Tag Archives: Yu Chang

Cleveland pummels Baltimore 10-3

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The Cleveland Baseball Club completed the four game sweep fo the Baltimore Orioles Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field.

Dingers, dingers, and more dingers. That is the theme of the Cleveland Baseball Club’s 10-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles Thursday. Fresh off their third straight win over the visiting Orioles from the night before, Cleveland put a wallop on Baltimore and hammered three long balls in the contest.

Jose Ramirez got things started for Cleveland with a two-run homer in the bottom of the 1st.

Bobby Bradley would continue his impressive run since being called up with a solo shot to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead.

Eddie Rosario came up to the plate in the 4th with a 3-1 score and added another to Cleveland’s total.

It was just a few innings later that Yu Chang would clobber a two-run blast to give Cleveland a commanding 9-3 lead.

Jose Ramirez would later add the 10th and final run for Cleveland on a RBI groundout.

This was exactly the type of performance at the plate that Cleveland needed with the all hands on deck pitching approach taken on Thursday. Eli Morgan was the starter, but lasted just 3.2 innings. Morgan allowed three runs on five hits while striking out five.

Kyle Nelson (2) and Sam Hentges (1) were the only other pitchers to allow hits in the contest. Trevor Stephan, Phil Maton, and Nick Wittgren combined to 3.2 innings and four strikeouts without allowing a baserunner.

With the home stand now over, Cleveland heads on the road for a three game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates starting Friday.

Cleveland needs to make some roster changes soon

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The time is is coming soon for the Cleveland Baseball Club to make a handful of roster changes.

The theme of the 2021 season for the Cleveland Baseball Club has been transition. Continuing to compete while turning over the roster and finding out about some of their younger players. Well, the time is coming to turn the roster over yet again and find out about some more guys. The team is overachieving record wise and is not really a threat to make a postseason run. With injuries starting to pile up it is best to figure out what the team has in two of the often mentioned options in the minors at the expense of two others on the major league roster.

Those two on the current roster? Jake Bauers and Yu Chang. The two guys in the minors? Bobby Bradley and Daniel Johnson.

Bauers simply has not developed and is just brutal to watch at the plate. Some of that can be due to Bauers not living up to expectations after being acquired from Tampa prior to 2019. Although some of that falls on the organization as they simply have a hard time developing hitters for some time now. Bauers is slashing .198/.287/.292/.579 with a 63 WRC+ on the year, this is just not acceptable production and cannot be justified to keep getting playing time. As far as Chang goes he is nothing more than a bench player. There was some optimisms from certain sections of the fanbase that he could be something more, but he just isn’t really a player that should get regular playing time. Considering the lack of production and an injury to a key offensive player (Franmil Reyes), Cleveland needs players who can play on a regular basis. This just appears to be the perfect time to find out more about some of their players currently in the minors.

And that brings us to Bobby Bradley and Daniel Johnson. Many have been clamoring for them to replace a handful of players on the current roster for quite some time. To the dismay of many they have had to wait their turn, mostly to sort some things out with guys like Jake Bauers. The time has come for them to get their shot at being everyday players so the team can figure out what they are. There are still questions and concerns about if they are able to play at the major league level. Sure, both Bradley and Johnson could struggle as well, but is time to turn the page with Bauers and Chang by opting to go with Bradley and Johnson.

At the end of the day it is about determining whether or not some of these fringe type players can be regular contributors. It does not appear that is the case with Bauers and Chang, which is why going through this process with Bradley and Johnson should begin sooner rather than later. In reality it is more than possible that the true answers for Cleveland are in the next group of players yet to be called up. That is when things should get a bit more exciting down on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

Josh Naylor 8th inning homer lifts Cleveland to win

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An 8th inning solo home run from the Cleveland Baseball Club outfielder propelled the team to a 6-5 victory over the Angels.

After an early offensive onslaught and seven capable innings from Zach Plesac, the Cleveland Baseball Club found themselves in need of some help late in the game with things all tied up. Josh Naylor stepped up to the plate in the 8th and delivered with a solo home run which would give Cleveland their first victory in five games. 

The scoring got started in the 1st inning for Cleveland as they ambushed Andrew Heaney with five runs in the frame. Jose Ramirez started things off with a two-run shot that would drive in Amed Rosario. Harold Ramirez would reach on an error from Angels second baseman Phil Gosselin that also resulted in Franmil Reyes and Eddie Rosario scoring on the play. Yu Chang would proceed to drive in Ramirez with a sacrifice fly to cap off their early offensive assault. 

For Plesac on the mound it was the long ball which got him. Shohei Ohtani responded in the bottom of the 1st with a solo home run, his second home run of the series. Justin Upton would hit a three-run homer in the 4th which scored Ohtani and Anthony Rendon. A surprising home run from Jose Iglesias would tie things up in the 7th setting up the dramatic moment for Naylor in the next inning. 

Bryan Shaw would pitch the 8th inning, striking out two while earning the hold. James Karinchak came on in the 9th to preserve the win with his fourth save of the season. Karinchak would allow one baserunner to reach on a walk while striking out another in the inning. 

