Indians vs Royals 26/4/2012 (Take the Series edition)

[British_Pharaoh]

Indians and Royals matinee game today is a must-win considering we have the pleasure of welcoming Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana onto our mound in the Angels series. Two guys we cannot hit and one who we have had mixed success against.

LINEUPS

Kansas City Royals

Betancourt
Gordon
Butler
Hosmer
Francoeur
Moustakas
Pena
Maier
Escobar

SP - Mendoza - last time out against the Tribe he gave up 9 runs (5 earned) 2 home runs and walked 4 in 4 innings.
In his last start against Toronto he allowed 10 hits and 4 runs in 3.1 innings.
Definitely a pitcher to help us get the hitting shoes back on.


Cleveland Indians

Brantley
Cabrera
Santana
Hafner
Duncan
Hannahan
Lopez
Kipnis
Cunningham

SP - Tomlin (4-1 with a 3.76ERA and 1.12WHIP career against Kansas City)

[skatingtripods]

SP - Mendoza (first career start versus the Tribe)

We scored 9 runs in 4 innings off Mendoza last weekend in KC.

[British_Pharaoh]

SP - Mendoza (first career start versus the Tribe)

We scored 9 runs in 4 innings off Mendoza last weekend in KC.

MLB.com has it as his first start and Hannahan and Lopez as the only Indians players with at bats against him. That must be the game I missed in that series because I didn't question the stat

[British_Pharaoh]

It has been edited now.

[skatingtripods]

Tomlin struggling with location early. Have to minimize damage here.

[dazindiansfanuk]

That could've been a disaster inning right there. Last thing you wanna do after the Royals have snapped their streak is give them a big inning right out of the gate so that they can get rolling.

Nice job by Josh to keep them at 1.

[skatingtripods]

Tomlin's throwing a lot of curve balls in this start. I like it. Change up his gameplan against a lineup that's already seen him 5 times in his year and a half in the bigs.

Indians are getting to that point where they need somebody to get a really big hit early in the game. Lot of guys pressing in that lineup.

[Erie Warrior]

Indians and Royals matinee game today is a must-win considering we have the pleasure of welcoming Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana onto our mound in the Angels series.

The Machine hits 3 bombs. Book it.

[British_Pharaoh]

Cunningham with 3 hits in the series and back to back games with an RBI.

Nice bit of production from number 9

[andrew6586]

Holy crap, Aaron Cunningham did something.

[skatingtripods]

With each passing day, I'm beginning to think that Brantley is a lost cause.

[Erie Warrior]

I bet the Spider Giant remembers Aaron Cunningham now.

[skatingtripods]

Underwood getting abrasive with Manning. Awkward silence followed.

I presume Manning using all of his willpower not to throw Underwood from the broadcast booth.

[British_Pharaoh]

Tigers getting bummed again early in their game

[andrew6586]

Underwood getting abrasive with Manning. Awkward silence followed.

I presume Manning using all of his willpower not to throw Underwood from the broadcast booth.

I'm at work. What happened/was said?

[British_Pharaoh]

What?? That was a rather short leash from Acta. Is he unaware of who we are playing this weekend?

[skatingtripods]

Two broken bat hits and a four-pitch walk have set up innings for KC.

Not an easy play for Duncan, but a better LF makes that catch.

[skatingtripods]

Underwood getting abrasive with Manning. Awkward silence followed.

I presume Manning using all of his willpower not to throw Underwood from the broadcast booth.

I'm at work. What happened/was said?

Underwood was talking about how it was good that the umpires didn't warn Tomlin for hitting Butler. Manning came back and said something to the effect of "Of course not. (half laugh/snicker) It wasn't intentional." To which Underwood raised his voice and said "It doesn't matter! Umpires have a tendency to overreact."

Then there was silence.

[andrew6586]

Underwood getting abrasive with Manning. Awkward silence followed.

I presume Manning using all of his willpower not to throw Underwood from the broadcast booth.

I'm at work. What happened/was said?

Underwood was talking about how it was good that the umpires didn't warn Tomlin for hitting Butler. Manning came back and said something to the effect of "Of course not. (half laugh/snicker) It wasn't intentional." To which Underwood raised his voice and said "It doesn't matter! Umpires have a tendency to overreact."

Then there was silence.

It would be awesome to see those two throw down and fight. I've got Manning via knockout on the first punch.

[skatingtripods]

Underwood getting abrasive with Manning. Awkward silence followed.

I presume Manning using all of his willpower not to throw Underwood from the broadcast booth.

I'm at work. What happened/was said?

Underwood was talking about how it was good that the umpires didn't warn Tomlin for hitting Butler. Manning came back and said something to the effect of "Of course not. (half laugh/snicker) It wasn't intentional." To which Underwood raised his voice and said "It doesn't matter! Umpires have a tendency to overreact."

Then there was silence.

It would be awesome to see those two throw down and fight. I've got Manning via knockout on the first punch.

I'd like to see Dennis Eckersley as Matt Underwood's tag team partner.


In unrelated news, Dan Wheeler fucking sucks.

[British_Pharaoh]

Underwood getting abrasive with Manning. Awkward silence followed.

I presume Manning using all of his willpower not to throw Underwood from the broadcast booth.

The thing is, Manning is a sarcastic, arrogant jerk who enjoys humiliating Underwood live on air.

Nice to hear Matt stand up for himself and not take a jab to his self-esteem for once.

[British_Pharaoh]

Another inspired managerial move by Acta. Given up on this game early.

My how the players must admire him. Morale must be sky high with the defeatist mentality and an incompetent manager.

[skatingtripods]

Underwood getting abrasive with Manning. Awkward silence followed.

I presume Manning using all of his willpower not to throw Underwood from the broadcast booth.

