So yesterday I kept telling everyone that winning the first game of a
series was great, but to not expect wins the next two games vs. the
Tigers. Doug Fister and Justin Verlander were next on the card to face
the Indians, and needless to say our offensive performances against both
of them is less that stellar. Against Verlander, every batter in MLB
looks like they belong in AA, but Fister is just one of those guys who
owns Cleveland. We squeek wins out because the one thing Fister doesn't
get, is run support. Well, let's discuss what happened Tuesday night,
Fister vs. McAllister.
IP H R ER BB SO HR PC-ST ERA
D Fister 6.2 5 2 2 2 3 1 111-69 1.84
There is the stat line last night for Mr. Fister, the tall australian
who usually kept us to 1-2 runs every start while a Mariner until
Brandon League blew every save agaisnt us. Now with the Tigers you
would expect him to get some run support, but nay he does not. A quick
glance at his stat line should tell you all you need to know, the
Indians blew a great opportunity in the 1st inning to get runs off him,
and after that they never had a lead-off runner on base until the 6th
inning. Indians hitters while they didn't score, did make him throw 30+
pitches in the first inning, so that was an ideal start. In the 6th
inning the wheels came off a bit, or Fister just made 1 mistake(however
you view it). Kipnis lead off the inning with a single, and then A-Cab
popped out. With one out, one on, here comes PRONK. Fister had been
pounding him inside all game, but then after making Pronk look silly on
a change up, he pitched another changeup and left it slightly to the
outside.....boom. Tie game! 2-2 with a bomb to Right-Center by Hafner,
his 6th of the year. One mistake, and Fister once again would get a no
decision vs. the Tribe.
However, the Tigers have a very potent offense, and that means that Zach
McAllister had to come up with his best career performance to keep Pronk
and the Tribe in striking distance, and that he did. This performance
or his effort vs. Boston could be his two best starts of his career.
McAllister mowed thru the Tigers lineup, the first 8 hitters never saw
more than 3 pitches from him, and even the runs they scored off him
could be argued as defensive lapses and cheap plays. In the top of the
6th with the score 0-0 their speedster Quinton Berry laid down a
lead-off bunt that blooped just past Grimmace and just under the glove
of Kipnis. Then he made it to 2nd, when Kipnis ran past the ball and it
rolled into the OF. Overall an unfortunate play, because no way Berry
planned to bloop a bunt, and Kipnis didn't hustle when the ball got by
him thinking Berry would be content on 1st. The next batter was Andy
Dirks who hit a line drive to Choo who took a bad angle and the ball
went just over his head for an RBI double(should have been 2 outs).
McAllister would get Miguel Cabrera out who sacrificed Dirks to third.
And then with the infield in Prince Fielder hit a hard grounder to A-Cab
who threw home to first, but bounced the throw, Santana couldn't hold
onto the ball, and Dirks scored to make it 2-0. So those were the 2
runs scored off of McAllister. I know you are all getting tired of me
saying I really like this pitcher, but he is getting very comfortable up
in the majors, but unfortunately it is looking like Josh Tomlin is close
to returning, so McAllister only has one more start before he is sent
back to AAA. None of the other pitchers will be sent down, especially
with Gomez in a groove himself.
After the starters were removed the Tigers used only Phil Coke who is a
very good reliever who may also be a future starter for them. Throws
near 100mph, and is left handed. More on his results in a second. The
Indians were playing this game like it was the playoffs and used 5
relievers the rest of the game starting with 1 out in the 7th. They
managed to navigate thru the 7th, but in the 8th they ran into some
trouble. Sipp allowed a base hit by the Prince, and then Pestano
immidiately allowed two more hits to load the bases with no outs.
"I've been in that situation before and the thing to do is not curl up,"
Pestano said. "When your back is against the wall, there is only one way
to go."
Johnny Peralta struck out in the 3 pitches. Next up was Ramon Santiago
who grounded to Grimmace who threw home for the only sure out, and then
pinch hitter Alex Avila struck out looking. That is now 18 consecutive
appearances for Pestano with a K, and that saved the game for the Tribe,
huge performance, and even Chris Perez has a few more quotes about how
loud the stadium got, and that it may be just a coincidence the crowd is
getting into games after his comments ,but most likely we can all thank
him. Well let him tell you...
"That was great, just great," Perez said. "It may have been the loudest
I've heard them. It may have given the offense a lift. It may have been
coincidence, but I don't think so." (ESPN.COM)
Of course it wasn't, in the bottom of the 8th the offense decided that
we needed a little more Chris Perez in our lives and with the game tied
at 2, they went to work. Kipnis once again got a hit, and A-Cab hit a
double to move him to 3rd. Then Pronk does what Pronk does and hits a
grounder, but this time Prince tried to make the same play Grimmace did,
but unfortunately for him threw low, and like the A-Cab play from
earlier the Tigers catcher couldn't hold onto the ball and Kipnis slid
in safely and came up screaming with emotion as is typical for a Kipnis
close play at home. Then Carlos Santana hit a deep sac fly to center
for some insurance and scored A-Cab. 4-2 Tribe after 8.
