A Quest Called Tribe

It was not so much the field goal that surprised me, but the safety to put 19 on the board.  ;-j  Before we get into all that, let us please give Josh Tomlin his.  The man in a freakin' machine.  Have you lost count?  I have lost count.  Let me look it up.  (Insert Jeopardy music here.)  That is an even twenty consecutive starts of at least five innings to begin Josh's career.  The line: 6 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, no walks, 1 K.  I do not know what more anyone could possibly ask of a starting pitcher.  Tomlin (5-1, 2.56 ERA) threw 55 of 81 pitches for strikes which is inconceivable given how long he had to spend sitting in the dugout while the offense shellacked KC pitching.

Vin Mazzaro gave up fourteen, that is 14, one four runs in two and a third.  Mazzaro is the first pitcher in  history to give up that many runs in fewer than 3 innings.  He is the first pitcher since 1942 to allow 14 runs.  Vin is the first MLB pitcher period to allow so many since 1998 (Hi Mike Oquist!)  Favorite tweet:  Vin Mazzaro's ERA (22.74) can now legally drink!  The Royals used two starting pitchers (Mazzaro and Kyle Davies) plus a reliever and still did not get through five innings.  Speaking of Davies, he took the loss after facing just four batters and walking three of them to start the game.  Yowza!

Big props to Michael Brantley (.304, 2-for-4, 2 BB, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R), Matt LaPorta (.274, 4-for-4, 2 2B, R, 4 RBI, BB), and Orlando Cabrera (.287, 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI).  I guess O-Cab had a little something to say to all of the doubters.  Welcome back Travis Buck (.286, 3-for-6, 3 R, RBI), hope you're here to stay.

Brantley did raise his team leading average back over .300.  Understand that Travis Hafner is hitting .339, but between the walks and the injuries he has not put together enough AB's to qualify in the league standings.  Soooooooooooooo, he does not count.

Your first-place Indians (damn, I like the sound of that more every day) are now 25-13 (4.5 ahead of Detroit) with no signs of dropping back into the pack.  We saw two characteristics today that are unique to winning teams.  First, the offense was advantageous.  Sure Mazzaro sucked a whole dozen thousand year eggs, but the bats did not let him off the deck.  From inning #1 and despite a base running blunder the boys were on point.  O-Cab laced a two-out two-run single to bring home the first two walks and the rest was history, literally (that's how you use that word properly, everyone take notes).  Secondly, we return to Tomlin and, more generally, to the starting pitching.  With few exceptions the starting staff has been locked in this season.  Blah, blah, pitching over their heads, regression, whatever.  The staff has focus.  There is a culture on this bench and in this bullpen that facilitates Josh Tomlin's ability to throw another quality start around 19 GD runs.  And I love it.  I wish we could save a few "points" for a rainy day ;-j but I'll take it.

Drink it in Cleveland.

Cheers.

P.s. For those wondering the Indians' highest scoring game was 27 against Boston in 1986.