz could be hitting in the middle of the Tribe's lineup in the future. But right now he's behind Jose Ramirez at third, Encarnacion at DH and Yonder Alonso at first. Diaz has played mostly third at Columbus this season, while seeing some time at first.
"He's a heck of a hitter for a younger guy and he's going to get better," said Francona. "And we're just trying to make him understand how important it is to play every aspect of the game. Hopefully, I think he's starting to get it more and more, because as he does, it's going to get exciting."
Diaz turned 27 on Aug. 8. He signed with the Indians as a free agent in 2013 after playing three years in Cuba.
There was nothing subtle behind the reason for Diaz's visit to the manager's office.
"He just wanted to kind of know how he could stay (in the big leagues)," said Francona. "I get it. But it gave me a chance to talk to him, which was good. And Frankie did such a good job of articulating things. It really ended up being fun."
Big league rosters expand on Sept. 1. Francona was asked if that made it easier to sell Diaz on a possible demotion?
"We didn't even get that far," said Frsancona. "We just kind of said, 'Just do your thing and if we need to talk to you, we will and we'll be honest with you. And, if we don't, we'll see how it goes.' You never know."
Francona said he was impressed with the leadership Lindor showed.
"I was so thrilled. I was so proud of him," said Francona. "We hadn't even played the game that day and I was strutting around. I told Chris (Antonetti, president of baseball operations), 'My day is already good.'"
First things first: Francona said outfielder Leonys Martin would love to play again this season, but the organization is concerned about his health at the moment.
Martin was released from Cleveland Clinic on Sunday. He was hospitalized with a bacterial infection that threatened his life.
"I know he would love to (play this season)," said Francona. "I think out of respect to him, we're just trying to allow him to get healthy again. I mean, that's the best way to go about it."
Kluber's not Kluber tonight. I hope his knee is all right. Still, its 3-3 in the 6th, so its not like he's getting hammered. But they are putting some good swings on his pitches.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Doc Edwards, who spent parts of his 57 years in professional baseball with the Cleveland Indians, died Monday at age 81.
Howard Rodney "Doc" Edwards managed parts of three seasons for Cleveland from 1987-89. He was first signed by the club as a catcher in 1958 before going on to play for the Kansas City A's, Yankees and Phillies. Edwards was a career .238 hitter, with 15 homers and 87 RBIs in 317 games.
Edwards began his coaching career with the Phillies organization and later came back to the Indians, eventually taking over as manager for Pat Corrales in 1987. The Tribe finished sixth in the American League East division in 1988 with a 78-84 record, but four of Edwards' players on that 1988 squad went on to become Major League managers, including current Indians skipper Terry Francona.
Edwards was dismissed late in the 1989 campaign after going 65-78. John Hart, then a scout with the club, replaced Edwards at the helm for Cleveland before eventually becoming the team's general manager.
Edwards posted an overall 173-207 record as a big league manager. He also coached the Mets and in the minor leagues with the Yankees, Cubs and Expos.
His last job in pro baseball was in 2014 with the independent San Angelo Colts.
Highlights from Tribe manager Terry Francona’s pregame Q&A on Tuesday.
Q: What’s the latest on Edwin Encarnacion?
Francona: “He’s doing good. I don’t think we will activate him tomorrow, but Thursday seems like a real possibility. We’ll just take it day by day. He’s doing so good that we just want to do the right thing. Everything’s going good. The bicep, he doesn’t feel. And the hand gets better every day. When you watch him hit, he looks like Edwin, which is good.”
Q: Adam Cimber has pitched in three of the past four games. Have you been happy to get him some more consistent work?
Francona: “You don’t want to kill him, but I think it’s been good for him. I think he’s feeling a little more comfortable. I thought last night was important, getting him into the game. I want him to know that we trust him. And, you’re going to give up runs sometimes, but we’re not going to run away.”
Q: How much was acquiring Cimber about getting a good matchup guy to face some of the tough righties on some of the potential postseason teams?
Francona: “Well, you know what, Chris [Antonetti, president of baseball operations] may say that. To me, it was getting a reliever that we could have for the next five or six years and hopefully control some right-handers. A guy that you can depend on, because we may be losing some of that.”
Q: Have you felt better about your outfield lately, given the play of Greg Allen and Melky Cabrera?
Francona: “I really like our team. I don’t think that means that you always have the perfect team. I’m not sure that you have to. Melky’s done a really good job of — since he’s come back — clutch hitting and hitting, but being a full-fledged member of our team. Sometimes, that’s hard to do when you’re new. Guys love him. I love him. He cares. Greg’s come back and done a really good job. When we lost Leonys, that was a huge hit for us. And Greg’s come up and done, man, he has just filled in and looks like he belongs here. It makes it fun. When you have young kids that you see getting better, it’s fun. There will be some hiccups and we know that, but it’s fun to watch them get better. Like last night in this atmosphere, you watch Greg, you watch Cimber, it was fun. I think we all enjoyed it.”
Q: Not just with your team, but there are young players playing well all around baseball right now. Do you think sometimes it’s just hard for younger guys to get the opportunity to show they can play at the Major League level?
Francona: “I think it’s different for every team. If you’re a contender, sometimes it’s hard to go with a kid sink or swim. Sometimes, if you’re out of it, you can let guys play. But, when you’re a contender, you need to sometimes hit now. Not everybody’s ready to do that, so sometimes they have to go back. But, I think eventually, if you can play, it’ll show.”
Q: How hard is it to tell is a young player is ready to be given that chance?
Francona: “Sometimes I think you know, sometimes you don’t know. Sometimes it comes down to how the rest of your team is doing — if you can carry them. Like, I remember Pedroia that first year, he was doing so bad, but he seemed to handle it and we were doing so well that we could carry him. And then he broke out of it. So, sometimes it’s other circumstances — not just how a guy’s doing.”
Q: Allen seems like a mature kid, like he wouldn’t be too overwhelmed during a slump…
Francona: “I think he was a little hard on himself maybe early on, but he’s a smart kid. He’s a mature kid.”
Update on Nick Goody…
Francona: “Nick Goody is going to go get another [opinion]. He’s going to go see [Dr. Keith] Meister on Thursday. He felt it again when he was throwing. So, he’s going to go see Meister and [Dr. James] Andrews is going to be consulted also to try to figure out what’s going on there. He was getting ready to go into like sim games and he’s just feeling it again. So, we’ll have more news on him in a couple days. Hopefully, it’s not something that big, but you start to worry.”
Q: Is Cody Anderson still inching towards pitching in games?
Francona: “Yeah, he’s getting close to pitching in games. We’re trying to figure out [how to do it]. By the end of the month is probably close to when he’s able to pitch in games. Supposedly, his bullpens have been really good. It’s just going to be a little hard. Say there’s a week left in somebody’s season… Bringing him here, that would make you a little nervous, a guy coming and pitching in a Major League environment. So, we’re going to have to figure something out.”
Q: You mentioned Lonnie Chisenhall moved his rehab to Arizona. Has he been able to ramp up his running at all?
Francona: “He just didn’t feel like he was ready to make the next step. So, we thought if he went to Arizona, he could get more hands-on stuff [done], especially when we’re traveling here. We’ll see how it goes. He’s probably not as close as we had hoped.”
Q: You and the Cleveland reporters here have watched Jose Ramirez all season. But, for those of us who don’t get to see him every day, what’s been the main key to him improving so much?
Francona: “I think he’s smarter now. By that, I mean he knows the league. He watches what teams are trying to do to him. He sees the field so well. He’s just a really good baseball player. He’s a great hitter, but he’s not just that. He plays the game. He takes the extra base. He backs up a play. He just plays the game, like, always. His motor never stops.”
Q: Could you see that attitude from him right from the start?
Francona: “We knew the attitude, yeah. I don’t know that we knew that he was going to be this good. I wish I could say that, but no. He kind of looked like he owned the field when he first came up. He was fearless — almost to the point where he thought he was invisible. Remember that? His first time he stole, he was leading off and he was like 20 feet off the bag. Get back!”
Q: Do you feel like Ramirez and Francisco Lindor kind of embody your team’s style of play? They don’t strike out a ton. They both can hit the ball out of the park. They steal bases. Those are all things you do well as a team overall…
Francona: “But, I think you try to take what you have and use your strengths. If guys can’t run, you don’t ask them to run. But, if guys can run, you let them. If guys don’t strikeout, you can put other guys in motion. If your other guys are striking out, it’s hard to do that all the time. But, you can be a little more liberal, like, with Brantley or Ramirez, because you know they’re going to hit the ball.”
Q: Is it fun to manage a team built like that?
Francona: “Very. Oh yeah. Oh sure. Everybody wants to be aggressive, but if it doesn’t make sense… If you have a bunch of guys that are hitting three-run home runs and you’re asking them to hit and run, that doesn’t make much sense.”
Shane Bieber and the art of command:in 345 profession innings over 2 years and 2 months, he has thrown 345 innings with 331 strikeouts andd 34 walks.
If he starts in October w/ Kluber, Carrasco, Bauer and Clevinger, it's a rotation that has 772 strikeouts and 175 walks in 709.2 IP this season. Message:bring your contact lineup. Adding Hand, Cimber(137-42 in 115 IP) key October deal
•DH/1B Edwin Encarnacion activated from 10-day DL •OF Rajai Davis placed on 10-day DL
Team says Davis is out with a non-baseball medical condition. While no specifics given, have heard that the expectation is that Raj should be ready to return on Sept. 1.
Andrew McCutchen is not in the lineup today. A trade is reportedly being worked on.
Would be nice if Cleveland could get him.
Do we know who claimed him?
Doesn't say. I'd imagine an NL team claimed him. EVERY team in the NL has a worse record than Cleveland and most are still in the hunt (Atl, Philly, St.L, Mil, Zona, Col & LA).
Andrew McCutchen is not in the lineup today. A trade is reportedly being worked on.
Would be nice if Cleveland could get him.
Do we know who claimed him?
Doesn't say. I'd imagine an NL team claimed him. EVERY team in the NL has a worse record than Cleveland and most are still in the hunt (Atl, Philly, St.L, Mil, Zona, Col & LA).
And it goes by league first (because the Giants put him on waivers). So reverse of NL standings, then reverse of AL standings. That would mean Cleveland is in front of only Boston, the Yankees, Houston, and Oakland.
And it goes by league first (because the Giants put him on waivers). So reverse of NL standings, then reverse of AL standings. That would mean Cleveland is in front of only Boston, the Yankees, Houston, and Oakland.
I never knew that. Learned something new today. Thanks.
I'll guess Philly. I don't know which teams need him, but after the Eagles won, it put a bit more pressure on them. Plus, they're chasing the Braves for the division and they're tied for the wildcard.
