The Rays evened up the four game series with the Indians at 1-1 with a 4-2 win last night. Charlie Adams chimes in with analysis on Josh Tomlin's night and some trends he has shown of late, the continues struggles of Carlos Santana and the offense, the stellar showing by the middle relievers last night, and much more.
The Indians won a close one last night over the Rays, 3-2. The game was a lot closer than it should of been as the Indians blew several opportunities to add to an early 3-0 lead and put the game well out of reach, and then they held on for dear life late to get the win. With two tough Rays' lefties looming in the next three games last night was an important win to get, and Adam McGavin gives his "second thoughts" on the game...
The Indians had no offense to speak of on Friday, in a 1-0 win. The Indians rolled out nine runs on Saturday in a loss, then followed that up by getting shutout in Sunday's game, 3-0. It's good to see the Indians remain consistently inconsistent to start the second half. The Indians also fell into third place after Sunday's loss, thanks to the Tigers' victory, and are now four games behind the first place White Sox. Join Kevin Dean with his "Second Thoughts" on Sunday's ballgame...
As our resident co-editor Jim Pete takes in his birthday this fine Sunday, he also ponders the great wonders of time. Will the Indians time be in 2012 or 2013, or will GM Chris Antonetti pull the plug on this "window" and move onto the next. The market is a fickle thing, and he may not have a choice. Join Jim at the Corner of Carnegie and Ontario, as he ponders whether or not the Indians win a series before his birthday's end, after the jump...
Toronto sent 13 men to the plate against Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez in the third inning, and scored eight runs on eight hits. Cleveland would make a late comeback in the ballgame after being down 10-2 by the top of the fourth, but it was too little too late as the Jays would still cruise to a 11-9 victory. Join Jim B with his Second Thoughts on Saturday night's ballgame...
Here's a look at the weekly edition of Cleveland Indians transitions from the majors through the minors. Check back each Saturday morning to catch up on the Indians transaction on our resident expert here at IPI, Arthur Kinney...
Justin Masterson entered the second half of 2012 with perhaps a chip on his shoulder. While much of his season has resembled his much heralded break-out season in 2011, he's had moments of struggle where his velocity was down, and his control was erratic. That wasn't the case on Friday Night, as Masterson dominated. Jim Berdysz shares his "Second Thoughts," after the jump.
Indians left-handed reliever Nick Hagadone suffered a self inflicted hand injury last Friday, and may be lost for the season. The Indians were not happy about it as they placed him on the minor league disqualified list which keeps him from getting paid, and now the Players Union may step in and file a grievance. With everything that is going on, Adam McGavin chimes in and says that while Hagadone has opened himself up to being labeled a hothead, trying hard is easier to forgive.
As we hit the All-Star break, the 44-41 Indians have used 35 different players on their active roster. Obviously, some were better than others, but who was the best? Who was the worst? How high does Lou Marson's hot streak have him? How much has Ubaldo Jimenez improved his stock? As always, Jim Piascik gives his opinion as he sifts through all 35 players and ranks them from worst to first.
Tonight the 83rd edition of the midsummer classic, MLB's All Star game, takes center stage. With the first half of the season for the Cleveland Indians now in the books, Adam takes a look at some of the performances from the first half and names his MVP, breakout player, comeback player, and more.
Zach McAllister and the Indians dominated the Rays for much of the game on Sunday, looking like they were going to run away and hide early on. With the Indians leading 5-0, things began getting hairy in the sixth inning, as the Rays would put four on the board. Staying resilient, the Indians would score another before All-Star Chris Perez imploded in the ninth. Join Kevin Dean with his "Second Thoughts" on the final game before the All-Star break...
In Tony's weekly Sunday notebook, he touches on the injury to third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall that will likely sideline him for the rest of the season and how it affects this Indians now and in the future. He also breaks down the numbers at the break for the lineup and pitching staff, explains how a run producing bat could be the linchpin to making the Indians lineup a good one, applauds the play of Lou Marson and much more.
Cleveland entered the game struggling against left-handed pitching, and facing one of the best young left-handed pitchers in the American League in Tampa Bay's Matt Moore. Cleveland unleashed a doubles barrage on Moore early and often, plating five runs in the second and third innings, then watched Ubaldo Jimenez lock down Tampa for the 7-3 victory. Jim Bierdysz rolls out his 'Second Thoughts' on the game-time action.
The Indians middling at or near .500, and July has turned into a battling ground to find out whether or not they are a legit contender, or just a small market failure. With Grady Sizemore and Roberto Hernandez out of sight/out of mind, and with Carlos Santana in site and struggling, can the Tribe stop being a .500 team, and become something more? Join Jim Pete for his weekly rendition at the Corner of Carnegie and Ontario...
With all of the trade speculation swirling in Tribe nation about the best right-handed hitting options on the trade market, few have given much thought to targeting a starter or reliever. However, there is a better chance of the Indians landing a middle-reliever or middle of the rotation starter in a savvy, understated trade, than fleecing an unsuspecting seller who has a power-hitting righty for sale.
The Indians entered Friday Night's contest coming off a big opening series win and with their staff ace on the mound. The Tampa Bay Rays were struggling, and everything seemed pointed towards another victory. Of course, that's why they play the games. The Rays, given a big advantage by Masterson's lack of command, dominated the contest from the start. Check out Jim B's "Second Thoughts" on Friday Night's game action.
The 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!