Tigers Dismantle Indians

Sep 1, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (third from left) reacts after being taken from the game in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

4:10pm – Ian Kinsler leads off the game with a triple a couple of feet outside of the reach of a moustached Mike Aviles.  Clearly, Aviles would have caught that ball if he had his normal power beard.

4:15pm – Torii Hunter steps out of the batter’s box for what appears to be a Blue Angel flying over Progressive Field.  Little does he realize that it was actually just the sound barrier catching up with Corey Kluber‘s fastball.

4:17pm – Yesterday, there was a report that came out from the Tigers that Miguel Cabrera may be given four or five consecutive days off to rest his ankle.  My guess is he hits a home run on the fourth pitch he sees.

4:17:30pm – Well, I was way off.  Two pitches.  Miguel Cabrera always exceeds every Tribe fan’s expectations.  The homer can only be attributed to Kluber dropping the beard for a much, much less impressive mustache.

4:20pm – Fox Sports Ohio needs to spice up the “Keys to victory.”  It seems every game revolves around Matt Underwood rewording the following three items:
– Score early
– Play defense
– Pitch well

Mind blown.

4:24pm – Kluber gives up a couple more baserunners, but induces a double play ball from Castellanos to limit the damage.

4:27pm – David Price on the bump coming off a two-start stretch featuring maybe his best and worst outings in his career.
– Complete game one-hitter versus Tampa Bay (albeit in a loss)
– Two inning, eight earned run outing versus New York

4:33pm – After a Michael Brantley single, Carlos Santana puts former Tribe legend, Ezequiel Carrera, to the wall in left center field  on a ball that should have been caught, but tips off of Carrera’s glove for a RBI double.  Speaking of Tribe legends, Shelley Duncan would have caught that with his teeth.

4:55pm – Lonnie Chisenhall gets his second double in his last two at bats – this one against a left-hander.  Despite Chisenhall’s lackluster second half, his improvements against lefties this year are astounding.  That double put his batting average over .350  on the year against lefties after two consecutive years of sub .200 averages against southpaws.  The Tribe strands two in scoring position
after Bourn grounds out softly to Kinsler to end the 2nd.

5:04pm – “Slightly Less Handsome Without A Beard Mike” boots a ball in right field that is generously awarded to Miguel Cabrera as a single.  As penance for the Tribe miscue, Victor Martinez smashes a ball that very much resembled the homer that Victor hit off of Kluber in late June into the
right-center field seats.

Mike Aviles is a very useful player, but the whole super-utility player concept is a little overused on him.  He has only played pieces of 39 games in the outfield in his career and only a handful of games in RF going into today.  Versatility is overrated if it is not effective versatility.  Remember, Eric Wedge once contended that Ryan Garko could be versatile.

5:11pm – Cy Young candidate, Corey Kluber, is pulled after 2 2/3 innings after J.D. Martinez deposits one into the visitor’s bullpen.  Kluber was unable to locate his fastball effectively today and the Tigers made him pay dearly.  Kyle Crockett on.

5:15pm – Last week, Crockett took a couple of days off from the Tribe to pitch for his home state, Virginia, in the Little League World Series.  Opposing coaches protested the game on account that they didn’t want someone who appears as young as Crockett to be injured playing against such older boys.

5:28pm – Crockett done after 1/3 of an inning after a quiet 3rd for the Tribe.  Katie Witham reports, “I talked to Kyle Crockett’s father in between innings and he was saying how he is really looking forward to being able to teach his son to shave one day.  Back to you Rick & Matt.”

5:31pm – Zach McAllister on for Crockett.  Shoddy Tribe defense rears its ugly head again as a wild Lonnie Chisenhall throw goes for three bases as Zach Walters, just inserted into right field for Mike Aviles, fails to back up the play.   McAllister is able to work out of it.

5:45pm – McAllister back on for a second inning of work.  In 2014, Zach McAllister has thrown fastballs on 77% of his pitches.  For comparisons sake, Corey Kluber throws a fastball (majority of them sinkers) 51% of the time.

Miguel Cabrera must be aware of the high number of fastballs that McAllister throws because Cabrera strikes out on a tight curveball.  He stares out to McAllister on his way out of the batter’s box while mouthing “wow”.

5:54pm – Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Bourn knock opposite field singles to left to lead off the top of the 5th.  Bourn, since coming off of the hamstring injury has really done an effective job out of the leadoff spot.  While a .719 OPS does not set the world on fire, it is certainly a welcome addition to the lineup when paired with some of his clutch hitting.

The leadoff singles go for naught as Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley & Carlos Santana are unable to advance them off of 1st & 2nd   Five innings of David Price against the Indians and I am already tired of seeing David Price in a Tiger uniform.

6:12pm – Zach Walters singles.  If he can find two more singles he will have as many singles as he does home runs.  It’s almost as interesting as when Victor Martinez had more home runs than strike outs early in the year.

6:25pm – If Miguel Cabrera’s ankle is hurt, maybe all of the Indians should try hurting their ankles so they can be more like Cabrera.  Another hit for him…and another hit for Victor.  Lather.  Rinse.  Repeat.

6:40pm – This may be the least interesting game ever to diary.  On a brighter note, what a nice weather day for Bryan Price to make his major league debut.

6:46pm – On a darker note, the oft mentioned Cabrera just welcomed Price to the majors with one of his patented opposite field homers.

6:48pm – David Price > Bryan Price

7:28pm – HOPE IS ALIVE! Jim Johnson coming on for Detroit.  The Tribe owned him in the first series of the year when he was with the A’s.

7:38pm – If you give Jason Giambi 20 more plate appearances, I put the over/under on number of hits he has at -3.

7:42pm – Ballgame! Tribe loses in all significant statistical categories except for bases gained on fielder’s indifference.  That’s one moral victory to start September.

Final score: Detroit 12, Cleveland 1.  Newfound starting pitcher extraordinaire, Carlos Carrasco, will toe the rubber tomorrow against Kyle Lobstein, who will be making his second major league start.