Monthly Archives: May 2019

Jose Ramirez walks it off for Indians victory

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Jose Ramirez hit his first career walk-off home run as the Cleveland Indians snapped a three game losing streak with a 5-3 victory.

It was a long time coming. Jose Ramirez finally hit his first career walk-off home run. This home run propelled the Indians to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox Wednesday night. Ramirez went 2-5 in the contest and both of his RBI’s came on the walk-off two-run blast. Perhaps this is the next step in his turnaround from a dreadful start.

Ramirez’ walk-off homer was the only extra-base hit for Cleveland. That means the other 11 hits for the Tribe were all singles. In addition to Ramirez’ two hits, Carlos Gonzalez, Jake Bauers, Leonys Martin and Tyler Naquin also had two hits each. The only two starters without a hit Wednesday were Jason Kipnis and Kevin Plawecki.

Cleveland’s other runs came in the fourth inning. Leonys Martin grounded into a fielder’s choice with Carlos Santana scoring on the play. Tyler Naquin would follow that up with a two-out two RBI single to temporarily give the Indians a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Chicago would answer with a two-run seventh inning which would chase Shane Bieber.

Shane Bieber went 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out six. After not being able to get out of the seventh inning Bieber left with a no-decision despite his good performance. Luckily for Cleveland Oliver Perez, Nick Wittgren and Brad Hand were able to shut down the White Sox offense for the remainder of the game. This trio only allowed one hit over the final 2.2 innings of the game.

The first two games of the series were far from good but this game may have busted the Indians out of their three game slump dating back to the end of series with Seattle. The Indians will look to split the series with a win Thursday afternoon at 1:10 P.M.

Indians interested in James Shields

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According to reports the Cleveland Indians apparently have interest in the services of veteran free agent pitcher James Shields.

The fact that the Cleveland Indians are searching for pitching help is not surprising. The injuries to Corey Kluber and Mike Clevinger essentially forced Cleveland to explore any and all options. Add in the fact that Cody Anderson’s spot start this past Sunday was a complete and utter disaster, it appears a move is going to happen sooner rather than later. The interest in James Shields though is a bit surprising.

“Big Game James” is not who he once was. The last time Shields had an ERA under 4 was back in 2015 with the Padres. That was the last time Shields has even been considered serviceable. Since then Shields has given up a ton of home runs and has been very hittable. Even in 2015 Shields gave up 33 long balls. Including the 2015 season Shields surrenders on average just over 33 home runs per season. A pitcher who gives up a ton of homers is now what the Indians need right now.

The only positive to come out of signing Shields would be the fact that he can pitch a ton of innings. Considering the up and down performance of the bullpen this season this would help if the pen was used heavily the previous day. The only issue is that with how the offense has performed thus far they may not score enough to put the Indians in position to win considering how hard teams hit Shields.

Having interest in Shields and seeing if he has anything left is worth it. Signing him and expecting anything more than an innings-eater high ERA type may not be. The Indians are not in such dire need of a starting pitcher that signing Shields needs to happen.

Cavaliers should consider BPA come draft time

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The NBA Draft Lottery is approaching and the discussions about just what the Cleveland Cavaliers should do with their draft pick are beginning to intensify.

The exact pick the Cleveland Cavaliers will have in the NBA Draft will not be known until next week. The Cavaliers share equal odds at the Number 1 pick with the Knicks and Suns. Once the pick is known through the process of the NBA Draft Lottery, discussions about Cleveland’s pick can be a little more defined.Until now they have been mostly in the hypothetical realm and with that scenarios about things which may or may not happen have been commonplace. There is one thing that must be made clear in these discussions. The Cavaliers must consider the best player available to them when they make their pick.

There can be a case made to select position and not talent and this strategy has a history of mixed results. Teams have made the mistake many times of not drafting certain players because they already have a player at a certain position. There is no reason to continue this terrible process. Especially in an era of position-less basketball. A team can stockpile smaller players who can shoot from deep. The coach can mix and match rotations to capitalize on matchups.

One argument that has existed against the Cavaliers drafting Zion Williamson is that he does not necessarily fit with Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. By the time the team is ready to compete again it is unlikely that one or both players are still on the team. If they are still in Cleveland it is quite possible they are coming off the bench rather than starting. The presence of Love and Thompson should not impact Cleveland if they have the chance to take Williamson.

What if Zion is off the board?

