Cleveland Sports Forum

It's gettting kind of bizarre: We keep adding major players to the DL while we keep on winning. There has to be a limit to that, however. Not happy to see that Grady this season's knee hurts like last year's knee does.

Acta on the pregame says its nothing like Adam Miller. One is tendons, the other ligaments. I forget which is supposed to be worse

It'd be kind of hard to get more serious than Adam Miller's injury when it comes to fingers.

CLEVELAND -- Before the game, Asdrubal Cabrera tossed tennis balls to his 3-year-old son, Meyer, who belted them around the field while wearing dad's No. 13.


Dad did the same thing to the Cincinnati Reds.

Cabrera went 5 for 5 with two homers and a career-high five RBIs as Cleveland completed a three-game sweep of Cincinnati, beating the reeling Reds 12-4 on Sunday to -- at least for the moment -- grab bragging rights as Ohio's best team.

A Big Hit at Shortstop
Asdrubal Cabrera is the fifth shortstop in the live ball era (since 1920) with five hits and two homers in a game. He's the first since Barry Larkin did it in 2000.

Player Team
Asdrubal Cabrera 2011 Indians
Barry Larkin 2000 Reds
John Valentin 1995 Red Sox
Cal Ripken Jr. 1983 Orioles
Roy McMillan 1960 Reds

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Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Edinson Volquez (3-2) for the Indians, who did early damage after winning the series' first two games with late-inning comebacks. Cabrera added a solo homer in the sixth to give Cleveland an 8-4 lead.

"He was a one-man show at the plate," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He was unbelievable. He was on every pitch, and he has played like an All-Star for us since Day One."

Michael Brantley, Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo -- the top three hitters in Cleveland's lineup -- went a combined 10 for 12 with six runs and nine RBIs as the Indians, now seen more as a contender than early season surprise, moved 14 games over .500 for time since 2007.

With its first sweep of the Reds in seven years, Cleveland improved baseball's best record to 29-15 -- 18-4 at Progressive Field, tying the best home start in franchise history.

"They are tough at home," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "They are playing good baseball. Whatever they needed, they got this series."

Carlos Carrasco (3-2) gave up four runs in six-plus innings, handing the Reds their fifth straight loss. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce hit solo homers off the right-hander, who was lucky that several line drives were hit directly at Cleveland fielders.

"We hit four, five, six balls well that on other days would have been doubles," Cincinnati outfielder Chris Heisey said. "That's baseball. You get days where you nub three or four and they go for hits. But Cleveland made some good plays."

After horsing around on the field with Meyer, who insisted that his dad pitch to him outside and not in the indoor cages, Cabrera's day against the Reds didn't start well. The steady shortstop made a throwing error on Drew Stubbs' grounder leading off, but he more than made up for it with his first five-hit, multihomer game. Cabrera also had an error in the sixth, but it didn't cause any harm.

The Indians missed Cabrera last season, when they lost 93 games. He was out two months after breaking his left forearm in a collision with former Indians third baseman Jhonny Peralta. Other than that, the 25-year-old Cabrera has been everything the Indians could have hoped for since they called him up in the 2007 playoff stretch.

Now healthy, there isn't a shortstop in the AL playing better.

"We think he's one of the best at his position," Acta said. "We're glad we have him."

Cabrera's name rarely, if ever, gets mentioned in discussions about the league's top shortstops. It might be time he's included in those conversations. He's batting .302 and leads the team with nine homers and 32 RBIs. This month, he's batting .360 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 18 games.

"I'm just trying to do good things for the team," said Cabrera, who doesn't worry about outside attention. "I'm just thinking about trying to win the game and do what I can do. And have fun."

The weekend series began ominously for Cleveland. On Friday, the club placed DH Travis Hafner on the disabled list with a strained side muscle, a move that came a few days after Grady Sizemore went on the DL with a bruised right kneecap.

Those were the first major signs of trouble for the Indians, who have shaken off losing two major pieces and continue to win over any lingering doubters.

"We've got a good team," Cabrera said. "We know it, and we just want to keep it going."

The Reds were within 8-4 in the seventh and had two runners on with none out, but Chad Durbin came on for Carrasco, struck out two and worked out of the jam.

The Indians then blew it open in their half on RBI doubles by Jack Hannahan and Brantley, Cabrera's run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly by Choo.

As has been the case all season, Volquez was in an early hole -- and this time, the Reds helped him dig it.

The Indians scored four runs in the first against the right-hander, who has an 18.00 ERA in the opening inning, perhaps the main reason he has trailed in all 10 starts.

Brantley led off with an infield single, and Cabrera hit his eighth homer to make it 2-1. Choo followed with a double and moved up on a groundout before Travis Buck walked. With Orlando Cabrera batting, Buck broke for second, but stopped and got into a brief rundown.

