Three games into the 2009 season the bats showed up for the Cleveland Indians. The pitching is stil nowhere to be found.
Indians starter Carl Pavano couldn’t even make an out in the second inning Thursday as the Rangers built a 9-0 lead and never looked back in a 12-8 Cleveland loss at the Ballpark in Arlington.
After three regular-season games, it looks like Shapiro had good reason to be wary of his rotation. So far, the starters have given up 22 runs in 11 innings, which comes out to a nifty earned-run average of 18.00 if you’re keeping score at home.
Sheldon Ocker wrote in his game story.
“He just didn’t have much today,” Wedge said, according to Anthony Castrovince
The Rangers, in completing the three-game sweep, held a combined lead of 17-1 after the second inning in the series. Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona and Pavano — the Indians’ top three starters — went 0-3 with an 18.00 ERA.
To say they were dreadful in allowing 22 earned runs on 23 hits in 11 innings is being kind.
The bats did show up as they hit five home runs as a team. Grady Sizemore had two, two-two run homers. Kelly Shoppach, Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner each homered.
It obviously wasn’t enough.
Heading to the Opener?
A lot is riding on starter Scott Lewis today, according to Anthony Castrovince.
Better wear a jacket and take a poncho, the Beacon Journal says.
From the world of useless data that may be interesting, The Plain Dealer reports the Indians are 9-3 in mild weather openers since the late 1960′s.
The plain Dealer also made all of Paul Hoynes stories from the past 15 opening days available on the web site. Personally, I opted to read the 11-inning thriller against the Mariners that opened Jacobs Field in 1994.
Whats happenin’ in Akron?
Randy Newsom is up to his old tricks for the Aeros, even learning a few new ones in his third year with the club, Stephanie storm writes. Newsom, the player to be named later in the Coco Crisp trade, moves from closer to setup man this year. He holds the Aeros all-time record for saves in a career and season.
Columbus started the season right
In the first game of the season for the Clippers Michael Aubrey, Luis Valbuena, Jordan Brown and Matt LaPorta each had a two-run home run to hammer the Bats 12-4 at Louisville Slugger Field, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
They did it off of Reds prospect Homer Bailey.
The rest…
The Indians are honoring Herb Score today and Terry Pluto spent some time writing about Score.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
It was funny to look at the Tribe box-score during the game yesterday and see that seven Tribe players in the lineup were batting .222 or lower, with only Grady (HR or whiff) Sizemore and Victor (Dude, Where’s My Power?) Martinez the only guys above .300.
BTW, if Trevor Crowe ever hits in the majors, it will be absolutely shocking to me. He *looks* like a player, and talks like a player, but will the wood ever make contact with the ball?
Victor Martinez hit a homerun to straight away center field yesterday, so there’s your power.
Way to judge Crowe’s career after his first major league game. I swear 4/5 Cleveland fans are complete morons.
Hee hee.
Crowe still can’t hit.