Tag Archives: Oscar Mercado

Indians win despite another rain delay

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The Cleveland Indians found themselves waiting out a second straight rain delay but were still able to defeat the Detroit Tigers 8-0.

Offense was not a problem for the Cleveland Indians Tuesday. The Tribe raced out to an early 7-0 lead by the bottom of the third inning. Jake Bauers drove in the first run with an RBI single. Francisco Lindor doubled to bring home Bauers and Tyler Naquin. Oscar Mercado continued his home run streak by hitting another big fly, his third in the last two games. Facing the Tigers has been quite helpful for Mercado as he has gone 4-9 in the series with three home runs and four RBI’s.

Jose Ramirez continued his hot streak with an RBI double. Ramirez has now hit in eight straight games and nine of the past 10. During the past 10 games Ramirez is slashing .310/.318/.619/.937 with four doubles, three home runs and 10 runs driven in. It certainly seems like Ramirez has returned to form. Something that the Indians desperately needed.

Ramirez would score on a fielding error which saw Jason Kipnis reach base.

Another rain delay came at the absolute worst time

This meant that Zach Plesac’s day was done. The two hour rain delay prematurely ended his start as he only went three innings Plesac did not allow a hit in his brief start, although he did walk one batter and strike out one.

The game became a bullpen affair due to the rain delay. Tyler Clippard allowed the only Tigers hit of the game during his two innings of work. Clippard also managed to strike out two batters. Nick Goody earned the win, pitching two innings and striking out three.

Tyler Naquin hit a home run in the bottom of the sixth for the Indians final run of game to make it 8-0.

Brad Hand got the night off as Tyler Olson pitched the final two innings and struck out two. Hand was not really a candidate to see some work due to the score and his use in the past few days. Hand could be used if a save situation occurs over the next games.

There were only two hitters in the Indians lineup who did not record a hit. Carlos Santana and Roberto Perez. Both went 0-4 on the day but did not strike out.

Cleveland has secured a split in the series after winning the first two games and can win it with a win on Wednesday. Game 3 is at 7:10 P.M.

Indians wait out rain delay, defeat Tigers

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The Cleveland Indians were able to continue rally after waiting out a rain delay and were able to defeat the Detroit Tigers by a score of 8-6

After finding themselves ahead 2–0 in the second inning things nearly spiraled out of control for the Cleveland Indians. The Detroit Tigers scored four unanswered runs to take the lead as they teed off on Adam Plutko. Plutko would be chased in the sixth after a Jeimer Candelario home run. Cleveland would tie the game in the sixth thanks to Tyler Naquin driving in two runs with a double. Then the rain delay came.

After nearly an hour the Indians returned the field and apparently were ready to swing the bat. Oscar Mercado hit is second home run of the game (his first coming in the fifth inning) and Jose Ramirez drove in two more runs with a double of his own. Leading 8-5 in the ninth Brad Hand came on for the save. While he did close the game he did allow a home run, a solo shot off the bat of Jordy Mercer.

The group of Tyler Olson, A.J. Cole, Nick Goody and Nick Wittgren combined to pitch 2.2 innings and only allowed one hit while striking three. Olson did allow two baserunners due a to walk and a hit. Cole walked one batter and the duo of Goody and Wittgren walked one batter each.

The Indians bats were hot all around except for Bobby Bradley. Bradley was the only Cleveland hitter to hitless (0-4) on the night. Mercado led the Indians offense with three hits, two of which were the aforementioned home runs. Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Mike Freeman and Tyler Naquin each collected two hits. Carlos Santana, Jordan Luplow and Roberto Perez each finished with one hit apiece.

Game 2 is Tuesday at 7:10 P.M.

Indians season review at the All-Star Break

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The Cleveland Indians season has not exactly gone to plan thus far but even with all the adversity they are still in the thick of the playoff hunt.

Maybe the All-Star Break is not the best thing for the Cleveland Indians at this moment in time. The Tribe are one of the hottest teams in baseball, winners of six straight including 23 of their past 31 games. After trailing the Twins by double-digits in the standings, Cleveland is only 5.5 games back of Minnesota. The Indians are up by 1.5 games over Oakland for the second Wild Card spot. The postseason is not out of the question at the All-Star Break after multiple instances that may have derailed other teams.

Pitching Rotation

Cleveland’s pitching staff was thought to be the strength of the team. The Indians would rally behind the likes of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger and Trevor Bauer. The only problem is that has not been the case. Clevinger has missed the majority of the season and only just returned to the rotation recently Corey Kluber is still recovering from a right arm fracture and any contribution from Kluber going forward is bonus. Trevor Bauer has not pitched up to the level that most expected. Bauer is one to always be working and tinkering with his mechanics and pitches. His regression form past season may be due to a bit of overwork on his pitches.