Second baseman Brandon Phillips chased Buck but missed the tag before throwing home. Catcher Ramon Hernandez attempted to get Choo at third, but his throw sailed over Scott Rolen's head and rolled to the wall, allowing Choo and Buck to score easily.

Votto gave the Reds a 1-0 lead in the first with a 431-foot shot into the bleachers in left-center, an area rarely reached by left-handers. It was the reigning NL MVP's sixth homer -- first since April 27.

Game notes
Cleveland didn't win its 18th home game last season until July 16. ... Aroldis Chapman, on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder inflammation, will make a rehab start on Monday with Triple-A Louisville. Pitching coach Bryan Price said Chapman's control problems stemmed from him over-rotating his shoulder during his delivery. ... Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff said Sizemore will increase baseball activities the next three days. Soloff deemed it an "important milestone" in Sizemore's recovery. ... Indians RHP Josh Judy made his major league debut in the ninth. ... The "Ohio Showdown" series drew 99,086 -- the Indians' highest weekend attendance since the final week in 2008.

CLEVELAND -- Indians rookie Alex White didn't want to use the word -- and then he did.

"Heartbreaking," he said.

Considered one of the top pitching prospects in Cleveland's organization, White will be sidelined at least two months with a sprained ligament in his right middle finger, a major setback for the 2009 first-round draft pick.

The 22-year-old White injured his finger while throwing a slider in the third inning of Friday night's game against Cincinnati. On Saturday, he underwent an MRI and was examined by hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham before being placed on the disabled list.

Head trainer Lonnie Soloff said White, the No. 15 pick two years ago, isn't allowed to pick up a baseball for three to four weeks. Soloff said surgery is not currently an option and that he's "cautiously optimistic" White will pitch again this season.

White, who went 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in three starts, is confident he'll be back on the mound for Cleveland in 2011. He can't imagine the alternative.

"This is just another test," he said. "I have no doubt at all I'll be back. I just want to help this team win. I want to be a part of this this year, and that's the frustrating part. We have such a good team and I want to be part of all the fun."

White will wear a splint for the next few weeks to protect the ligament, which holds down a tendon in the finger.

He stayed in the game after getting hurt, but Soloff said White didn't cause any further damage. White told the Indians he had experienced some past soreness in the finger, and Soloff said it was only a matter of time before he injured the ligament.

"If it didn't happen two days ago, it was going to happen at some point," Soloff said.

White was encouraged that he was able to keep pitching effectively despite being hurt.

"It's a good thing I stayed out," he said. "It popped and it hurt, but knowing I could still pitch and had good velocity and got guys out -- I had to find the zone again with a little different size to my finger -- but I think it was a good thing mentally, knowing that I was still able to pitch."

Soloff said White's injury is not the same as the one that derailed the career of right-hander Adam Miller, another of Cleveland's first-round picks. There are similarities, Soloff said, but Miller had other issues with his finger that made his injury unique.

"In Miller's case, there were other complicating factors," Soloff said. "He had a tendon issue, and Adam also had a fissure, as well, that was a cause for concern for infection. The two cases are similar in the sense that they both involve a long finger, but after that there don't appear to be any similarities."

White's injury isn't common in baseball, but one often seen in rock climbers, Soloff said.

In his brief time with the Indians, White showed the poise and polish that has the Indians believing he may one day anchor their rotation. Last season, he went a combined 10-10 at Class-A Kinston and Double-A Akron and was recognized as Cleveland's top minor league pitcher.

"It's a blow for us," manager Manny Acta said. "You always worry about pitching depth and you want to have at least eight guys -- five guys up here and three guys at Triple-A -- that you can count on. He gave us that, and now without him we're a little thin.

"It weakens our depth."

One of the possible repercussions from Sizemores' recent knee problem is a loss of confidence in both knees, resulting in diminished returns on the field.

Perhaps that means he will return to LF with Brantley in Center? Or DH while Travis out with Carrera in Center?

I'd DH him while Hafner is out.

As expected, the team with the best record in baseball begins a three-game series at Progressive Field tonight (7 ET on ESPN2 & ESPN3.com). But it’s the Cleveland Indians who sit atop the majors, not the visiting Boston Red Sox.



Masterson
Justin Masterson is a big reason that the Indians have allowed the fewest runs in the American League. He won his first five starts and currently sports a 2.52 ERA.

Since Cleveland acquired him from Boston as part of the Victor Martinez deal in 2009, Masterson has also pitched well against the Red Sox.

He did not face his former team when Cleveland swept Boston in the season’s opening week. But in two starts against the Red Sox last year, he surrendered one run in 14 innings and held them to a .133 average, as the Indians won both games.

The right-handed Masterson has limited right-handed batters to a .141 batting average, the lowest of any major-league pitcher this year. Lefties are hitting .326 against him, the fourth-highest average in the majors (minimum 100 PA).

