The Cleveland Indians started the second half by following the mantra of their skipper, Eric Wedge, that is win series. The Tribe took two of three against the Royals and now enter a three game set against the White Sox just a half game behind the Tigers and two games ahead of Seattle in the wild card race. The Indians are just one game behind the Red Sox and Angels for the best record in the AL. Amazingly, the game the Tribe lost against Kansas City was with its ace, C.C. Sabathia on the hill.
The three game set featured a great series by Ryan Garko. Garko had the game winning single in the ninth Friday night, hit a two run homer to bring the home team within a run at 5-4 on Saturday, and belted another dinger yesterday in a 5-3 victory. Garko is now batting over .300 with 11 HR’s on the season. Which makes one wonder why he is batting sixth behind Jhonny Peralta in the lineup. I realize Garko sits when Paul Byrd pitches, with Victor Martinez playing first and Kelly Shoppach behind the dish, but he is a better contact man than the shortstop. In fact, I was shocked than KC manager Buddy Bell walked Peralta intentionally Friday night to get to Garko with the game on the line.
I am convinced that the Indians won’t be an elite offensive team until they can upgrade the 5th spot in the order. And yes, I know they rank second in the AL in scoring. This is not a knock on Peralta, but he is not in the same class as a guy like Carlos Guillen with Detroit or Justin Morneau with the Twins. He’s not really a power hitter, although he will hit 25 homers this year, nor is he a classic RBI guy. The reason is two fold. First, he strikes out way too much, and he is vulnerable to the breaking ball. Yesterday, STO’s Jim Donovan pointed out that the Tribe SS swung and missed six times in a game! Peralta is a solid player, and has rebounded from last season’s disaster, but wouldn’t you feel better about the lineup if was hitting sixth or seventh?
It has been reported that Eric Wedge has joined the wheel of contract extensions by signing a three year deal. Many would say the team should wait until the end of the year to see if the ballclub qualifies for the post season, but with the core players pretty much being signed for the future, it only seems right that the skipper will go along for the ride. Although Wedge’s strategy comes into question at times as all managers’ do, his game to game approach is a good one. When you think about it, each game is a different one, and should be treated as such.
Another thing to watch is the performance of Casey Blake. Blake has had a solid season, but it seems like he’s remembered that he’s Casey Blake. He’s hitting just .235 over the last month, and Saturday night made a terrible decision and throw which cost his team a run. For all of the talk of him being reliable and a heady player, the evidence against this notion is growing. His success rate on steals is deplorable, and he has a history of not hitting in the clutch. He also makes a lot of tough plays defensively, but will blow the routine one. He’s a average player, that’s all. The Tribe might just need more going forward. Unfortunately, the organization (or maybe the manager) has given up on Andy Marte.
With three with the White Sox and four with the Rangers coming up, the Tribe has to beat up the below .500 teams, because there aren’t many games remaining against those types of teams. Following those series, the Indians take on the Red Sox and the Twins. The schedule doesn’t get easier heading down the stretch either. Also, don’t forget the trading deadline is just 15 days away…
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 