Then there is Carlos Carrasco. Carrasco went on the injured list in early-June with an undisclosed blood disorder. It is only know that Carrasco informed everyone that he has diagnosed with Leukemia. The reality of the situation is that Cleveland should be prepared to not have Carrasco for the remainder of the season. Carrasco’s health comes first, baseball is a distant second. Carrasco need to make sure that he is right for himself and his family before even considering making a return to baseball.

Cleveland has called upon Shane Bieber to step up his game this season and he has certainly delivered. In 19 games Bieber has an ERA of 3.45 while striking out an average 11.3 batters per nine innings. Bieber has been the best pitcher for the Indians so far this season. Even if the others were available, Bieber still has outperformed the other Indians pitchers.

Bullpen

The Tribe bullpen was quite the contentious area coming into the season. The departures of Andrew Miller and Cody Allen did not sit well with many and most thought the weak spot of the team would be the bullpen. Surprisingly Cleveland’s bullpen has been one of the best in baseball. With a league leading 3.45 ERA, this group has surprised many due to the lack of big names. Outside of Brad Hand, the names in the bullpen are not household names. Names such as Tyler Olson, Adam Cimber, Oliver Perez, Nick Wittgren and Tyler Clippard have held their own this season. The collective 1.24 WHIP (sixth best in baseball) has certainly helped he Cleveland bullpen limit damage so far this season.

Offense

Several players the Indians gave a chance to this season have found themselves phased out. Players such as Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Gonzalez and Leonys Martin saw play time earlier this season. All three are no longer with the club. A disappointing campaign from Jose Ramirez did not help things in the early going, but things have been heading in the right direction as of late.

Carlos Santana has enjoyed one of his best seasons of his career in 2019. Batting just under .300 with 19 home runs and 17 doubles, Santana has been one of the best hitters in the Indians lineup this season. Cleveland will need Santana to continue to produce at the plate moving forward.

The surge of Roberto Perez is a bit surprising. Coming into this season not many thought “Bebo” was capable of this. Slashing .256/.345/.527.872 with 16 home runs and driving in 36 runs. Perez has more than proved that trading Yan Gomes was not the Tribe waving the white flag. In fact the team had confidence that Perez could improve at the plate and take over regular catching duties.

The addition of Oscar Mercado to the lineup has provided a bit more clarity to an outfield that was in limbo coming into the season. Mercado has slashed .281/.328/.427/.755 in 43 games this season. Mercado’s performance has dipped a bit lately, but a break should allow himself to refocus and get ready for the remainder of the season.

After the break outlook

There is a very critical stretch right after the All-Star Break. The Indians begin a 10 game home stand against the Twins, Tigers and Royals. It will be crucial to continue their winning ways, especially against Minnesota. Every win against the Twins closes the gap in the standings by one game and that is truly needed right now.

If things go sideways at any point between that initial home stand and the end of the month, the Indians could find themselves trading players such as Trevor Bauer and Brad Hand. As long as the Indians can keep winning and the Twins lose, the race in the American League Central is not over.

Indians travel to Texas to face Rangers

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The Cleveland Indians travel to Texas to take on the Rangers in a four game series that will impact the Wild Card standings.

Yes it is early to worry about Wild Card standings. However this four game series with Rangers could change where the Indians stand in relation to those standings. Entering Monday Cleveland is a half game out of the second Wild Card spot currently held by Texas. Fresh off a sweep of the Tigers, the Tribe will look to keep things rolling against the team they currently trail in the standings.

The return of Sunshine

Monday will make the return of Mike Clevinger. Clevinger has been out since early April after suffering a major injury in just his second start of the season. The fact that Sunshine will be returning to the Indians rotation now will only help their cause. Clevinger has the chance to kick off the series with a much needed win Monday in his first start in over two months.

Plesac, Plutko and Bieber need to pitch well

Cleveland will also send Zach Plesac, Adam Plutko and Shane Bieber to the mound. Plesac has been impressive this season although he did struggle in his last start against Cincinnati. Plutko has won two straight decisions since being lit up by Tampa on May 23rd. Run support has been Plutko’s friend and could continue to be so in launching pad that is Globe Life Park, but it could also be what knocks him out early. Bieber has had a couple of hiccups as of late, but he is more than capable of shutting down even the best offenses.

Oscar Mercado just keeps hitting

Along with usual production of Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana, the Indians will count on Oscar Mercado to continue his recent success at the plate. In 26 games Mercado is slashing .306/.358/.459/.818 with three home runs and 12 runs driven in. This includes Sunday’s four RBI effort against Detroit. Mercado has cemented himself as a fixture in the Tribe outfield and Cleveland will need him to continue producing at the plate in order to hopefully win this four game series against Texas.

Indians sweep Tigers on the road

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The Cleveland Indians got a much needed three game sweep of their division rival Detroit Tigers on the road this past weekend.

