Game #105: Cleveland Indians (50-54) at Kansas City Royals (43-60)

By Mike Brandyberry

Last night the Indians fell behind early and their offense was unable to hit the Tribe back into the game. It’s a line fans have heard and read too many times. Poor starting pitching, plus anemic offense, resulting in a disappointing defeat is an equation seen too many times this summer and since the All-Star break.

General Manager Chris Antonetti was clear after the trade deadline that the Indians would consider exploring more internal options to improve the ball club. Tonight may be the first step in that direction when Corey Kluber makes his first big league start of the season. Veteran starter Derek Lowe was designated for assignment to make room for Kluber on the 25-man roster. With Josh Tomlin moved to the bullpen, the Indians rotation is taking a new and unknown shape. It currently consists of Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Zach McAllister, Kluber and a starter to be named later. The Indians will need that unnamed starter for Sunday’s game at Detroit.

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Game #104: Cleveland Indians (50-53) at Kansas City Royals (42-60)

By Mike Brandyberry

Tuesday was not a very good day for the Cleveland Indians, regardless of what angle you look at it from. The Indians failed to make a trade of any significance at the trade deadline, Roberto Hernandez was battered in his second rehabilitation start and the Tribe was banged around by the Kansas City Royals, 8-3.

Derek Lowe gave up seven runs in two and one-third innings in his shortest outing of the year. The 39-year old right hander has to be running out of time in the Indians rotation. Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti indicated yesterday when he met with the media that some internal changes were imminent. Josh Tomlin has already been moved to the bullpen and Manager Manny Acta announced Thursday’s starter would be Corey Kluber.

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Lowe-Down Beating By Kansas City; Royals 8, Indians 3

By Dave Roberts

After being swept in Minnesota by the Twins over the weekend the Indians sought to get back on the winning track and inch back towards .500 against the Royals. They turned to Derek Lowe to face off against Luke Hochevar another struggling pitcher. What unfolded was yet another meltdown by Lowe, meanwhile his opponent Hochevar managed to dance in and out of danger on his way to a win.

Lowe started the game in grand fashion as Alex Gordon led off the game for the Royals with a single. The following hitter, Alcides Escobar, put down a well placed sacrifice bunt advancing Gordon to second, then allowing the next hitter Lorenzo Cain to single and drive in the run giving the Royals an early 1-0 lead.

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Game #103: Cleveland Indians (50-52) at Kansas City Royals (41-60)

By Mike Brandyberry

Sunday the Indians may have hit the low point of their season to date, losing 5-1 and being swept by the Minnesota Twins. As Manager Manny Acta said, “I guess the off day comes at the right time. We need to get our act together.”

The Indians enjoyed Monday’s off day while trade speculation swirled around the Indians. Once thought to be buyers in at the trade deadline, the Indians spent Monday exploring options to be sellers. Rumors swirled around the possibility of Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Perez or Justin Masterson being traded to a contender for near ready MLB talent. None of the three were dealt and the Indians will have the same 25-man roster they had when they left Minnesota on Sunday.

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Scherzer Stymies Tribe Offense; Tigers 5, Indians 3

By Christian Petrila

For the seventh consecutive game, the Indians couldn’t break that magic number of three runs. For the fifth time in those seven games, they took the loss as Detroit won the second game of the three-game set, 5-2.

Detroit struck in the very first inning, taking advantage of Indians starter Derek Lowe’s inability to hit his spots. Austin Jackson and Quintin Berry both singled off of Lowe to lead off the game. Miguel Cabrera drove in Jackson and moved Berry to third with a single, but Cabrera was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. After hitting Prince Fielder with a pitch, Lowe limited the damage by striking out Delmon Young and getting Brennan Boesch to pop out.
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Game #98: Detroit Tigers (52-45) at Cleveland Indians (49-48)

By Mike Brandyberry

Tuesday evening the Indians used six dominant innings from Ubaldo Jimenez and a squeeze play bunt by Aaron Cunningham to defeat the Tigers, 3-2. While the game is just one of 162 on the schedule, the three game series has an extra importance in the Tribe’s playoff hopes. This series could determine if the Indians are buyers or sellers before the trade deadline next Tuesday. Last night’s game already had a playoff feel intensity.

The Indians now trail both Detroit and the Chicago White Sox by three games in the American League Central Division standings. The next two games against the Tigers still hold a major determination upon which direction the Indians will go for the rest of the season. Cleveland could be as far as five games out by Friday morning, or within a game or two. The Indians are only 3.5 games back in the wild card race, but have four teams in front of them vying for the final spot.

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Game #93: Baltimore Orioles (48-44) at Cleveland Indians (47-45)

By Mike Brandyberry

Yesterday the Indians finished their seven game road trip with a lackluster defeat, being shut out by the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-0. Rays’ starter David Price threw seven innings, allowing only two hits, while Ubaldo Jimenez struggled to find his accuracy. Tampa finally got the best of Jimenez when they exploded for a four-run sixth inning, highlighted by a bases clearing B.J. Upton double down the left field line.

