Written by Nino Colla

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Since I got my latest phone, I have had the same background. The big block C on a blue background. I finally changed it, only it is still the big block C, but now it is on a turfy background and it looks like it is spray painted on the turf. I was trying to create a Go Launcher theme that had baseball icons and a diamond slider, but you know, I got frustrated. Whatever, the Block C continues to rule my phone background.

[GIANTS 5 INDIANS 3]

Despite a late charge, the Indians fell to the Giants 5-3 on Wednesday.

Asdrubal Cabrera was 1-2 with a run scored and a pair of walks. Jose Lopez continues to do his job, with a RBI hit in the eighth inning. It was an ugly blooper that he got jammed on, but a hit is a hit son and when you're hot, you're hot.

The big hit came from, you guessed it, Shelley Duncan, who wall-scraped his fourth home run of the spring for a pair of RBI. Caw.

Kevin Slowey did nothing to gain anything in terms of the starting rotation, especially after Gomez's effort the other day. Slowey gave up four runs off five hits, but more troubling is that he walked three hitters and gave up a wild pitch. It was smooth sailing for him through three innings, then he went out for the fourth inning.

"In the fourth I kind of let my mechanics get away from me a little bit," Slowey said. "I obviously wasn't commanding down in the zone quite as well. The first three innings, I threw a lot of strikes. They came out swinging and I did a bad job kind of recognizing that and using that to my advantage. I continued to throw hittable strikes in there."

You gotta pitch more than four innings as a starter, so regardless of when he fell apart, he fell apart. Slowey even gave way to Gomez, saying that he's simply got the job done lately.

Jeremy Accardo gave up a pair of hits, but his ERA is down to 1.50 after a scoreless frame.

Robbie (Yup) Tejeda and Rafael Perez (I'm sensing a new show entitlted Robbie and Raffy) pitched scorelesses as they continue to come back from injuries.

[TRANSACTION MACHINE]

On the latest episode of Transaction Machine staring Kelvin De La Cruz, the Indians designated him for assignment. This isn't the first time they've done it an they'll probably figure that no one will claim him this time. Likely no one does. They did so for a specific reason and not in preparation for the addition of anyone that was invited to spring, but in response to a waiver claim.

The Indians claimed Rick VandenHurk from Toronto. He's a right-handed pitcher who's been with Florida and Baltimore. VandenHurk talked to the Indians before ultimately signing with the Blue Jays over the offseason.

"I did also talk to Cleveland," VandenHurk told reporters before leaving Toronto's camp in Florida. "They were very interested, so I'm not overly surprised. I haven't really talked to them yet, so I have to wait and see what they tell me."

He was a starter for most of his tenure with Florida, making 32 starts over the course of four seasons with the Marlins. He's got a career 5.97 ERA with 176 strikeouts and 95 walks. With Baltimore he did some relieving and that's likely what he'll do with the Indians. He's given up six walks and 10 hits this spring in 6+ innings.

If anything he's depth for both the rotation and the bullpen. Has the lack of standout relievers cause this claim? Jeanmar Gomez has certainly been awesome but no one else has really stood out so getting someone who can start and relieve?

Interesting pick up. VandenHurk has no options remaining, so if he doesn't make the squad, he'll need to get out-righted.

In unrelated but very humorous transaction news, Josh Barfield was signed to a minor league deal with the Orioles. He hast still not reached the major leagues since he was with the Indians. I feel sad because I was on the Barfield bandwagon hook, line, and Masterson sinker.

[RANDOM RUNDOWN]

Michael Brantley has been shut down for a few days following the evaluation of his hamstring. Acta says he came back from the off-day better than expected, but he'll need some time off. This is certainly frustrating because now there's shutting down and returning to action and blah and blah and blah.

Hopefully, this just blows over. But hamstrings suck for guys who base their game off speed. I'll keep my mouth shut right now.

In more encouraging injury news, Chris Perez is close. The Rage Master threw a session on Wednesday. But the story wasn't that he threw, but that he tried to catch a comebacker with his bare hand. Yikes. Whatever.

Good news is that he can now pitch in a live game and if he does that a few times in the next few weeks (which he can do without setbacks) then he'll be ready go for the season.

"He looked really good, man," Acta said. "He was able to throw all his pitches. His slider was really good. I was very impressed. I'm looking forward to seeing him out there. I think we've got plenty of time to get him ready for Opening Day."

Perez says he feels good and no weird feelings. So, nice. And reaching for that pitch? Instincts, cool man. Even Acta says that.

Great article that I admittedly would have not seen if not for a few TCF writers re-tweeting it. Rob Neyer breaks down the "position battle" going on at third base in Cleveland.

He examines the two candidates and also has a great use of "Bizarro" in regards to calling Lonnie Chisenhall the Bizarro Jack Hannahan.

Before the second half of last season, Hannahan had never really hit much. Not in the majors, at all. And his only real good minor-league season came in 2007 with the Tigers' triple-A team in Toledo. It's possible that he did finally figure something out last summer, after all those years. It's somewhat more possible that he hit over his head in those 121 plate appearances, and will significantly regress if given another few hundred plate appearances this year.

"It's kind of hard to work and evaluate that when those guys are not going out there every single day," manager Manny Acta said. "At the beginning of camp, it was every other day. Now, you're trying to find playing time for the other guys. It's a process for them. They're young kids. They're not going to get better at it overnight. We're going to have to be patient."

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