Pronk Needs You!

Kevin Millwood looked in mid-season form and Cliff Lee looked like 2007 Cliff Lee instead of 2008 Cliff Lee as the Indians were blown out 9-1 by the Texas Rangers.

Cliff Lee was struck in the left arm by a batted ball in the second inning and struggled the rest of his stint, giving up 7 runs in 5 innings and generally leaving the ball up.  He was not helped by the alleged strike zone of home plate umpire Jerry Crawford, which appeared much more generous for Millwood than for Indians’ pitchers.

In the good news, Masa Kobayashi came in and didn’t suck.  Travis Hafner got a hit and scored the Tribe’s only run, demonstrating some speed, going from first to third on a single to right and then scoring on a wild pitch.  That’s it for the good news.

Jamey Carroll broke a bone in his hand when he was hit by a pitch in the last exhibition game, so he’s on the DL to start the season and Tony Graffanino becomes the uber-utility infielder to start the season.

Step away from the ledges, crimestoppers, it’s just one game.  Remember how excited we all felt after the Indians came back to beat the White Sox in the first game last year?  And then we were pretty much out of it by mid-June?  It’s a marathon, not a sprint.