The Indians enter a key seven game homestand trailing the Chicago White Sox by three games in the American League Central Division. The streaking Detroit Tigers will embark in a three game series this weekend with the White Sox. The Tigers currently are in the lead for the final wild card spot in the American League. The Tribe trails Detroit by a game and a half in the standings. Meanwhile, Baltimore and Oakland are each a half game behind the Tigers and Boston and Tampa Bay are only a game behind. With the standings so tight, the Indians can ill-afford to fall further behind. Chasing so many teams becomes a very daunting task.

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Deadline Deal is Necessary but Not Easy to Make, Spark Has to Come From Within

By Mike Brandyberry

When the Indians crawled out of bed Saturday morning in Toronto they were in second place and tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the second and final wild card spot. As they crawl out of bed this morning in Tampa, losers of their last two games, they are now a third place team and a game back of that wild card spot.

Meanwhile, fans and talk show hosts scream for a trade to ignite the Indians. Some fans act as if a trade will solve the teams’ woes and catapult them to the top of the standings. There’s no doubt the Indians have holes that need filled and a trade could certainly give the life to a team that seems to be struggling to find some out of the All-Star break. However, a trade isn’t as easy fans seem to believe it is.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Sunday evening that six teams (San Diego, Colorado, Chicago Cubs, Houston, Seattle, Minnesota) are fielding offers on players and preparing to sell. That means, right or wrong, 24 teams still feel they have a chance to make a push for October. With amazing September runs by St. Louis and Tampa Bay a year ago, teams aren’t so quick to give up on their season. Philadelphia is on pace for a 90-loss season and they haven’t flown the white flag yet.

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Bats Swing and Miss In Clutch, Lose Series; Blue Jays 3, Indians 0

By Christian Petrila

Most people would consider the series finale against Toronto one of the most frustrating games of the season and it would be a hard case to argue.

The Blue Jays blanked the Indians 3-0 in a game that saw the Indians continuously fizzle out offensively. They left nine runners on base and constantly had bad at bats with runners on.

Toronto did all of its damage in the third inning. By that time, the Indians had already stranded three runners and gone 0-5 with runners in scoring position.

In that third inning, Derek Lowe walked Kelly Johnson on four pitches to open the frame. Johnson then stole second, and then took third as Carlos Santana’s throw went into center field. Lowe then got a big strikeout on former Indian, Ben Francisco for the first out. J.P. Arencibia then put the Jays on the board with an RBI single to center. He got Brett Lawrie to ground out to third, but then simply could not get that third out.

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Game #88: Cleveland Indians (45-42) at Toronto Blue Jays (44-44)

By Mike Brandyberry

Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Barnes combined to be lashed for eight runs in the bottom of the third inning Saturday and buried the Tribe in a 10-2 deficit the offense could not dig out of. The Indians, led by home runs from Shelley Duncan, Michael Brantley and Casey Kotchman , cut the lead to 11-9 in the eighth inning but could not scrape any closer. Jimenez had his worst outing of the year, allowing eight runs in two and one-third innings.

The Tribe’s loss did not cost them any ground in the standings as the Chicago White Sox lost to the Kansas City Royals. The Indians are three games behind the White Sox for the American League Central Division lead and a half game ahead of the third place Detroit Tigers. Remaining in second place did cost the Indians a game in the wild card standings, however. The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Tigers in 14 innings, leaving the Indians one game back of the final wild card spot.

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Early Offensive Explosion Helps Tribe Take Series; Indians 12, Angels 3

By Mike Brandyberry

The Indians offense burst onto the holiday scene and exploded early to blow open today’s Independence Day game, winning the contest 12-3.

The Tribe burned the Angels’ Ervin Santana early and Derek Lowe was able to rebound from a bumpy June. Santana was unable to make it out of the second inning, as the Tribe tagged him for eight runs, while he only recorded four outs. Every Indians starter would record a base hit in the contest.

The Tribe started the July 4 fireworks in the first inning when Jason Kipnis drew a two-out walk. Travis Hafner made his return to the Indians lineup for the first time since May 23 and worked an 11-pitch walk of his own to set the table for Michael Brantley. Brantley lined a 338-foot home run down the right field line that just snuck over the fence. The ball was hit so hard, it barely got high enough to clear the fence. Brantley’s bottle rocket gave the Indians an early 3-0 lead in the first inning.

It appeared the Angels were ready to put a crooked number of their own on the board in the top of the second inning when Kendrys Morales and Mark Trumbo each lead off the inning. Alberto Callaspo grounded to second base, but with Trumbo running with the pitch, he beat the throw to second and Callaspo did the same at first to load the bases. The hit was ruled a fielder’s choice, but left the bases loaded with no one out.

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Game #81: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (45-36) at Cleveland Indians (41-39)

By Mike Brandyberry

Last night the Cleveland Indians suffered through two rain delays and shaking defense to defeat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 9-5. Jack Hannahan made a very uncharacteristic throwing error, leading to the Angels five run-inning. Storms swept through the area all evening, delaying the game twice.

Today, the Indians celebrate our country’s birthday by officially reaching the halfway point of the season. Derek Lowe (7-6, 4.42 ERA) will try to get himself back on track today when he takes the mound. He earned a no-decision last Friday evening in Baltimore after allowing seven runs in five and one-third innings. Lowe has struggled, going 0-3, with a 7.71 ERA over his last five starts.

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