Jeremy Guthrie, who makes David Riske look large, hummed it up in the mid-90s. (I am not buying 98, but I will buy 95-96.) His motion looks a LOT like Roy Oswalt's, which is to say, hideous, but he can throw the ball. Serious cheese. The record shows that he gave up a run on two hits, but forget the numbers: he looked good. Brian Slocum showed me something: namely, that he looks like Dave Burba, but also that he can throw pretty hard himself. For those worried about Guthrie getting enough work, I have an idea: give him half of Mota's innings and all of Graves'. Then move him into the rotation when Paul Byrd ruptures his spleen or whatever injury he's due for this year. (Slocum ... well, as with Zaphod Beeblebrox, he's just this guy, you know?)
6) Deja vu too bloody often again
Yeah, he's left-handed, and yeah, Cora and Ortiz both looked silly ducking out of the way of called strikes, but can someone tell me what Scott Sauerbeck brings to the table that exceeds what Danny Graves brings? The man's "fastball" goes 86, and this was on the gun that told me Guthrie was throwing 98, so that makes that, what, 83 really? I think Wakefield threw a couple that hard. The Tony Sipp Era can't start soon enough for me.
Seriously, do you want this man facing Jim Thome with the tying run on base?
7) Hey, we had one of those
In the continuing series, "Ex-Indians Looking Really Bad In The Field," Alex Cora botched two plays, including the Very Worst Double Play Toss Not Made By Steve Sax. Just terrible. He did get two hits, but this doesn't offset his inability to develop a chin.
8) The bus is waiting, dammit!
Kudos to Todd Hollandsworth, who made the most of his limited time to stroke his fourth double (fourth? Did you have any idea he had four doubles? I wasn't sure he had four plate appearances.) off poor Manny Delhapless after fouling off fifty-three consecutive pitches. In the seventh. Up 12-3. The only reason to keep that inning alive was to get Broussard another at-bat, but hey, if you play twice a week, you make the most of it, I suppose.
9) Waiter, there's a fly in my ointment
Jason Michaels: 1 BB, 3 K, 0 H, 0 R
Jhonny Peralta: 3 outs, 1 BB, 0 H, 1 R
Ramon Vazquez was a more potent offensive force, driving in a run on a sac fly. Ramon Vazquez! These guys bat 2 and 3! Bleah!