Left-handers have an OPS against Masterson that is over twice as high as right-handers, and righties both miss and chase his pitches at a much higher rate.

Justin Masterson This Season
vs LHH vs RHH
BA .326 .141<<
OPS .814 .396
Miss pct 16.4 26.7
Chase pct 24.2 31.5
>> Best in MLB (min. 100 PA)
Those differences could prove dangerous for Masterson tonight. Seven of Boston’s nine regular hitters bat left-handed, including switch-hitters Jed Lowrie and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Curiously though, of those seven batters, six have faced Masterson before (Gonzalez excluded), and they have combined for a .185 average (5-27) with 2 home runs.

Another key for Masterson will be continuing his success at inducing ground balls. At 59.7 percent, he has the fifth-highest ground-ball rate of any pitcher this season. According to Fangraphs, the Red Sox are an average team in that category this year, ranking eighth in the American League at 44.3 percent.

Justin Masterson and the Indians go for their sixth straight home win over the Red Sox, tonight at 7 ET on ESPN2 & ESPN3.com.

CLEVELAND -- Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore did agility drills and took batting practice without any problems, and is on schedule to come off the 15-day disabled list later this week.

Sizemore has been out since last week with a bruised right kneecap, which he injured sliding into second base on May 10. He's eligible to come off the DL on Thursday, and manager Manny Acta indicated the three-time All-Star should rejoin the Indians for their upcoming trip to Tampa Bay and Toronto.

Cleveland has baseball's best record, but is eager to get Sizemore back. The leadoff hitter was playing well in his comeback after missing most of last season following microfracture surgery on his left knee.

Acta said Sizemore looked good while running and cutting in the outfield before Monday's series opener against Boston.

The early season surprise label is quickly fading for the Cleveland Indians.


A strong showing against the surging Boston Red Sox would only further their case of being a legitimate contender.

In Monday night's series opener at Progressive Field, the Indians look to win their fourth in a row against a Red Sox team seeking its ninth victory in 10 games.

It was somewhat expected that Cleveland (29-15) would regress a bit after opening the season a stunning 12-4, but the club has continued to flourish and owns a seven-game lead atop the AL Central, easily the largest of the division leaders.

The Indians, who have tied the best home start in franchise history at 18-4, defeated Cincinnati 12-4 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of the defending NL Central champions.

"We've got a good team," Asdrubal Cabrera said. "We know it, and we just want to keep it going."

Cabrera has been instrumental in the Indians' start -- they rank first in the AL in batting average at .266 and second in runs with 228.

Cabrera went 5 for 5 with two homers and a career-high five RBIs Sunday, and leads the team with nine home runs and 32 RBIs. He is also batting .360 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 18 games this month.

"I'm just trying to do good things for the team," said Cabrera, who homered and had five RBIs against the Red Sox earlier this season. "I'm just thinking about trying to win the game and do what I can do. And have fun."

The Indians swept a three-game home series from Boston from April 5-7, and have outscored the Red Sox 31-12 in winning the last five meetings in Cleveland.

The series in April was part of Boston's disastrous 2-10 start.

The Red Sox (25-21) are playing much better now, though, having gone a major league-best 23-11 since April 16.

Boston arrives in Cleveland after defeating the Chicago Cubs 5-1 on Sunday to close within one-half game of New York and Tampa Bay in the AL East. The Red Sox have plated 54 runs while batting .304 in the last nine games.

Adrian Gonzalez has been the key contributor to this offensive charge, batting .431 with six homers and 19 RBIs in his last 13 games. He also has five home runs and 14 RBIs in his last nine road contests.

Although both team's offenses are playing well, runs could be scarce in the opener with Justin Masterson (5-2, 2.52 ERA) and Clay Buchholz (4-3, 3.42) squaring off.

Masterson has allowed one run in five of his nine starts -- including Wednesday against the White Sox. The right-hander gave up five hits while striking out eight but received no help from his offense in a complete-game 1-0 loss at U.S. Cellular Field. He has received one total run of support in his last three starts.

"I'm just going out there busting my tail," Masterson told the Indians' official website.

Masterson was brilliant against the Red Sox last season, posting a 0.64 ERA in winning both starts.

Like Masterson, Buchholz is also coming off arguably his best start of the season.

Against Detroit on Wednesday, Buchholz allowed four hits while striking out seven in seven innings and exited a scoreless game after throwing a career-high 127 pitches. The Red Sox rallied for a 1-0 win.

Buchholz is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in his four starts this month, and 8-1 with a 2.40 ERA in 10 May starts since the start of last season. The right-hander hasn't fared as well against the Indians, however, going 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA in two career starts against them.

