Game recap two-for-one! Indian take series

Hello, all.

Luke was on the board for the game recap from last night's game, but because of the storms he had some internet problems that didn't allow him to come through on that, so I'm going to recap you on the games from yesterday and today. But, first, a programming note! I believe we will be working to put together a podcast early next week, so be ready to check that out. Until then, check out our previous podcasts to catch up!

4/29 - Indians get early outburst, beat Mariners 4-3.

Salazar

Quick Recap
Interestingly enough, all the runs, for both teams, were scored in the first inning. Nelson Cruz hit a home run in the top of the first for the M's followed by a Kyle Seager solo shot to give Seattle a three-run lead. In the bottom of the first, the Indians answered, on a two-run Jose Ramirez double and then a two-run Lonnie Chisenhall single to make it 4-3. From there, both pitching staffs held off any more offense.

Danny Salazar got the win, his second of the year while Yovani Gollardo took the loss. Salazar went 6.1 innings, allow three hits and three runs. He struck out six and walked three. Cody Allen, recorded his sixth save of the season after retiring three batters in the ninth. Allen and Andrew Miller combined to get the last eight outs, striking out six and not allowing a hit!!

The tribe had just six hits, but were able to scratch across enough runs to get the dub. Abraham Almonte was the only Indians batter with two hits and Ramirez had the lone extra-base knock when he doubled in the first.

Stat of the Day - Cody Allen and Andrew Miller dominance
Cody Allen has a K%, the rate at which he strikes out batters he faces, of 50%. Andrew Miller isn't far behind with 34.3%. These guys are killing it!

4./30 - Tribe takes series from Mariners after offense explodes, team wins 12-4

Quick Recap
The Tribe offense was phenomenal today, getting on the board first in the bottom of the first on a Francisco Lindor home run to right. Nelson Cruz answered for the Mariners with a home run of his own in the top of the first, making the game 1-1. The Tribe then took the lead for good during an eight-run third inning. It all started when Jason Kipnis singled, scoring Michael Brantley and making the game 2-1. After that, Lonnie Chisenhall hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Jose Ramirez. Abraham Almonte then slugged an RBI triple, followed by an infield single and RBI from Roberto Perez that scored Almonte.  Lindor than doubled home Perez and Carlos Santana before Brantley hit a two-run bomb to right field. At the end of the third, it was 9-1 Tribe!

The Marines did score three runs in the sixth, to make it 9-4. but the Tribe came back with some insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. Almonte singled home Kipnis and a Perez double that followed scored Chisenhall and Almonte. The final score was 12-4 as the Indians got the rout and took the series.

Goody

The Indians had 12 runs on 15 hits, including three doubles, a triple and two home runs. Josh Tomlin threw five innings, giving up four runs on eight hits. He had just one walk and three strikeouts. Props are deserved for Nick Goody, who threw two scoreless innings, striking out two. He came in and go the team out of a jam in the sixth.

Keys to the Game 4/30 Mariners at Indians

Hannah's Three Keys
1.) Go for quality 
Josh Tomlin’s stats so far are… less then impressive. They are actually more like “blah”. He currently has a 1-3 record with a 9.33 ERA in 18 1/3 innings pitched. Like I said… “blah”. But his last two starts have been quality starts. He went six innings in Minnesota, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits; and then went 6 innings in Houston, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits. Both steps were steps in the right direction. He takes the mound today against a Seattle Mariners team that he has pitched historically well against. In 6 career starts he is 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA. We need him to come out today and make his third quality start, limit the Mariners offense, and continue to dominate Seattle.

2.) Back Tomlin up!
While Tomlin has the ability to strike batters out, he typically does not rack up the K’s. He also almost never walks a batter. In fact, he has allowed two or fewer walks in 35 consecutive starts. So, this tells us that there are a lot of balls that are put in play when Tomlin is on the mound. Our defense needs to be ready to not only carry out the fundamentals, but also make the tough plays that will help Tomlin get out of innings. Make sure you are turning double plays, make sure you are focused on what is going on around you, and make sure you are making the best plays possible.

