Boy, the Texas Rangers might just win the Super Bowl.
September 15th, 2011
Cleveland Indians - 4
Texas Rangers - 7
W: Alexi Ogando (13-8) L: Fausto Carmona (6-15)
Wait, what?!
I fully believe the Texas Rangers can win the Super Bowl. They've got an offense that can outscore the Green Bay Packers.
This team pounded the salt out of the Indians in these three games. And it was all in a select few innings. Last night it was five runs in the fifth, the previous night it was eight runs in the fourth, and on Tuesday it was four runs in the sixth inning.
They just come at you with their whole lineup. If there is one team that can break the "pitching wins championships" mold that has been set, it is this team. Mainly because they have some good pitching to go along with that deadly offense.
Fausto Carmona kept them in check a little longer than Huff did, but got bit just as Masterson did. It was even highly questionable as to if they should have put up the runs they did in that fifth frame. Endy Chavez reached first by sliding and "beating" Carlos Santana to first. It looked to me as if he was out, but the umpires didn't think so and Manny Acta didn't even bat an eyelash and it was hardly a question after the game.
In fact, Manny was more focused on ripping Carmona, who even though melted down in that fifth inning, managed to get through four innings with just one run.
"Carmona was overthrowing everything," Acta said. "He walked five guys. He was throwing it side to side. He didn't have good sink on his fastball."
We will have that Carmona discussion after the season. A snap judgment after that game likely makes me want to get rid of him, but again, snap judgment. There are more factors you need to take into account when discussing his future with the club. Not just this game or this stretch.
I would now like to take a break in the middle of this game recap, because I essentially took a break in the middle of last night's game to watch Always Sunny and Archer premiere on FX. Does this make me a lousy fan? Maybe, but after a 7-1 outburst, I wasn't having much faith.
I loved Fat Mac. Fat Mac was pretty hilarious. Did anyone see how crazy and out of control Frank's hair has become?
Charlie was in rare form. He was in his wildcard outfit from a few seasons ago. Then he started talking like he did in that episode. I've now concluded Charlie's brilliant ideas as: milk steak, raw jelly beans, kitten mittens, and now boiled denim.
Archer was fantastic too. Watch out for that Adolf Hitler, he's a baaaaad egg!
And now resume the game. Which surprisingly was toward's its conclusion, but with the Indians clawing their way back in. It shows character, that is for sure. Some may regard the runs as garbage runs since they didn't win, but they made it a three-run game, and swung till the final out.
A Sizemore single and Duncan double led off the inning and Lou Marson drove them both in with a double of his own. Of course Neftali Feliz struck out Donald and Kipnis to end the game, but it isn't every day a team can put up five runs in an inning. Unless of course you are the Texas Rangers.
What is funny, is that despite being outscored heavily at some junctures, it very much felt that the Indians were in all three of these games up until a certain point.
"They overmatched us," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "Other than that series we had over here, when we had a chance to win the series, we were in every game, they just kind of outplayed us the whole time."
I don't think I'd say "we were in every game, but they outplayed us the whole time." I'd say they were in most of these games for awhile, but Texas just found the breaks if they didn't break the Tribe in half first. It was very much the Rangers finding different ways to pound the Indians into submission at different times.
Random Details...
Of course, it is going to be hard to score runs when your top three is Jason Donald, Jason Kipnis, and Zeke Carrera for a good portion of the game. More on that in a second. Fukudome and Asdrubal got breaks, so the lineup was bare to begin with.
It was a long time coming for Fukudome, who had played 44 consecutive games. It was something probably needed for Cabrera, who's been struggling lately at the plate. Maybe he's starting to feel the fatigue of having to be the only one in the lineup consistently doing anything for the entire season.
Clean eighth inning for Zach Putnam, striking out one and giving up a hit. Good to see him bounce back. I really really really like Putnam. He's a former mascot after all.
Carmona did walk five. But he did go six innings. But he did give up five earned. But he was in Texas. But I do hate Arlington.
Did I mention I hate Arlington? The Indians go to a normal ballpark next, right? Right.
Endy Chavez stole two bases off Lou Marson. Something seems fishy. It also seems like the second steal shouldn't have been a steal. I'm just saying.
Would you believe the Indians out-hit the Rangers in this game? Nah me either.
[CHOO-SE YOUR LUCK]
Man, what the heck? Can Shin-Soo Choo catch a freakin' break? This guy works hard to come back and in his first at-bat after he fouls a ball off his foot. Choo said he felt bad after his first swing and miss, then even worse after fouling it off his foot.
I guess maybe he shouldn't have even come back in the first place, but you can't blame a guy for wanting to go out and help his team. You have to really feel for him. This season has just been a total nightmare for Choo. From the DUI, to the multiple injuries, to the early season slump. He just did not have anything going his way. And in a way, it is remarkable that the Indians contended like they did without Choo 100% or in the lineup for a vast majority of this season.
