This Week In Indians Baseball: Week 20

NEWS:

• The Indians sent J.C. Romero to the Orioles in exchange for minor leaguer Carlos Rojas on Monday.
• Jason Kipnis had missed five games with neck stiffness before Monday night’s game against the Angels. He made a pinch-hit appearance in the top of the ninth, delivering an RBI on a sac fly.
• The Indians placed Josh Tomlin on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday with right elbow inflammation.
• Roberto Hernandez returned to the Tribe’s roster on Wednesday night. He claimed Tomlin’s spot on the 25-man roster. In his season debut, he went six innings, allowing eight runs (five earned) on ten hits.

WAHOO’S ON FIRST HIGHLIGHTS:

• Merritt explained the circumstances of Scott Radinsky’s firing 
• Merritt previewed the series with the Angels
• Lewie argued that it’s time for Shelley Duncan to get a chance
• Lewie looked at what we should expect to see from Roberto Hernandez prior to his first start of the season on Wednesday
• Merritt analyzed the return of Hernandez
• In this week’s Wroundtable, we discussed our thoughts on 2013
• Merritt previewed the series with the Athletics

WEEKLY TRIVIA:

• Cody Allen was called up from Columbus on July 20. Through Saturday, he had pitched 12.1 scoreless innings to open his major league career. He has the most scoreless innings to open a career solely in relief for the Tribe since Tom Waddell went 12.1 scoreless innings in 1984.
• Shelley Duncan’s grand slam on Friday was the first of his career and Cleveland’s second this season. Jason Kipnis hit the other on June 1.
• Friday marked just the second time in the last 32 games in which the Indians have had a grand slam that they have gone on to lose.
• The Indians bullpen had only allowed multiple inherited runners to score 9 times this season before Saturday. In those games, they held a record of 1-8.
• Brent Lillibridge delivered his third home run of the season on Saturday. All have come in 16 games with the Indians.
• When Vinnie Pestano surrendered a home run to Albert Pujols on Monday, it marked just the third extra base hit that he had allowed to right-handed batters this season in 95 plate appearances.
• Pestano broke the single-season record for holds on Monday night when he earned his 32^nd. Rafael Betancourt had previously held the record with 31, which he set in 2007.
• Chris Perez had his 100^th career save on Monday night.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jason Donald

It was yet another rough week for the Tribe, but Donald was a quiet presence at the plate. Donald helped fill in for Jason Kipnis while he was battling neck stiffness. Donald showed his utlilty capabilities by making an appearance in left field on Saturday. In four games, Donald had six hits with a .462 average. He delivered a pinch-hit single in the top of the ninth on Saturday with two outs to keep the inning alive. He had one RBI and scored two runs.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“The tougher the situation, I want the ball in my hand. No offense to anyone on our team, but if we had Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman and Lee Smith in our bullpen, I want the ball as opposed to those guys. I want to be the one throwing the baseball when the game is decided.”—Vinnie Pestano