3.) Ruin his first career start
While Chase De Jong has made three major league appearances (and currently has a 0-1 record with a 5.79 ERA in just 4 2/3 innings pitched—talk about some bad stats!), this will be his very first major league start. This means our offense has not gotten a chance to face the Seattle right-hander yet. The first time through the line up should be a time to try and rattle him, see if you can jump on him early and get an early lead… but also to learn and make adjustments. Do not help him out by expanding the strike zone! Our offense needs to make sure that we are the ones controlling the at-bats, that we are the ones dominating. Let’s finish this series off strong with a win!

Keys to the Game 4/29 Mariners @ Indians

Hannah's Three Keys

Danny Salazar

1.) Keep it close!
The Indians are 5-0 when the team has the lead in the seventh inning. While the Mariners lead the American League in runs scored, if Danny Salazar can keep the game close, our bullpen will more than likely maintain. Salazar is coming off of a rough outing, where he gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings pitched. He struggled in the very first inning of that game to settle in, and Chicago took advantage. That has been a repeating theme for Salazar so far in the 2017 season, it takes an inning or two before he finds any sort of rhythm. He needs to be throwing first pitch strikes. It will be hard to for him to find any sort of rhythm if he is consistently behind in the count. Stay focused, control the pace and start strong.

2.) Hit me baby, one more time!
OK, that was extremely cheesy. But admit it, you sang that as you read it. (Editor: yup, I did) The team has done exceedingly well when they outhit their opponent, to the tune of 9-1. Today we face Seattle right-hander, Yovani Gallardo. So far this season he has a 1-2 record with a 4.84 ERA, 16 K’s and seven walks. He is coming off a good start in Oakland, going 6 innings and giving up one run on four hits. Our game plan has got to be small ball. Focus on making solid contact, get one, get over and get home.

3.) Be flexible! 
With the chance of bad weather once again threatening to sideline tonight’s game, you just never know what to expect. Delays could affect the start of the game, disrupt the middle of the game or postpone the game (we are hoping that does not happen!). We may have to play through some raindrops, like they did last night. It is not ideal, but it is a distinct possibility. Being flexible and staying focused is key. This applies to everyone, from Salazar, to the offense, to the defense to the bullpen. Don’t let the weather beat you! Oh, and don’t let the Mariners beat you either J.

Carrasco tough luck loser, as Mariners edge Indians 3-1

If I told you that Carlos Carrasco was going to pitch for eight innings tonight, you'd probably think I would start talking about a gem on the mound and a Tribe win. Unfortunately on Friday night against the Seattle Mariners, Carrasco was touched up for three runs and the M's downed the Tribe 3-1. Cleveland fell to 12-10 on the year.

RHP Carlos Carrasco

Straight outta run support

Tonight, the Indians' bats struggled to come alive and provide Carrasco with the run support he was looking for, as they only mustered one run on four hits against Seattle starter Ariel Miranda. In recent memory, the only 1-0 game I remember where a Cleveland starter got the win was in 2013 when Justin Masterson outdueled Yu Darvish. But tonight, Carlos had no such luck, as he gave up three runs on six hits, while striking out seven and walking two.

Long ball damage

Even though Carlos Carrasco only allowed three runs over eight innings, they all came by way of the long ball, as Robinson Cano slugged a two-run homer in the fourth, and his teammate Ben Gamel followed suit with a solo home run in the sixth.

LHP Ariel Miranda

Lockdown Seattle bullpen

After Mariners starter Ariel Miranda went 5 1/3 innings, and only allowed one run on two hits (a solo homer by Jose Ramirez), the Seattle bullpen did what Major League bullpens are supposed to do. After Miranda made his start, lefty James Pazos and Mariners closer Edwin Diaz combined to throw 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The Mariners bullpen only allowed two hits while fanning seven Tribe hitters. To add insult to injury for the Indians, Diaz came on for a four-out save, and struck out three of the four hitters he faced to end the game.

Next Up

The Indians look to get back to their winning ways, and knot up the series tomorrow afternoon. Taking the hill for Cleveland will be hard-throwing righty Danny Salazar (1-2, 4.37 ERA). Matching up against him will be Seattle's Yovani Gallardo (1-2, 4.84 ERA). First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. on SportsTime Ohio.