This goes back to what I was talking about a few days ago... Getting healthy is no doubt important. But if you can get healthy and show you can play before this season is over, you want to do that. And that was his mentality in trying to go out there and play.
"A lot of people say, 'Just take care of your body and make sure you're 100 percent,'" Choo said before the game. "My goal is to finish the season in the field, not with an injury. That's my goal even with one game left, even if today was the last game, if I still feel good, then play.
You have to commend him. But now is the time to sit down. It didn't go well, he re-aggravated it, and now he needs to rest up and get ready for 2012, because this club is going to need him in right field every game.
[SAY NO SHAPARIO]
Jayson Stark reported in his Rumblings and & Grumblings that Mark Shapiro is "intrigued" by the General Manager post that is open in Chicago. He notes that if approached, Shapiro would listen, but that's as far as it goes.
So here's the thing. Shapiro loves Cleveland. He's the team president now, so he has a newer challenge on his plate. He certainly isn't bored. But the Cubs are a different situation and one that would probably make anyone in Shapiro's position at least listen. They would pay him good money, he would get good money to make things happen, and certainly if he could bring a franchise like the Cubs a title, he would go down as a hero in that city.
Of course if he does the same here, even though he isn't the GM anymore, he'd still go down as someone a city would forever love.
I'm not sure I want to dive deeply into this topic. But you certainly have to acknowledge it is out there right now. I can make this really easy and say, I pretty much spot on agree with Jon from WFNY, who put it pretty much how I see it. Shapiro is an asset to this franchise and they lose him, they lose an asset and someone who can contribute to the cause.
Could Shapiro go? I think it is unlikely. I think it is unlikely the Cubs even go after him. I think in the end, Shapiro is committed to this endeavor and seeing it through to the end. And when I say end, I mean, a Championship. I think Antonetti is as well or else he would be in St. Louis right now. Giving up on that chase to pursue another one, one that may take a few more years just to get to the state the Indians are in doesn't seem something Shapiro would do. He's a logical guy.
So I'm not worried about him leaving. But I think him leaving would hurt the franchise as well.
[RANDOM RUNDOWN]
Great moment for Shelley Duncan the other night with all his big catches. He deserves to be cheesin' around the clubhouse. The guy doesn't get to make those catches often. I'm sure that's something you dream about as a player out there too. Taking hits away from the opposition and making catches that people say "wow" at. Of course Duncan isn't the most gifted in the field, so people are even more stunned when it happens, but he deserves his moment in the sun after that game.
"Hardly ever," Duncan said. "There have been a lot of games lately where I haven't had a ball hit to me."
Duncan said that the last one was the most fun, the one where he hit the wall. That man is nuts with his forearm bashing. So it is no surprise "hitting into the wall pretty hard" is fun to him.
Choo leaving makes you wonder if the Indians should just shut down Josh Tomlin, who is still working towards his return.
Tomlin threw a bullpen session yesterday and will go again on Saturday or Sunday. He could be a possible option (likely bullpen reliever) after the homestand with Seattle through Minnesota. The Indians have a few double headers coming up, so they definitely could use the extra arms, even if Tomlin can only go a few innings.
But hey, don't push him. You don't want him ending up like Carlos Carrasco, who underwent his Tommy John surgery on Wednesday.
Columbus is on the brink of repeating! The Clippers now have two shots to take home the Governors Cup after winning 6-2 last night over Lehigh Valley. Jared Goedert and Tim Fedroff had a pair of hits and Luke Carlin had a big two-run home run in the second. Joe Martinez went seven innings giving up just a run off three hits and a pair of walks. He struck out 13, yes, 13 freaking hitters. Monster! The Clippers go for the clincher tonight on the road at 7:05 PM.
Kinston meanwhile is on the brink of losing their chance to take home the Mills Cup. The K-Tribe are now down 2-1 to Frederick, needing the final two games to win after losing 7-3 last night. Mike Rayl gave up three runs in six innings and took the tough loss. Jesus Aguilar did it AGAIN, hitting his fourth home run, a two run shot in the second inning. The two go at it at 6:30 tonight from Historic Grainger Stadium.
[RAFAEL PEREZ TWEET WATCH]
Do I have a Follow Friday suggestion for you? No, I really don't. I follow the Indians players and a few other select people. We've been over this before.
But if you are not following Will Krasne, who is in the minor league system, do it, do it now. Only because his name is "PinkPoloShorts" and he has plenty of Always Sunny quotes. He also enjoys soccer and tennis. Two of my enjoyments. I asked Will to be my BFF this morning on Twitter.
And he has funny tweets while watching baseball games... Examples
Jacoby Ellsbury just got every woman at Fenway pregnant
@joeybats you're good at baseball
Off to see someone annoying guy in the stands yell "I can throw harder than you!" to Wakefield
Case rested...
Days Without a Tweet: 115
-
You can read more Morning Rundown and other features on Nino's blog, The Tribe Daily.