Francona: OF Leonys Martin will not play baseball again this season. No setbacks. He’s recovering well, but doctors want him to focus on a return to full health rather than returning to Indians.
Andrew McCutchen is not in the lineup today. A trade is reportedly being worked on.
Would be nice if Cleveland could get him.
Do we know who claimed him?
Nobody claimed him. He cleared waivers.
The talking heads on CBS.Sportsline said one team is working with the Giants, but they don't know who. They think it's the Phillies, Yankees or Indians.
One year ago today the Indians beat the Red Sox 13-6.
The Tribe won the next game too, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game.
On September 15th the Tribe lost to the Kansas City Royals (4-3). (before winning 5 more-in-a-row).
22 wins-in-a-row,
One of the greatest team records in sports history.
It was a league-wide promo. The marketing geniuses at MLB think the league needs to hype their players more, like the NBA. I think they thought putting nicknames on uni's would give players more "personality". For instance, on Kluber's jersey, the name was "Corey", which just screams "personality" to me. In Los Angeles, the back of Matt Kemp's uni said "Matt". That is so colorful!
CLEVELAND -- Andrew Miller has endured five months of starting and stalling this season in an effort to get fully healthy and primed for an October run with the Indians. The big left-hander encountered another setback on Wednesday.
Prior to the Tribe's game against the Twins, the Indians placed Miller on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to Monday) due to an external impingement in his left shoulder. This marks Miller's third trip to the DL this season, following issues with his right knee (May 26) and left hamstring (April 26). View Full Game Coverage
To replace Miller in the bullpen, Cleveland recalled lefty Tyler Olson from Triple-A Columbus.
Miller was activated from the DL on Aug. 3 after the bout with the knee issue and responded with a 1.86 ERA in 9 2/3 innings across 10 appearances this month. The lefty has not, however, appeared in consecutive games since July 30-31 during a Minor League rehab stint. Miller has not worked in back-to-back games in the Majors since May 22-23, which came three days prior to his previous trip to the DL.
Overall this season, Miller has a 3.38 ERA with 33 strikeouts against 13 walks in 24 innings (27 games).
Jordan Bastian Verified account @MLBastian Francona: Images showed swelling in the bursa sac in Miller's left shoulder. The pitcher received a cortisone shot. Will be shut down for a few days, but doesn't sound like team thinks this is a serious setback.
Allen booot's another one ! I'm just full of good news lately ! lol
I think he's just lost it mentally. Zero confidence.
They desperately need a healthy Andrew Miller for the postseason.
I agree - 2 freaking outs and he completely loses it. So frustrating. I've said this before, we miss Shaw a lot. I didn't like him when he was here, but he was a workhorse. And yes, we need a healthy Miller bad.
Cody pitched 2/3 scoreless, got a "Hold" in today's win. Hand got the Save, but even he gave up a solo bomb. I swear they must be using an altered baseball - maybe it has a superball core now. Oh well, magic number is 16.
But more importantly, it’s Sugerdale Dollar Dog Night!!!
On the contrary, those dollar dogs are nearly inedible. Took a bite of one once and it went right in the trash. It's a completely different hot dog than the normal one they serve.
I'd say that most importantly at tonight's game are the $2 beers (sure it's Bud Light, but I can live with that for $2) from 5pm-7pm in the right field district.
Oh and a beardless Kluber is on the mound tonight after his wife finally told him to shave it off.
But more importantly, it’s Sugerdale Dollar Dog Night!!!
On the contrary, those dollar dogs are nearly inedible. Took a bite of one once and it went right in the trash. It's a completely different hot dog than the normal one they serve.
I'd say that most importantly at tonight's game are the $2 beers (sure it's Bud Light, but I can live with that for $2) from 5pm-7pm in the right field district.
Oh and a beardless Kluber is on the mound tonight after his wife finally told him to shave it off.
First, who said the One Dollar Sugerdale Dogs were meant for human consumption?
Second, in my prime I'd be parked at that $2 Bud Light kiosk in the right field district. I'd be primed for first pitch.
And lastly, thank god the beard is gone. Not because it looked bad, but I just didn't think it was smart to grow a big furry thing on your face during the season. (when you're having a Cy Young year)
Worth noting from tonight's Indians' game: Kluber now has 17 wins, tied with the Yanks' Severino for the league lead in wins. Hand got his 7th save as an Indian (31 overall), and perhaps most importantly, Cody Allen had his 2nd good outing in a row. He pitched one inning, striking out 2. His curveball was biting tonight - a very good sign, compared to the "cement-mixer" he had been throwing lately.
CLEVELAND -- With a World Series crown in mind, the Indians pulled off a blockbuster deal on Friday night, reeling in Blue Jays star Josh Donaldson. Standing at his locker, Edwin Encarnacion's eyes widened and the Indians' slugger smiled at the mention of his former teammate's name.
Encarnacion knows first-hand the kind of impact Donaldson can have on a team.
"He's a great player, man. He's a great player," Encarnacion said after the Indians' 3-0 win over the Rays. "Everybody's going to be excited to see him here. He's a great guy. He's a great guy."
Cleveland acquired Donaldson and cash considerations from Toronto in exchange for a player to be named later, helping cover the remaining portion (roughly $4 million) of the third baseman's $23 million salary for this season. According to MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays are sending $2.7 million. In order to add Donaldson to the 40-man roster, the Indians transferred center fielder Leonys Martin (out for the year) to the 60-day disabled list.
Donaldson -- currently rehabbing a left calf injury that has sidelined him since late May -- will be eligible for the postseason for the Indians, who are closing in on their third straight American League Central title. Players needed to be dealt prior to 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday night in order to be eligible for the playoffs with the acquiring team. In Donaldson's case, he went unclaimed on waivers before Toronto and Cleveland struck the deal.
Naturally, the Indians and Blue Jays have a four-game series in Toronto, beginning Thursday.
Due to the trade, Donaldson will not be eligible for a Qualifying Offer (estimated to be in the neighborhood of $17 million or $18 million). The 2015 AL Most Valuable Player will become an unrestricted free agent without Draft pick compensation tied to his signing.
In the wake of Friday's win, word spread throughout the Indians' clubhouse about the acquisition. While the deal was not official at the time, the players lauded the front office's efforts to make impact deals (both via trade and free agency) in recent years in an effort to halt Cleveland's 70-year World Series drought.
"We're definitely in our window right now," Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "They've done nothing but back it up and brought in guys who have made more than a good impact on this organization and on the field. They've continued to do so, and with the right intentions."
Tribe reliever Cody Allen agreed.
"Hats off to them," he said of the front office. "For the last few years, they've done everything in their power to put this team in a position to win baseball games. They haven't failed yet. Pretty much every guy that has stepped foot in this clubhouse at the deadline or in the offseason has come in and produced in big ways."
Two years ago, the Indians sent a package of prospects to the Yankees to net relief ace Andrew Miller, who shouldered a heavy load in October, won the MVP of the AL Championship Series against the Blue Jays and helped push the club to the World Series. The following winter, Cleveland surprised the baseball world by giving Encarnacion a hefty contract in free agency.
Last year, the Indians landed outfielder Jay Bruce during the August waiver period, and he immediately gave the lineup a jolt and brought leadership to the clubhouse. Bruce famously delivered a walk-off hit for Cleveland's AL-record 22nd win in a row last September. Prior to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline earlier this summer, the Tribe traded for All-Star closer Brad Hand and reliever Adam Cimber from the Padres.
"[The front office has] definitely done their job," Kipnis said. "That's all you can ask for -- for a front office to be all in -- and then have our back."
In Donaldson, the Indians are getting a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger who has finished in the top four in MVP voting three times in his career. Across the 2013-17 seasons between stints with the A's and Blue Jays, Donaldson hit .282 with a .901 OPS, averaging 33 homers, 32 doubles, 98 RBIs and 98 runs scored per season. In that span, he posted a 145 OPS+, indicating he performed 45 percent above league average.
This season has been a different story, though.
Due to a right shoulder issue in April and then left calf problems, Donaldson has been limited to 36 games. In that span, he has hit .234 with five homers, 16 RBIs and a .757 OPS in 159 plate appearances. This week, he went 3-for-5 in two Minor League rehab games for Class A Advanced Dunedin, belting a home run in his most recent game on Thursday.
With Double-A Akron headed for the postseason, and multiple other affiliates also in contention for the Minor League playoffs, it's possible for the Indians to consider having Donaldson continue playing in rehab games. When he does officially join the Major League roster, Indians manager Terry Francona will have to sort through a defensive puzzle.
After Friday's win, Francona would not field questions on Donaldson.
"There's nothing to say," said the manager.
Last week, Francona said that he did not want to move All-Star third baseman and AL MVP contender Jose Ramirez to second base. That is where Ramirez played down the stretch last year in place of Kipnis, who has heated up in the past few games, but has dealt with considerable offensive struggles this year. Kipnis, if moved off second, could possibly shift to an outfield or bench role.
Kipnis declined to discuss the trade's potential impact until he had a chance to sit down with Francona.
"I'll wait until I hear it for certain," Kipnis said. "And I'll wait until I talk to Francona to see what the plan is. Until it happens, I know nothing."
While Kipnis praised the front office, he added that he hopes Donaldson can quickly find his form after a season-long battle with injuries.
"Which Josh Donaldson are you going to get?" Kipnis said. "The good one, there's not much you can deny. He's one of the more impactful bats there is around the league. If it is true, hopefully he's healthy and ready to come in and fit in here and make a good impact on us.
"We're coming into September now. This is a playoff team. We don't have time to mess around or goof around. We want him to be locked in if he's ready and go out there and do what he can do."
Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, follow him on Twitter @MLBastian and Facebook.
The Rays’ starting pitcher last night - Tyler Glasnow - is real good.
(the Rays just got him from the Pirates)
The Indians were lucky to beat him.
The Rays’ starting pitcher tonight - Blake Snell - is a lot better. And uglier.
The only reason I haven’t heard his name in the 2018 Cy Young discussion is his innings pitched - only 145 so far. If he gets in 50+ innings this month, he will be at the top of the Cy Young voting.
He was on the DL in mid-season but has been dyn-o-mite since returning.
Very, very tough game tonight. It looks like Cleveland is favored in Vegas, but I don’t think the Tribe is a favorite in this one.
We need a couple Indians to go on the warpath.
PS. I think Donaldson is a gamble at best. A huge maybe.
Yeah. Donaldson is definitely an offensive threat if he’s healthy.
If he ever plays another full season, expect 30+ homers.
Maybe Francona knows a way to maximize the likelihood of Donaldson’s health.