If they do not have the chance to draft Zion Williamson they need to take whoever they believe is the best player available to them. This needs to be a decision based on talent, not on position. If that is Ja Morant, take Ja Morant. If it is R.J. Barrett or Jarrett Culver, make that the pick. Cleveland needs top end talent in the worst way that they cannot afford to bypass a player due a position.

This pick will help shape the future in Cleveland. The next player the Cavaliers draft should slide right into the starting lineup and make an instant impact. Starting alongside Collin Sexton, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. (That is if Love and Thompson are still on the roster next season). Cleveland needs someone who can make an impact now and in the future. Taking the player who they consider to be the best available with their pick is the best way to make that happen.

Browns should move on from Duke Johnson

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Duke Johnson wants out of Cleveland and it may be the best for all parties involved for the Browns to move in a different direction.

It has been quite some time since Duke Johnson requested a trade. All reports indicate that the Cleveland Browns are not interested in moving the veteran running back. However it may be best for both parties to go in separate directions.

John Dorsey has stated several times that the team will not trade Duke Johnson. Even so the team should at least entertain the thought. Johnson is obviously not happy since he asked to be traded. The addition of Kareem Hunt and the emergence of Nick Chubb will obviously eat away at any playing time and future earning potential. It is not all that surprising that Johnson wants out, especially considering how highly many think of Johnson.

Duke Johnson is an incredibly talented running back who has shown flashes of being a game changer in the NFL. Johnson is filled with potential and in the right system that potential could be unlocked. The problem is that the Browns are not in a spot currently to bank on potential. Cleveland needs players who can make an impact now, not hopeful impact later.

Johnson’s workload has been inconsistent and varies by the year. It is almost an up and down pattern.

2015: 104 rushing attempts 379 yards, 61 receptions 534 receiving yards
2016: 73 rushing attempts 358 yards, 53 receptions 514 receiving yards
2017: 82 rushing attempts 348 yards, 74 receptions 793 receiving yards
2018: 40 rushing attempts 201 yards, 47 receptions 429 receiving yards

There have been times where Duke Johnson has shown promise as a running back. It is also worth noting that Johnson’s more productive years came during some pretty poor seasons for the Browns. Cleveland went 4-44 during the best seasons from Johnson. Johnson’s least productive year came during a 7-8-1 campaign for Cleveland. This may be just a coincidence, but it is worth noting.

Cleveland is going to have find a replacement for Duke Johnson. Considering his relatively modest workload his replacement will not be relied on for a whole lot. Nick Chubb will handle the majority of the duties at running back and Kareem Hunt should return midseason. At that point the amount of playing time for Johnson may be near non-existent. Johnson is essentially being edged out. He may be able to find more playing time and a better situation for him elsewhere. The Browns should move on now before an unhappy player becomes an issue in a locker room that finally appears to be good culture-wise.

Indians should go with Mercado, not Kemp

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The Cincinnati Reds released outfielder Matt Kemp. Cleveland seems like an ideal landing spot but the Indians should look internally for outfield help.

As soon as the news broke that the Cincinnati Reds released Matt Kemp the reactions were very predicable. “The Cleveland Indians should sign Matt Kemp”. This was the rallying call of many. While on paper this makes sense, a right handed outfielder to face left handed pitching. The problem is that Kemp is aging and currently injured. Cincinnati bailed on Kemp when it became unclear just when he will return from a rib injury. When on the field this year Kemp was not all that inspiring, a lowly slash line of .200/.210/.283/493 in 20 games.

The production from Matt Kemp against left handers in regards to slash line in 2019 is a bit misleading. Kemp has a slash .286/.333/.571/.905. While this seems impressive, context matters. This is over 14 at-bats. Matt Kemp has four hits against left handed pitching this season. When looking at sample size it is easy to see why his slash line in this situation can be disregarded.

On the surface Matt Kemp appears to have had a great season last year but the truth is it was an up and down campaign. There were times where Kemp was on fire, but there were also times where he was as cold as cold can be.

There is also the question of where he will play. The reality is that he would probably end up as the right handed Carlos Gonzalez on the roster. Seeing time in the corner outfield spots and the designated hitter position. The Indians do not really need another part time platoon player at this point. They need someone who can play on a daily basis and relegate players such as Tyler Naquin and Jordan Luplow to part time status. Cleveland has a player like this, Oscar Mercado.