The Cleveland Indians are still trailing in the division by 10 games, but sweeping the Detroit Tigers will only help their cause over the course of the season. Although it seems like scoreboard watching season came really this year the only thing that matters right now is winning games and that is just what the Indians did this past weekend.

Cleveland outscored Detroit 25-6 during the series. Perhaps one of the more interesting stats is that after trailing 3-2 in the third inning of Game Cleveland outscored Detroit 23-3. That is quite the offensive performance, even if the opponent is not really all that good.

Jake Bauers was the hero of Game 1 for the Tribe offense. Bauers went 4-5 and drove in four runs en route to hitting for the cycle. While the cycle may not move the needle for some, it is still an impressive accomplishment. Roberto Perez also went 3-5 and drove in two runs of his own in the 13-4 Cleveland victory.

Game 2 was not the offensive explosion that the first and third games of the series were but Leonys Martin’s steal of home was the highlight.

https://twitter.com/ThisIsIndians/status/1140053556600430592

Martin’s steal in the eighth gave closer Brad Hand a bit more breathing room as he shut things down in the ninth for a 4-2 win.

The third game of the series had highlights for Trevor Bauer, Oscar Mercado and Jason Kipnis as the Indians won 8-0. Bauer finished with a complete game shutout, the first of his career. Oscar Mercado could not be stopped as he went 3-4 on the day and drove in four runs. Kipnis had himself a day as he went 3-5 with a double, a home run and three runs driven in.

Cleveland continues their road trip as they travel to Texas to take on the Rangers.

Indians defeat Reds 2-1 in extras

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Oscar Mercado’s walkoff RBI single gave the Cleveland Indians a 2-1 victory in extra innings in their first game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Where would the Cleveland Indians be without Oscar Mercado? Well for starters they would not have won last night against the Cincinnati Reds. Mercado came through with his first career walkoff hit to give the Tribe a 2-1 win against the Reds. The hit was Mercado’s only hit as he went 1-5 on the night.

Cleveland’s other run came courtesy of a Carlos Santana solo home run in the fourth inning. Like Mercado, Santana only had one hit in the game. Luckily for the Indians both hits were impactful on the overall result of the game.

The Tribe only managed six hits off the Reds Tuesday. In addition the two aforementioned hits, Francisco Lindor went 2-4, Tyler Naquin went 1-3 and Leonys Martin went 1-4. Jake Bauers, Jose Ramirez, Roberto Perez and Mike Freeman combined to go 0-15. This is quite lackluster and will need to change soon if the Tribe want to win more games. Having four consecutive hitters going hitless is not the recipe for success.

Trevor Bauer got the start on the mound and had his best performance in about a month. Bauer went 7.2 innings only allowing one run on six hits while striking out six batters. This is an encouraging sign for Bauer and the Tribe as he finally was able to put together a good performance after a series of not-so-good performances.

After walking Derek Dietrich, Trevor Bauer exited the game and Oliver Perez came on in relief. Perez gave up an infield single and that was it for him on the night. Nick Wittgren got Yasiel Puig to fly out to deep right as the Cincinnati threat was ended. Brad Hand pitched the final two innings of the game and struck out four batters while earning a win.

Cleveland will take on Cincinnati Wednesday at 1:10 P.M. in the final game of the two game series.

Indians slug three homers in win over Yankees

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The Cleveland Indians were able to win their second straight game over the New York Yankees thanks to seven unanswered runs.

Things did not initially look like they were going to the Indians way Saturday. Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius hit a two-run home run in the top of the first giving New York a 2-0 lead. Luckily the Indians rallied with seven unanswered runs to put things away by the sixth inning.

Jose Ramirez drove in Cleveland’s first run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. Carlos Santana scored on the play. Roberto Perez would follow with a game-tying double. In the fifth inning Francisco Lindor doubled with two outs to give Cleveland a run scoring opportunity. Oscar Mercado would follow with a two-run shot to give the Indians a 4-2 lead.

Jordan Luplow got things started in the sixth with a leadoff single. After a Jose Ramirez strikeout, Roberto Perez homered for his fourth consecutive game. With two outs in the inning Kevin Plawecki came through with a solo shot to give the Tribe a five run lead. Cleveland’s eighth and final run of the game came on a Plawecki sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.

Adam Plutko pitched surprisingly well

Cleveland got quite the start out of Adam Plutko. Plutko looked to be in trouble early but was able to work his way deep into the game. Plutko allowed two runs on three hits while striking out four. This was a much improved performance when compared to his last start where Plutko was hit around rather easily. Tampa managed to score seven runs in just over five innings last week. Plutko rebounding with a performance like this against a potent New York lineup is encouraging.

