Managing and coaching interleague games under National League rules is a rush, even if teams such as the Indians have started slowly in the land that does not recognize the designated hitter.
The results weren't very good over the weekend, but Manny Acta made it clear he enjoys the constant deliberations involved in managing under National League rules. "To me it's fun," said Acta. "It keeps you on your toes the whole time."PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Indians haven't played well under National League rules in the first third of this nine-game trip through Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Cincinnati. Losing two out of three games in a series between last-place teams over the weekend probably said more about the Indians than it did the Pirates.
Still, there's no denying it's a different game when the designated hitter sits and the pitcher has to bat. The Pirates series produced situations manager Manny Acta wouldn't have faced, or may have handled differently, in the American League.
In the Indians' 4-3 victory Friday, they went into the seventh inning with a scoreless game. The Indians took a 1-0 lead with one out on Jason Donald's single. Starting pitcher Fausto Carmona was due to hit next and Acta let him, even though there were runners on first and second and idled DH Travis Hafner was available to pinch hit.
Carmona struck out, but the Indians went on to score three two-out runs that inning for a 4-0 lead.
Acta said it was a "no-brainer" to let Carmona bat. "He was pitching well and we had the lead," he said. Carmona needed only 69 pitches to throw six scoreless innings. He already had six strikeouts.
Part of the Indians' strategy going into this stretch of interleague games was to find the best spots possible to use Hafner as a pinch-hitter.
"We're always trying to figure out a way to get Pronk to the plate with runners in scoring position," said bench coach Tim Tolman. "When you have a full-time DH, who is a big part of our offense and we're not able to use him, we want to make sure we use him right."
Jamie Moyer has a personal seven-game win streak against the Indians entering Tuesday's start in Philadelphia.CLEVELAND INDIANS VS. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park.
When: Tuesday through Thursday.
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.
Pitching matchups: RHP Mitch Talbot (7-5, 4.21) vs. LHP Jamie Moyer (7-6, 4.76) Tuesday at 7:05; Jake Westbrook (4-4, 4.76) vs. RHP Kyle Kendrick (4-2, 4.48) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. and RHP Fausto Carmona (6-5, 3.31) vs. RHP Joe Blanton (2-5, 6.96) Thursday at 1:05 p.m.
All-time series: The Indians and Phillies have split six interleague games.
Indians update: They’re 4-8 in interleague play and look overmatched by the National League’s emphasis on speed and little ball. They lost two out of three to the Pirates, making three errors Sunday. Twice in the last six games an opposing runner has scored from second on an infield hit because of their slow and inattentive fielding.
Phillies update: Manager Charlie Manuel’s team is only 5-7 in interleague play. The Twins beat them Saturday and Sunday. Moyer, 47, renews acquaintances with the Indians Tuesday. Moyer is 10-7 overall against the Tribe, winning his last seven decisions against them.
Injuries: Indians — RHP Anthony Reyes (right elbow), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (broken left forearm) and CF Grady Sizemore (left knee) are on the disabled list. Phillies — LHP Antonio Bastardo (left elbow), LHP J.A. Happ (left forearm), SS Jimmy Rollins (right calf) and RHP Ryan Madson (right big toe) are on the DL. C Carlos Ruiz (head injury) is day to day.
Next: The Indians complete this nine-game interleague trip by opening a three-game series in Cincinnati on Friday.
— Paul Hoynes
In Saturday's 6-4 loss, that spot arrived in the sixth inning. Russell Branyan's three-run homer had cut the Pirates' lead to 5-4. There were two outs, but the bases were loaded. That's when Acta pinch-hit Hafner for losing pitcher David Huff.
"I thought it was perfect for Haf," said Acta. "They had to pitch to him. They had nowhere to put him. We didn't have to double switch. It was just perfect."
In 2006, while playing against the Reds in Cincinnati, Hafner hit a pinch-hit grand slam. That did not happen Saturday as Evan Meek retired Hafner on a bouncer to the mound.
"You've got to give credit to Meek," said Acta. "He did his job and got him out."
In the eighth, with the Indians still trailing, 5-4, Jhonny Peralta doubled with one out. Acta, with rookie catcher Carlos Santana available to pinch-hit, kept him on the bench. Instead Anderson Hernandez pinch-hit for Luis Valbuena and struck out. Mike Redmond, who started at catcher, lined out to right to end the inning.
Acta said he didn't want to take a chance of the Pirates walking Santana with first base open to face the eighth and ninth hitters in the lineup.
Added Tolman, "At that point, Carlos is the ultimate weapon. We don't know what they would have done, but walking him was one of the logical things they would have done to take the bat out of his hands."
Santana pinch-hit with one out in the ninth and walked.
Against the Pirates, Hafner was used as pinch hitter three times. He was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning Friday, grounded out Saturday and did the same in the ninth inning Sunday.
Acta complained last week that it was unfair to have AL teams play nine straight interleague games under NL rules because the DH is a big part of those teams. The complaint does not mean he doesn't enjoy interleague play.
"To me it's fun," said Acta. "It keeps you on your toes the whole time. It does the same thing to your bench coach and everybody around you, including the bullpen coach."
Bullpen coach Scott Radinsky made 557 relief appearances in the big leagues, 318 in the AL, 239 in the NL.
"I love it," said Radinsky of NL rules. "It's action. If they have an option of bringing a left- or right-handed hitter off the bench, we get a left- and right-hander up in the bullpen. You don't know who's running a deke."
After playing 64 games under AL rules, where the biggest decisions for a manager are when to remove his starter and how to use the bullpen, managing and coaching in the NL is a kick.
"I'd go as far as to say it's exhilarating," said Tolman.
Imagine how it would feel if the Indians managed to win a few of the six remaining games before they return home?