Tribe/Royals game thread 5/22

[StewieG]

Carmona vs. Odalis Perez.

There is absolutely, positively no reason on earth that we should lose this game.

Which, of course, means we'll lose it 1-0 on a Tony Pena Jr. shot into the waterfall.

[consigliere]

Well, Carmona is due for a stinker sooner or later. Plus, I am still concerned about how he doesn't miss many bats. Yeah, the sinker is nasty and it seems no one can square him up....but sooner or later a lot of those groundballs are going to sneak through the infield and find holes. It happens with sinkerballers.

That said, I expect us to win the series with the Royals. Not a sweep, but win two of three. Tonight would be a good one to get though!

[pup]

It happens with sinkerballers

Not really ones with a 96 MPH sinker. Kevin Brown had the most devastating sinker I can remember and when he was healthy he was filthy.

Carmona just needs to keep himself in control and he will be fine.

The Elarton game and the Sowers game are much more worrysome to me in this series. Tonights should be the easiest of the three

[KFletch]

Come on you honestly think we are going to lose to KC?!?

In all seriousness...with our bats finally heating up and if we can play solid defense I see a 2 out of 3 series win.

[pup]

Kansas City has won their last 2 series, taking 3 of 4 from Oakland and 2 of 3 from Colorado.

Having said that, the goal should never be 2 of 3 from KC, even on the road. This road trip gets brutal after this series, so any hope of a .500 trip probably includes sweeping the Royaaals, with cheese.

[Steve Buffum]

Come on you honestly think we are going to lose to KC?!?

I watched us get swept by a team no better than this year's team as recently as a year ago.

We're playing better, but we could absolutely lose to the Royals and still be much better than they are.

[FUDU]

Come on you honestly think we are going to lose to KC?!?

In all seriousness...with our bats finally heating up and if we can play solid defense I see a 2 out of 3 series win.

There is absolutely, positively no reason on earth that we should lose this game.

MY what short memories we have.

K.C., who has been one of the worst MLB teams every season for a good number of seasons off and on now, has given us fits from time to time for the past 3-4 years.

Anybody expecting us to roll over them and sweep is getting way ahead of themselves.

[pup]

Anybody expecting us to roll over them and sweep is getting way ahead of themselves.

I do not expect a sweep, but going in with any mindset that does not equate to getting the first three games of this roadie in the win column could lead to a 3-6 trip.

And KC only beats us when we are busy choking on a division lead in September

Of course, Odalis Perez is left handed, Scott Elarton has the revenge factor and KC has the Sowers factor in game 3. I am a little nervous for these 3, but hopefully the Tribe is not and takes care of business.

[Hoover]

Come on you honestly think we are going to lose to KC?!?

I watched us get swept by a team no better than this year's team as recently as a year ago.

But why bring up 2006? I'm still trying to forget last year, when there was so much hope and so little promise.

This team is a lot different. They've got Trot Nixon, who keeps the guys loose. Last year's team was about as loose as Dick Cheney with a pellet gun.

I expect a lot more from the 07 Tribe, which means we'll probably finish 2nd by 2 games.

[MadThinker88]

Oh joy...... David Riske

Should the Tribe swing and hit the ball over he fence or wait for David to walk the bases loaded???

[CLEfan86]

The guys on the field didn't get it done, but there were some questionable managerial moves as well. Barfield not bunting in the 7th is my biggest beef. In the seventh you shouldn't be waiting for the big inning, get him over get him in. The momentum was hanging in the balance, leaving Trot out there, it was pretty much the Royals game to win at that point. And Aaron Fultz who's awful with inherited runners does it again.

[Wahoot]

Tough to expect much more from Fausto. Statistically, pitchers who throw 120-130 pitches (like he did last week) perform slightly worse than average over the next 2-3 weeks.

[consigliere]

Yeah, tough loss. One they shoulda had really.

I think the only thing I was upset about in regard to the game was how we made that closer look like Mariano Rivera in the 9th. That guy is Davbid Riske on the mound where he throws a deceptively fast fastball.....but the thing is straight as an arrow. Absolutely no movement.

Oh, and the 2nd thing which reallyl annoyed me was Fultz coming in and walking a guy on 4 pitches. I still think we need another lefty in the pen, and that Fultz has yet to be exposed. I like Fultz.....but as a 2nd lefty and not the #1 lefty (or only lefty).

[StewieG]

Ok, I'm never starting another game thread again. I start this one, we lose. I start the Cavs/Pistons one, we lose. Someone else do it.