The thing is, Manning is a sarcastic, arrogant jerk who enjoys humiliating Underwood live on air.

Nice to hear Matt stand up for himself and not take a jab to his self-esteem for once.

Or Underwood is an aloof fool who is full of stupid cliches and expressions. All while trying to act like he knows the perspective of a baseball player.

I'm a big Rick Manning fan. May be relative based on his broadcast partner, but he knows the game.

[skatingtripods]

Another inspired managerial move by Acta. Given up on this game early.

My how the players must admire him. Morale must be sky high with the defeatist mentality and an incompetent manager.

Was he supposed to go to Joe Smith in the 5th inning? How about Rafael Moyer? Maybe we could use Jairo Asencio again.

Tomlin was on the edge of the cliff. No reason to watch him fall off.

[British_Pharaoh]

Underwood getting abrasive with Manning. Awkward silence followed.

I presume Manning using all of his willpower not to throw Underwood from the broadcast booth.

The thing is, Manning is a sarcastic, arrogant jerk who enjoys humiliating Underwood live on air.

Nice to hear Matt stand up for himself and not take a jab to his self-esteem for once.

Or Underwood is an aloof fool who is full of stupid cliches and expressions. All while trying to act like he knows the perspective of a baseball player.

I'm a big Rick Manning fan. May be relative based on his broadcast partner, but he knows the game.

Oh yeah Manning knows the game inside out and is a very insightful commentator but he's a wanker.

[noles1]

Underwood getting abrasive with Manning. Awkward silence followed.

I presume Manning using all of his willpower not to throw Underwood from the broadcast booth.

The thing is, Manning is a sarcastic, arrogant jerk who enjoys humiliating Underwood live on air.

Nice to hear Matt stand up for himself and not take a jab to his self-esteem for once.

This is where I am with it. Underwood to me in harmless. I travel quite a bit and Underwood compared to most play-by-play guys is pretty solid. Manning's good but sometimes gets too pompous.

[British_Pharaoh]

Another inspired managerial move by Acta. Given up on this game early.

My how the players must admire him. Morale must be sky high with the defeatist mentality and an incompetent manager.

Was he supposed to go to Joe Smith in the 5th inning? How about Rafael Moyer? Maybe we could use Jairo Asencio again.

Tomlin was on the edge of the cliff. No reason to watch him fall off.

Tomlin should have stayed in of course.

[skatingtripods]

FWIW, I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but if they were to DFA Wheeler, it'd be Frank Herrmann getting the call. Not Nick Hagadone.

[skatingtripods]

Tomlin should have stayed in of course.

And if Pena hits a 3-run HR off Tomlin, you'd have said that he should have gone to Wheeler.

I'll admit I felt it was a quick hook of Tomlin, absolutely. But I don't fault the move.

I fault Wheeler for giving up an 0-2 hit to Brayan Pena.

[British_Pharaoh]

Jeff D'Amico so far this season but tonight Luis Mendoza is being made to look like Cy Young.

Back to what we know

[British_Pharaoh]

....What time's the draft?

[T_N_T]

....What time's the draft?

8 Eastern/7 Central

It ain't over btw

[British_Pharaoh]

Brants making things happen.

[British_Pharaoh]

Pronk! Another tap measure job would be pretty sexual while I eat my fish and chips right now.

[T_N_T]

Need to do something with the bases juiced.

[skatingtripods]

Looking ahead, Duncan may snap out of this major slump against this lefty.

Hopefully Hafner's able to at least hit a deep fly ball to get one in and get the guy at 2nd over.

[British_Pharaoh]

I got too excited. Gave it a good ride though

[T_N_T]

The wind kept that in the park...darn it

[skatingtripods]

That ball was crushed. Just no carry. Halfway up the wall on a decent day.

[British_Pharaoh]

Ugh! what's that now, 1 run in 3 bases loaded no out situations? Shocking

[skatingtripods]

Duncan definitely wasn't looking for the 3-2 curve ball. He's all kinds of f'd up at the plate and pitchers are just playing mind games with him.

[skatingtripods]

Brantley finally hit a ball hard for the first time in over a week and it was still an out.

[scrambler]

I'm thinking nothing more than law of averages. These teams much more evenly matched than what their records showed coming into the series. us winning 8 of 10 is way beyond what we are and them losing 12 straight the same. This series nothing more than a balancing out thing.

[British_Pharaoh]

Hosmer can fuck off

[British_Pharaoh]

Indians haven't hit a home run in their last 7 games.

[WiscTribeFan]

How'd we go from flying high into first place to potentially losing 2 of 3 at home to a team that lost 12 in a row?

[skatingtripods]

So many blown opportunities in this series.

Completely different inning if Hosmer doesn't snare that AC line drive.

[British_Pharaoh]

Indians have left a small principality on base in this series.

Woeful

Is Damon ready yet?

[skatingtripods]

Indians have left a small principality on base in this series.

Woeful

Is Damon ready yet?

Damon with RISP:
2011: 35-for-145 (.241)
2010: 31-for-148 (.209)
2009: 46-for-154 (.299)

3-yr: 112-for-447 (.250)

w/ RISP & 2 outs:
2011: 11-for-58 (.190)
2010: 11-for-63 (.175)
2009: 17-for-67 (.254)

3-yr: 39-for-188 (.207)

Don't expect him to be a savior in those situations. Should be better than Duncan, but who knows by how much.

[scrambler]

How'd we go from flying high into first place to potentially losing 2 of 3 at home to a team that lost 12 in a row?

Read my earlier post...we are not that good and they are not that bad. Their lineup is better than ours as it presently is. NO matter how horrid their starting pitching it is nearly impossible to lose 12 straight in MLB, it was going to end.