It finally happened! The Cleveland Indians won their second consecutive game, defeating the Los Angeles Angels last night, 14-2. It was the first time they won two in a row since July 1-4 when they won four straight against the Reds and the Yankees. Since that point, one at a time has been the Tribe’s mantra.
However, Cliff Lee celebrated his new contract extension with his 10th win, and homers by Travis Hafner and Ryan Garko paced the offense along with a three hit game by Shin-Soo Choo. Hafner is having a marvelous season, an MVP type of campaign which is being overlooked by many because of the Indians lot in the standings. Pronk is tied for 2nd in the AL in HR’s with 34, is second in OPS, and is third in the Junior Circuit in RBI’s. Unfortunately, his team’s fourth place standing makes most people unaware of his huge stats.
This weekend, fans will finally get a look at Jeremy Guthrie as a starter when he takes the hill in one of the games against the Royals on Saturday. Previously, all of the former first round draft pick’s appearances have come out of the bullpen. Guthrie has had a solid season at Buffalo this year and deserves a shot at a start.
Speaking of young pitchers, Adam Miller continued his dominance in the AA Eastern League with a four hit shutout last night, striking out 11. Miller has ascended to the top of Baseball America’s Hot Prospect List with his pitching since the beginning of July. Miller will probably be with the big club in September, but as a spectator. The front office does not want to put more wear and tear on the youngster’s arm, especially with an elbow problem in his past.
The trade of Todd Hollandsworth means that Franklin Gutierrez has returned to the big club. Gutierrez picked up his offense after being returned to Buffalo, raising his batting average to .281. An outfield of Sizemore, Gutierrez, and Choo could really cover some ground, and with both rookies having good arms, would upgrade the defense immensely. GM Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge said the defense was a big problem, and every change made recently has made that part of the team better.
Anyway, it’s four with the Royals this weekend before a trip to Minnesota, Tampa, and Kansas City. The auditions continue for 2007, and it looks right now like the Tribe picked up some guys who can play in the deadline deals. Are Mota and Boone the next to go?
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 