Aardsma enters along with a black cloud. 3 base error by Moncrief in right and a simpler goof by David Adams at 2nd gives the Mariners their 5th run. Pop up ends it, so Aardsma faced 5 hitters and in effect retired them all.

Tribe launches their daily comeback in the 7th:

Adams atones with a double.
Carlin safe on an error and Adams scores.
My namesake Elliot triples in a run.
Raburn the Spring Training Home Run King launches another and the game is now deadlocked at 5. [I forget that we had scored one run in the 4th.]

Lucas Luetge was the victim of all that. Try pronouncing that name in a rush.

[Little did I know, but he's been in the Mariners pen much of the last 2 seasons, with 98 apperances and a 4.40 ERA]

Next Up: Blake Wood. Among the other subs in the 7th is Justin Sellers with his Tribe debut at SS and yesterday's hero Joe Wendle at 2nd (Joe has a good bat but he only plays 2nd which is tough with Kipnis ahead of him. I guess he could become a useful trade asset if he shows he can hit in AA, too. Remember what 2nd base prospect Josh Barfield got the Padres: 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff and pitcher Andrew Brown, which was useful talent.)

RubberDucks come through again in the 9th with RBI hits by Lindor (double), Moncrief (triple) and Rohlinger.

The long stretch of shutout, and mostly perfect inning, relief concludes with Blake Wood, Austin Adams, and Josh Outman.

The Outman cometh.!!!

What a great name....for a pitcher. Not so good for a hitter.


Michael Goodnight also had a great name but he has already said goodnight.

Balfour is not such a great name for a pitcher, though.

LOL! I had to pronounce that one a couple times before I got it.

Mike Aviles Homers Tribe up 2-0 in the first. Carrasco starting vs the Cubs

I come home to find out we won again. Boy our pitchers struck out a few batters!

I'm impressed. Tribe pitching keeps posting zeros. Got to believe Antonetti's phone is ringing off the hook with teams interested in Tribe excess pitching.

Let me say that again.....excess Tribe pitching!!!!!

Keep in mind we were playing the Cubbies!

Since the last post we've played a 10 inning tie and wrapped up another win with 8 shutout innings, featuring 4 by Tomlin, who looks good.

And the miracle of Spring Training works wonders for Asdrubal Cabrera. Goes into Sunday's game struggling at .200, goes 2 for 2, and now he's doing just fine at .297

It will take more than one good day for Michael Bourn to draw any optimistic comments. He has managed one single in 14 at bats, hasn't drawn a walk, has fanned 6 times. I assume he will not be a .071 hitter with a .142 OPS but after his weak 2013 and offseason corrective surgery I really would like him to show something good relatively soon. At this point he appears most appropriate for the Number 9 spot in the order with Asdrubal or Brantley at the top.

Lonnie Chisenhall goes deep in race for third: Cleveland Indians chatter



SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Here’s a look at the Indians' victory over Arizona on Tuesday at Salt River Fields and how it influenced the position races to make the Tribe’s 25-man roster.

Score: Indians 7, Diamondbacks 1.

Records: Indians 10-2-1, Diamondbacks 7-7-3.

Start me up: No.1 starter Justin Masterson pitched four scoreless and hitless innings against Arizona. No other candidate for the rotation pitched.

In the pen: After Cody Allen and Bran Shaw pitched an inning each, bullpen hopefuls David Aardsma, Scott Barnes and Austin Adams each pitched a scoreless inning. Adams, who worked the ninth, struck out two.

Hot corner: Lonnie Chisenhall, competing with Carlos Santana at third, went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.

Arm strength: Catcher Yan Gomes displayed his arm strength and quickness when he bobbled a Masterson pitch and still managed to throw out Shelley Duncan trying to steal second base.

Veterans corner: Jeff Francoeur, trying to win a job in the bench, went 1-for-3 and initiated two double plays with from right field.

Prospect watch: Francisco Lindor went 1-for-3 in a start at DH. Dorssys Paulino, in his first Cactus League game, hit a two-run double in the ninth.