Oscar Mercado is excelling in AAA

Yes it is AAA and that literally means nothing, but Oscar Mercado has a slash line of .289/.400/.464/.864 in 25 games with the Columbus Clippers. Mercado has nine doubles, two home runs and one triple with 13 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases, he can do it all. Oscar Mercado is doing everything that the Indians want and more while waiting for his turn in Cleveland.

The production that Mercado can potentially give the Indians in the Majors is vastly different than that of Matt Kemp. Kemp at his best will simply just hit at a modest rate, nothing more. Mercado has the ability to hit against left and right handed pitching and can steal bases. A trait that Cleveland desperately needs to help in the run production department.

Sure, Matt Kemp is a recognizable name that follows in the footsteps of Carlos Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez, two players that the Indians have signed in hopes they can still produce. Gonzalez did and Ramirez did not, which is why he is no longer on the team. The time for seeing if players still have it was early in the season and not after the first of May.

Cleveland needs everyday production from their outfield. Kemp appears to be just another platoon outfielder that Cleveland already has plenty of. The last thing Cleveland needs is to sign another aging player and ignore the potential of a player in the minors. Let the kid play and help the team out at the Major League level.

Indians continue home stand against White Sox

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Fresh off a series win, the Cleveland Indians will continue their home stand with a four game series against the struggling Chicago White Sox.

The Cleveland Indians are hosting the Chicago White Sox for the second time this season. Chicago came to Cleveland for the first home series of the season. The two teams split the two game series. Unfortunately for the Indians their two starters from that series (Corey Kluber and Mike Clevinger), are currently injured. Cleveland will look to take this series against the White Sox.

Game 1: May 6 6:10 P.M. Trevor Bauer (4-1) versus Ivan Nova (0-3)

There are three White Sox batters who have a track record of success against Trevor Bauer. Jose Abreu is 12-43 with three doubles and three runs driven in. Yonder Alonso has five hits in 14 at-bats with a home run and two RBI’s. Yoan Moncada is 4-13 with a solo home run off of Bauer. Bauer has a 2.45 ERA this season and will look to continue his dominant start to the season in the series opener.

Back on April 1st Ivan Nova took the hill for Chicago and pitched fairly well. Nova allowed one run on six hits in seven innings. This was one of two appearances that Nova only allowed one run this season. In the other 18.1 innings Nova has allowed 27 runs. Nova has allowed six home runs in his last two starts. Now that Cleveland has a more formidable lineup than the home opener they may be able to score more runs against Nova than the first home game of the season.

Game 2: May 7 6:10 P.M. Jefry Rodriguez (0-1) versus Lucas Giolito (2-1)

Jefry Rodriguez has started two games this season and the Indians are 1-1 in his starts despite his 0-1 record. In 12.2 innings Rodriguez has allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out six. Rodriguez will look to build upon his strong performance in the second game of this series.

There are only a handful of batters who have previously faced Lucas Giolito in the past with success. Carlos Gonzalez and Jason Kipnis are both 1-3. Jose Ramirez is the only Indians batter to hit an extra-base hit against Giolito. Both of his two hits are of the extra-base variety, a double and a home run. The only other player with a run driven in is Francisco Lindor, who is 1-6 in his career against Giolito. Cleveland will look to take advantage of a pitcher who is susceptible to giving up multiple runs per outing.

Game 3: May 8 6:10 P.M. Shane Bieber (2-1) versus Reynaldo Lopez (2-4)

Shane Bieber is off to a strong start in 2019 and should continue his run against the White Sox. Five White Sox hitters have hits against Bieber in the past, Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, James McCann, Yoan Moncada and Yolmer Sanchez. Moncada is the only one with multiple hits (2) against Bieber. Wellington Castillo, Ryan Cordell and Nicky Delmonico are all hitless. Bieber’s lone bad start was against Atlanta where he surrendered five runs in just 2.1 innings. Luckily for Bieber, Chicago is not as talented as Atlanta and is unlikely to duplicate this performance.

Three Indians batters have a history of success against Reynaldo Lopez. Leonys Martin is an impressive 5-7 against Lopez and has also walked twice. Martin is dealing with an injury and may miss some time in this series. Jose Ramirez is 2-7 with a home and three runs driven in against the Chicago right hander. Carlos Santana also has a couple of hits against Lopez who has gone 2-3 previously.

