Indians move two up on Royals in race to avoid the AL Central cellar.
View full sizeShelley Duncan watches his three-run homer, which set the stage for Michael Brantley's game-winning double against Kansas City at Progressive Field Sunday.Right now, with six games remaining in the Tribe season, the Indians have a two-game lead over the cellar-dwelling Royals. The Detroit Tigers are in town now for a three-game series to wind up the home nightmare, er, season. The Indians go to Chicago to finish the year against Chicago.
But let's talk Sunday's game. Or rather, let Bob Dutton, the Royals beat writer from the Kansas City Star, talk the game, won 5-3 by the Tribe courtesy of a three-run Shelley Duncan homer and a two-run Michael Brantley double.
CLEVELAND -- If this is the game that, ultimately, condemns the Royals to another last-place finish, say this much: They earned it.Fiascos don’t come much bigger than this.
The Royals threw away a three-run lead in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon when the Cleveland Indians rallied against Robinson Tejeda for a 5-3 victory at Progressive Field.
“I really don’t understand what happened,” said Tejeda, who had allowed just seven earned runs in his previous 48 2/3 innings over 40 appearances.
“Everything happened so quickly. I felt like I made the right pitches. I broke three bats. There was a short fly ball to left. It’s not like I was all over the place (with his command).”
No, but the ball was, which is why at least today, the Indians can pump their fingers in the air and holler, "We're No. 4!"
Big hitter
In the past nine games, an Indian is hitting .321, with four doubles, one RBI and scored three times. Who is this guy chronicled in a story by the Akron Beacon-Journal's Sheldon Ocker and why hasn't he been playing all along?
Well, actually he has. And even with these recent "heroics," Luis Valbuena is hitting only .192.
In Sunday's 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals, Valbuena's eighth-inning hit with Andy Marte on first might have snapped a 3-3 tie, but the ball bounced into the crowd and Marte had to stop at third on the ground-rule double.''Luis can't seem to get anything right,'' Indians manager Manny Acta said. ''His double should have been the game-winner, but it went into the stands.''
Valbuena's backside probably would have been nailed to the bench long ago if not for the release of Mark Grudzielanek early in the season and injuries to Asdrubal Cabrera — which kept Cabrera out of the lineup for a couple of months — and Jason Donald, who hasn't played for two weeks.
But Acta was forced to use Valbuena not only at second but also at third, which is an unfamiliar position for him. Maybe that's a good thing.
Valbuena is only 24 and batted .250 with 10 home runs in 368 at-bats last year. Consequently, the Tribe might be reluctant to give up on him too quickly.
Maybe. He has hit better since he was sent to Class AAA Columbus for a 25-game stretch at the end of June and beginning of July. But even elevating his average to that lofty .250 from a year ago isn't going to make him much more than a utility infielder. Fortunately, as Ocker reports, the Tribe has a couple of prospects -- Jason Kipnis and Cord Phelps -- in the minors who likely will compete for a job in The Show next season.
And so it goes
The Detroit Tigers help the Indians close out their home season with a three-game series that begins tonight. And if there's anything the Tribe didn't need, it's what the Tigers are bringing to Progressive Field, according to an mlive.com preview of the series.
It's big stuff in Venezuela, with native sons Armando Galarraga pitching against Carlos Carrasco of the Indians on Monday night. Galarraga made big headlines with his imperfect game this year. Carrasco, who has fewer career appearances (11) than his age (23), has a 3.03 ERA in five outings this year. The Tigers are finishing this season like they wish they had played it all year. They are on an 8-1 streak, with 67 runs in nine games.
The Royals may have a chance to avoid the basement bedroom after all.
From The Plain Dealer
Writer Dennis Manoloff chronicles the late-inning heroics of Michael Brantley, recuperating from a sore hamstring, coming in for an eighth-inning pinch-hit double to key the win over the Royals.
Dman also used his Indians Insider column to talk to Vinnie Pestano, who recorded his first big-league save with a scoreless ninth in the win over the Royals.