WP: Ariel Miranda (2-2, 3.81 ERA)

LP: Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 2.04 ERA)

SV: Edwin Diaz (4)

Sources:

Cleveland Indians team website

Keys to the game 4/28 Mariners @ Indians

Keys to the game-

1.) Don’t let Ariel Miranda settle in
Miranda enters tonight’s game with a 1-2 record and a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 innings pitched this year. In his last start against Oakland, he gave up 4 runs on 7 hits in just 3 innings of work. He was struggling to locate his fastball and left some pitches up in the strike zone, which Oakland was ready for. Miranda, in his short major league career has also struggled pitching on the road, going 1-3 with a 5.59 ERA in seven road games. We have the opportunity to face Miranda for the very first time tonight. Let’s make sure we don’t let him settle in. If we can rattle him early we will have success.

Carlos Carrasco

2.) Don’t let Robinson Cano beat you
Carlos Carrasco has pitched extremely well so far this season, going 2-1 with an amazing 1.65 ERA. While his career numbers against the Mariners are good (2-1 with a 2.79 ERA in four career appearances), one player in particular on the Seattle Mariners offense has always seemed to do well against him. Robinson Cano has a .429 average with two doubles and 1 home run in 15 plate appearances against Hot Sauce. (Editor's Note, seems like Cano does pretty well against everyone!) For whatever reason Cano has Carrasco’s number. So he needs to make sure that he does not let this one guy beat him. Make smart pitches and continue to control the game.

3.) Don’t underestimate!
The Seattle Mariners roll into Cleveland to finish a road trip that began in Oakland and went through Detroit.  They are beaten down, weary and injured. They have already had to place nine players on the disabled list. They currently hold a 10-13 record, and are 5^th in the AL West. It would be easy to look at those stats and dismiss this team. We should not do that. We cannot do that. Despite all of the hardships that have fallen on them, the Mariners still lead the American League in runs scored (with 109 runs in 23 games). They also just took two out of three from the Detroit Tigers, so we must not take them lightly. We need to go into this series with the same energy, the same determination to win as we did going into the series with Houston.

Indians beat 'stros 4-3 behind Lindor bomb, take series

Quick recap

The Indians found a way tonight, thanks to the long ball and some gritty pitching performances.

Houston struck first in the top of the second inning when Marwin Gonzalez hit a solo home run to right center. Edwin Encarnacion (yay!) answered with a bomb to center in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game up at one. In the third inning, the Astros extended their lead to 3-1 behind an RBI single from Evan Gattis and an RBI double by Alex Bregman. The long ball was kind to the Tribe after that, as Abraham Almonte smashed a solo shot to right center in the bottom of the fifth. In the bottom of the seventh, Francisco Lindor scored Yan Gomes on a bomb to center field to give the Indians a 4-3 lead. The ninth inning took a few years off my life, but Cody Allen found a way, striking out Brian McCann with runners on the corners on a nice curve ball.

Yan Gomes

Player of the Game: It would be easy to choose Jose Ramirez, who had a three-hit game, but I'm going with Yan Gomes tonight. Gomes was 1-for-1 with two walks and he scored a run when Lindor hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh. Maybe most importantly, though, Gomes made a pivotal play in the top of the ninth after Jose Altuve led the inning off with a single. Altuve, who was 7-for-7 on steal attempts before the play, was thrown out by Gomes at second. Which leads me to...

The Last Word

Don't run on Yan! If Altuve steals that bag in the ninth, we might not be having this conversation right now. This was such an exciting series to watch between the Indians and the Astros! I thought people were overstating it, but this really could be a potential playoff series this postseason. Corey Kluber didn't have his best stuff, but he found a way to keep his team in the game tonight. Kluber went seven innings, giving up three runs on eight hits. Kluber struck out 10 and walked four on the night and got the victory, his third of the year. Allen also recorded his fifth save of the season in five save opportunities. The Tribe are back in action tomorrow at Progressive Field, as they take on the struggling Seattle Mariners.

Fun Stat of the Game

If you are a major league pitcher, you don't want to see Jose Ramirez when he's at Progressive field. The infielder was 3-for-4 tonight and is hitting a scorching .531 at home this season! Keep it up Jose!