Ten key moments point to Indians' revival

Tribe can turn to these instances that delivered their turnaround

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | 05/23/11 12:41 PM ET

CLEVELAND -- The story of the 2011 Cleveland Indians' stunning rise to the top of the American League Central standings began long ago in a galaxy a world wide web away.

Few were even aware the web contained the personal site of one Carsten Charles Sabathia until the night of Feb. 13, 2008, when said site posted an official statement from the AL's reigning Cy Young Award winner. In it, Sabathia, the Indians' former homegrown ace and first Cy Young winner in 35 years, announced that he was breaking off contract extension talks with general manager Mark Shapiro and assistant Chris Antonetti, making it clear that he would test the free-agent waters at season's end.

There the Indians were, on the eve of Valentine's Day, getting dumped.

Not that any of this was a surprise, really. The economics of the game are such that a player of Sabathia's caliber can command almost anything he wants on the open market and find a big-spending club to offer it. While the Indians made an earnest effort to keep him, offering what would have been the largest contract in club history, they never really stood a fighting chance at keeping CC. He would, of course, go on to wear Yankees pinstripes, becoming the highest-paid pitcher in the game and winning a World Series in 2009.

But that's Sabathia's story. What about the Indians?

Well, they hoped for one last hurrah with their ace in tow in '08. And their rotation, unbeknownst to them, would be further boosted by a 22-win season from Cliff Lee. Yet it still wasn't enough, as the roster was ravaged by injuries and underachievement. They hit a skid in mid-May and never recovered. By early July, they were well out of contention for a playoff spot.

And that's when the first of 10 key turning points that led to this 2011 team took place.

1. Saying sayonara to CC (July 2008)

Like the Bartolo Colon trade of 2002, this was the Indians' attempt to get high-caliber prospects (rather than more risky Draft picks) back for their homegrown ace before he left them as a free agent. Unlike the Colon trade, Cleveland did not necessarily view this as the initiation of a total rebuild, as it still had an eye on contending in 2009.

The Tribe found a perfect bidder in the Brewers, who were in contention in the National League Central and had an eye on their first playoff appearance in 26 years. They were hungry, maybe even a little desperate, and were willing to part with two of the best bats in their system, slugging outfielder/first baseman Matt LaPorta and speedy center fielder Michael Brantley.

Sabathia was a two-month rental for the Brew Crew, who fell in the first round of the playoffs and then lost him to the Yankees without even getting a first-round Draft pick back. LaPorta and Brantley, meanwhile, are now everyday players in this Tribe lineup. Another veteran nearing free agency, Casey Blake, would also be dealt that month, with the Indians getting prized catching prospect Carlos Santana in return.

2. A Draft of impact (June 2009)

After Sabathia was taken 20th overall in 1998, these were the Indians' first-round Draft picks from 2000-07 (note that the club did not have a No. 1 pick in 1999 or 2006): Corey Smith, Dan Denham, Jeremy Guthrie, Michael Aubrey, Jeremy Sowers, Trevor Crowe and Beau Mills.

Aside from a strong second-half showing from Sowers in 2006, none of those players have, to date, made a sustained and meaningful impact in a Tribe uniform.

The Indians restructured their amateur scouting department at the end of '07. Highly touted third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall was taken in the first round in '08 and should join this team before year's end. But it's the selection of Alex White at No. 15 overall in 2009 that signaled the start of an increased emphasis on big-bodied, accomplished amateur arms with good stuff. His arrival to rescue an injury-ravaged rotation shows how far the Indians have come in terms of getting it right with their high-profile picks. Alas, in recent days, White has been injured himself. A sprained ligament in his right middle finger will cost him at least two months.

3. The ousting of Fausto (June 2009)

Two years after he won 19 games and was a viable Cy Young candidate for the Indians, Fausto Carmona was optioned to the Minors in the middle of the '09 season. Carmona was certainly not the first young player to get sent back down for retooling after his big league break-in, but he was one of the few who was sent all the way back down, i.e. rookie ball. That's how mechanically and mentally out of whack Carmona had become.

For the next two months, Carmona worked on his delivery and worked his way up the Minor League ladder before rejoining the team in August. He wasn't completely fixed, but the framework had been established.

Last year, a reborn Carmona achieved All-Star status. This year, he's had some shaky moments, but he entered the year as the only veteran starter with a real track record on which to rely, and that was an essential building block for this starting staff.

4. The fire sale (Summer 2009)

The intent might have been to contend in 2009 (the Indians even invested $20.5 million in Kerry Wood in an effort to shore up their bullpen), but that was not the result. The losing continued, and that led to another round of blockbuster trades. This time, however, the Tribe's course was clear. This was the official initiation of a rebuilding period that threatened to last for years.

