Category: Cleveland Indians (Page 13 of 96)

The Grady Sizemore show took center stage on Sunday. The center-fielder highlighted an offensive clinic with two home runs as the Tribe rolled over Kevin Millwood and the Rangers 11-6 Sunday afternoon to give them a series victory. Texas scored three in the fifth off Jake Westbrook to cut the Tribe lead to one but the Indians bounced right back and responded with five in the top of the next inning. Sizemore had a pair of two-run homers on the day, one of which came in the fifth via an inside-the-parker.

“When you talk about doubles, triples or inside-the-park home runs, the first two or three steps out of the box are what give you a chance to do it or not,” Wedge said. “That’s the way Grady gets out of the box every time.”

He and Aaron Boone led the charge offensively and finished with two hits and four RBI on the day. Westbrook allowed five runs in as many innings but still managed to pick up his 14th win of the season. The last time the Tribe faced Millwood, he pitched like a Cy Young Award winner and had them fooled all game. They were able to get to him early and often on Sunday.

Brian Slocum started for the Tribe and didn’t qualify for a win but still did his job as the Tribe beat the Rangers 6-3 Saturday night. Second baseman Joe Inglett had his second consecutive three-hit ballgame and Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs to lead the offense. Victor Martinez’s two-run double helped give the Tribe a 4-0 lead in the third. Held to a strict pitch count, Slocum gave up only one run in four innings as the Indians offense finally was able to get back in gear to snap their four-game losing streak.

By the time the Tribe’s offense could get in gear Friday, it was way too late. The Texas Rangers scored eight through the first four innings and went on to demolish the Indians 12-4. Paul Byrd surrendered those eight runs, although only four of them were earned thanks to errors by Ryan Garko and Kevin Kouzmanoff. The Rangers got three more in the eighth to blow the game wide open. Carlos Lee finished with two of Texas’ three homers on the night. The Tribe equalled the Ranger hit total but just could not come up with the key hit, leaving 10 runners on base. Hector Luna had two RBIs and Joe Inglett had three hits to lead the Indians offense.

The Indians have now lost four in a row and nine of 11. Cavs season cannot come soon enough.

It seems like almost every day manager Eric Wedge has to address the team’s porous infield defense. Wedge called out the infield as a whole the other day and was clearly upset with the way they have been playing. Thursday after the Tribe’s loss, the manager pointed his frustrations towards one player in particular, shortstop Jhonny Peralta.

“[Peralta] should have made the play,” manager Eric Wedge said, clearly frustrated with a season’s worth of watching his defensively challenged infield. “I’m tired of talking about the guy.

“We’ve challenged him in about every way you can — in terms of his pregame work, in terms of his first step and just what he needs to do out there. He’s going to have to do better for him to be the defensive shortstop that we need him to be.”

I think Wedge speaks for all Tribe fans indicating his feelings towards Peralta. Sure he is still young, but his lack of speed and failure to make some of the routine plays in the infield is a thorn in the Indians’ side. Shortstop is arguably the most important position in the infield because they have to cover the most ground. It is clear that Wedge’s patience with this kid is starting to run out. If Peralta doesn’t put in extensive work this offseason trying to lose weight, get in better shape, and work on his technique, could it be possible that Jhonny could lose his spot on the team?

Part of the reason the Indians are twelve games under .500 this season is because of games like this. The Tribe once again fell victim to poor defense, which severely costed them in their 7-4 loss to the A’s. Two misplays by the Tribe ultimately decided the game. The first was when C.C Sabathia threw the ball into center field trying to get a force at second. The error unraveled Sabathia and the Tribe, who let four runs cross the plate in the inning. The second came in the sixth. Although it was officially scored as a hit, a bouncer to Jhonny Peralta’s right got past him. The A’s went on to score three in the inning and that was a wrap.

Offensively, the top of the order did most of the damage for the Tribe. The first four batters – Sizemore, Michaels, Martinez, and Garko – accounted for all the RBIs and six of the nine hits on the day for the Tribe. Sizemore hit his 25th homer of the season in the third.