Enter the closer. Chris Perez pitched a perfect 9th, no hits, no walks,
and 2 K's for his 15th consecutive save. Dominant, and the Tribe win
the series with Verlander on the card for the Tigers next.
INDIANS 4 TIGERS 2 : FINAL
Hahn Thoughts:
- Why was Shelley Duncan attempting to steal 2nd in the bottom of the
8th? Was Chris Perez ready in the bullpen so they sent him? I may
never understand how that happens in a close game.
- Good idea by Miguel Cabrera to tage from 2nd on a fly ball to CF in
the 3rd, but it was an even better/easier play for Michael Brantley to
make a perfect throw and gun down Miggy.
- I completely agree that Joe Smith got some help from the umpire with
the bases loaded, 3-0 count, and Cabrera at the plate. He threw a slider
just off the plate and the umpire called it a strike. Miggy didn't like
it, and it showed when the very next pitch he swung and it was a weak
grounder to Kipnis to end the inning. Bottom of the 7th, a similar pitch
by Coke is called a ball, and Lloyd McClendon the Tigers hitting coach
got ejected by yelling at the umpire from the dugout. The point of this
bullet is that Lloyd McClendon is awesome, remember when he was the
Pirates manager? He totally stole a base and threw it at umpires
muliple times.
- Jose Lopez has a 9 game hitting streak. I know The Manahan will be
ready to start in the next day or so(he was available to sub if needed),
but let Lopez ride this hot streak out at least. Is it fair to Hanahan?
No, but every win counts, and Lopez is grooving at the plate.
- Indians got their 25th win, and on average it takes around 95 wins to
win the AL Central. We are over 25% of the way there.
- Damon is hitting the ball better, but no results just yet, however he
is ripping it so I expect them to fall soon.
- Verlander vs. Masterson at noon today. Lets see if Masterson can rise
up to the challenge and show the stuff we all know he has. If he
doesn't, Verlander will probably remind everyone why he is the reigning
AL MVP.
Hitters AB R H RBI BB SO #P AVG OBP SLG
S Choo RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 19 .266 .382 .388
J Kipnis 2B 4 2 3 0 0 0 18 .266 .328 .428
A Cabrera SS 3 1 1 0 1 0 12 .308 .406 .507
T Hafner DH 3 1 1 2 1 0 16 .242 .380 .439
S Duncan PR-DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .202 .318 .337
C Santana C 3 0 0 1 0 1 14 .257 .374 .405
M Brantley CF 3 0 1 0 0 0 10 .262 .299 .369
J Damon LF 3 0 0 0 0 0 18 .156 .260 .203
A Cunningham LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .208 .309 .250
C Kotchman 1B 3 0 0 0 0 0 7 .220 .297 .333
J Lopez 3B 3 0 1 0 0 2 20 .283 .333 .491
Totals 29 4 7 3 2 3 134
BATTING
2B: M Brantley (14, D Fister); A Cabrera (14, P Coke)
HR: T Hafner (6, 6th inning off D Fister 1 on, 1 Out)
RBI: T Hafner 2 (23), C Santana (23)
SF: C Santana
Indians RISP: 0-4 (C Santana 0-1, T Hafner 0-2, J Damon 0-1)
Team LOB: 4
BASERUNNING
CS: S Duncan (1, 2nd base by P Coke/A Avila)
FIELDING
E: J Kipnis (2, throw)
DP: 1 (M Brantley-J Lopez).
Outfield Assist: M Brantley (M Cabrera at 3rd base).
Cleveland Indians
Pitchers IP H R ER BB SO HR PC-ST ERA
Z McAllister 6.1 8 2 2 0 3 0 89-66 3.96
N Hagadone 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 12-5 2.08
J Smith 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5-2 2.84
T Sipp 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4-3 5.40
V Pestano
(W, 2-0) 1.0 2 0 0 0 2 0 17-12 2.41
C Perez
(S, 15) 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 21-15 2.95
Totals 9.0 10 2 2 1 7 0 148-103
PITCHING
T Sipp pitched to 1 batter in the 8th
First-pitch strikes/Batters faced: Z McAllister 18/27; N Hagadone 1/2; J
Smith 0/1; T Sipp 1/1; V Pestano 2/5; C Perez 2/3
Called strikes-Swinging strikes-Foul balls-In Play strikes: Z McAllister
14-4-24-24; N Hagadone 0-1-3-1; J Smith 1-0-0-1; T Sipp 1-0-1-1; V
Pestano 2-3-4-3; C Perez 5-1-8-1
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: Z McAllister 8-7; N Hagadone 1-0; J Smith 1-0; T
Sipp 0-0; V Pestano 1-0; C Perez 0-1
Game Scores: Z McAllister 52
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