Veteran infielder Mark DeRosa was the first domino, shipped to the Cardinals in June for relievers Chris Perez and Jess Todd. Perez was the key acquisition, given his short-term closing experience with the Cards and his fireball-tossing arm. Two years later, he's locked in as the Tribe closer -- an extremely valuable commodity.

The following month, the trade activity would really heat up when reliever Rafael Betancourt and first baseman Ryan Garko were sent packing. But by far the biggest move came on July 29. The Indians played a day game in Anaheim and announced afterward that Lee, the reigning Cy Young winner, and outfielder Ben Francisco were headed to the Phillies.

The move was a stunner, in that the Indians still had contractual control of Lee for 2010. But ownership had made it clear to the front office that no additional financial resources would be committed to the 2010 club, so Shapiro and Antonetti opted to eke as much value out of him as possible. They received four prospects -- right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who has impacted the rotation; catcher Lou Marson and infielder Jason Donald, who have served as role players; and right-hander Jason Knapp, who has high upside but is in Class A ball.

Once Lee was gone, it made no sense to keep catcher Victor Martinez, on whom the Indians also had a 2010 option. He was sent packing two days later. It was a particularly painful move for the Indians and for Martinez, who had a genuine love of the organization that had made him a Major Leaguer. But it has already turned out to be a successful trade, in that it netted the Tribe a quality starter in Justin Masterson, as well as two prospects in Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price.

5. A change at the helm (October 2009)

Eric Wedge was entrenched on the Tribe bench for seven seasons, winning 93 games in 2005 and 96 games and the AL Manager of the Year honor in 2007. Shapiro had often referred to Wedge as his "partner," so philosophically linked were the GM and skipper.

But somebody had to be the fall guy for what transpired in '08 and '09, and, as usual, the manager bit the bullet.

The Indians did not seek a grand departure from Wedge's managerial stylings. They just felt a new voice from outside the organization was needed. In Manny Acta, who had been dismissed by the Nationals earlier that summer, the front office found a voice of optimism and enthusiasm, and a manager who needed them as much as they needed him.

While all managers are ultimately only as good as what their rosters afford them, Acta, whose club lost 93 games last year, made it clear in camp this year that the expectation was to win now, no matter what the skeptics said. That mentality proved contagious in the clubhouse.

6. A new preacher for the pitchers (November 2009)

The managerial shakeup was significant, but a move that was of at least equal significance was the decision a few weeks later to promote Tim Belcher to pitching coach. It was a surprising move, given that the Indians were generally expected to look outside the organization, as they did with the managerial hire, and Belcher had never coached at any level.

But Shapiro and Antonetti knew the mark that Belcher, an accomplished veteran of 14 Major League seasons, had made on the organization as a special adviser, and they felt he'd thrive in this role. They recommended the move to Acta, who approved. And in the time since, Belcher has created a competitive culture in which the importance of getting strike one is strongly emphasized and acted upon.

7. The surgery that saved Sizemore (June 2010)

Medical advancements have played a major role in the Indians getting where they are today. Look to Travis Hafner's shoulder surgery or Santana's knee surgery for proof. But no procedure came with more concern than the one Grady Sizemore had performed on his left knee one year ago.

At one time, Sizemore's injury would have been considered career-ending, but a microfracture procedure that is still relatively rare in baseball rescued him. Given the complex nature of the recovery, there were plenty of questions about what kind of player Sizemore would be once he returned, and some of those questions will continue until he's able to play a full season. But the immediate impact Sizemore made upon his return in April bodes well for his future, assuming his current injury to his other knee is not more serious than the Indians are making it out to be.

8. Momentum on the mound (July to October 2010)

Before the All-Star break last year, Tribe pitchers put together a 4.64 ERA that was the third worst in the AL at that time. In the second half, though, the club had a 3.86 mark that was tied for the fourth best in the league. That included a bullpen ERA of 2.95 that was second best, behind that of the Yankees.

There were three keys to the surge. The first was a staff-wide emphasis on first-pitch strikes that finally began to bear fruit in September. The Indians finished the season with the lowest first-pitch strike percentage (56.2) in baseball, but that number jumped to 59 percent in the season's final month. Momentum was established that would be carried into 2011.

But the other keys revolved around the performance of two starters. One, Masterson, endured such a miserable first half that it was almost assumed that he would be in the bullpen in 2011. The other, Josh Tomlin, hadn't even been on the big league radar entering the year.

Tomlin arrived out of necessity as injuries and the trade of Jake Westbrook ravaged the rotation, and by pounding the strike zone, he went a respectable 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA, lasting at least five innings in each of his starts. Masterson, who was 3-10 at the end of July, finally clicked in August, going 2-0 with a 1.63 ERA in his last four starts.

Though the proof that this was a new trend and not a blip on the radar wouldn't come for several months, a positive pitching tone had been established.

