Jason Donald has experienced an interesting two weeks at the plate as a rookie shortstop with the Indians.
Jason Donald's first big-league home run on Tuesday night came at the expense of a former Cy Young Award winner, the White Sox's Jake Peavy.
INDIANS CHATTER
Clubhouse confidential: Pinch-hitter Shelley Duncan had a two-run single in the ninth Wednesday to pull the Indians within 5-4 of the White Sox. Duncan is 2-for-3 as a pinch-hitter since being promoted from Columbus on May 19.
The other Tribe pinch-hitters are 0-for-10 this season.
Duncan has started once, going 1-for-2. He has three RBI and two walks in four games.
“Shelley's had some good at-bats since he's been up here,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “What I like about him is, he lets it go.”
Long time coming: In the eighth inning Tuesday night, Tribe second baseman Luis Valbuena's squeeze bunt drove in Austin Kearns. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was Cleveland's first successful squeeze since May 17, 2003, when Omar Vizquel bunted and Matt Lawton scored against the Athletics.
Talbot rules: Rookie right-hander Mitch Talbot beat the White Sox on Tuesday night to improve to 6-3 with a 3.73 ERA in 60 1/3 innings of nine starts. He ranks among American League rookie leaders in several categories, including victories and innings.
According to Elias, Talbot is the first Cleveland rookie to win six starts in the team's first 50 games since Herb Score did so in his legendary 1955 season. The Indians are 17-28.
The Indians acquired Talbot from Tampa Bay in December as the player to be named in the Kelly Shoppach trade.
Russ Bus heating up: Russell Branyan, 2-for-5 Wednesday, is 7-for-19 with two doubles in his last five games. Branyan made a mistake on the bases in the fourth inning, getting thrown out trying to go from second to third on a one-out grounder to short.
“I didn't have to tell Russell what he did,” Acta said. “He told me he got a little antsy. No excuse for it, and he knows it.”
Stat line of the day: Tribe right-hander Jake Westbrook, who started and lost Wednesday, is 8-13 with a 5.06 ERA in 30 games (24 starts) against the White Sox.
— Dennis ManoloffCLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Donald has experienced an interesting two weeks at the plate.
On May 18, Donald went 2-for-3 in his first major-league game after being promoted from Class AAA Columbus. The shortstop was then hitless in 12 at-bats the next three games.
Donald has rebounded to go 6-for-15 in his past five, including a 2-for-3 in Wednesday's loss to the White Sox.
"After the debut, I started thinking too much," he said. "I started analyzing and trying to be too perfect. I can't do that. I've gotten back to a simple, basic approach. I'm up there competing, looking for a good pitch to hit."
Donald has been solid defensively, although he did commit his first error Wednesday.
"We're excited about the kid," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "We like his energy, the way he plays the game. He's about going hard all the time."
Wednesday morning, Donald was humble when discussing his first major-league homer. The previous night, he went deep off White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy in a 7-3 victory.
Donald's shot off Peavy, a former NL Cy Young Award winner, led off the third inning. The ball sailed into the left-field bleachers.
"I closed my eyes and swung," he said with a chuckle. "I felt like I made good contact, and I knew it had a chance. But I don't hit many homers, so I needed to see the ball clear the wall before I believed it."
The homer was Donald's third of the season. He hit the first two with the Clippers, for whom he played 37 games until being promoted May 18. Entering this season, Donald had 29 homers in 359 minor-league games since his pro debut in 2006.
Donald said he spoke by phone with his father and former coach, Tom, late Tuesday night. Tom Donald was coaching Buchanan (Calif.) High School in the playoffs when he heard the news.
"The athletic director told him in the middle of the game," Donald said. "My dad told him, 'I'll check it out later.'"
To secure the home-run ball, the Indians traded a Shin-Soo Choo-autographed baseball and four tickets.
"Choo picked me up," Donald said. "That's a good teammate. I very much appreciate it."
Asked if he was hurt that the fan did not ask for a Donald-autographed item, the shortstop said: "Not at all. I'd be asking for something from Choo, too."
Choo was more than happy to help.
"I know how special the first home-run ball is," Choo said. "I will never forget my first homer. I can't forget that game."
On July 26, 2006, the Indians acquired Choo from the Seattle Mariners. Two days later, he made his Tribe debut -- against the Mariners. He homered off Felix Hernandez in the Indians' 1-0 victory.
Pronk confused: In the ninth inning Wednesday, pinch-hitter Travis Hafner walked with the bases loaded to cut the Tribe's deficit to 5-2. The pitch was close. After taking several steps toward first, Hafner turned and walked back toward plate umpire Rob Drake.
Hafner feared the worst.
"I saw runners going back to bases, and the reaction of the crowd seemed to be a groan, so I thought maybe I got rung up," he said. "I wondered if he rung me up without saying anything. It was my fault. I should have just kept going to first."