A Couple Steps in the Wrong Direction
Last night I turned on ESPN to check out my beloved Indians take on the Red Sox. All the players insisted that this series doesn't mean anything more than any other series. But we know the truth. This two game set means something to both of these teams. The Indians were sitting at a dismal 5-7 record; not the type of start I had expected from a team that many pundits picked to win the World Series. Last night seemed to be what would set the Tribe back on track. They pitched well, played good defense, and had some timely hitting. Until the 7th inning. They let the Red Sox chip away at a tenuous 3 run lead and handed the game over to Joe Blowrowski. And guess what? By the time he hit the dugout its 6-4 Sox.
Now its only about 13 games into the season and every team has the time to turn it around. But it can get pretty late in the season pretty quickly. The Tigers have are 3-10 and have the worst record in baseball. They can't stop giving up runs and are finding it increasingly difficult to score 8 runs per game. But the sad truth is this: the Indians are only 2 games better than the Tigers. And what troubles me even more is that Eric Wedge is really trying to win games. He's using Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt almost every day, like this is some sort of late September pennant race. I think its time that the Tribe make some call ups to address the closer situation. Adam Miller should get an opportunity to close games out and if he doesn't work, then put in Kobayashi or Betancourt. The fact of the matter is, Joe Blow served up an 81 mph fastball right down the pipe to Manny Ramirez. You don't save games that way. And for the Indians, a 5-8 record can turn into a 13-20 record real quick. Hopefully they can get the season turned around before the bell tolls for them.
Up and Comers
I had the chance to watch the Yankees and Rays play last night as well. First off, the Yankees may really be in trouble. Their starters are not going to get the job done this season. Wang is solid as always and Pettite is good for a few quality starts per month. But Kennedy and Hughes need to be more consistent. And as the season progresses, the innings are going to pile up and they will be fatigued. The Yanks bullpen looked dismal against the Rays last night. I don't know who was pitching, but he got blasted twice by BJ Upton and Evan Longoria.
Speaking of which, BJ Upton is a star in the making. He has the speed, the fielding, and the hitting acumen to make him the next Torii Hunter a rung above Torii Hunter. Pairing him with Evan Longoria really gives the Rays a potent lineup. And don't forget about Carl Crawford in the mix. This team can be really exciting to watch this year. All they need is some consistent pitching, and thats about the hardest thing to come by nowadays in the Majors.
The Diamondbacks also seem to have a young and exciting team. Their rotation is stacked at the top with Dan Haren and Brandon Webb. The jury is still out on Micah Owings but he looks to be promising. They also have the other Upton brother Justin who is batting .388 right now and is near matching his older brother's power numbers. The third basemen Mark Reynolds has been putting up some impressive numbers to start the season but its unlikely that will last. If he can keep up a certain percentage of that pace, then the Diamondbacks could have a very good team that knows how to win (as evidenced by their 90 win season last year with a negative run differential).
Whats even more interesting about this seasons is that the supposed basement teams are leading their respective divisions right now. The Orioles are on top in the East, the Royals in the Central, and the A's in the West. Nothing is really guaranteed right now. But if they stay on top for another month, they'll have a good lead going into midseason and the supposed contenders will have to play catchup. The teams in most danger right now are the Indians and the Tigers. I don't think the Royals can keep up their current pace, but the White Sox have found their batting groove and have the pitching to win ballgames down the stretch. I just hope the season doesn't get too late too fast.
Last night I turned on ESPN to check out my beloved Indians take on the Red Sox. All the players insisted that this series doesn't mean anything more than any other series. But we know the truth. This two game set means something to both of these teams. The Indians were sitting at a dismal 5-7 record; not the type of start I had expected from a team that many pundits picked to win the World Series. Last night seemed to be what would set the Tribe back on track. They pitched well, played good defense, and had some timely hitting. Until the 7th inning. They let the Red Sox chip away at a tenuous 3 run lead and handed the game over to Joe Blowrowski. And guess what? By the time he hit the dugout its 6-4 Sox.
Now its only about 13 games into the season and every team has the time to turn it around. But it can get pretty late in the season pretty quickly. The Tigers have are 3-10 and have the worst record in baseball. They can't stop giving up runs and are finding it increasingly difficult to score 8 runs per game. But the sad truth is this: the Indians are only 2 games better than the Tigers. And what troubles me even more is that Eric Wedge is really trying to win games. He's using Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt almost every day, like this is some sort of late September pennant race. I think its time that the Tribe make some call ups to address the closer situation. Adam Miller should get an opportunity to close games out and if he doesn't work, then put in Kobayashi or Betancourt. The fact of the matter is, Joe Blow served up an 81 mph fastball right down the pipe to Manny Ramirez. You don't save games that way. And for the Indians, a 5-8 record can turn into a 13-20 record real quick. Hopefully they can get the season turned around before the bell tolls for them.
Up and Comers
I had the chance to watch the Yankees and Rays play last night as well. First off, the Yankees may really be in trouble. Their starters are not going to get the job done this season. Wang is solid as always and Pettite is good for a few quality starts per month. But Kennedy and Hughes need to be more consistent. And as the season progresses, the innings are going to pile up and they will be fatigued. The Yanks bullpen looked dismal against the Rays last night. I don't know who was pitching, but he got blasted twice by BJ Upton and Evan Longoria.
Speaking of which, BJ Upton is a star in the making. He has the speed, the fielding, and the hitting acumen to make him the next Torii Hunter a rung above Torii Hunter. Pairing him with Evan Longoria really gives the Rays a potent lineup. And don't forget about Carl Crawford in the mix. This team can be really exciting to watch this year. All they need is some consistent pitching, and thats about the hardest thing to come by nowadays in the Majors.
The Diamondbacks also seem to have a young and exciting team. Their rotation is stacked at the top with Dan Haren and Brandon Webb. The jury is still out on Micah Owings but he looks to be promising. They also have the other Upton brother Justin who is batting .388 right now and is near matching his older brother's power numbers. The third basemen Mark Reynolds has been putting up some impressive numbers to start the season but its unlikely that will last. If he can keep up a certain percentage of that pace, then the Diamondbacks could have a very good team that knows how to win (as evidenced by their 90 win season last year with a negative run differential).
Whats even more interesting about this seasons is that the supposed basement teams are leading their respective divisions right now. The Orioles are on top in the East, the Royals in the Central, and the A's in the West. Nothing is really guaranteed right now. But if they stay on top for another month, they'll have a good lead going into midseason and the supposed contenders will have to play catchup. The teams in most danger right now are the Indians and the Tigers. I don't think the Royals can keep up their current pace, but the White Sox have found their batting groove and have the pitching to win ballgames down the stretch. I just hope the season doesn't get too late too fast.
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