I will be the fist to admit that I have not posted extensively during the losing streak. Every day has dawned with the hope that the skid would come a halt and the minutia of the mess could be dissected in the bold light of winning. Still, day after day it has endured. On May 1st the Indians were 19-8, 4.5 games up. As late as May 23rd, the lead was 7. On June 1st, they were 33-20, a full five games on top and visions of playoffs danced in our heads. Even I chose to believe, tacking a +5 onto the wins that I expected from the Wahoos. Now, reality has come crashing down.
Over their last 26 ballgames (9-17) the Tribe has scored 77 runs. That is 2.96 runs per game, which is awful. Take into account that 45 of those 77 runs have been scored in just five of those contests and the RPG in the remainder drops to an inconceivable 1.52 over twenty-one games that the Indians have managed just five victories in. Since June 1 the team is 2-10 and has scored 20 runs (1.67 per) with seven of them coming in the near comeback during the first game in the Bronx. The Tribe has been shut out in five of their last 18 and has scored one run in four more of those.
Today, on the heels of posting six times as many strikeouts as hits, the Indians have fallen out of first place for the first time since April 7th. The team needs an infusion of offense, from anywhere.
Cord Phelps (1-for-14) has not been the answer over his first 4 games. Something must be done. Unless some sort of trade can be executed, and soon, the only option is a wholesale call-up from Columbus. By wholesale, I mean
Lonnie Chisenhall,
Jason Kipnis,
Jared Goedert,
Ezequiel Carrera,
Luis Valbuena and anyone else with a chance to knock the ball around. I am sure that there exist a myriad of arguments that can be made against this strategy, but, simply put, the kids
could not possibly do any worse. As opposed to young pitchers, who might get shelled for ten runs without recording an out, the batsmen can only register a plain old 0-for-4. You cannot score fewer than zero runs. There. Is. No. Downside. To do nothing aside from sitting and waiting for the drought to end is sheer madness.
The impotence with the stick is not just the responsibility of the scrubs.
Grady Sizemore is batting .200 with 1 homer and 26 K's in 60 at-bats since returning from the DL.
Orlando Cabrera lost his everyday job because he is striking just .153 over his last 21 games.
Matt LaPorta's average is .186 since May 20th. After seemingly getting his train on the tracks,
Shin-Soo Choo has driven in just one run over his last 13 while knocking at .160. And on, and on, and on,
A good friend commented the other day that, although the inexperience of the club is now on full display, the season will likely result in a .500 record or slightly above. As fans, he suggested, we should be grateful both for this and for the two months that young'ns spent in first. I am inclined to agree with this assessment, but it does nothing to quell my anger in the moment. The dudes on the 25-man roster are playing like chicken fried shit. In fact, if we are no longer playing for today, then all the more reason to get the prospects on the lake front. I mentioned five recalls and there might not be room for all of them.
Adam Everett,
Austin Kearns and
Chad Durbin, though, could be cut tonight without a single person, outside of their families, shedding a tear.
Enough of my mad lament, time to eat some crow. In the midst of this abomination,
Carlos Carrasco has thrown very well. He has earned both of the team's victories since the first of June by throwing a combined 15.1 shutout innings, allowing eight hits and four walks, while fanning 13. I had called for quick trigger with Carlos prior to those two outings and, admittedly, he has risen to the challenge. It remains to be seen how much consistency the young man can establish in 2011, but he has earned enough of my respect that I will support him through the growing pains of his first full MLB season.
At least it cannot get any worse tomorrow.
Cheers.