Back in March, no one thought Brantley would see 500 at bats in a year again (he’s at 485 this morning). And that comes with an excellent .358 on base percentage. (his career OBP is .350).
Josh Donaldson is a $1.3m lottery ticket for the Indians, with a good chance for payoff if he can stay on the field and be in the lineup for high-impact October at-bats. An excellent gamble.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians announced Friday they have signed 16-year-old infielder Jose Baez Ramirez, younger brother of two-time All-Star Jose Ramirez, as an international free agent out of Bani in the Dominican Republic.
The club also inked infielder Henyer Gomez out of Loma de Cabrera in the Dominican as part of MLB's International signing period which runs through June 15, 2019. Ramirez and Gomez turned 16 on Aug. 30 and Aug. 26 respectively, thus becoming eligible to sign.
Jose Baez Ramirez is listed as a 5-foot-9, 146-pound switch-hitting infielder, while Gomez is listed at 5-7, 145. They will work out of the club's baseball academy in the Dominican.
Cleveland spent more than $5.5 million in July signing seven players including shortstops Gabriel Rodriguez, Junior Sanquintin and Angel Martinez.
At that time, the Indians also signed shortstop Jesus Lara from Venezuela, infielder Dayan Frias of Colombia and outfielders Sterling Romero of the Dominican Republic and Luis Osto of Venezuela.
Assuming Donaldson is healthy, at the very least he will be a big asset in postseason match-ups with the likes of Boston's Chris Sale, David Price, Drew Pomeranz, the Yanks' Jay Happ, Zach Britton, Aroldis Chapman, and Houston's Dallas Keuchel. We won't have to watch Yonder Alonso flail away at those tough lefties.
If the Indians decide to put Donaldson at 3B and move Jose Ramirez to 2B, I'm not sure its a good plan to put Kipnis in CF. With Brantley in LF and Melky in RF, those right and center field gaps are going to get very wide with Kipnis in CF, imo. None of those guys cover a lot of ground, or take especially good routes to balls in the gaps or down the lines. But Tito would know that better than me, so I guess we'll see.
Francona has spoken to Ramirez and Kipnis about Donaldson coming aboard. Jose ready and willing to go to 2B. Kipnis was not “jumping for joy.” Will start taking fly balls in center.
You prefer players who don't have their teammates backs? I get that Cody Allen has been really bad lately, but he is our all-time saves leader. He has been really good for a long time, and we are going to need him to make a deep run in the post season. It was bush league for fans to boo him after another rough outing, IMO. But then again, I'm not a booing kind of fan. The only time I ever booed a player was when it was obvious he was dogging it.
You really would have hated Tom Hamilton's comments the other night when it happened. He went off on the fans who booed Allen, and he was broadcasting to "38 states and half of Canada".
That's why Francona always takes the blame. If a specific person was being booed, it was Francona (for putting Allen in a save situation with better choices available)
But this is part of Francona's strategy for maximizing the team's potential come the post-season. He's evaluating Allen, trying to get him back on track.
And if he doesn't see it come October, Allen will not be placed in a position to blow a save. (unless there's absolutely no alternative like for instance a 17 inning game)
Francona is a master.
Lindor's comments about Cleveland fans booing were just stupid.
LMAO, I was just coming here to post that and I thought "I bet Grateful put it up already.". You always bring the goods - you should change your handle to "Mailman". Good job!
tribe has looked pretty bored...doesn't bode well if they don't get focused for october
The Dodgers were 12-17 last September and made the World Series. Cleveland has the division locked in, these games are meaningless.
He said the same thing about the Cavs the past four years, and they made 4 straight Finals as well. So we're probably in good shape.
I can’t even begin to say how stupid this statement is. How’d we do in the finals. Oh that’s right .. lost 8 straight. So yeah not being engaged and bored is a dangerous thing. Especially in baseball. Yes these games rare meaningless from a w/l standpoint but you don’t want to get complacent because of that
Once we clinch the AL Central we'll be able to rest these guys for a day or two every week. The MLB season is such a grind that, IMO, it will be a big edge to the Indians to be able to go into the post season with a well-rested starting lineup. Lindor will be fine. The guy I'm hoping can get ready for the post season is Bauer.
Can Kluber win his 3rd Cy Young award? Or do they give it to the yankee Severino?
Severino isn't in the discussion right now because of how bad he's been lately. It's basically Chris Sale's to lose right now. If Bauer didn't get hurt he'd have a real shot. Verlander, Kluber, and Cole will all get some votes too.
Can Kluber win his 3rd Cy Young award? Or do they give it to the yankee Severino?
Severino isn't in the discussion right now because of how bad he's been lately. It's basically Chris Sale's to lose right now. If Bauer didn't get hurt he'd have a real shot. Verlander, Kluber, and Cole will all get some votes too.
Blake Snell and Cory Kluber would get both more Cy Young votes today than Chris Sale.
Sale only has 146 innings pitched and only 12 wins.
It's Chris Sale who isn't currently in the Cy Young "discussion".
Yeah, 146 IP for Sale vs 193 for Kluber is a huge difference.
Sale has an astonishing K to IP ratio. His ERA is outstanding. I think that if he had a full season, he would be the runaway winner. However, if Bauer was eliminated from contention for missing time, then Sale has to be as well.
Yeah, 146 IP for Sale vs 193 for Kluber is a huge difference.
Sale has an astonishing K to IP ratio. His ERA is outstanding. I think that if he had a full season, he would be the runaway winner. However, if Bauer was eliminated from contention for missing time, then Sale has to be as well.
Sale has been more valuable during those few innings than Kluber has been with more. That's the argument. I'd probably have Bauer in the discussion, but voters don't usually vote for guys who ended the year on the DL.
Watching Bieber, its clear he won't be any more than a back-of-the-rotation starter unless he learns how to pitch to lefties. Unless or until he starts pitching inside to lefties, they are going to tattoo him. When his pitches to a lefty are middle of the plate to outside edge, he gets hit hard. When he gets in their kitchen, he has a chance. Check out his splits righty vs lefty hitters here:
Watching Bieber, its clear he won't be any more than a back-of-the-rotation starter unless he learns how to pitch to lefties. Unless or until he starts pitching inside to lefties, they are going to tattoo him. When his pitches to a lefty are middle of the plate to outside edge, he gets hit hard. When he gets in their kitchen, he has a chance. Check out his splits righty vs lefty hitters here:
Watching Bieber, its clear he won't be any more than a back-of-the-rotation starter unless he learns how to pitch to lefties. Unless or until he starts pitching inside to lefties, they are going to tattoo him. When his pitches to a lefty are middle of the plate to outside edge, he gets hit hard. When he gets in their kitchen, he has a chance. Check out his splits righty vs lefty hitters here:
LH hitters have a .950 OPS against Bieber. That's 200 pts over what is considered Major League normal (.750 OPS).
One of Bieber's issues is that he seems afraid to walk anybody. He has a very low walk total which should be good, but when he gets behind in the count he seems to be afraid to take a chance, to continue to pitch the edges, to try to get people to chase. It's like he's afraid to walk somebody so he just starts coming in over the plate and he gets hit hard. If I've noticed it, I'm damn certain other MLB teams who are scouting him have noticed it..
Watching Bieber, its clear he won't be any more than a back-of-the-rotation starter unless he learns how to pitch to lefties. Unless or until he starts pitching inside to lefties, they are going to tattoo him. When his pitches to a lefty are middle of the plate to outside edge, he gets hit hard. When he gets in their kitchen, he has a chance. Check out his splits righty vs lefty hitters here:
LH hitters have a .950 OPS against Bieber. That's 200 pts over what is considered Major League normal (.750 OPS).
One of Bieber's issues is that he seems afraid to walk anybody. He has a very low walk total which should be good, but when he gets behind in the count he seems to be afraid to take a chance, to continue to pitch the edges, to try to get people to chase. It's like he's afraid to walk somebody so he just starts coming in over the plate and he gets hit hard. If I've noticed it, I'm damn certain other MLB teams who are scouting him have noticed it..
I remember way back when Greg Swindell pitched for us, and was getting hit hard in a nationally televised game. Tim McCarver said he was "wild inside the strike zone", ie; too many of his pitches leaked back into the middle of the plate. Swindell had a great arm, but lacked the command to throw to spots, at least at that point in his career. I think Bieber has pretty good stuff - not electric, like Kluber, Bauer, or, at times, Carrasco, but good enough. He just has to work the edges, in and out, up and down, with all his pitches. IMO, his floor is Josh Tomlin (back of the rotation) and his ceiling is Mike Clevinger (middle of the rotation). He's also very young, so it might be dumb (on my part) to pigeon-hole him just yet. After all, he's 9-3 in his rookie season, but that ERA (4.63) and WHIP (1.36) is a worry, along with the good swings lefties are putting on his pitches, even when he has them in an 0-2 count.
He has progressed like lightning, and while he still has work to do, the team obviously feels that they can continue to develop him at the Major League level. I think he'll be fine.
Yeah, I know he'll be "fine". But if he finds himself on the mound in a leverage situation once the playoffs start this year, I would like him to be better than "fine". I would also like him not to be leaving room service fastballs in the middle of the plate for the likes of Aaron Judge, JD Martinez, etc, because they will launch that [stuff].
Good news from the Indians: Andrew Miller has been activated from the DL and is with the team. Josh Donaldson is coming off the DL tomorrow, and will start at 3B. Best of all, Trevor Bauer is throwing a bullpen session Wednesday, and if it goes well will throw another this weekend. He *could* return to the rotation sometime next week.
Jose Ramirez hit by pitch. Jose Ramirez steals second, loses helmet. Jose Ramirez steals third, loses helmet. Jose Ramires scores on a Yonder Alonso grounder to the second baseman, slides in head-first ahead of throw, loses helmet, claps emphatically.
we need to get lindor and jram some rest...they look tired, esp jram. whole team looks to have lost some fire. Hopefully Donaldson brings it back tonight
we need to get lindor and jram some rest...they look tired, esp jram. whole team looks to have lost some fire. Hopefully Donaldson brings it back tonight
I thought so too.
Though keep in mind a year ago the Tribe was on fire right now (in that 22-game winning streak) and then petered-out in the play-offs.
It could be part of Francona's master plan. (which is to maximize the Indians' chances to advance in the post-season)
Not sure is anyone subscribes to The Athletic here or not, but Ken Rosenthal did an outstanding piece about the back story on the Indians and the circumstances behind acquiring Donaldson. Several teams were miffed and complained to Commissioner's office. Most notably, HOU, NYY and BOS.