Keys for the Game 4/27 Astros @ Indians

Hannah's Three Keys

1.) For the love of baseball… no more errors!!! 
I have said it before, and I will say it again, and again and again. We cannot give our opponents extra chances. Our defense recorded two more errors last night and this time, it almost cost us the game (errors + Shaw= L). The Indians have committed seven errors in the last three games. No, you read that right, seven errors in the last three games. We lost two out of the last three games. Make no mistake, Tribe Nation, there is a correlation. Tonight we need to avoid making defensive errors and back Kluber up.

Klubot, engage!

2.) Leave the struggles of last year behind!
Kluber did not pitch well against the Astros last season, going 0-2 with an 8.39 ERA (yuck!) in two starts. He enters tonight’s game with a 2-1 record and a 4.28 ERA. He reminded everyone why he is the Indians ace the last time he took the mound, pitching a complete game shut out against the White Sox. He needs to be aware of how resilient the Astros lineup is, even without Jose Altuve. They are not going to give up, they are going to battle at the plate from the first pitch to the last, so he needs to make sure that he has his control from the very beginning. Lock it down early and set the pace of the game.

3.) Run production
Mike Fiers will take the mound for Houston tonight. He has struggled this season going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 15 innings. We have only faced Fiers twice and have yet to figure out a way to defeat him. He has been prone to giving up runs early in the game, so we should be aggressive early on and not give him a chance to settle in or find any sort of rhythm. Our offense did a great job last night scoring runs by way of small ball and timely hitting! That’s what we need to continue to do tonight. As a side note, if the strike zone is as inconsistent as it was last night, our boys better be ready to swing/make contact/foul off anything even remotely close to the zone. Make adjustments and protect the plate!

Indians even up series, down Astros 7-6

Wednesday night gave us a glimpse why any Indians/Astros game this season is going to be interesting. In a seesaw battle through nine innings with rallies from both teams, the Cleveland Indians defeated the Houston Astros 7-6. They even up the series with the AL West leaders, but it wasn't easy getting there. Let's take a look!

LF Michael Brantley

Calling Dr. Smooth!
There's an old saying, "You don't know what you have until it's gone." This is definitely true for the Indians lineup when it comes to Michael Brantley. The Tribe is a good team without him, but when he's in the lineup, they're dangerous! In Wednesday night's game, Brantley's RBI double started a three-run rally for the Tribe in the bottom of the first, allowing them to grab the early 3-0 lead. After the Astros scored a pair of runs to answer in the top of the 4th to make it 3-2, Dr. Smooth went back to work. Brantley gave the Tribe a little breathing room by smacking a two-run single down the right field line to give the Indians a 5-2 lead. Brantley was 2 for 4 on the night with 3 RBIs. So far, he's hitting .318 for the season.

LHP Andrew Miller

Dynamic Duo
This one definitely had its share of pressure-packed moments, but the Indians have two pitchers who thrive in high-pressure situations in Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. After Carlos Santana's error allowed the Astros to put a runner on first in the top of the seventh with one out, things seemed to snowball. (Editor's tangent: The Tribe has committed 10 errors in the last week! Not good, I can hear Hannah getting out the ice cream from the freezer). A walk and a hit batter later, Miller found himself in a bases-loaded jam with one out. But then the big lefty showed exactly why the Indians traded for him at the deadline last summer. He struck out a pair to leave the bases loaded heading to the bottom the seventh!

RHP Cody Allen

The bullpen ran into trouble again in the top of the eighth. Brian Shaw looked like he was going to have a scoreless inning, but after he allowed a two-run double to cut the lead to 7-6, Cody Allen came on for the rare four-out save. Allen got the Indians to the ninth unscathed and then shut the door for his fourth save of the season. He is 4-for-4 in save opportunities.

Next Up
The Indians look to go for the series win tomorrow night with their ace Corey Kluber on the mound, while the Astros counter by sending righty Mike Fiers to the hill. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. on SportsTime Ohio!

Fun Stat of the Night
With his most recent save, Cody Allen now has 14 four-out saves since 2014, the most in Major League Baseball.

Players of the Game: Andrew Miller and Cody Allen


WP: Trevor Bauer (2-2, 6.26 ERA)
LP: Lance McCullers (2-1, 4.34 ERA)
SV: Cody Allen (4)

Sources:
Cleveland Indians team website
SportsTime Ohio game broadcast