The Transaction Rundown is back after a week hiatus, which means twice the fun this week as we recap all of the moves over the last two weeks up and down the Indians system. Michael Bourn went on the DL while Trevor Bauer, Yan Gomes, and Omir Santos all made their Tribe debuts. Those moves and more are recapped...
Finally! After a dismal stretch of baseball that left the Tribe in search of any offense, the bats rang loud in the heart of Texas as Cleveland toppled Houston, 19-6 ending their five game losing streak. Astros starter Philip Humber would record just one out in the first inning before yielding eight runs on eight hits in 1/3 of an inning on Saturday. It was the first time in the last five days that the Tribe not only scored first, but led a ballgame.
MIDLAND – The Lake County Captains snagged the first game of a double-header against the Great Lakes Loons on Saturday afternoon, as the offense produced an 11-7 victory. Captains’ offense struggled in a 9-4 loss against the Loons in Game Two.
The Columbus Clippers snapped a four-game losing streak by blanking the Toledo Mud Hens 1-0 Saturday. Behind the spectacular performance by right-hander Carlos Carrasco, the Clippers were able to squeeze out the victory despite the recent struggles by the offense.
There was plenty of action within the Indians' system on Saturday as two teams took part in doubleheaders, and all four minor league affiliates were in action. Starting pitchers Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco both had arguably their most impressive starts of the season so far, and Lake County first baseman Nelson Rodriguez continued to impress. Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he recaps all the action and takes you Around the Farm.
ZEBULON- Let’s play two! The Carolina Mudcats and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans took Ernie Banks’ famous words to heart on Saturday as the teams played a double-header at Five County Stadium. After the Pelicans picked up a 3-2 win in the first game, the Carolina Mudcats gave up a three-run lead and lost the second game 6-3. This was the third time in the last two seasons the Mudcats have been swept in a doubleheader by the Pelicans.
AKRON, OH -- For eight innings, the Akron Aeros got the elite pitching they had been missing so far in their series against the Bowie Baysox. Unfortunately for the Aeros, they needed one more inning. The Aeros (5-11) lost their third straight game to the Baysox (10-7) Saturday at Canal Park, losing 8-1 as they blew the game in the top of the ninth.
The IBI Digest catches you up on anything you might have missed over the past week at Indians Baseball Insider and also notes some of the more popular columns posted at the major news sites and blogs.
The year was 1871. The country was in the shadow of the Civil War and General Grant was in the White House and what some consider the first Major Leagues was founded. The Forrest City Blue Stockings debuted and featured some of baseball's greats such as Deacon White, and IBI history guru Rick Lamborn takes us for a trip down memory lane on how that first season of Cleveland baseball went.
Remember when the Tribe traded for Ubaldo in the middle of 2011? The IBI's James Keene does, and he is not happy with what Jimenez has shown since being acquired. There is no doubt that Jimenez has been a major disappointment, which begs the question: is it time to move on?
The Indians lost to the Houston Astros. That pretty much sums it up. The offense continues to struggle with runners on base and in scoring position. Brett Myers gave up two home runs, but still managed to keep the Tribe within striking distance over five innings. The bullpen was once again outstanding pitching four shutout innings. However, it all came back to the offense and lack thereof in scoring opportunities. The IBI's Jake Dungan gives his "second thoughts" on the game...
It was another quiet night down on the farm thanks to two rain outs that washed away the games for Carolina and Lake County, but there were some very good and some not so good performances at Columbus and Akron on Friday night. Trevor Bauer had another great outing, Jesus Aguilar continues to pile up RBI, and more!
In a back and forth affair, the Bowie Baysox took advantage of late inning mistakes by the Aeros, trouncing them 13-5. The Aeros made several errors and they proved costly as they fell to 5-10 on the season.
Frustrating is one way to put it. Baffling could be another. Offensive woes continued for the Tribe Friday night, as Houston starter Lucas Harrell and the Astros edged out Cleveland to a 3-2 victory, sending the Indians to a season-high five game losing streak.
Ubaldo Jimenez had arguably his darkest day as a member of the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday as he allowed seven runs in less than two innings of work. With their record at 5-9, the Indians have gotten off to a less than stellar start and a big part of that has been Jimenez. With Jimenez's struggles, should the Indians be exploring alternative options right now? Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he ponders that thought in the latest edition of the weekly IBI staple, Orbiting Cleveland.
After being pummeled by the Boston Red Sox in a three game sweep at home, the Cleveland Indians sit in last place in the AL Central, proud owners of a 5-9 record. While it is too early -- way too early -- to hit the panic button, there are some warning signs that the Indians better watch just how far they fall out of the race, even in April.
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!