9. A new infield alignment (Spring Training 2011)

With so many ground-ball-inducing pitchers on board, the Indians' defensive issues last season (their 110 errors were tied for the fourth most in the AL) only exacerbated the shakiness of the staff.

Getting full health out of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who missed six weeks with a fractured forearm last season, was a big help. But a huge boost also came from the addition of veteran Orlando Cabrera to man second base and the surprise showing from Jack Hannahan at the hot corner.

Hannahan wasn't even expected to be on the big league roster this season. The Indians were planning to audition youngster Jason Donald before promoting top prospect Lonnie Chisenhall. But when Donald fractured his middle finger on his left hand early in Spring Training, the Tribe was stuck. Hannahan, a Minor League signee, was the best option available and landed the job. He's provided the Indians with the best defense they've seen at third base since the Travis Fryman years of the early 2000s, and it's made a huge difference for the pitching staff.

10. A walk-off wallop (April 29, 2011)

This was a "turning point" in the sense that it was precisely the type of game the Indians would have lost last season, and those in the clubhouse who had experienced the many humbling moments of 2010 pointed to it as a significant sign of the new attitude in 2011.

The Indians were down 5-2 after the top of the seventh, and they were looking relatively clueless at the plate against the Tigers' Max Scherzer. But they tied it up in the bottom of the inning. And in the ninth, they loaded the bases for Santana, who smacked Joaquin Benoit's 3-1 fastball out to right for the walk-off grand slam that lit up the Cleveland night.

For a franchise that had been all but abandoned by the fan base the year before -- when Progressive Field saw the lowest attendance total in the big leagues -- this was the night when the ballpark really began to come alive again. As the Indians' winning ways continue and the magic that seemed to ooze out of that building in the 1990s returns, well, who knows what other surprises might be in store?

Acta, Belcher pushing all the right buttons

Manager, pitching coach have Tribe players believing

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 05/23/11 11:52 AM ET

CLEVELAND -- Manny Acta has his eye on the big picture. The image in the manager's mind involves popping champagne bottles and bringing a World Series crown back to Cleveland for the first time since 1948.

Acta also understands that the big picture is a mosaic made up of a variety of paths to victory.

No matter how young the roster or how small the payroll, the emphasis has to be on finding a way, any way, to win each ballgame. Egos must be checked at the clubhouse door, and the players have to be willing to buy into what Acta and his coaches are preaching.

"That's what you're looking for," Acta said, "guys that are willing to believe in everything we're trying to accomplish here."

Believing and executing are two entirely different things, though, and this is a team that lost a combined 190 games over the past two seasons. Yet as the calendar nears June, the Indians boast baseball's best record at 29-15, and their success is largely due to the solid performance of the pitching staff.

Since Acta's arrival at the start of 2010, he and pitching coach Tim Belcher, along with bullpen coach Scott Radinsky, have helped turn the Tribe's pitching staff into one of the top units in baseball. In a year when the American League Central appears to be up for grabs, Cleveland's timing could not have been better.

"We're leading the American League in victories," said Indians closer Chris Perez, who laughed as he pondered that reality. "That's crazy."

Acta never thought such a prospect was far-fetched.

But performing at such a high level this year?

"To tell you the truth," Acta said, "it has come quicker than I was expecting it."

For Acta, it all begins with the players' willingness to learn, because he is always ready to teach.

On May 1, Acta held a discussion with pitchers Fausto Carmona and Jeanmar Gomez in the dugout while the Indians were playing the Tigers. The manager called the impromptu meeting after instructing Justin Masterson to intentionally walk Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera in the first inning.

Speaking in Spanish, Acta began to explain the thought process behind the move. The manager knew Masterson was not afraid to go right after Cabrera, but Acta felt it was more appropriate to play the percentages. This was about winning the war by conceding one early battle.

"I was trying to tell them that no one is questioning anybody's manhood here," Acta said. "We're just trying to do what's best to win the ballgame. It was about doing what's best for the team."

As Acta spoke, a funny thing happened.

Josh Tomlin got up from his seat on the bench and headed over to join the in-game discussion. Carlos Carrasco, Alex White and Mitch Talbot did the same. Acta had not called to those four starters, but they all wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to add to their baseball education.

"Before I knew it," Acta said, "I had six starters there listening to the conversation. I had to switch from Spanish to English, which was fine. I was like, 'Wow.' The rest of the game, I was so happy. I told so many people about that moment."

The situation with Cabrera was an exception to the real factor at play when it comes to Cleveland's early success.

Since Day 1, Acta has strived for aggressiveness from his pitchers, and Belcher and Radinsky have preached as much to the members of the rotation and bullpen, respectively. That trio has come at the pitchers with statistics to back up their desire to pound the strike zone relentlessly, especially early in the count.

"For two years, we've hammered the statistical advantage of throwing first-pitch strikes," Belcher said. "We've had the analytical people upstairs look at the numbers, and over the course of the last three years, less than seven percent of first-pitch strikes were put in play for a base hit.