Cleveland takes on the Angels in their third and final game of the series Wednesday at 8:07 P.M. The pitching matchup features Aaron Civale facing Shohei Ohtani. 

Yu Chang deserves much better

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The Cleveland Baseball Club infielder was the victim of absolutely disgusting racist abuse online after Monday’s game.

The worst came out of some people following the Cleveland Baseball Club’s loss on Monday to the Chicago White Sox. It was an error from first baseman Yu Chang which led to the White Sox coming out on top and apparently some horrible people decided that attacking him online was a great idea. Chang would post some of the messages he received while tagging one individual who sent them.

https://twitter.com/YutheSouljaBoy/status/1381911675306004482?s=20

The comments coming from these individuals are despicable and completely unnecessary. It takes a special type of horrible person to say these things about another human.

The fact of the matter is that Yu Chang deserves much better than to be attacked for making an error in a baseball game which at the end of the day is meaningless.

Costly error in 9th leads to 4-3 Cleveland loss

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An untimely throwing error lead to a run scoring for the Chicago White Sox in the 9th.

The bottom of the 9th is an awful time for a throwing error to occur, but that is what happened for the Cleveland Baseball Club Monday. Yu Chang, making his seventh appearance at first base in his career threw wide of second base on what should have been an inning ending double play. The ball got far enough away for Nick Madrigal to come around to score and end the game.

This is not something to hammer Chang for all that much. As mentioned above, Chang was making his seventh career appearance at first base, a position he is pretty much learning on the fly. This is just part of the growing pains of a player learning a new position, it unfortunately happened at the worst possible time for this game.

Cleveland did score three runs in this game, which is about as expected for this team. Eddie Rosario got things started in the 2nd inning with a two-run homer, his second of the year. Down 1 in the 6th, Franmil Reyes hit a deep sacrifice fly to center allowing Yu Chang to score. That was the last chance for Cleveland to score with less than two outs in an inning. Every opportunity that followed with a runner in scoring position was with two outs in the inning.

It was the first start of the season for Triston McKenzie and it went about as expected. McKenzie, who is being eased into innings this season, needed 76 pitches to get through 4 innings. During those innings, the young pitcher allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. It was a nAdam Eaton three run homer which did all the damage against McKenzie.

Cleveland has a chance to level the series with Shane Bieber taking the mound Tuesday.

Cesar Hernandez placed on paternity list

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The Cleveland Baseball Club have placed second baseman Cesar Hernandez on the paternity list and recalled infielder Yu Chang.

The Cleveland Baseball Club made a roster move on Tuesday afternoon, placing Cesar Hernandez on the paternity list and recalling Yu Chang. Mike Freeman has taken the place of Hernandez in the lineup Tuesday night.

Cesar Herndanez is slashing .266/.337/.383/.720 in 46 games this season with 16 doubles and 2 home runs. Hernandez has a slightly lower WRC+ this season (95) than his career average (98).

Yu Chang appeared in 8 games this season, slashing .222/.364/.222/.586.

Hernandez’ temporary replacement Mike Freeman is slashing .267/.324/.367/.690 with a WRC+ of 84 in 19 games this season.

Cleveland Baseball Club add players to roster

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The Cleveland Baseball Club have made some decisions regarding who will and who will not make their roster to begin the 2020 MLB season.

After optioning three players (and one more Hunter Wood), the Cleveland Baseball Club have made some additions to their roster for Opening Day. Ryan Lewis reports that the team has informed some previously on the bubble players that they have made the team.

Names of note here are James Karinchak, Mike Freeman, Yu Chang, Domingo Santana, and Bradley Zimmer.

James Karinchak can be described by one word. Electric. Karinchak has absolutely filthy stuff and can be an integral part of the Cleveland bullpen.

Bradley Zimmer has been on fire and has earned a spot on the team. Perhaps Zimmer is able to take advantage of this opportunity and stake a claim to being a starter.

Yu Chang is another player who has been impressive during Summer Camp and has earned the chance to prove himself when games matter. The question in regards to him is whether or not he can do the same against pitchers who aren’t in Cleveland.

Mike Freeman making the team is hardly a surprise. With Jake Bauers being optioned the team needed someone who can play first base when Carlos Santana gets a day off (or is a DH).

Domingo Santana also falls into the category or not surprising. Cleveland is looking for the other Santana on their roster to make an impact in their outfield. Cleveland seems to be using a committee type approach when it comes to this group and is hoping one of their other guys can take that extra step and take on a full time role. Although it is worth mentioning that Santana’s playing time may be impacted on Franmil Reyes’ ability to play in the field, a prospect which doesn’t seem all that likely at this point in time.

Indians option five players to Columbus

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The Cleveland Indians have optioned Logan Allen, Bobby Bradley, Yu Chang, Daniel Johnson, and Scott Moss to AAA Columbus.

Cleveland has made some decisions in regards to some of their players on their roster. The Indians have optioned five players to Columbus.