Not sure is anyone subscribes to The Athletic here or not, but Ken Rosenthal did an outstanding piece about the back story on the Indians and the circumstances behind acquiring Donaldson. Several teams were miffed and complained to Commissioner's office. Most notably, HOU, NYY and BOS.
Indians definitely worked some loopholes.
Hope he can stay healthy.
Go Tribe!
I saw this, hilarious that these big market teams 1 of whom got Stanton for a case of big league chew and a spit cup, are complaining about a mid market team getting a guy.
I'm tempted to say Mariano Rivera's cutter, but I'm old enough to have seen Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Sam McDowell, and Nolan Ryan bring the heat. There's simply nothing like a big-time fastball.
I will not answer the first question yet, but in my opinion the best inning a pitcher can have is throw three pitches and record 3 outs.
Strike outs are great, but they are overrated. There are times when you need a strike out, but throwing a slider to the low outside corner to a power hitter and having him ground out weakly to the SS is a great pitch.
Minimizing the number of pitches you throw is a good thing. The K stats are cool, but pitching smart is more effective.
I don't post often on baseball threads, but I played the game and coached a little bit. I loved the game.
I have a couple of questions for you baseball guys.
What is the best pitch in baseball?
What is the best inning a pitcher can have?
Wow, the 1st one is really tough.I would say that anything that doesn't do what the hitter expects, but that is too wide ranging an answer. lol A case can be made for any number of different pitches, but anything that change speeds, and/or changes levels in and out, are always effective.
The best inning a pitcher can have? I am always a fan of a 3 pitch, 1-2-3 inning, with 3 easy ground ball outs.
I see the question from two points of view. As a hitter at the level of my abilities, a great fastball was devastating - but I wasn't a good enough hitter to catch up to it. The curve could be devastating, but at the level I played, a lot of them were "cement-mixers", spinners that hung there like a matzoh ball, if you could spot it and put a swing on it. I never faced a true 12-to-6 hammer like Bert Blyleven used to throw, but it had to be an SOB to hit.
As a fan, when I see a great fastball like Koufax or McDowell, I just don't know how a hitter catches up to it. Pitchers like Feller and Koufax not only could throw 100 MPH, they also had the Hammer in their toolkit, a biting 12-to-6 curve that was unhittable when you're looking for the cheese.
After further consideration, I don't think my first question was fair. I apologize. I do have my opinions on it, but I was asking from more of a "teaching" angle than a MLB angle. Sorry.
I do think the second question was okay. Three pitches and three outs is ideal. Of course, that isn't practical. I just used to try to coach my pitchers into thinking about location rather than just blowing guys away.
It would be cool if we could have a baseball strategy thread. I have a lot of theories on how to pitch certain types of batters and how to hit depending on the strike count, the score, the inning, etc. If one of you baseball guys want to start a thread on baseball strategies, I'll contribute.
The whole point of shifts and such in baseball is for the pitcher to hit certain locations with his pitches. If he fails, a hitter could run for days.
We sometimes see odd defensive alignments with 4 infielder on the right side, and all 3 outfielders from right center to left. It often seems to work, but when it doesn't .... well, I bet many inside the park homeruns result from specialty defensive alignments, and a pitcher not hitting his spots.
As far as your 2nd question ... I was being a bit smart. I have seen rather short innings though, where the offense swings, weakly, at the 1st pitch, and at least 2 of them are out just like that. Maybe not a 3 pitch inning .... but close. Location is vitally important. One of the most frustrating/frightening things I can imagine is watching a pitcher throwing pitches that just nick the outside corner, after starting out looking like it's going to nail you in the head.
Man, I loved playing baseball as a kid. Unfortunately, I could not field worth a crap. I could kill the ball at the plate though. Of course in those days, at that age, pitchers weren't throwing a lot of sliders and curveballs. lol
Nice post. I personally love the slider. You start it off over the middle of the pate to guys who want to pull the ball [which is almost everyone nowadays] and it breaks to the low outside corner. The hitter tries pulling it and it is a weak grounder to the SS [my best fielder] or a lazy fly ball to left center field.
Best pitch: In my mind, the cut fastball. You get good speed, late movement, and can consistently throw it with control. As a righty, start it inside to a righty at the wrist and bring it over the plate, or on the outside corner and it moves off the plate. To the lefty, start off the plate and catch the outside corner, or start on the inside corner of the plate and break it into his hands.
Locate the pitch and even if there is no movement it is hard to hit. Get that late cut and it can be a devastating pitch.
Best inning a pitcher can have? 9th inning of World Series Game 7! Getting that 3rd out for the win. I don't see how there could be anything better in baseball.
I think a pitcher who has a devastating sinking fastball is nearly impossible to beat on a consistent basis. No HRs given up; singles have to beat him. Often times strikeouts and ground balls follow.
One of the most frustrating/frightening things I can imagine is watching a pitcher throwing pitches that just nick the outside corner, after starting out looking like it's going to nail you in the head.
Back in 2006, I went to a game with a friend who's now a D-1 college manager, and we sat a few rows just behind home plate. Cliff Lee was pitching that day and he was throwing these filthy curveballs all game long. They looked like they would fly over the catchers head, but then would suddenly die and catch the top of the zone. It was just amazing to watch from that angle. My friend told me Lee was going to win the Cy Young some day if he could keep pitching like that, and sure enough 2 years later he did. (Yea ya, he had a quick stop in the minors too!)
Jose Ramirez's home run drought is over and so is Blake Snell's no-hit bid. No. 38 for Ramirez soars to left and he looked like he enjoyed watching that one leave. Rays still up 3-1.
I suppose it's possible that the Rays can catch up to the A's for the last wildcard spot, and goodness knows the A's are capable of a collapse like that, but I doubt that'll happen.
There may be two teams that end up having more wins than the division winning Cleveland team but won't make the playoffs. Kind of harsh, but the Indians have been on cruise control for a while now. If forced, they would probably have a few more wins if there was a rule about needing more wins than the 3rd wildcard team.
Also, the Indians were red hot this time last year and choked away a 2-0 lead, so I'd imagine nobody will be worried if they limp into the playoffs this year.
I suppose it's possible that the Rays can catch up to the A's for the last wildcard spot, and goodness knows the A's are capable of a collapse like that, but I doubt that'll happen.
The A's have an eight game lead, that would be an epic collapse.
Tomlin was on a 60-65 pitch count, so his night is likely done at 62. Solo, walk, single before retiring 9-of-10. 2 2Bs in 4th make it 2-0, Tigers. #Indians
By Jordan Bastian MLB.com @MLBastian Sep. 18th, 2018
CLEVELAND -- Trevor Bauer took a seat in the Indians' dugout, grabbed some water and took a break from his simulated throwing session on Tuesday afternoon. Slugger Jose Ramirez, sitting on an elevated bench by the railing, turned around and engaged in some friendly trash talk with his teammate.
"What're you throwing, 82?" Ramirez quipped.
"Can you hit it?" the pitcher fired back with a smirk.
This was Bauer in his element. During his offseason workouts, verbal jabs are a part of the daily routine. It is a way for the right-hander to get his adrenaline pumping, which can be difficult to do in a non-game setting. In that way, Bauer got more out of his three-inning session on Tuesday than his previous mound test, and he feels he is getting closer to being ready for a return from the disabled list.
Bauer worked through roughly 60 pitches, taking breaks between each inning against hitters Eric Haase, Brandon Barnes and Adam Rosales. Bauer -- currently sidelined due to a stress fracture in his right fibula -- tested each of his offerings and said he was able to focus on the outing, rather than on his mechanics or the ankle.
Bauer felt so good that he joked with manager Terry Francona that he was ready to come off the DL immediately.
"I told Tito I'm available tonight," Bauer said with a laugh. "Based on the information I have right now, I would feel comfortable execution-wise being able to go into a big league game. So, we're close."
Francona put his foot on the brakes.
"I'm glad he feels that way," said Francona, who watched Bauer's workout, along with president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, pitching coach Carl Willis and a group of other front office and medical staffers. "I thought he took a good step in the right direction. So, what we'll do now next is we'll sit with him and the medical staff and figure out where the next step is. That's where we're at.
"We know Trevor wants to pitch. From our standpoint, the quicker we can get him in a game, without risk, the better. But, that's where you've got to listen to the medical guys, too."
Francona was asked if the next step could be activation from the DL.
"It's a scenario," he replied. "I don't know if it's likely."
Between the simulated innings, Bauer received feedback on his pitches from Haase (who also offers the perspective of a catcher), discussed things with Willis and later chatted with catcher Roberto Perez. After his last mound workout on Saturday, Bauer said his delivery sequencing needed to be ironed out, something that was not as much of an issue this time around.
"All of it's valuable," Bauer said of the information gathered. "I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to use it all yet. I'm still fresh off the mound, so I have to cool down, get done with my work, and then process it, look at some video and whatnot. But, the biggest takeaway is that I was able to completely focus on competing."
Asked if Ramirez's chatter from the dugout helped at all, Bauer rolled his eyes.
"Jose talks a lot. There's no action behind it," Bauer joked. "He's always telling me he's going to hit a homer off me, and face me, and all that stuff. And then he gets a chance, and it's, 'Nah, I don't want to face you.'"
Worth noting • Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, who sustained a mild right ankle sprain in the fourth inning on Saturday against the Tigers, was out of the starting lineup on Tuesday. Francona said it was just an opportunity to give Encarnacion three days' rest and recovery, given the Tribe had an off-day on Monday.
"He's fine," Francona said prior to Tuesday's game. "He could've played today. I told him to take [batting practice] and run, and we'll put him in there tomorrow."
• Since being activated from the DL on Sept. 11, third baseman Josh Donaldson has been playing on an every-other-day basis. Francona noted that Donaldson -- in Tuesday's lineup -- would also start on Wednesday, marking his first back-to-back starts since late May.
Trevor Bauer (214 strikeouts), Carlos Carrasco (206) and Kluber (205) are the first trio in Indians history to have at least 200 strikeouts in the same season. Cleveland is the fourth team to accomplish that, joining the 2013 Tigers, 1969 Astros and 1967 Twins. If Mike Clevinger (196) reaches 200 punchouts, the Indians will be the first team in MLB history to have four pitchers reach that milestone in the same campaign.
Trevor Bauer (214 strikeouts), Carlos Carrasco (206) and Kluber (205) are the first trio in Indians history to have at least 200 strikeouts in the same season. Cleveland is the fourth team to accomplish that, joining the 2013 Tigers, 1969 Astros and 1967 Twins. If Mike Clevinger (196) reaches 200 punchouts, the Indians will be the first team in MLB history to have four pitchers reach that milestone in the same campaign.
I am really glad for him. He is almost certainly gone next year, so I hope he has a lot more great moments before this season, and post-season, are over.
