Birds Save the Tribe

With Zack Greinke on the mound for the Royals, fans knew runs would be hard to come by for the Indians. In typical fashion, Greinke handcuffed the Tribe for most of the game. The Indians scraped two runs across when a botched double play attempt by Kansas City allowed Mark DeRosa to motor home and Shin-Soo Choo to advance to second. Jhonny Peralta laced a double to left, tying the game at three going into the ninth. After Kerry Wood and Joakim Soria exchanged scoreless ninth innings, the seagulls must have grown tired of watching.

Joba Chamberlain had his battle with bugs during the 2007 ALDS. The umpires have had their issues with the squirrels over time in Cleveland. Jacobs Field has always produced some of the more unique moments in baseball, even when the team is giving the fans nothing but lackluster performances.

In what should have been from an Alfred Hitchcock movie, the birds settled in to their centerfield nesting ground. This hasn’t been the first time the seagulls zoned in on the Jake. Earlier this month, the flock made way for the vast outfield, only to be be rushed out by some carefully placed line drives.

This time, it was a Shin-Soo Choo single in the bottom of the tenth that brought the birds off their feet. Former Indian Coco Crisp did his best to follow the ball through the confusion, which included a bird taking the Rawlings to a wing, but Mark DeRosa scored the winning run with no throw.

What is not to be lost in all this is that the Indians managed to win another key series against an AL Central foe, and in the process have climbed out of the division basement. In one of the most pivotal moments in the season, Cleveland is managing to win games that matter, a trend that must continue if the Indians want to be contenders in the long run.

Oh, and a big “thank you” to the birds from all of the die hard Tribe fans!