Game 4: May 9 1:10 P.M. Carlos Carrasco (2-3) versus Manny Banuelos (2-1)

Carlos Carrasco has largely dominated the White Sox in his career and has held Chicago to a .190 /.229/.329/.558 slash line. Although Jose Abreu, Yonder Alonso, Tim Anderson and Yolmer Sanchez have homered against Carrasco in the past. Of White Sox players with more than 10 at-bats against Carrasco, Anderson is the only player hitting above .220. Carrasco is coming off of two so-so outings, allowing four runs in each of his last two starts. With his previous success against Chicago, Carrasco should be able to turn things around in the series finale.

Indians hitters have never faced Manny Banuelos so there is no track record to go off of. Looking at Banuelos’ performances this season he has been up and down overall. Over his first 20 innings Banuelos allowed six runs, however a disastrous performance against Boston saw Baneulos allowed nine runs in 2.2 innings. Cleveland should look at what Boston did to be so successful against Banuelos and follow their example to come away with a win against Banuelos.

Jose Ramirez is starting to turn things around

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It has been a rough start for Jose Ramirez, but the Cleveland Indians third baseman is starting to turn things around at the plate.

The first month of the season was not kind to Jose Ramirez. Ramirez struggled mightily at the plate and perhaps was trying to do too much. Possibly trying to make up for the absences of Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis. However after the rough start, Jose Ramirez is starting to look like Jose Ramirez again.

Over the past seven games Ramirez is slashing .296/367/.370. While the slugging percentage is not quite where it needs to be, the batting average and on-base percentage are higher than his career averages of .281 and .353 respectively.

Only two of Ramirez’ hits have gone for extra-bases, both were doubles coming this past weekend against Seattle. Ramirez’ last home run came on April 24th at home against Miami. Perhaps this impressive seven game stretch could lead to more home runs from the Cleveland third baseman.

The only concerning factor is the number of strikeouts. Ramirez has struck out seven times during this stretch, which is one third of his season total of 21. For comparison, Ramirez only struck out 14 times in the previous 25 games combined. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ramirez has walked three times in the past seven days. This is just below his walk rate for the season, but it seems that this is trending in the right direction as his walk rate over the past 15 games is higher than his season average.

Jose Ramirez is far from being back to his usual self, but he is at least showing signs of his former MVP candidate form. Cleveland will need Ramirez to continue to trend in the right direction if they want to win the American League Central division again.

Injury to Corey Kluber a big blow

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Corey Kluber suffered a non-displaced frature of his right ulna and will not be able to pitch for the Cleveland Indians for some time.

Corey Kluber has not quite looked like himself this season, but his presence will be missed. Kluber suffered an arm injury down in Miami pitching against the Marlins. A 100+ mph ball off the bat of Brian Anderson hit Kluber directly in the arm and the injury was apparent instantly. Kluber left the game and did not return. Later it was reported that Kluber suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right ulna.

The Indians are already without Mike Clevinger after he suffered an injury earlier this season. Now Cleveland will need to rely on the arms of Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Shane Bieber. Luckily for the Tribe Bauer and Bieber have pitched well so far and Carrasco appears to be turning things around. The problem is that Cleveland now has two find two starters to replace Kluber and Clevinger in the rotation.

There is already one candidate to come up and join the rotation, Jefry Rodriguez. Rodriguez started one game earlier this season and was fantastic. Granted it was against the hapless Marlins, it is still impressive. Rodriguez allowed one run on three hits and struck out three. After Rodriguez there is not a lot of options.

Of the names listed by Zack Meisel in his article Asher Wojciechowski may be the best option. Chih-Wei Hu and Shao Ching-Chiang were not exactly inspiring in Spring Training. Wojciechowski has an ERA of 1.67 in five starts for AAA Columbus. Hu and Ching-Chiang have ERA’s of 5.01 and 7.62 respectively in five starts each.

Rodriguez and Wojciechowski may not be Corey Kluber or Mike Clevinger, but if they can at least pitch at an average level the Indians should be able to weather the storm until they return.

Update

The Cleveland Indians have placed Corey Kluber on the 10-Day IL and will be re-examined in 3-4 weeks.

The fact that Kluber will not need surgery at this time is a good sign. Surgery would shut down Kluber for the foreseeable future. This shows that there is the potential for a return later this season.

It is also worth noting that the Tribe called up Jon Edwards to take his spot on the active roster. Edwards has appeared in six games earlier this season with an ERA of 1.80 over five innings. Edwards has also managed to earn two wins out of the pen. This could be a temporary move as they have their rotation set for this weekend and could make a move for a rotation arm after the series with the Mariners is complete.

