In the second week of May one thing is clear, Mark Reynolds was one of the five best acquisitions in baseball this past offseason. Just based on WAR value to date, Reynolds’ 1.3 wins would be worth $6.3 million dollars. More importantly, Reynolds has been one of the best players in baseball through the first month which raises a few questions that should be addressed: how long will this rate of production continue, should the Indians extend him, at what cost, and how will his line look at the end of the season? The IBI's Michael Hattery touches on that as well as a few other topics!
The Indians came into the Motor City riding a four-game winning streak and coming off a sweep against the A’s. They were turning some heads nationwide having won 10 of their last 11 games and leading the league in many statistical categories rocketing them up to one game behind division-leading Detroit. And what happened? Well, the Tigers let the high-flying Tribe know why they are leading the division. The IBI's Jake Dungan provides his second thoughts on the Tigers thumping of the Indians.
It was a quiet night in the farm system as two games were washed away and another was suspended late in the game leaving just Carolina who managed to play a complete nine inning game. The IBI's Arthur Kinney recaps the night and touches on some of the performances in Carolina and what happened in Akron before their game was delayed.
Coming off a double header sweep of the Salem Sox on Thursday, the Carolina Mudcats returned to Five County Stadium on Friday night to face off against the Lynchburg Hillcats looking to extend the winning streak to three games. With the stars of Lizard Lick Towing in attendance, the Mudcats were not able to do that however, falling to the Hillcats by a final score of 10-3.
Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera both slugged home runs off Cleveland starter Corey Kluber as the Tigers beat the Indians 10-4. After Cleveland held a 1-0 first-inning lead, the Tigers plated three runs in the bottom of the second and never looked back. The game was the first of several matchups on the year between the two clubs, and the Tigers took round one.
The Indians have gone 10-1 in their last 11 games and are now in the thick of the American League Central race. Offense has played a huge role in the hot streak, but pitching has been equally impressive. With the rotation impressing, how do Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar fit into the Indians' 2013 plans? Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he looks at the rotation and tackles that question in the latest edition of the weekly IBI staple, Orbiting Cleveland.
Jake, Mike and Hayden are back for the fifth weekly episode of Call To The Bullpen! The Indians meet arch division rival Detroit for a 3-game weekend series trailing the division-leading Tigers by one game. The Tribe comes into Motown riding a 10-out-of-11 game winning streak. And are we seeing a revival of the old Scott Kazmir in Cleveland?
All offseason long, Tribe fans heard about that "team up north". Last year the Detroit Tigers were not only the reigning American League Central Division Champions, but won the AL Pennant for the second time in the last seven years. Tonight the Indians and that "team up north" tangle in the first of several Central Division showdowns this weekend, and the IBI's Jim Berdysz preview the important early season series.
It’s been nearly four years since Scott Kazmir last struck out 10 batters in a game. To put that in context, a teenager who was just starting college back then—August 26, 2009, to be exact—could conceivably be preparing for his graduation this weekend. That’s an awful lot of space between two bookends. Andrew Clayman takes a look at Kazmir's resurgence along with whether it is time to jump on board the bandwagon in today's Second Thoughts.
The Clippers unloaded on Thursday with two players in particular having great showings. One of the top prospects in Akron had a huge night, while the Mudcats played a doubleheader and had impressing pitching performances. Did #WashTime come through again? All this and more as contributor Andrew Zajac goes Around the Farm on Thursday, May 8.
The Carolina Mudcats received the clutch hits they had been searching for, and the bullpen held the Salem Red Sox at bay in a doubleheader sweep on Thursday night at LewisGale Field. The Mudcats snapped a five-game losing skid with a 2-1 triumph in game one, and pulled away for a game two victory, 4-1.
Akron began its away series with a close win against the Reading Phils Thursday night 5-4. The Aeros offense overcame weak pitching to clinch their 17th win of the season. First baseman Jesus Aguilar led Akron throughout the game putting up exceptional numbers throughout his five at bats.
The Captains came back strong from a 3-0 on loss Wednesday to beat the Silver Hawks 5-0 in Thursday night's game. Despite their struggles on Wednesday, the Captains were strong defensively and behind the plate on Thursday night. Grabbing two runs in the bottom of the first, the Captains started off with a bang.
After Wednesday's replay debacle, Cleveland got out there Thursday afternoon and did not leave the game in the umpires' hands. Jason Kipnis, Nick Swisher, and Mark Reynolds hit home runs that needed no review and Scott Kazmir struck out 10 as the Cleveland Indians beat the Oakland Athletics 9-2. With the win, the Indians completed a four-game sweep of the A’s and have now won 10 of their last 11 games. Join Nathan Kemp as he recaps the action.
The IBI's James Keene never wanted instant replay in baseball. When first proposed he felt it would merely cause the game to last longer and possibly not solve anything and the game on Wednesday is what he expected. When MLB announced they were implementing instant replay in 2008 he was thankful they were only using replay for home run calls. And while they umpire crew blew the replay review on Wednesday night, it is here to stay.
A monster seven-run first inning fueled the Columbus Clippers as they defeated the Charlotte Knights 12-9 Thursday to split the four-game series. After taking a commanding 7-0 lead in the first, Charlotte came back to tie the game in the top of the third. The Clippers kept battling, however, as they regained the lead with four more runs in the bottom half of the inning.
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!
