Pretty Girl Double Update! - Debra Messing & Maria Menounos

Huh huh, they're nekkid.  Thank you, Allure.

Clip Joint Slip N' Slide

Trevor Crowe

Yeesh, so now there are no starters fighting for that spot start.  Kevin Slowey (1-2, 4.50) was unable to maintain the momentum that he had built in his first two outings as he was beat for 6 earned on 10 hits over 5 and 1/3 in Louisville tonight.  Add in 3 walks and Slowey put 13 guys on base.  Not good.  Nor was Jeremy Accardo (1.59), who delivered his first dog outing of the young season.  Accardo (0.2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, K) entered with the bases loaded in the 6th and not only allowed all three of those runners to score, but let in one of his own and surrendered the lead.  Hector Ambriz (1.35) pitched two perfect innings to finish the game.

The offense was highlighted by the return of Matt LaPorta (.316), who produced a single and a walk.  Trevor Crowe (.469) and Lonnie Chisenhall (.380) both continued their hot hitting.  Crowe fell a homer short of the cycle and has 8 hits in his last 11 at-bats.  The Chiz Kid went 9-for-18 over the four game set with the Bats, complete with four doubles and 3 RBI.  Despite going just 1-for-5, Cord Phelps (.327) extended his hitting streak to 10 games.  He has hit in 11 of 12 games this season.

After a 6-1 start, the Clips have won just 1 of their last 5.  They move on to Indianapolis tomorrow at 7:05p.  Expect Corey Kluber (2-0, 3.60) to be on the bump.

Other Minor Points of Interest...

Akron
Not much from the offense.  Jared Goedert (.371) added two more hits and Chun Chen (.250) finally broke through, going 3-for-4 with a double.  Each scored a run.

Much more interesting was the work by the pitching staff.  Toru Murata (3.38) took the spot start and pitched well enough over 3 innings (4 H, 2 ER).  Then, Bryce Stowell (1-0) entered and fanned 7 over 3 innings.  He did allow his first two hits of the season and opponents can now claim to be hitting a robust .125.  Stowell has whiffed 11 in 5 frames.  After that came Cody Allen who K'ed a pair and allowed a hit in his own two clean innings.  Across two levels, Allen has stymied the other team to the tune of an .077 clip and 12 punch outs in 8 innings.  Neither man has been scored on in 2012.

Carolina
Stop the presses!  Tony Wolters (.122) got a hit.  Jesus Aguilar (.353) did as well, but that's not as exciting.  Jake Lowery (.351) did not, but he did draw a walk.  On the hill, Danny Salazar (0-2, 7.04) took the loss.  Salazar (4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) is the guy on the 40-man of whom you've never heard.

Lake County
It was not a great offensive night for the Captains, but Luigi Rodriguez (.357) did extend his hit streak to 8 games.  Felix Sterling started, but did not figure in the decision.  Sterling pitched well over six innings (2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) and has certainly delivered thus far.  The 19 year old has held the opposition to a .148 average (that's 8 total hits allowed in 3 starts) and has punched out 14 in 16 innings.  Also, Francisco Lindor (.308) singled and swiped his 4th bag.

Cheers

P.s. Did you know that there's a Clay Rapada AND a Clay Zavada?  Both are left handed relievers.

Pretty Girl 04.15.12 - Angela Sarafyan

You'll want to see A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (it's a comedy, not a porno), if for no other reason, just to watch her take her top off.

A Quest Called Tribe

Well, it's certainly difficult to complain about yesterday's 13-7 victory that brings the Tribe to .500 (4-4) for the first time this season, but I'm going to do it anyway.  We'll begin with Ubaldo Jimenez.  Yesterday I had the opportunity to initiate another into the cult of "Chris Antonetti is an idiot."  I got to explain how the Tribe traded the farm to acquire Ubaldo (1-0, 4.50) last summer.  I had the pleasure of pointing out that it was the sort of trade that needs to return a sure thing.  Given the skilled players that the Indians shipped to the Rockies, Ubaldo should be going out and mowing down hitters like a well manicured lawn.  Sadly, he is not.  During his 2011 struggles, we heard that his delivery would be rebuilt in the off-season to facilitate better repeatability.  If that was actually attempted, it certainly has no been successful.  Yesterday, despite 10 Indians runs over the first 5 innings, Jimenez barely qualified for the victory after tossing 112 pitches over 5 innings.  He allowed 9 hits and walked 3.   His first start was brilliant, but if you cannot trust your #1b starter to go out and shut down the Royals, you're gonna have some problems.

Next, it may be Rafael Perez (7.36) who crumbles before Tony Sipp (13.50).  Neither has been at all reliable thus far in 2012.  Raffy was inserted to begin the sixth, walked Alex Gordon, balked him to second and watched him score on a Billy Butler single.  Not the sort of performance that inspires confidence in your teammates.  Sipp bounced back with a clean inning, but who knows what he will bring in his next outing.

Honsetly, outside of the starting pitching and the bullpen, it was an awesome game to watch.  A lot of those batting averages (Hafner - .292, Cabrera - .282, Duncan .320) are looking a lot better.  Others (Kipnis - .179, Kotchman - .219) remain low, but their owners showed excellent power in the series.  Speaking of power, Pronk's 5th inning solo home run distance has been adjusted from an original estimate of 456 feet to a whopping 481 feet.  That is the longest blast in Kauffman Stadium history, erasing Bo Jackson's 475 footer of 1986.

