Pronk Needs You!

As fun as it is to speculate on what the Indians will look like in 2009 and farther down the road with the TRADE DEADLINE coming up, the team must continue to play baseball.  Like a benevolent father tossing big fat ones in the backyard to his young son, the Indians have managed to end the Twins’ funk by giving them the last two games of their most recent series.

Friday

Instead of beating Livan Hernandez like a rented mule, the Indians allowed him to impersonate Houdini, escaping for 8 innings despite giving up 5 runs in the first 2 innings.  Cliff Lee left with a 5-2 lead, handing the game over to Kobayashi in the 9th, who did everything he could to give the game back to the Twins, surrendering 2 runs and leaving the tying run on second base without getting an out.  Rafael Perez was called on, and with some sterling defensive help from Ryan Garko, who snared a sinking liner in a drawn-in infield, he managed to get 3 heart-pounding outs and save a 5-4 victory.

Saturday: 

Fausto Carmona was welcomed back from the DL by the Twins in rude fashion, surrendering 6 runs in the first inning, capped by a Brian Buscher 3-run homer, and 9 runs overall in 2.1 innings as the Tribe fell 11-4.  Andy Marte homered and walked.

Sunday:

Jeremy Sowers pitched 8 innings of excellent baseball, giving up 2 runs in 8 innings and leaving with the game tied at 2.  If not for the heroics of Denard Span, making an improbable catch of a David Dellucci line drive in deep left-centerfield, he would have left with at least a 3-2 lead and a chance at victory instead of a no-decision.

However, Dellucci also factored into Rafael Perez’ meltdown in the bottom of the 9th.  Noodle Arm was playing deep and shaded to left center in the No Doubles Defense, when with Rafael Perez on to pitch and one out, Alexi Casilla blooped a high pop down the left field line that (surprise, surprise!) fell in just in front of the Noodle and bounced into the stands for a ground rule double.  

The rest of the inning devolved into farce.  After Mike Redmond struck out, the Indians chose to pitch to Justin Morneau.  Perez grooved one, and Morneau hit a line drive about the same place as Dellucci hit one in the 8th inning.  The problem with this was that Grady Sizemore was sitting on the Indians bench, watching, because he was the Indians’ DH.  Franklin Gutierrez, where was he?  He was sitting on the bench as well, perhaps next to Grady, as he had been lifted for David Dellucci in the 8th inning.  Who was chasing down this prodigious clout?  Ben Francisco was approaching from one side and Noodle Arm David Dellucci was approaching from the other.  Of course, neither one was capable of running this ball down, and when the smoke cleared, Justin Morneau was standing on second base and Casilla had scored the go-ahead run.  There are those who might ask why Perez pitched to Morneau with a base open and two outs.  That would be a good question, and, alas, one I cannot answer.  To add insult to injury, Delmon Young was intentionally walked and then Jason Kubel hit a soft line drive up the middle that just scooted by a diving Beaded One that scored Morneau, giving the Twins an insurmountable 2-run lead.  Joe Nathan came on in the bottom of the inning and did what a real closer does.

Let’s run down the checklist:

• No Doubles defense gives up double that leads to winning run?  Check.
• Bullpen implosion after a tremendous performance by starting pitcher?  Check
• Headscratching managerial moves?  Check
• The Twinkies continue to be one of the damn-luckiest teams in MLB?  Check

Just another typical day at the ballpark, crimestoppers, 2008 style.

Oh, and Andy Marte got another hit, raising his season line to .192 / .243 / .308   and his July line to .265 / .321 / .490.

Rick from Waiting For Next Year has asked why, in my Midseason Mojo Update I gave Marte two Elvi and gave no Elvi to Gutierrez, Garko and Dellucci. Let’s look at how each of these folks has performed at the plate since July 1:

• Dellucci: .229 / .231 / .354
• Garko: .208 / .208 / .358
• Gutierrez: .174 / .191 / .370
• Marte: .265 / .321 / .490

I ask you, folks, which of these lines represents someone with some mojo right now and which of these lines represents someone without enough mojo to successfully transact the cash purchase of bratwurst from a street vendor?