I am really glad for him. He is almost certainly gone next year, so I hope he has a lot more great moments before this season, and post-season, are over.
Not sure Kip is gone next year. He's owed a lot of money still and not sure a team wants to take on that contract. Kipnis Contract
They tried to trade him earlier this year and couldn't.
On a side note, at the end of the year, Kip gives out signed cleats, jerseys, batting gloves, wrist bands to kids when players clean out their lockers.
Jason Kipnis is batting .317/.405/.683 with 6 HR, 5 2B, 23 RBI, 8 BB and 8 K in 19 games (73 PA) since implementing a mechanical adjustment involving his hands on Aug. 26 in Kansas City.
Jason Kipnis is batting .317/.405/.683 with 6 HR, 5 2B, 23 RBI, 8 BB and 8 K in 19 games (73 PA) since implementing a mechanical adjustment involving his hands on Aug. 26 in Kansas City.
Love Donaldson getting back into game shape. He will be a huge asset in the playoffs. Hope he resigns, highly doubt it though. Gomes is hitting over .300 in his last 30 games.
With his second-inning strikeout of Jackie Bradley Jr., Mike Clevinger has joined the 200 K club. That makes the 2018 Indians the first team in MLB history to have four pitchers reach at least 200 strikeouts in the same season.
Didn't miss it. 11SO and 1W in his 20th win. We get used to it, I'd say we're a little spoiled by it. We're constantly "in the moment" with Kluber because he has performed at such a high level for so long. It was nice to hear the guys talk about his historical significance after the game... and the fact that he is quickly approaching a shotgun seat next to Rapid Robert.
Just in case you missed it, and from the activity on this thread, you did ......
Corey Kluber won his 20th tonight.(with 11 K and 1 BB) Andrew Miller and Cody Allen each pitched a perfect inning, with 2 K each.
Man, if we get them both going, along with Hand, our bullpen will be deadly.
I'm wondering what out pitching situation will look like come playoffs. Do we go with a 4-man rotation and keep Clev in there? Or do we keep him as a long-man if one of the other guys hits trouble? We're got Ollie Perez looking good in spot duty, with hopefully a physically recovered Miller and mentally recovered Allen backing up Hand as the Closer. After that though, it's a bit of a cliff in terms of bullpen talent. Do we ride those 8 through the entire playoffs?
I'm wondering what out pitching situation will look like come playoffs. Do we go with a 4-man rotation and keep Clev in there? Or do we keep him as a long-man if one of the other guys hits trouble? We're got Ollie Perez looking good in spot duty, with hopefully a physically recovered Miller and mentally recovered Allen backing up Hand as the Closer. After that though, it's a bit of a cliff in terms of bullpen talent. Do we ride those 8 through the entire playoffs?
A snippet from Zack Meisel's article in The Athletic...
Francona indicated last week in Tampa that the Indians prefer to carry a four-man rotation in October. The three-man option probably works better when the team’s most durable hurler — Bauer — isn’t returning after a six-week absence.
Kluber has been all but tabbed for Game 1 of the ALDS in Houston (or, if all hell breaks loose over the next week and a half, Oakland) on Oct. 5. That would leave Bauer, Carrasco and Clevinger — in some order — to handle the ensuing three contests. Any of them could start Game 2 on plenty of rest. It also reserves seven (or, perhaps, eight) bullpen spots for Cody Allen, Andrew Miller, Brad Hand, Oliver Pérez and the rest of the gang. The decision-makers would likely choose three names from a pool that includes Bieber, Adam Cimber, Adam Plutko, Dan Otero, Josh Tomlin, Neil Ramírez and Tyler Olson.
I'm wondering what out pitching situation will look like come playoffs. Do we go with a 4-man rotation and keep Clev in there? Or do we keep him as a long-man if one of the other guys hits trouble? We're got Ollie Perez looking good in spot duty, with hopefully a physically recovered Miller and mentally recovered Allen backing up Hand as the Closer. After that though, it's a bit of a cliff in terms of bullpen talent. Do we ride those 8 through the entire playoffs?
A snippet from Zack Meisel's article in The Athletic...
Francona indicated last week in Tampa that the Indians prefer to carry a four-man rotation in October. The three-man option probably works better when the team’s most durable hurler — Bauer — isn’t returning after a six-week absence.
Kluber has been all but tabbed for Game 1 of the ALDS in Houston (or, if all hell breaks loose over the next week and a half, Oakland) on Oct. 5. That would leave Bauer, Carrasco and Clevinger — in some order — to handle the ensuing three contests. Any of them could start Game 2 on plenty of rest. It also reserves seven (or, perhaps, eight) bullpen spots for Cody Allen, Andrew Miller, Brad Hand, Oliver Pérez and the rest of the gang. The decision-makers would likely choose three names from a pool that includes Bieber, Adam Cimber, Adam Plutko, Dan Otero, Josh Tomlin, Neil Ramírez and Tyler Olson.
Saw someone tweet out that they think Carrasco will go game 2 in Houston. Better road pitcher than at Progressive.
I hope Clevinger gets a shot. He's pitched well all year and I think he deserves it.
Man if Carrasco can pitch like he did in the ALDS last year, Tribe could really be a tough out for anyone.
I don't see odds for the series but you can bet the Astros are heavy favorites... they're right behind Boston as the favorite to win it all.
2018 WORLD SERIES ODDS Team Odds Boston Red Sox +300 Houston Astros +350 LA Dodgers +550 Chicago Cubs +750 Cleveland Indians +800 New York Yankees +1200 Atlanta Braves +1200 Oakland Athletics +1500 Milwaukee Brewers +1800 St. Louis Cardinals +3000 Colorado Rockies +3000
Edit: Wow. Didn't notice at first - but the Yanks at +1200 is a huge play.
José Ramírez and Francisco Lindor are the first teammates to each get 80 extra-base hits in consecutive seasons since Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig did so for the Yankees in 1936-37.
Yanks can't win it .. not good enough pitching. But, that's not a bad long shot bet
If I were to bet, I'd just be risking 100 for them to shock Boston. If they do, I'm making guaranteed money with no risk.
If Yankees beat Boston... Cleveland or Houston will be favorites in next series... between -130 and -160
Let's go worst scenario -160... bet $240 against Yanks to win 150 (50 profit if Yanks lose, down 340 if they win).
Series - Yanks still underdog (they may not be by now), we'll say still big underdog... Opponent -160 I'm already down $340... Bet 740 on opponent to win 462...
122 profit if Yanks lose 120 profit if Yanks win
Honestly, if the Yanks made it to the series in this scenario I'd only bet a minimal amount against them. I'd want to cash in big if I have to watch them win... Because I hate them, almost as much as the Steelers.
Also, if the Yanks played Cleveland in the ALCS, I wouldn't bet on them at all. I'd gladly pay $100 to watch the Tribe beat them... and if the Yanks win I'd retain full 12 to 1 odds to cash in on the series.
You can go by the books and treat it like a business or hedge your bet accordingly... as an insurance policy against the team you hate.
Make it past the wildcard and anyone can win it. The Yankees also have at least 5 innings of dominant bullpen arms (Britton, Robertson, Betances, Green, and Chapman).
Make it past the wildcard and anyone can win it. The Yankees also have at least 5 innings of dominant bullpen arms (Britton, Robertson, Betances, Green, and Chapman).
In theory this is correct, but some, if not all, of these players have STRUGGLED at times this year. Chapman has been injured/bad. Britton has struggled mightily at times since coming from BAL. Betances has a history of losing the plate. Robertson is not the same guy from a year ago.
If they're all clicking? Yes ... but they haven't been.
Prediction: they will beat Oakland .... and get swept by Boston (and I'm a Yankee fan who has watched all 158 games thus far)
Highlights of manager Terry Francona’s Q&A with reporters on Wednesday.
Q: Is there an update on how you plan to handle Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer’s innings on Sunday in Kansas City?
Francona: “What we’re going to do Sunday is we’ll flip-flop kind of what we did [Tuesday against the White Sox]. Carrasco will start. He needs to go about 75–80 [pitches]. Then, we’ll have Trevor follow him. And then we talked to Trev today. We’re not really [ready to announce anything beyond that yet]. We need to get through the season first, because you don’t want to announce something and then have to undo it. But, we did try to give him some guidance in what we’re looking to do, just so he can prepare and things like that.”
Q: Is Mike Clevinger the likely starter for Game 3 of the ALDS?
(Francona nods)
Francona: “But, we don’t need to [announce anything]. We’re not ready to do those things.”
Q: How is Bauer today? Did he bounce back OK from Tuesday’s start?
Francona: “He’s doing good.”
Q: Now that we know for sure that you guys will be facing Houston in the ALDS, what are your initial thoughts on facing the Astros? That is two really good pitching staffs going at it…
Francona: “Yeah, it is. They’re good. They’re really good. The one thing I’ve been impressed with — when we’ve played them and when I’ve watched them — is they play start to finish really well. Even when we’ve beat them, man, it’s like, ‘They’re coming.’ That’s why they’ve been fun to play, because they’re talented and they keep playing. They present a lot of issues, but it’s fun to play them, because they’re so good.”
Q: You know who you’re facing. There are five games left in the regular season. Is it hard to rein it in and manage these games that don’t have any postseason implications?
Francona: “I hate it. I hate it. I’m so tired of this.”
(laughter)
Francona: “Last night, watching Carrasco give up runs, I’m sitting there like, you know, [expletive], we’ve got a guy out in the bullpen that probably could’ve come in and, but, we need to [let Carrasco build up his pitch count]. I can’t wait ‘til we start playing [expletive] games where we can try to do what we’re supposed to do.”
Q: You had first-base open when Daniel Palka came up to face Carrasco…
Francona: “It’s just, you know, [expletive]. We’ve got [expletive] things going every which way. This guy can do this. This guy can do that. [Expletive]. [Expletive], let’s go!
(laughter)
Q: Is it hard to manage those games, where you’re accomplishing a big-picture goal, but not making typical in-game strategy moves?
Francona: “Yeah! It sucks! [Expletive], man, I went home last night and I was pissed off the whole way home. Millsie and those guys are looking at me like, ‘[Expletive] relax.’”
Q: You lost on the Palka walk-off hit, but you did get Carrasco to out over 80 pitches in the process…
Francona: “That part’s good. And it has been good, and there is a good reason for what we’re doing, but it just goes against [my DNA]. [Expletive], man, we show up to win. I don’t give a [expletive]. I know there are days in Spring Training when we lose a game and I get , because it’s, [expletive], that’s what we do.”
Q: Under normal circumstances, would you have managed Tuesday’s game differently?
Francona: “Oh yeah. Well, one, I wouldn’t have had two starters.”
