Pronk Needs You!

When we last left the Tribe, they had just swept the Twinkies, and were about to start a three-game set with the Motor City Kitties.  Since then, we’ve seen the following:

• The Indians swept a dispirited Motor City Kitties team.
• More bad blood between the MCK and the Tribe.  In Game 2 of the series, Fausto Carmona plunked Gary Sheffield.  Sheffield, who continues to display paranoid delusional tendencies, jawed with Carmona all the way down to first base, while carrying his bat.  Carmona threw to first base.  Sheffield jawed some more and then charged the mound.  From first base.  A baseball fight ensued, with Sheffield getting the worst of it, Carmona getting him in a headlock and pounding him with several shots to the face.  After the smoke cleared, Sheffield, Carmona, Polanco, The Beaded One, and Victor Martinez were tossed.  The suspension damage: Carmona - 6 games (starting pitcher penalties are generally higher and set so they miss or postpone a start), Sheffield - 4 games, Martinez and Cabrera (3 games).  Sheffield’s penalty, given he clearly instigated the whole thing, is clearly out of line when compared to Martinez and Cabrera.  A hilarious retelling of the fight is located here.  The Indians went on to win the game in the 9th.  Gary Sheffield, meanwhile, vows revenge.
• The fight from the STO feed:
• Scott Lewis’ scoreless streak ended at 15, but the Indians won Game 3 anyway, 10-5 behind 4 hits and 5 RBI by Ryan Garko.  He hit a triple.  Honest to God, Ryan Garko hit a triple.  There have been no reports of Hell freezing over, but it’s still early.
• The Indians ended the Tigers’ series 1 game over .500.   The Indians finished 11-7 versus the MCK.
• Dontrelle Willis gave up 6 runs in 2.1 innings, with 3 wild pitches and 6 walks.  That 3-year, $29 million extension is looking like a bad investment. Mike Ilich needs you to eat lots of pizza.  Lots and lots of pizza. 
• Justin Verlander has hit 40 batters in his major league career.  14 of them (35.0%) have been Cleveland Indians.  In only 15 starts.  In those starts, Verlander is 4-10 with a 6.70 ERA.
• The Tribe then went to Boston, riding a 6-game winning streak, hoping to postpone Boston’s celebration for clinching a playoff spot.  They managed to postpone it by one day, as Zach Jackson outpitched Josh Beckett to get his first win for the Tribe.  I am going to repeat the key phrase again: Zach Jackson outpitched Josh Beckett.  They were helped by one of those freak baseball plays where, with runners on first and second, a ball hit down the third base line hit the umpire and ricocheted into short left field.  The runner from second base, Jason Bay, held up between third and home and tried to return to third.  The runner from first, assuming double all the way, did not stop, and was standing on third base by the time Bay got there.  Bay was tagged out.
• However, Cliff Lee failed in his second attempt at win 23 last night, and the Indians could not get to the Boston bullpen, leaving the bases loaded twice in the late innings and Boston celebrated their inclusion in the playoffs with a 5-4 victory.  Andy Marte pulled up lame with what is being called a calf injury.  He has likely played his last game of the year.
• Shin-Soo Choo remains a beast.  In the last 28 days, here is his line: .430 / .495 / .767.  His BABIP over that period is .469. 
• FEDBU Stadium closed this weekend.  There was much self-indulgent rumination by New York media blowhards.  The rest of the baseball world yawned and went on playing baseball.
• The MCK and Kansas City are currently battling for fourth place.  The Royals took last night’s game 5-0 to pull into a virtual tie.  It is possible for the Tigers, whose bold off-season moves led many baseball pundits to pick them as AL Central champs, will finish below the KC Royals.

The Indians can continue to endear themselves to Rays fans with two more games against Boston and then can totally wreck the White Sox season with three games at Portable Phone Field.  Currently, the Indians stand at 79-78, with a good chance to have a winning season and finish low enough in the overall standings to have a protected draft slot in the event they sign a Type A free agent.