"To me, you just turn that statistic around. You say, 'All right, if more than 93 percent of the time I throw a first-pitch strike and it doesn't result in a hit, why wouldn't I do it?'"

Through Saturday, the Indians had registered a first-pitch strike 59 percent of the time -- just shy of Acta's goal of 60 percent for the season. Cleveland's overall strike percentage of 63 was the second-best mark in the AL. The Tribe was tied for first with a ball-in-play rate of 72 percent.

Those percentages show that the Indians' pitchers are firing off strikes at a rapid rate, enticing hitters to swing and trusting that the defense will do the rest. Cleveland's arms can have such faith in the men playing behind them after the organization improved that aspect of the roster over the winter.

The Indians signed veteran shortstop Orlando Cabrera to man second base, added Adam Everett as a backup at multiple spots and brought in the slick-fielding Jack Hannahan for third base. Add in a healthy Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop and Cleveland's pitching staff has the luxury of one of the best infields in the game.

Consider that game on May 1, for example.

With Everett manning third for the day, and the Cabrera combination up the middle, Masterson -- a sinkerballer by trade -- had three natural shortstops playing behind him. Beyond them, Grady Sizemore was in center field and Michael Brantley, who can also patrol center with ease, was in left.

It was a lot of defensive range for Masterson to use to his advantage.

"That builds your confidence," Masterson said.

That confidence is increasing with the results.

Individually, the Indians have enjoyed standout showings from Tomlin (6-1, 2.41 ERA) and Masterson (5-2, 2.52). Throw out a pair of brutal showings against the White Sox and Carmona has a 2.56 ERA. Carrasco, White and Talbot have each spent time on the disabled list, but Cleveland keeps managing to survive.

Overall, the Indians' rotation has gone 19-10 with a 3.63 ERA, and the bullpen has gone 10-5 with an AL-best 2.92 ERA. The way Perez sees it, the strong performances of the relief corps has everything to do with the tone being set by the club's starters.

"Without a doubt," Perez said. "We haven't had many mop-up, sloppy innings for the bullpen to cover this year. The least amount of those, the better. We're being put in the situations that put us in the best position to succeed."

And on the rare occasion when a starter does not last deep into a game, they will probably hear about it from their teammates.

"We'll give a little ribbing," Masterson said. "If a guy only goes six innings, we're like, 'Hey, wow, all you could go was six innings today?'"

That, in many ways, is the attitude sweeping through the Indians' clubhouse. The players are expecting success.

"Everybody came in here knowing that we had a good shot of competing in our division," Tomlin said. "We expect to win as players, and Acta expects to win, obviously. I think if all of us are on the same page like that, it's just great chemistry going forward."

A large reason for that level of confidence is the fact that this run that Cleveland is on did not begin on Opening Day. It dates back to last season.

That is why it seems like everyone except the Indians are surprised by the team's incredible start.

"They pitched well in the second half last year," Belcher said. "In that respect, maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise that they're pitching so well."

Acta and Belcher often cite the second half from 2010, but the roots of this strong stretch can be traced back to June 27. In that game a year ago, Talbot, a rookie at the time, allowed just one run over seven innings in a road win over the Reds. That ended a seven-game losing streak for the Indians.

It also set the turnaround in motion.

Since that outing by Talbot, Cleveland has gone 72-61 with a 3.69 ERA as a team. In the AL, only the Yankees and Rays have had more wins, and only the A's and Angels have had a better staff ERA in the same time period.

Rankings like those are what inspired Acta to deliver an impassioned speech at the beginning of the season. He wanted to make sure the players inside Cleveland's locker room understood just how well they played down the stretch a year ago, even with an injury-riddled, youth-filled roster.

"I just didn't go over there and talk and say, 'Go get them. We can do it,'" Acta said. "I was giving them facts. They play. They don't do analysis of a week, or a month or a half like we do. I was giving them facts."

The numbers indeed opened some eyes.

"I thought we'd be improved as a team," Perez said. "But we didn't know just how good we really played in the second half last year."

They do realize how well they are playing this year, and the Indians do not want it to end.

"We're definitely riding the high end of the roller coaster," Tomlin said. "We'd like to stay like that."

Acta speaks volumes on Buck's approach

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 05/22/11 2:30 PM ET

CLEVELAND -- After watching Travis Buck's first two at-bats result in weakly-hit outs on Saturday, Indians manager Manny Acta had seen enough. Acta called Buck over in the dugout and gave him a quick briefing on his approach at the plate.

The pep talk on pitch selection worked wonders.

In the seventh inning, Buck drilled the first pitch he received from Cincinnati's Homer Bailey over the right-center-field wall for a two-run homer, providing the key blow in a 2-1 win for the Indians. Buck said Acta's message was clear and it helped in that third trip to the batter's box.