Q: But, the ninth inning, specifically…
Francona: “Yeah, we could’ve had the lefty and then make them pinch-hit and do some things. We had an open base. We could’ve actually, when they were doing the [replay] challenge, we could’ve gone out, brought in a righty, walked the lefty, see what [the White Sox] do. We could’ve really [done a few things], but… (sigh) …let Carrasco finish it.”
Q: It feels like Spring Training in that way…
Francona: “Yeah, but we’re getting there.”
Q: Saying all that, you’d probably rather be in this position than fighting for your postseason life like some of the teams in the National League…
Francona: “I get more nervous watching them than I am when I’m a part of it. It’s unbelievable. Like, there’s been a few of these Wild Card Games where, one year it was Minnesota, one year it was the Rockies, and I’m watching the games and I’m, [expletive], I can’t stand it. I mean, I just can’t stand it. And then when I’m part of the game, [expletive], I love it. I’m like, ‘Damn, this is great.’ But, when I’m watching it, I’m a nervous wreck.”
Q: When you’re watching those games, do you think along the way like a manager?
Francona: “No, I don’t think you can. I really don’t. I never have. Maybe people smarter than me can, but I just think when you’re in the dugout and you know you’re team, you know what you’re doing. You know. Now, nobody’s perfect — myself included — but you have a pretty good idea of what you want to do.”
Q: Do you think Jose Ramirez has struggled at all with the move from third to second base?
Francona: “No. Defensively? No, no. Not at all. No. I mean, [expletive], we got caught up in that first play of the game. Who’s on first? What’s on second? But, no, I think he’s been good, yeah. He starts a nice double play. He’s done fine. On the one ball where the ball was deep and he didn’t make it, he looked at [third-base Mike Sarbaugh] late and he was still kind of moving when the ball [was put in play]. He got deep late. He was playing it normal depth and Sarby wanted him to get deep, so sometimes there’s some extenuating circumstances.”
Q: With how Jason Kipnis, Yan Gomes and Melky Cabrera have hit in the second half, how much more comfortable are you with the bottom section of the lineup right now?
Francona: “Yeah, our lineup’s better. It’s deeper. Early in the season, we were having some difficulties. If Lindor and those guys didn’t hit, man, it was getting quiet. We’ve got some chances now, which is nice.”
KANSAS CITY -- There will come a time to reflect on the remarkable career Josh Tomlin forged with the Indians. The non-prospect with the Texas drawl, armed with the type of fastball that is rarely referred to as a heater, has somehow been with Cleveland longer than any other player on its roster.
In a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Royals on Thursday night, when Tomlin walked off the Kauffman Stadium mound in the fifth inning, he may have thrown his final pitch in an Indians uniform. Tomlin's status for the American League Division Series roster is uncertain, and free agency looms when baseball's winter arrives.
"I've had that thought," Tomlin said. "Don't get me wrong, I've had that thought. But at this point, we're trying to play for something a little bit more."
The only future Tomlin wants to focus on for now is the immediate one, which the veteran hopes will include three champagne-soaked celebrations in October and a World Series championship in hand. In the meantime, the soft-spoken pitcher will continue to play cards with manager Terry Francona. He'll keep offering advice to his fellow pitchers. He'll continue to be the most revered teammate in Cleveland's clubhouse.
Tomlin's outing against the Royals was not flashy. The righty logged 74 pitches across 4 2/3 innings, finishing with five strikeouts and four hits allowed. The two staples of Tomlin's career were also present. He issued zero walks and gave up a solo home run. The blast came via Adalberto Mondesi in the third, tying the game at 1.
That homer aside, Tomlin said he feels the best he has throughout what has been a trying season.
"Oh man, there's no doubt about it," Tomlin said. "I finally got to a point where I know what my body's going to do. I'm not trying to force the issue. I'm just out there throwing and playing catch. It seems like I'm just playing catch. Everything's on time. I'm able to shape the breaking ball for a strike, for a ball."
Over the course of his 183 career regular-season appearances, Tomlin has issued 1.3 walks per nine innings. That is the 23rd-lowest mark in MLB history among the 1,529 pitchers with at least 800 innings. Tomlin's strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.6 ranks fifth on that list. However, he is last in homers allowed (1.7 per nine innings).
The long ball was Tomlin's biggest nemesis in 2018, when he opened the season in the rotation but was later demoted to the bullpen, before making a handful of spot starts down the stretch. Over 70 1/3 innings, Tomlin has a 6.14 ERA with 46 strikeouts against 12 walks, plus 25 home runs allowed.
When the Indians map out their ALDS plans for facing the Astros, the club will have four strong arms (Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger) for the rotation. Rookie Shane Bieber -- who features a precision-based style similar to Tomlin, but with more velocity -- appears primed for a relief role, if an ALDS start is not in the cards.
That makes it unclear how Tomlin might work his way into the October picture. There is an outside chance that Francona may want him available for multi-inning relief work, which was a role Tomlin handled well in the ALDS against the Yankees last year. In 2016, Tomlin was also a key figure in Cleveland's run to the World Series.
Clevinger smiled when asked about Tomlin's role in the '16 postseason. Clevinger recalled running into the right-hander outside Fenway Park on the eve of Game 3 of the ALDS, when the Boston crowd mockingly chanted Tomlin's name, but could not rattle him.
"That's still one of my favorite memories," Clevinger said. "He was walking back, because he was starting the next day. He was in his cowboy boots and his jeans were tucked into them and he had his mullet cut. After [Tyler Naquin and I] talked to him for a second, we're like, 'Yeah, we're going to go eat.'
"And we sat there and literally we both just watched him walk and we're like, 'That [guy] is about to beat the Boston Red Sox tomorrow in the playoffs.' We both just shook our head and laughed and went to go eat. And sure enough, he did."
The one thing Francona can count on is that Tomlin will accept any role, even if it means cheering on his teammates from the bench. That selfless approach is how Tomlin clawed his way up the farm system and eventually found himself as the longest-tenured player in the organization after parts of nine seasons in the big leagues.
"Your true colors come out when you're not doing well," Francona said. "He's been the same, whether he's 9-1 or 1-9. He always looks out for everybody else first. He lives it. He doesn't just say it. He lives it. Every day."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED October simulation: With two runners on, two outs and the game tied at 1, Francona pulled Tomlin and handed the ball to relief ace Andrew Miller (1 1/3 innings). It was the type of decision made in a playoff setting. Miller induced a sinking liner to center off the bat of Mondesi. Indians center fielder Greg Allen sprinted in and made a diving grab in front of him to end the inning. Per Statcast™, the play had a 48-percent catch probability, making it a four-star catch for the rookie outfielder.
"That's why we did it," said Francona, when asked if bringing Miller in was to simulate a postseason-type situation. "It's something that we could possibly do -- early into the game, but try to keep the game right where it is."
Royals walk off: Right-hander Neil Ramirez, who is competing for a spot in Cleveland's ALDS bullpen, issued two walks and allowed two steals in the 10th to set up Kansas City's game-winning hit. With runners on the corners, Salvador Perez pulled a pitch into left field for a walk-off single, igniting an on-field celebration for the Royals. It marked the 13th walk-off loss of the year for Cleveland.
SOUND SMART When Allen swiped second and third in the 10th, that gave the rookie 21 steals this season. It also gave Cleveland four players (Jose Ramirez, 34; Francisco Lindor, 23; Rajai Davis, 21; and Allen) with at least 20 steals in the same season since 1911. That year, Shoeless Joe Jackson (41), Terry Turner (29), Neal Ball (21), Jack Graney (21) and Ivy Olson (20) achieved the feat for the Cleveland Naps.
HE SAID IT "I think everybody here has enjoyed their time with him and has been better because of their time with him. Not just baseball-wise, but as a person, as a teammate. No one knows what the future holds. I would love to have Josh around, obviously. He's been a huge part of the clubhouse and team chemistry and leadership and stuff like that for his entire tenure here. There aren't enough positive things to say about the guy." --Bauer, on Tomlin
UP NEXT Prior to this season, Clevinger made it a goal to reach 200 innings for the Indians. Clevinger (12-8, 3.07 ERA) will have a chance to reach that mark on Friday, when the Royals host the Indians at 8:15 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium. Clevinger, who has a 2.00 ERA in 13 starts against AL Central teams this season, has pitched 193 1/3 innings. Kansas City will counter with righty Ian Kennedy (3-8, 4.59).
Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, follow him on Twitter @MLBastian and Facebook.
If you’re looking for some late regular season excitement check-out tonight’s Blue Jays @ Tampa game. Blake Snell is going for his 22 win (against only 5 loses).
Snell hasn’t given-up a run in 2 weeks (last time - by Cleveland - one run on September 12th)
And only 4 runs in all of September (2 by Cleveland)
Tribe sets pitching staff up for playoff success Francona looking forward to situational use in AL Division Series
KANSAS CITY -- Indians manager Terry Francona is looking forward to being able to use his pitchers based on situations instead of schedules. That freedom will return when the club begins the American League Division Series against the Astros on Friday at Minute Maid Park.
In the season's last month, Francona has closely monitored Trevor Bauer's workload as the starter makes his way back from a six-week absence due to a stress fracture in his right fibula. The manager has gradually worked relief ace Andrew Miller back to unrestricted duty after three DL stints this season. Francona gave closer Cody Allen an extended break before ramping him back up in the final week.
Needless to say, there might be no one more ready for the best-of-five ALDS than Francona.
"I can't wait," Francona said prior to Saturday's game against the Royals. "Again, there's reasons we do it. But, man, part of the reason you do this job is because you're competitive. It just kind of goes against [your nature]. Sometimes, you like have to put your seatbelt on, or the restraints. It's hard to do. But, hopefully, it pays dividends. That's why we're doing it."
The seatbelt will remain buckled for Sunday's regular-season finale at Kauffman Stadium.
In the last game of the year against the Royals, right-hander Carlos Carrasco will start and log around 80 pitches, but then Bauer (activated from the DL on Sept. 21) will come out of the bullpen with the goal of handling the remainder of the innings. With limited innings available for the regular relievers on Sunday, Francona said he would aim to get Allen, Miller, Brad Hand and Oliver Perez work in Saturday's tilt.
There will be more innings available in Tuesday's intrasquad game at Progressive Field.
Miller agreed it will be nice to start the playoffs, when Francona can use his arms with wins (not just repetitions) in mind. Over the past two postseasons, Francona has actually used his relievers in more innings (91 1/3) than his starters (89 2/3). Miller has led the way with 24 1/3 innings, followed by Allen with 19. The bullpen overall turned in a combined 2.07 ERA in the 2016 and '17 playoffs.