Indians take on Seattle in weekend series

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The Cleveland Indians are taking on the Seattle Mariners in a three game weekend series. Cleveland swept Seattle on the road in their previous meeting.

The bad news for the Cleveland Indians is they are without Corey Kluber for this series. On the other hand when Cleveland swept Seattle in mid-April they had the same three pitchers who are pitching in this series shut down Seattle in the previous series.

Game 1: May 3 7:10 P.M. Shane Bieber (2-1) versus Yusei Kikuchi (1-1)

Back on April 16 Shane Bieber shut down Seattle en route to a 4-2 victory. Bieber allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Unfortunately Bieber has not pitched well since that outing. In the last 8.1 innings Bieber has allowed eight runs on nine hits and has walked five batters. The bright side is that Bieber struck out nine in the loss to Houston.

Yusei Kikuchi pitched fairly well against Cleveland the last time out, but the Indians came out victorious. Cleveland managed to score three runs on five hits against Kikuchi. Like Bieber, Kikuchi struggled in his next start, but he did end up getting the win. The Angels scored four runs on 10 hits and only struck out three times against Seattle. Hopefully the Indians can come through in a similar fashion against Kikuchi in the series opener.

Game 2: May 4 4:10 P.M. Carlos Carrasco (2-3) versus Mike Leake (2-3)

Carlos Carrasco has not had the best of starts to start the year but his outing against the Mariners was absolutely dominant. Cookie shut down the Seattle offense and ended their record home run streak to start a season. Carrasco allowed three hits over seven innings while striking out 12 Mariners. Although Carrasco did not have a good outing against Houston, there is the possibility he can put together a similar performance against Seattle.

Mike Leake surrendered two runs on eight hits in his matchup against Cleveland. This is tied for the second-fewest baserunners he has allowed this season. Leake has not pitched particularly well this season even with his “peak performance” against Cleveland. The Indians should be able to take advantage of a pitcher who is liable to give up a large amount of both hits and runs.

Game 3: May 5 1:10 P.M. Cody Anderson (0-0) versus Erik Swanson (0-3)

Trevor Bauer was originally scheduled to pitch the final game of the series. However the Indians decided to push Bauer to Sunday and have Cody Anderson start. Anderson has appeared in three games so far this season. Anderson has allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings while striking out five.

Mariners starter Erik Swanson came out on the losing end of Carlos Carrasco’s 1-0 victory. Swanson allowed one run on two hits and struck out five batters. Swanson has not pitched well since this outing, allowing 10 runs on 18 in 9.2 innings pitched. Hopefully the Indians will be able to find similar success against Swanson that both San Diego and Texas have and came out victorious in the series finale.

Santana and Gonzalez homer in Indians victory

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Carlos Santana and Carlos Gonzalez both hit home runs in the Cleveland Indians 7-4 victory over the Miami Marlins Tuesday.

The Cleveland Indians bounced back after dropping two straight games to the Houston Astros with a 7-4 victory over the Miami Marlins. The Tribe got some excellent performances from both Carlos’ in the lineup. Carlos Santana and Carlos Gonzalez combined to drive in five of the Indians seven runs.

Carlos Santana tied the game at one in the second inning with a solo home run, his third of the year. Santana would drive in another run with an RBI single in the third inning. Santana’s single would bring home Francisco Lindor. Carlos Gonzalez would follow Santana and drive in three runs courtesy of the Indians first three-run homer of the season. This was the second home run of the year for Gonzalez.

Cleveland also scored two runs via the sacrifice fly. Jake Bauers hit a long fly ball to left allowing Gonzalez to score in the second inning. Mike Freeman hit a sac fly of his own in the eighth inning to stretch the Tribe lead to three.

Bauer, Wittgren and Hand kept Miami in check

While Trevor Bauer did not have the best of starts, he did just enough to secure his fourth victory of the year. Bauer allowed four runs on four hits in seven innings while striking out 10. The only blemish for Bauer on the night was walking four Marlins batters. Walks have been an issue for Bauer over the past two starts. Bauer walked six in Thursday’s 2-1 victory over the Astros. Hopefully things can turn around in that regard for his next start.

Nick Wittgren and Brad Hand pitched the final two innings of the contest. Wittgren allowed one hit and walked one batter did manage to strike out one as well. Hand did not allow a baserunner as he struck out one batter to earn the save, his ninth of the year.

Cleveland will take on the Marlins in the final game of the two game series Wednesday at 7:10 P.M.