Oliver Perez struggled in his one third of an inning. Perez allowed two runs in the seventh inning bringing New York’s run total to four. Adam Cimber followed and shut things down in the seventh inning. Nick Wittgren locked down the eighth inning and is credited with his seventh hold of the season. Although it was not a save situation Brad Hand came on in the ninth. Hand allowed one hit in the inning but was able to strikeout Giovanny Urshela to end the game.

Cleveland has already won the series and will go for the sweep Sunday at 1:10 P.M.

Indians fall short against Twins

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The Cleveland Indians were unable to complete the sweep of the American League Central leading Minnesota Twins falling short in a 5-4 loss.

The Indians made things interesting in the ninth but were unable to complete the sweep of the Twins. The good news is that Cleveland came away with a series win against the division leader.

Trevor Bauer struggled yet again on the mound allowing five runs, four of which were driven in by Max Kepler. Kepler homered three times in the contest and essentially was the entirety of the Twins offense Thursday. Minnesota did score one run not driven in by Kepler, Mitch Garver doubled in the fifth which allowed Jorge Polanco to score. The bight side is that Bauer pitched deep enough into the game to give the bullpen a rest. This was much needed after Wednesday’s bullpen game. This will also help with the upcoming three game series against the Yankees. Rather than using a bunch of bullpen arms Thursday, they will be rested for an important series at home.

Roberto Perez homered for the third straight game, giving the Indians backstop 10 home runs on the year. This is a career-high for Perez who will undoubtedly continue to hit for power. The home run from Perez got Cleveland on the board in the fifth inning, but were still trailing by three runs. A Tyler Naquin RBI single helped cut into what was now a four run Minnesota lead in the seventh. Perez would follow that up with a sacrifice fly to make it a two-run deficit. In the the bottom of the ninth Oscar Mercado was called upon as a pinch hitter. Mercado blasted a solo shot to make it a one run game. Unfortunately that is where the Indians rally ended as Perez grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

Cleveland will face the Yankees Friday at 7:10 P.M.

Oscar Mercado is delivering at the plate

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The Cleveland Indians desperately needed production from their outfielders and rookie Oscar Mercado is providing just that.

The call up of Oscar Mercado was one of the more anticipated moves for the Cleveland Indians this season. Once Mercado got the call it became very clear he will up here for good.

In 10 games this season Oscar Mercado is slashing .323/.417/.516 with an OPS of .933. Mercado also has three doubles and one home run while stealing two bases. Both stolen bases came in Monday’s loss to the Boston Red Sox. Mercado has also scored nine times while driving in four runs.

As the season progresses is will be hard to justify keeping Mercado out of the lineup. Understandably Mercado did not get a lot of looks against right handed pitching to start his career (righty versus lefty matchup is usually preferred for young players). Although he appears more than capable of handling it. Mercado is actually performing better against right handed pitching (7-18, two doubles, one home run) than left handed pitching (3-13 with one double). The success against same handed pitchers is important for a couple reasons. Mercado will most likely face right handed pitching more often than left handers in his career and the Indians need an everyday outfielder. The ability to hit both will go a long way as the Cleveland outfield appears to be a bit more settled.

The Indians now appear to have a couple of outfielders to build around. As long as Oscar Mercado can continue to produce at the plate it will be hard to keep him out of the lineup. Mercado is a terror at the plate and on the base paths. With how he has performed so far there is not a reason for Terry Francona to keep him out of the lineup.

Indians need to play Oscar Mercado

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The Cleveland Indians called up outfielder Oscar Mercado to help the team offensively but so far has only appeared in one game. That needs to change.

There is a reason the Cleveland Indians called up Oscar Mercado. The offense was not performing up to expectations and needed a jolt. Most expected that jolt to be Oscar Mercado, but so far he has only appeared in one game. This is unacceptable.

While Mercado did go 0-4 with three strikeouts in his first game that is not a reason to not play him. Many players who get the call will struggle early on. What is not helping matters is the fact that Carlos Gonzalez went 3-4 with an RBI and a walk the following day. It is quite possible that the team thought this to be the time Gonzalez finally breaks out. Gonzalez got a late start to the season and sometimes it takes about this long to get going.

With the Indians roster construction at this point in time there is an open designated hitter position. Cleveland does not have a true DH on the roster and that spot could be used for Gonzalez if the team really wants him in the lineup. This would leave the outfield open to Jake Bauers, Leonys Martin, Jordan Luplow and of course Oscar Mercado. Cleveland could even put Bauers at DH to get the other three outfielders in the game. There are multiple ways to get Mercado’s bat in the lineup.

The reason that Mercado did not start with the big league club at the start of the season is that they wanted him to get consistent at-bats. However sitting game after game after the call up is the complete opposite of that. Cleveland’s offense is inconsistent and there is an opportunity to play Mercado on a regular basis. Cleveland is already getting production from Jordan Luplow’s extended playing time. Cleveland should give the same opportunity to Oscar Mercado.