Re: GameTime!™

9125
Seddon has somehow pitched 2 perfect 21-pitch innings vs. the RedSox. Cabrera Homer and red hot Tribe with early 1-0 lead.

Bottom 4 in the order hitting: 221, 228, 234, 192. OPS 735 643, 650, 510.

It really is cool to have Michael Brantley hitting #5 or some days cleanup.

Re: GameTime!™

9134
That's about 2 million more than Dolan would be willing to surrender. He likes those bargain rates.
“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller

Re: GameTime!™

9135
Clay Buchholz's two-hitter powers Boston over Cleveland Indians, 3-2

Published: Friday, August 10, 2012, 9:47 PM Updated: Friday, August 10, 2012, 11:31 PM
By Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians' post-losing streak juggernaut was no match for the right arm of Boston's Clay Buchholz on Friday night at Progressive Field.
Buchholz gave up two hits -- a homer and double by Asdrubal Cabrera -- in a complete game as the Red Sox prevailed, 3-2, in front of 27,246 paid. The Indians (52-61) had won two in a row since an 11-game slide. They have lost 17 of 22.

The Red Sox (56-58) improved to 27-24 on the road. They are 4-2 against the Tribe.
Buchholz (10-3, 4.24 ERA) struggled in April but has gotten better and better. He entered Friday with a 5-1 record and 2.21 ERA in his previous 10 starts; the ERA was the second-lowest in the American League in that span. He struck out six and did not walk a batter. One of the runs was unearned.

"That was probably the best game pitched against us so far -- and it wasn't even a shutout," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "The night belonged to Buchholz. We couldn't do anything. The only guy who took good swings against him was Cabrera."

Buchholz threw 72 of 104 pitches for strikes. He crafted the 50th complete game by an opposing pitcher in Progressive Field history, the seventh while holding Cleveland to two hits or fewer.

"The most impressive thing was the way he mixed his pitches," Acta said. "He had great command."

Third baseman Jack Hannahan, who went 0-for-3, agreed this edition of Buchholz was the best the Tribe has seen. "He almost had you looking for a pitch you didn't want to hit," Hannahan said. "He located his fastball, threw a good cutter and kept us off-balance."

Buchholz needed to be sharp because Tribe left-hander Chris Seddon performed well. Seddon allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in six innings, walked two and struck out three. He threw 90 pitches and rebounded nicely from his season debut with Cleveland last Sunday in Detroit, where he allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings of a no-decision.

"I felt a lot more comfortable this time," he said. "That allowed me to pitch down in the zone. I was ahead in the count more and put pitches where I wanted to."

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first. After Ezequiel Carrera struck out, Cabrera blasted a 2-0 fastball over the wall in right-center near the Tribe bullpen. It was homer No. 13 for No. 13.

Seddon retired the first six, including a strikeout of former AL MVP Dustin Pedroia to end the first. Pedroia swung through a fastball that ran in on the hands.

Red Sox DH Ryan Lavarnway dumped a single into right to open the third. With one out, Lavarnway bolted for second on a pitch in the dirt, but catcher Carlos Santana pounced and erased him with room to spare.

Boston broke through in the fourth. Seddon primarily had himself to blame. Mike Aviles drew a four-pitch walk with one out. During Pedroia's at-bat, Seddon threw wildly past first on a pickoff, Aviles racing to third. Moments later, Pedroia lined a 1-2 pitch past a drawn-in Cabrera and into the hole at short.

"I went for the pick and, I don't know, just lost it," Seddon said.

With Adrian Gonzalez batting, Pedroia stole second. After Gonzalez flied to center, Ross was intentionally walked. Seddon bowed his neck and prevented further damage, getting Will Middlebrooks to line to short.

The Indians squandered an opportunity in their half. Cabrera led off by smacking a changeup for a double to right-center. "Those were the only two pitches he missed," Cabrera said of his two hits.

He advanced to third on a grounder, but stayed there when Santana grounded to first and Michael Brantley flied to center.

"In a close game, there's not much margin for error," Acta said.

Boston pulled ahead, 3-1, in the sixth. Pedroia hit a one-out single and trotted home on Cody Ross's two-out homer. Ross blasted a slow-developing off-speed pitch over the high wall in center.

"I should have bounced it," Seddon said. "I'd bounced the one before. I didn't bounce it and he hit it."

Pedroia gave one back in the bottom of the inning. Jason Donald's leadoff grounder somehow eluded Pedroia as he moved toward the mound. Once Donald made a wide turn, shortstop Aviles thought he could get him. But Aviles's throw skipped into the stands, putting Donald at third. The next batter, Carrera, delivered a sacrifice fly.

Cody Allen relieved Seddon and worked a perfect seventh. With one out in the eighth, Aviles singled, becoming just the second batter to get a hit off Allen in his eight appearances since being recalled from Class AAA Columbus (2-for-31).

Esmil Rogers relieved and retired the ultra-dangerous Gonzalez on a 4-6-3. He made sure Allen did not allow a run in his first 10 1/3 innings in the majors.

"Allen has been a pleasant surprise," Acta said.

Among those in attendance was Gaylord Perry, who will be inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame Saturday. Perry won 24 games for the Tribe in 1972 and bagged the Cy Young Award. He is a National Baseball Hall of Famer.