Also in the record books - 32 runs in 3 game series.  That is the total that the Tribe put up against KC.  It is also the largest number that they have ever aggregated in the first three road games of the season and the most in any 3 game series since an April 2000 set against Tampa Bay.  The series also did wonders for the Indians' overall offensive numbers.  The team batting average is all the way up .238 and, while that still ranks 11th in the AL, the team OPS is now .779, good for third in the league.  Part of that is the power.  Their 15 home runs lead the junior circuit and the team has gone yard in each of the first 8 games.  Don't forget the walks, though.  The Tribe draw 44 bases on balls in eight games (5.5 per) which is also third and pretty much mitigates the 58 strikeouts.  Oh yeah, their 52 runs scored is 2nd.

Enough for now.  If I'm sufficiently aware later on, we'll dig into some statistics on Josh Tomlin and Travis Hafner.

Cheers.

P.s. Is it any wonder that KC demoted Jarrod Dyson after his play over the first two games of the series?

Old Kentucky Clip Joint

After their quick start, the Clippers have settled in six game win one/ lose one funk.  Such was the case with Saturday and Sunday games in Louisville.  On Saturday, Chris Seddon (1-0, 5.59) pitched well enough to win (5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) and did, despite surrendering a pair of home runs.  More importantly, Nick Hagadone continued his sublime start.  Following another 1 and 1/3 scoreless innings, the opposition had raised its batting average to a dazzling .125.  After 5.1 innings in 2012, Hagadone has still issued just one walk.  Tony Sipp be very afraid.  Sunday was less heartening as Zach McAllister (0-1, 4.00) got knocked around for 5 earned on 9 hits over 6 innings (BB, 3 K).  With a Jeanmar Gomez suspension likely coming down from Bud Selig's mount on high, Z-Mac has certainly not positioned himself for that spot start.  Frank Herrmann (3.00) and Chris Ray (3.00) finished off the game with a scoreless inning apiece.

At the plate, Cord Phelps (5 H, 2B, 2 RBI, .340), Lonnie Chisenhall (3 H, RBI, 2 R, .333), Trevor Crowe (5 H, 2 2B, 2 BB, .429) and Beau Mills (HR, 2 RBI, .278) supplied the offense.  Matt LaPorta (.314, 4 HR) saw action in neither game, while Ryan Spilborghs (.167) continued to struggle.

The Clippers close out their series with the Bats tonight @ 6:35p with Kevin Slowey (1-1, 2.45, the guy who is in line for that spot start) ready to take the hill.

Other Minor Points of Interest...

Akron
Jared Goedert (.355) launched a pinch 3-run homer on Saturday and followed it up with 2 hits on Sunday.  Do not give up on this guy.  Chun Chen (.179) had 2 hits on Saturday but fanned 3 times over the two games and has whiffed 12 times in 8 games so far.  Nick Weglarz (.133) has conituned to flounder as well with 13 Ks and just 4 hits on the season.  Giovanni Soto (1-0, 5.00) was unable to follow up a strong first start with another, allowing 4 earned on 7 hits over 4 innings on Saturday.  Gio has K'ed 11 in 9 innings in 2012.  Keep an eye on Rob Bryson (1.69), the oft-injured last piece of the CC Sabathia trade.  Always a big strike out guy, Bryson has punched out 10 in 5 and 1/3 this year, while holding the opposition to .118 average.

Carolina
Tony Wolters' abysmal start sunk even lower over the weekend.  An 0-for-8 skid dropped has dropped the prospect's average to a horrific .108.  Jake Lowery (.382), on the other hand, added four hits and a walk to raise his OPS to 1.006. 

Lake County
If you can belive it, the Captains lost to Bowling Green yesterday, 22-12, with the Hot Rods scoring 11 times in the top of the 9th inning.  Somehow right hander Kyle Blair (20.86 ERA) was left in to allow 13 of those runs!  At least the offense continued to chug along.  Luigi Rodriguez (.368) rapped 3 hits, drew 2 walks and drove in a pair.  Alex Lavisky (.323) spanked hit first home run and drove in 2 to raise his team leading total to 10.  The only hold out was Francisco Lindor (.313), who took an 0-for-5 collar, but still drove in a run and drew a walk.  LeVon Washington (.440) sat out for the 2nd straight game.

Also...

Friend of the blog Tyler Tufts is off to a fast start for the Round Rock Express of the Texas Rangers system.  Seeing AAA action for the first time, Ty has two wins in his first 3 appearances and has posted a 1.35 ERA.

Uber-prospect Bryce Harper has struggled to find his own footing at AAA.  The 19 year old is off to a .220 start over his first 10 games for the Syracuse Chiefs.  Harper has yet to homer, has driven in just 1 run and has limped to a .597 OPS.

Indians righty Jason Knapp (the oft-injured last piece of the Cliff Lee trade) has yet to throw yet this season.  Still rehabbing from his second shoulder surgery, many are scared that he will never stay healthy enough to make the bigs.

Cheers.