"It should be fun," Miller said. "We really haven't had a chance to kind of put everybody out there the way that maybe [you'll see in October]. Whether it's been because I've been hurt or whether the games just aren't meaning that much, or whatever it is, we haven't really put our foot on the gas. And our starters have been so good that there haven't been too many days where we need to cover more than about an inning or two.
"In the playoffs, that'll change. The games are different. I'm excited. I think it's been, for me personally, a little bit of a grind this year. But, I feel like everything's kind of putting in the right direction and I can't wait for these games to get here."
Worth noting • Francona indicated that utility man Erik Gonzalez (hit in the head with a pitch on Wednesday) continues to make progress. Gonzalez, who has been in MLB's concussion protocol, was cleared to do some activity in the weight room on Saturday. The Indians are hopeful he will be cleared to participate in Tuesday's intrasquad game at Progressive Field.
• The Indians went with an 11-man pitching staff for the ALDS last season. Francona was asked on Saturday if he would go with the same alignment this year, but he would not tip his hand. Said Francona: "We [need to] get through tomorrow. I just want to make sure everybody's intact and then we'll figure it out."
• Entering Saturday, the Indians' rotation had issued 240 walks, marking the club's second-lowest total since at least 1908. Only the 1981 rotation had fewer (235). The 4.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio by the Tribe's rotation this season stands as the highest single-season mark in MLB history.
Righty not lined up to pitch until Game 4, available for critical innings beforehand
By Jordan Bastian MLB.com @MLBastian Oct. 2nd, 2018
CLEVELAND -- Expect Trevor Bauer to pitch for the Indians in the American League Division Series against the Astros. Whether the right-hander comes out of the bullpen to handle a leverage situation or takes the ball as a starter, Bauer is very much in Cleveland's postseason plans.
"I can see, if we get where we want to go, Trevor having a bigger hand in it than he realizes right now," Indians manager Terry Francona said during Tuesday's workout at Progressive Field.
Francona had previously made it known that ace Corey Kluber (Game 1 on Friday) and righty Carlos Carrasco (Game 2 at 4:37 p.m. ET on Saturday) will start for the AL Central champions in the first two games at Minute Maid Park. On Tuesday, Francona announced righty Mike Clevinger is slated to start Game 3 on Monday in Cleveland.
Depending on how the bullpen is used in the first few games, either Bauer or rookie Shane Bieber will start Game 4, if the ALDS extends that far. Francona reiterated that Cleveland wants to avoid a short-rest situation (Kluber returning for Game 4, for example), and the manager would prefer to have Bauer available for critical innings rather than hold him for a later game.
If the ALDS were to reach five games, Francona noted Carrasco would likely be available out of the bullpen, too.
"We're trying to take our roster and expand it a little bit," Francona explained.
Bauer, who sustained a stress fracture on Aug. 11, went 12-6 with a 2.21 ERA, piling up 221 strikeouts against 57 walks in 175 1/3 innings. The righty returned from the disabled list Sept. 21 and made three appearances for the Indians down the stretch. In 9 1/3 innings after being activated, Bauer allowed two runs with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Bauer's highest pitch count since his return was 60 pitches against the White Sox, but he built up to around 80 with more throws in the bullpen after that start. He then worked four shutout innings of relief (51 pitches) in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Royals.
"Having [Bauer] as as starter can be really important," Francona said. "Again, we wouldn't use him without a leverage situation. But if we got some leverage, that's where we're going to try to figure it out. The other thing, too, is I don't know if I'd want him to go that long without pitching, so an inning or two wouldn't hurt him anyway."
Worth noting • All-Star catcher Yan Gomes was not in either lineup for Tuesday's intrasquad game at Progressive Field. Gomes still has two stitches in his right thumb due to the laceration sustained in Saturday's game in Kansas City, but the catcher was optimistic about being available for Game 1 of the ALDS.
"I'm hitting today and doing normal things today," Gomes said Tuesday. "It's all just a matter of kind of taking care of the stitches right now. ... Absolutely [I'll be ready for Game 1]. Right now, it just feels like a bad cut on my hand and it's on the outside, so it's fine. The ball's not going to rub against [the cut] or anything."
• Outfielder Brandon Guyer, who has been dealing with a right shoulder issue, did not play the final three regular-season games for the Indians. Guyer took part in Tuesday's intrasquad game, but he was instructed to track pitches.
"We expect him to be fine," Francona said. "We just don't want to push it."
• Utility man Erik Gonzalez is no longer in MLB's concussion protocol and was unrestricted for Tuesday's intrasquad game. Gonzalez is vying for a spot on the ALDS bench, along with outfielders Greg Allen, Rajai Davis and Guyer, plus corner infielder Yandy Diaz.
Prior to Tuesday’s workout at Progressive Field, Indians manager Terry Francona met with media to discussing the upcoming American League Division Series against the Astros. Here are the highlights.
Q: Brandon Guyer didn’t play in the last three games in Kansas City. Everything OK with him?
TF: “He’s been battling that shoulder, so we kept him out of the games. He got examined, I think Saturday. He’s going to participate in the game today, but just track pitches. He actually came and worked out yesterday and took balls off the bat, stuff like that. We expect him to be fine. We just don’t want to push it.”
Q: What’s the latest on Yan Gomes?
TF: “He’s doing really well. He’s doing really well. He has [his right thumb] covered right now, but I think, just talking to him, I think he felt like he could’ve played yesterday. We’ll keep him out of there today. He’s doing fine.”
Q: Can you walk us your rotation plans for Game 3–4?
TF: “Clevinger is Game 3. Game 4 is either Bieber or Bauer. The reason we say that is, we’re trying to take our roster and expand it a little bit. Depending on how Bauer and Bieber are used early, that could determine who starts Game 4. And on the flip side, the hope would be that Carrasco will be available at some point to maybe facilitate the bullpen at the back end of the series.”
Q: And you’re hoping to avoid a short-rest situation for a starter, right?
TF: “Yes. Yeah.”
Q: Do you feel like your roster is more complete now than it was a year ago going into the ALDS?
TF: “Oh, I don’t know. You get so consumed with what you’re trying to do that I don’t know that we really think about that. I do think, to your point — the word we used a lot was being ‘unsettled.’ We were so unsettled last year in the playoffs. We went through a lot of that the last two weeks. It’s not a lot of fun, because it’s unsettling. But I think — in fact, I know — it was for a good reason. Now, we’re going to see if it pays off. We think we have Donaldson in a good place. We think Andrew’s come so far. Kip’s had three weeks to play center field. Jose’s had three weeks at second. If you have too many question marks, sometimes the answer is no. And we really don’t want that to happen.”
Q: In 2016, it seemed like the team really embraced the “win today” message that you preach so much. Do you think the team got away from that last year in the playoffs?
TF: “I think it’s easier [to say that] after, when you get asked that. We didn’t put our best foot forward the last couple games. Saying that, shoot, I think you’ve got to look at things in perspective. If Judge is 6'1” instead of 6'9", we probably win Game 3. Kluber had his struggles. We set those games up so he could pitch twice and I think he ended up going a combined [6 1/3] innings. … We got a little sloppy in Trevor’s [Game 2 start]. I was probably more disappointed with that — that defensively, we didn’t finish plays, because we had been so good about that.”
Q: How do you feel health-wise after another 162 games?
TF: “Oh, [shoot], it doesn’t matter. I don’t have to play. I worry so much about our guys. All I need is to make sure I can sign my name on a lineup card and pat ’em on the back when they do well. I think I’m in a better place. Last year was really hard. Anybody at this time of year is tired, but it’s a good tired because you get excited. This beats the hell out of packing and thinking about what you’re going to do in the offseason.”
Q: Do you think Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez learned anything from last year’s struggles in the playoffs?
TF: “One, unlike other sports, when people say, ‘Did you peak too soon?’ I don’t know in baseball that [happens]. Because hitting is rhythm and timing and it can be a little finicky. We started to uncharacteristically chase down and up. The hope is you don’t chase anywhere, but if you’re going to chase, maybe just have it be one, not both. Then when both of them kind of struggled together it was such a big part of our offense, it hurt us. They’ve been through so much already at a young point in their career that these games aren’t going to be too big for them. Again, I know I say it all the time, we don’t have a crystal ball, you don’t know how anybody’s going to do. But I don’t think it’s going to be because of the magnitude of the game.”
Q: Do you think Ramirez’s struggles in the second half were related to the team not being in a race?
TF: “I don’t think that’s why he didn’t hit. But, regardless of how you’ve done in September you have to throw it out because it doesn’t matter anymore. Come that first pitch on Friday, that’s all that’s going to matter. You could win 22 in a row, as we did, once that first pitch happens, it’s the first team to win three because that’s what counts.”
Q: Does it make a difference planning for starting on the road vs. starting out at home?
TF: “I hadn’t even thought of it. The use of your bullpen can be different. In a playoff game, I’m not too sure it is, anyway, because you’re going to pitch guys and you know, if it doesn’t make it, it doesn’t make it. I’m glad that this isn’t, for the most part, our first time going through this, because I thought a couple years ago that might not have been real good for us. I think we’re going to win or lose on how we play, not necessarily where we play.”
Q: How’s Erik Gonzalez?
TF: “He’s actually allowed to play in the game today. He’s been cleared. He’s going to play in this game today and we’ll kind of see more how he’s doing.”
Q: What was your take on Jason Kipnis’ season? Besides batting average, a lot of his numbers are pretty much in line with previous years.
TF: “That’s exactly what I would have said if you’d hadn’t said that. He’s got his RBIs, he’s got his home runs. His batting average took a hit. The saving grace to that is he’s hit with runners in scoring position, which is the most important thing. And I think he’s done fine in center field. Again, come October nobody’s going to care what your average was during the season. Tt’s what you do in October. Knowing Kip, when the lights shine the brightest, he wants to compete. I think he’s excited. I think he’s in a good place.”
Q: Did you ever come close to losing faith in Kipnis this year?
TF: “No, we talked a couple times about it. Not about giving up, but just talked through it and we moved him down in the order. I just think for us to be the team we wanted to be, running away from him didn’t help. Sometimes you need to be patient, because you need guys to play. And it’s too easy to run. Same thing with Cody Allen. He’s had some ups and downs this year. It’s going to be hard for us to get where we’re going without him. I think you just need to recognize that.”
Q: The bullpen has its ups and downs this season, but do you feel like the group is in a better place for the ALDS?
TF: “I’ll be able to tell you probably better after the series. But, I think we’ve done everything we can to get this group ready. You’re right, we have had our ups and downs this year. But Andrew is probably in the best place he’s been all year. Hand has been rock solid since the day he got here. Cody really hopeful that the competitiveness kicks in, because we believe in him so much even if his fastball is down a tick. There’s just so much belief in him as a competitor that he’ll get people out. That’s just how we feel.”