"It's more of picking your spots," Buck explained. "You've got to be able to swing at pitches where you think you feel you can do some damage, rather than trying to get a little base hit or just trying to basically put it in play. I never really had a manager come to me like that before.

"It shows how much he really believes in me. It made me realize that we get three strikes before we're out. It's OK to take a pitch middle away if that's not one you can do damage on.

"We give a lot of pitchers credit and, granted, there are so many guys that hit their spots. But sometimes they're going to leave a pitch out over the plate."

Over Buck's past seven games, dating back to April 16 -- the outfielder was at Triple-A Columbus from April 19-May 16 -- all he has done is hit at a .391 (9-for-23) clip, entering Sunday. Part of the success has been a switch to a bat with a thinner barrel. Buck is hoping the revamped approach will help, too.

"Everybody knows what I can do," Buck said. "I've basically been a gap-to-gap guy hitting it the other way the whole time. But I'm 6-foot-2, 230-pounds. I need to be able to pick spots [to drive the ball] and still have the confidence where I can hit with two strikes and still get a hit."

“This time it’s for real”

By Anthony Castrovince/MLB.com

The Windians, as they are now known, have been a growing national curiosity pretty much since April 7, the day they completed a sweep of the Red Sox to improve to 4-2. From that point on, we’ve watched them climb up the “Power Rankings” on every baseball web site known to man, to the point where they are now tops on many such rankings, including our own here at MLB.com.

Now, if I had a dollar for every radio host who has asked me if this team is “for real,” I’d have… like… $12. And hey, that’s lunch, where I come from. Not too shabby.

Implicit in the question, of course, is the assumption that there might be some fluky elements assisting the Windians thus far. That’s fair, given that this team, all incremental improvements from the pitchers in the second half last season aside, really did come out of nowhere. I don’t think anybody’s expecting them to win 100 games.

But a seven-game lead is a seven-game lead is a seven-game lead. That’s what the Indians possess as the Red Sox return this week. And when it’s May 23 and you have a seven-game lead, well, that’s at least remotely real.

To me, Memorial Day is the perfect assessment point for a ballclub. For one, it’s a holiday, and what better way to spend a holiday than to relax with a Bud and a burger and reflect on either how good or how hapless you are? (I assess myself on Arbor Day every year, and it’s always worked for me.)

But Memorial Day is usually ideal because, by that point, a team has played somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 games, which is a nice base. The Wall Street Journal had an interesting story the other day that noted this: Since 1996, just nine percent of teams with a losing record on June 1 wound up with 90 wins. In that same period, the average correlation between a team’s win percentage on June 1 and season’s end is 0.76.

With that — and the Indians’ seven-game lead on the Tigers — in mind, I called up the records after 50 games of every AL Central winner since 1995 and found the following: All but one of those 16 teams were either in first place or within 2 ½ games of the division lead after 50 games. The only exception was the 2006 Twins, who were 23-27, 11 ½ back of the Tigers (who were 35-15 and would go on to finish second and in possession of the AL Wild Card).

So from a historical perspective in this division, the Indians are in pretty decent shape here.

Of course, their physical shape leaves a little to be desired at the moment. A significant setback for Grady Sizemore, whose “bruise” last year turned into microfracture surgery, would not be welcomed. But Sizemore is expected to run the bases this week and could be back by the weekend, so we shall see. The Travis Hafner oblique injury, even if it’s “only” a month, would bring him back just in time for the Indians to play nine straight games in NL parks, so it’s going to be a while before Pronk returns. The Alex White finger issue strikes me as the big one, because it attacks the one area where the Indians undoubtedly don’t possess a tremendous amount of depth, and that’s starting pitching. The Indians can only endure so much, and these hits can’t keep coming. But that’s true of any team.

The schedule will tell us a lot about the Tribe the next couple weeks. This past weekend’s sweep of the Reds was a nice start, and the next 13 games come against the Red Sox, at the Rays and Jays and against the Rangers. But it’s not like the Indians beat up on a bunch of patsies to get to this point. Though I can’t exactly attest to this meaning a whole heck of a lot, ESPN.com has their “strength of schedule” as the best in baseball. And as significant as this current stretch might be from a national perspective, it’s the division play that ultimately matters most.

So… are the Windians for real? The standings say so, history says so and, yes, the power rankings say so. All this considered… yeah, I say so, too. And I’ll really be ready to say it if this holds up through Memorial Day (which, according to my calendar, is just a week away).

Now give me a dollar.

~AC

This links to a list of all shortstops stats for 2011, not including last night. No. 2 to AC in OPS is the guy on the Tigers.
Jeter trails by roughly 250 points.

http://www.draftbuddy.com/baseball/play ... &sort=DESC