Category: Cleveland Indians (Page 49 of 96)

If you took a quick glance at the box score for Thursday night’s 15-3 win against the Red Sox, you might do a double-take when your eyes reach Ben Broussard’s name. That’s right, he went 4 for 5 with two home runs, including a grand slam in the first, and a career-high eight RBI. Red Sox starter Josh Beckett, who has been hot to start the season, only managed to make it through 3 2/3 innings, giving up eight earned runs and five walks. Paul Byrd rebounded from his previous few outings and got the victory for the Tribe who won their second straight.

“Ben was unbelievable,” Byrd said. “He sure made me feel comfortable, giving me a four-run lead like that. And the crowd chanting his name was great. That was really cool.”

Wow, what a game by Benny B. Indians hitters hit everything that was thrown to them. They deserve a lot of credit the way they bounced back from the road trip and took the series from the Sox.

The Indians jumped on the Red Sox early with a three-run Jhonny Peralta homer off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in the first. That’s all Cliff Lee needed. He got his second win of the season, giving up the one run in six innings as the Tribe went on the win 7-1. Aaron Boone drove home Victor Marinez twice in the ballgame with a double in the sixth and a single in the eighth. The Indians were also helped out as they scored two of their runs on passed balls.

“It’s a big win,” Lee said. “They’ve got a good lineup. To hold them to one run in six innings is pretty good.”

Yes, Cliff, that was a big win. He pitched a heck of a ballgame against a pretty tough lineup and he really was the story of the game.

With the score tied 5-5, Manny came to the plate in the eighth and ended any hope of a Tribe victory with a three-run homer over the right field wall. The Tribe roughed up four-game winner Curt Schilling for five runs in 6 2/3 innings but it didn’t matter as Ramirez’s home run off Mota sealed the deal for the Red Sox as they gave the Indians their third straight loss, beating them 8-6. Ben Broussard highlighted the Tribe by going 3 for 4 with a home run.

Pitching, pitching, pitching. Whether it’s the starters or the relievers, nobody can seem to form any sense of consistency lately.

What once was a hot start for the Indians is starting to cool off. The Tribe lost their second straight to the Royals by a score of 5-1 Sunday afternoon. The Indians have now dropped four of five and eight of their last twelve. Jeremy Affeldt became the first Royals starter to get a win this season as he allowed only one run in 5 1/3 innings. Ronnie Belliard accounted for the only Indians run when he hit a home run in the second. Jason Johnson took the loss for the Tribe, surrendering four runs in 6 innings.

“I didn’t feel real good pretty much the whole game,” Johnson said. “All my pitches were up. A sinker doesn’t do much when it is up. I just tried to battle through it. If I’m not in there in the seventh inning, I didn’t do my job.”

With all the young, inexperienced arms we now have in the bullpen because of injuries to Miller, Betancourt, and Cabrera, it is critical for our starters to pitch well and take us deep into games. For the last several games that hasn’t been the case and is really becoming a problem for the Tribe. Perhaps some home cooking will do us good.

Paul Byrd got off to a rocky start and it didn’t get much better as the Indians lost to the Royals 11-5 Saturday night. A four-run first inning set the tone for Kansas City, which ended its 11-game losing streak. Byrd gave up seven runs in three innings, raising his ERA to 9.15 on the season. Things got a little heated in the sixth as reliever Jeremy Guthrie was ejected for hitting a batter. Eric Wedge was also ousted when he came out to argue.

“This shows a complete lack of feel for the ballgame,” Wedge said of the umpires. “They were saying we were trying to hit the guy on purpose because he stole a base with a seven-run lead. That’s ridiculous. I don’t know how you can umpire that long and have such a lack of understanding for the game.”

Overall not a very good night for the Tribe. Byrd continues to struggle with his command and is having a rough start to the season.