For the first time in a long time, you can say that if the baseball season ended today, the Cleveland Indians would not be a part of the post season. By losing 21 of their last 35 games, the Tribe now trails the Tigers by a 1/2 game in the AL Central and now are behind both the Mariners and Yankees by a game in the AL Wild Card chase. The biggest reason for the slide is the lack of hitting, as Cleveland is second last in the junior circuit in runs scored since the All Star Game.
At the break, the Indians were third in the league in runs scored, and although they were 3rd in the AL in striking out, they were also 3rd in drawing walks. Since the mid-summer classic, the Tribe ranks 13th in runs scored. They have struck out more than anyone else in that time period, and have dropped to the middle of the pack in getting base on balls, ranking 8th. The lack of extra baserunners via the walk and the lack of contact are as big a reasons as any for the lack of production. Yesterday’s 5-3 loss to the Yankees was a microcosm of those two elements.
Early in the game, Yankees’ starter Andy Pettitte hardly broke a sweat. He did not throw his 60th pitch until the sixth inning. What happened to the Indians’ attack of earlier in the campaign when starters would hit the 100 pitch mark around the 7th frame? The Tribe also rarely hit a ball to the outfield in this time span. After Grady Sizemore flew out to left in the first inning, I don’t think a ball reached an outfielder until the fourth. The rest of the balls put in play were weak groundballs to Yankee infielders. It was exasperating to watch.
Then came the mental mistakes by both the players and the coaching staff. Jhonny Peralta gets picked off first with the bases loaded! My first reaction was what was first base coach Luis Rivera thinking? It’s his responsibility to tell Peralta to get back since the baserunner cannot see the first baseman coming in behind him, especially with the bags juiced. Peralta is certainly not blameless since he cannot go anywhere with a man on second, but Rivera has to tell him a play is coming.
In the ninth inning, the Indians got themselves into a situation where they scored a run off of Mariano Rivera at had runners on second and third with no one out. They could have tied the game without a hit. However, the only way this could be accomplished would be by making contact. Manager Eric Wedge allowed raw rookie Asdrubal Cabrera to hit against the future Hall of Famer instead of Kenny Lofton or Trot Nixon, and he promptly fanned. A ground ball to second or first would have scored the run and moved Franklin Gutierrez who doubled in a run to third as the tying run. The strike out did nothing to help. I have to believe Lofton would have put the ball in play.
Then Grady Sizemore failed to make contact, again. I repeat myself. Sizemore is too good of a player to strike out as much as he does. He must put the bat on the ball more often. Casey Blake then flew out to end the threat and the game. Many speculated that Cabrera wasn’t pinch hit for was no other infielders, outside of Blake who was the DH, were available. That’s baloney. Tie the game up, and then worry about who plays where. Move Chris Gomez to second, put Blake at 3B, and lose the DH. Heck, if Lofton pinch hits and gets a single, maybe you win in the bottom of the ninth.
This team needs a kick in the pants. I’m not usually in favor of ranting and raving for no reason, but I think it’s time Wedge gets tossed out of a game. I thought he could have yesterday when Melky Cabrera homered for the Yanks after taking a borderline pitch for a ball instead of strike three. He should have went out and told the plate umpire his pitcher was being squeezed.
This team needs to wake up with the Tigers on the slate the next two weeks. If they can’t get it together soon, they will head into September with a big hole to climb out of.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 