Q: You said a couple weeks ago that you probably wouldn’t necessarily use Andrew Miller like you did in 2016. Is that still true?
TF: “What I meant by that was I think the first game we threw him 50-some pitches. I don’t think that’s reasonable. But, we threw him 30-something the other day. I think he’s in a position where he can throw a couple innings depending how the innings go.”
Q: What’re your thoughts on where Corey Kluber is right now ahead of his Game 1 start
TF: “He’s ready to go. He’s ready to accept the challenge of anchoring our staff. We’ve talked to him about pitching Game 1, pitching Game 2. There’s some obvious reasons for both. He really wanted — I don’t want to say burden because I don’t think it’s a burden — but like you say, accepting the challenge of leading our team into the playoffs. And I can’t think of anybody better.”
Q: We’ve seen how bullpens have been utilized in recent Octobers, but both you and the Astros have rotations filled with 200-inning-caliber arms. How might that impact this series?
TF: “I know what you’re saying. It’s a little bit of a copycat league. I don’t care what other teams are doing. I’ll always try to do what puts our team in the best position to win. If that’s leaving a starter out there, we’ll do it. If not, we’ll go to the bullpen. You’ve got to remember, once you go to the bullpen, there’s no going back. Our starters have done a really good job. The hard one is you get to that third time through the order and you know what the numbers say. But, if you’ve got starters who have done what they’ve done… Our guys have thrown 200 innings. There’s a reason they threw 200. It’s because they were able to make adjustments enough to go through that third time through the order.”
Q: How challenging is it to get through the top of Houston’s lineup?
TF: “I would say their entire lineup. They present so many challenges that they’re always fun to play, because of the challenges they bring. The one thing that I think they’ve really done for the last couple years, they play until it’s time to go home. Sometimes you’ll beat them, but they might just have ran out of outs. They keep coming at you. You’ve got to pay attention to detail. But they’re fun to play though because they’ve got so many good players, so many good pitchers. Again, you need to be on your game and we’ve played them probably better than most teams. I think we were 3–4 this year. They present a lot of challenges for you.”
Q: Is it more hectic or stressful planning for a short series?
TF: “You know what’s funny is, I shouldn’t speak for the rest of the guys, but once I feel prepared — and we had two good days of meetings — I actually enjoy the heck out of these games. We worked so hard to get here. I enjoy them. Everybody gets nervous. But, I really enjoy them, because our preparation is so good. That’s really what gives you anxiety, at least in my opinion, is, ‘Man, what am I gonna do?’ Once you kind of know, sit back and enjoy the competition, because it’s so hard to get here. I think you have to enjoy it.”
Q: How much do you think it can help to have Bauer or Bieber available as multi-inning options out of the bullpen early on?
TF: “I can see Trevor — Bieber, too — but I can see, if we get where we want to go, Trevor having a bigger hand in it than he realizes right now.”
Q: In a postseason, where the sample sizes are small, how do you balance over-managing vs. trusting your players in certain situations?
TF: “Well that’s the big key. You’ve heard me say it, there’s a really fine line between being dumb and smart. A couple years ago we went to Andrew in that first game, and it worked. If he gives up a home run on like pitch 49, I know I’m an idiot, because then the next day we don’t have Andrew available for much and we lost. We won. I guess my point is, you do what you think is right, you answer the questions, be confident enough in what you’re doing and move on. Because if you win, that’s what you’re showing up to do, is win. If you don’t, be confident enough in what you’re doing, explain it, then move on.”
Q: Do you think you have that mindset better now than when you first got into managing?
TF: “I think I always felt that way. I don’t know if maybe people realized I felt that way. But I did. And again, I think it all started with the preparation of the [World Series], where I was like, ‘Damn, I feel pretty comfortable here.’ And had never been there before. But we had prepared so well that it really kind of gives you a little bit of ease.”
Q: Is it your preference to have Bauer available as a multi-inning arm as much as possible?
TF: “Not my preference. It depends on the need. Trevor, having him as as stater can be really important. If we need him to help us win those other games, again, we wouldn’t use him without a leverage situation. But if we got some leverage, again, that’s where we’re going to try to figure it out. The other thing, too, is I don’t know if I’d want him to go that long without pitching, so an inning or two wouldn’t hurt him anyway.”
Q: Are you still sorting through the decisions on the bullpen alignment?
TF: “We’ve talked to everybody I believe. I’d like to wait until… I just to wait to get through a few things and we’ll announce it.”
If I was Josh Tomlin and I wanted to keep pitching in the bigs, I would offer about $10,000 of that $3M salary to Tom Candiotti to spend 3-4 weeks with me this off season teaching me to throw the knuckleball. Tomlin knows how to pitch, and he is a very good athlete: he fields the position better than any of our starters, he holds runners better than any of our starters, he has a career batting average in the majors of .368 (7/19). In other words, as an athlete, I think he could learn the pitch, and if he could, that 88 MPH fastball will look very fast to a hitter looking for the knuckler. If Tomlin could learn the knuckleball he could pitch another 6-7 years as a middle-to-back-of-the-rotation starter, IMO.
Been watching and listening to ESPN, is anybody else in the playoffs or is the winner of the Red Sox vs Yankees series just going to be crowned as World Series champs? Asking for a friend.
Listening to Terry Francona, it wasn't hard to understand what the Tribe manager has in mind.
He didn't say it, but the Tribe manager seems to have an Andrew Miller role in mind for Bauer in the best-of-5 American League Division Series. It opens Friday in Houston.
Bauer as Andrew Miller. That would be the Andrew Miller of 2016, when he was the most dominant reliever in the game.
It's when Francona would bring the long, lean lefty with the sensational slider into a game anywhere from the fourth to the late innings.
"Leverage situations," Francona calls it.
This is Francona's gamble, the kind that can help the Indians upset the favored Astros in this series.
He wants a power pitcher who can throw multiple innings marching in from the bullpen to keep a game from getting out of control. I like it.
The move is a bit bold. It is also based on sound reasoning, as Bauer is capable of pitching in relief.
For his career, he has a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings out of the bullpen.
The Astros are the defending World Series champions. They finished with a 103-59 record this season, compared to 91-71 for the Tribe.
Houston is the better team.
But the better team doesn't always win in a 5-game series, as Tribe fans know from watching their team be upset by the Yankees in the 2017 ALDS.
BAUER'S REMARKABLE SEASON
Bauer prefers to start. He was 12-6 with a 2.21 ERA, striking out 221 batters in 175 innings.
Bauer was a legitimate Cy Young Award candidate when he was hit in the leg with a line drive on Aug. 11. He suffered a stress fracture and didn't pitch again until Sept. 21.
"If we get to where we want to go, Trevor (will have) a bigger hand in it than he realizes right now," Francona said.
Had Bauer remained healthy, a strong case could have been made to having him start the opener. His season was matching 20-game winner and opening day Tribe starter Corey Kluber.
Bauer is 7-0 with a 3.18 ERA for his career against the Astros.
He also was in an early season Twitter battle with some Houston players. You can imagine it adding even more high-octane fuel to Bauer's pitching engine.
But Bauer didn't stay healthy.
He's pitched twice since coming back, covering 9-1/3 innings. He's been pretty sharp, allowing two runs and striking out seven. But he has not thrown more than 60 pitches.
CHANGING THE GAME
Here's the problem: Miller has dealt with hamstring, knee and shoulder injuries since he threw 19-1/3 innings over 10 games in the 2016 post-season. It was a lot to ask, but the Tribe needed a lot from Miller to reach Game 7 of the World Series.
Miller had a 2-4 record and a 4.24 ERA this season.
Cody Allen had the worst season (4-6, 4.70 ERA) in his seven years with the Tribe.
Dan Otero (2-1, 5.22 ERA) and Adam Cimber (0-3, 4.05 ERA) also have struggled.
Only Brad Hand (0-1, 2.28 ERA) and Oliver Perez (1-1, 1.39 ERA) have consistently supplied relief.
I believe it's why Francona has Mike Clevinger ready to start Game 3, with Bauer set for Game 4. The manager will never say it, but this bullpen is not the kind to carry a team to the World Series.
At least, not unless something changes. It's why rookie starter Shane Beiber also will be in the bullpen - although he could start Game 4 if Bauer is used a lot in the first three games.
In the playoffs, Francona's approach has been to "win today's game." He'll worry about tomorrow . . . tomorrow. Bauer in the bullpen may put the Tribe in the best position to do just that.
It's just what ESPN does but, they're chasing ratings too, which should be understandable. A Sox/Yanks series will get more eyeballs on pregame and highlight packages than a Sox/A's series will. That translates to more money for ESPN.
Sure, it would be nice if they were less obvious about it, but it's a dream marketing match-up for the league and it's partners.
Actually, the league took a huge hit with the Cubs losing early. They drove ratings hard. The Rockies/Brewers games will probably be watched by people only living in Wisconsin and Colorado.
I stopped watching ESPN for pregame and highlights a long time ago. If I need some highlights, I'll tune into league specific networks. Heck, I watch a lot of highlights off YouTube too. I pretty much only tune into ESPN for PTI, The Jump (RNFTW) and live sports.
Indians-Astros game times Game 1, Friday in HOU: 2:05 pm ET Game 2, Saturday in HOU: 4:37 pm ET Game 3, Monday in CLE: 1:30 pm ET Game 4, Tuesday in CLE: 4:35 pm ET Game 5, Thursday in HOU: 4:07 pm ET
Indians-Astros game times Game 1, Friday in HOU: 2:05 pm ET Game 2, Saturday in HOU: 4:37 pm ET Game 3, Monday in CLE: 1:30 pm ET Game 4, Tuesday in CLE: 4:35 pm ET Game 5, Thursday in HOU: 4:07 pm ET
Absolutely garbage to not get one prime time game. I have tickets to game 3. 1:30pm on a Monday. Wonderful.
MLB has no idea how to grow the game and showcase it's superstars.
Indians-Astros game times Game 1, Friday in HOU: 2:05 pm ET Game 2, Saturday in HOU: 4:37 pm ET Game 3, Monday in CLE: 1:30 pm ET Game 4, Tuesday in CLE: 4:35 pm ET Game 5, Thursday in HOU: 4:07 pm ET
Absolutely garbage to not get one prime time game. I have tickets to game 3. 1:30pm on a Monday. Wonderful.
MLB has no idea how to grow the game and showcase it's superstars.
(the Rays just got him from the Pirates)
, because it’s, [expletive], that’s what we do.”