Logan Allen, Bobby Bradley, Yu Chang, Daniel Johnson, and Scott Moss will start the season with the Columbus Clippers.

Logan Allen is someone the Indians have high hopes for but is not ready at this time. Allen was one of the players that came over in the Trevor Bauer deal and could have a bright future ahead of him despite not having success in his limited MLB action thus far. Allen’s track record in the minors is significantly better and points towards better days for the soon to be 23-year old lefty.

Bobby Bradley had a relatively slim chance to make the team out of spring training. There was simply not a clear path for him to make the roster. If the Indians did not go out and sign Domingo Santana things may have been different. Barring an injury or a

Yu Chang was in the mix for a utility role for the Tribe, but did not do enough to avoid being optioned to Columbus. Chang is someone who it not impressive at the plate and any chance of making the team was reliant on others falling short.

Daniel Johnson was someone of interest considering the Indians outfield configuration. Like Bobby Bradley, Johnson is someone who could have made the team if Domingo Santana was not signed.

Scott Moss will also start the year with the Clippers. Moss is yet to make his MLB debut and the Indians clearly feel he needs a bit more time to work on his stuff.

Indians have options for utility role

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The utility role is not a flashy one, but it is one that is certainly important. The Cleveland Indians have a couple of options to consider when putting together their roster for the all important utility player. 

Mike Freeman

The literal description of not flashy, Mike Freeman is someone who can fill in all over the field. Cleveland deployed Freeman at second, shortstop, third base, and left field last season. Freeman had a career year in 2019 at the plate with a .277/.362/.390/.752, driving in 22 runs with 8 doubles and 4 home runs. The perfect way to utilize Mike Freeman is no more than twice a week to give a regular starter rest. 

Christian Arroyo

This is sort of a low-risk high-reward option. Christian Arroyo was a highly regarded prospect who has had a rough go of it at the MLB level. A mix of injures and inconsistent performances at the plate led to to Cleveland acquiring him from Tampa Bay. Arroyo has experience at second base, third base, and shortstop. The Indians could give the soon to be 25-year old infielder a chance to make an impact at the Major League level. The fact that Arroyo is out of options may lead to the team giving him a shot to start the year before exploring other possible solutions.

Yu Chang 

Probably the least likely option, Yu Chang has experience at third base and shortstop. The problem is his bat is less than inspiring. Chang barely hits over .250 when playing at the AAA or MLB level. It seems like an injury to one of the other options would be the only way Chang makes the Opening Day roster. 

Nobody with first base experience 

The problem the Indians face here is that none of the options have experience at first base. Carlos Santana prefers to play in the field and not DH, but he does need the occasional day off in the field. Jake Bauers could have been an option to make the team due to his ability to play first base and the outfield, but his bat has been non-existent in Arizona.

This seems like it could pave the way for Bobby Bradley to make the team, although there is an obstacle. Defensively he is not great and it seems like Cleveland is more likely to deploy one of Franmil Reyes or Domingo Santana as the designated hitter. That is unless the team punts outfield defense and goes with an offense only approach with Reyes and Santana in the field. This is not a sound strategy and it is doubtful it is under serious consideration.

Indians win first Spring Training game 9-5

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The Cleveland Indians defeated the Kansas City Royals by a score of 9-5 in the Tribe’s first Spring Training game of 2020.

Cleveland Indians baseball is back. Well, kind of. Spring Training is here and after Saturday’s game was canceled, the Tribe took on the Kansas City Royals for their first game in Arizona. Cleveland came out on top by a score of 9-5 and move to 1-0 in the Cactus League.

Hitters of note

As per usual, regular starters usually do not get that much time early in the spring. The trio of Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, and Carlos Santana did not appear in Sunday’s tilt with the Royals. The only for sure regular starter that appeared was Franmil Reyes and he got his spring off with a bang. Reyes came up in the 6th inning and hit a solo shot to give the Indians a 4-1 lead at the time. Reyes would finish 1-3 on the day.

There were a handful of guys looking to make the Opening Day roster who did not collect a hit Sunday. Delino DeShields, Domingo Santana, Bobby Bradley, and Greg Allen were all hitless on the day. DeShields and Allen each walked once while Domingo and Bradley both went 0-3

Yu Chang is another roster hopeful and he started his Arizona campaign strongly, going 2-2 with 2 runs scored.

Another possible utility man Mike Freeman only went 1-3, but did manage to drive in 2 runs with his 5th inning bases loaded single.

Pitchers of note

Jefry Rodriguez got the start for the Indians and allowed one run in 2 innings on two hits and one walk while striking out two. The one run was a Bubba Starling solo home run in the bottom of the 2nd.

Adam Cimber pitched the 3rd inning and his only baserunner allowed was a walk to Nicky Lopez.

Dynamic relief pitcher James Karinchak followed Cimber and pitched a clean 4th inning. Karinchak struck out one batter in his lone inning of work. Karinchak received the win for his effort in Sunday’s game.

Cleveland will face the Colorado Rockies Monday at 3:10 P.M.