Cleveland Sports Forum

Jun 3, 12:29 AM EDT

Indians fall to Rangers, 7-4


CLEVELAND (AP) -- To Manny Acta, there's a simple explanation for why the Indians have stopped winning at home.

"We didn't swing the bats particularly well," the manager said. "We didn't pitch very well and we didn't play very good defense either."

The all-around poor effort left Cleveland with a 7-4 loss to the Texas Rangers and its first three-game losing streak at Progressive Field, where the Indians have several comeback wins and the best home record in the American League at 19-7.

The Indians scored three times in the second and led 3-0 after four innings, but nothing went right after that. Carlos Carrasco gave up three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth when catcher Carlos Santana committed a throwing error and first baseman Matt LaPorta's mental mistake could have cost the team an out and ended up with two runners getting back safely to their bases.

"It's going to happen here and there," Acta said. "You can't play stellar defense for 162 games. It's got us where we are right now so I'm not going to complain."

The Indians went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position, twice making three straight outs with two runners on base.

The Rangers had only one hit through four innings before their offense took off. Endy Chavez had four hits, Yorvit Torrealba drove in two runs and Nelson Cruz twice doubled to start three-run rallies as the defending AL champions won for the fourth time in their last five road games.

Carrasco (4-3) took a shutout into the fifth, but allowed six runs (five earned) in six innings.

"Carlos was one pitch away in the fifth," Acta said. "He couldn't keep the ball down. He elevated everything and we didn't help him out with the defense."

"The last two innings, I wanted to be perfect with my pitches," said Carrasco, who was trying for his fourth straight win. "My changeup was a little bit up. When I threw my sinker and curveball, they got them."

The Rangers tied it at 3 in the fifth. Cruz doubled, moved up on one groundout and scored on another. Chavez then singled and after Ian Kinsler walked, Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton each lined two-out RBI singles.

The Indians would just as soon forget what happened in the sixth. With one out Cruz doubled to left and went to third on a single by Mitch Moreland. LaPorta took the relay throw and could have gone to third where Cruz was off the bag. Instead, he turned to first where Moreland had rounded the bag, but he held the ball too long to get an out.

"He should have given up the ball," Acta said. "Forget about the guy at first. Who cares about that guy? You need to get an out."

"You have to learn from it and give it up right away," LaPorta said.

Torrealba's sacrifice fly put the Rangers ahead 4-3. Chavez then tripled home Moreland. With Kinsler at-bat, Carrasco threw a pitch past Santana, who recovered in time to freeze Chavez coming down the line. Santana's throw to Carrasco covering the plate was wild and had to be tracked down by third baseman Jack Hannahan. His throw back home was too late to get the speedy Chavez, who slid in ahead of the tag by Carrasco.

"Santana had his back to the play and Carrasco didn't say anything to him and he threw the ball," Acta said.

Michael Kirkman (1-0) earned his first career win. The left-hander allowed one run over three innings in his 18th career relief outing. Neftali Feliz pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 15 chances.

Cleveland scored three times off Rangers starter Dave Bush in the second. Travis Buck and Orlando Cabrera each had run-scoring singles and another run scored on an RBI groundout by Hannahan.

Bush started in place of left-hander Matt Harrison, who has a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

LaPorta opened the Indians' seventh with his eighth homer, a 422-foot shot into the bushes past the center field wall.

NOTES: Acta used Grady Sizemore at DH. He wanted to give the outfielder, who has had problems with both knees, a break after Sizemore played on artificial turf in Toronto earlier this week. ... Santana had two hits. He has hit safely in five of his last six games, going 9 of 19 (.474). ... The Rangers did not strike out for the first time since May 31, 2008. ... Cavaliers guard Baron Davis and pro wrestling star Jerry (The King) Lawler participated in first-pitch ceremonies.

Indians, Padres Boast Breakout Shortstop Prospects

By Matt Eddy
June 2, 2011


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Shortstops who can field the position while providing at least average offensive production will always be in demand in the big leagues. That's no secret. But the shortstop profile has shifted a bit of late.

The lower run-scoring environment of the past two seasons has raised the defensive bar for shortstops, while simultaneously lowering the offensive bar. This season, big league shortstops have hit a cumulative .262/.320/.374. That .693 OPS compares unfavorably with the position's production of yore. Five years ago the cumulative shortstop OPS registered at .740.

In this Prospect Bulletin, we look to the upper level of the minors to find shortstops who may factor in the big leagues this season or next. The search begins with the top offensive performers at Triple-A and Double-A, and in both cases we find a 2008 draft pick who has changed something fundamental about his game this season.

Cord Phelps, Triple-A Columbus (Indians)

The Triple-A Columbus Clippers rolled to the International League title last season, scoring nearly 7.5 runs per game. Second baseman Cord Phelps played a key role by batting 10-for-32 (.313) in eight playoff games while collecting three doubles, a homer and seven walks—good for a .436 on-base percentage.

For an encore, the switch-hitting Phelps has been one of the Clippers' most effective hitters again this season. Through 188 at-bats, primarily out of the No. 2 spot in the order, the 24-year-old is batting .309/.403/.511 with seven homers, 13 doubles and 38 RBIs (which places him third in the IL). While the offensive production has been a constant, Phelps has added a new defensive wrinkle this season by serving as the club's primary shortstop.

Columbus manager Mike Sarbaugh said that initially he had planned to rotate Phelps around the infield so that he could regularly play his more familiar positions of second and third base. But Phelps' steady play at short has stayed Sarbaugh's hand.

"I was ready for the challenge and it's been good for me," Phelps said, referring to the versatility the position switch affords him. The Indians' top two position prospects happen to play second (Jason Kipnis) and third base (Lonnie Chisenhall), and both happen to be Phelps' Columbus teammates. Phelps' utility (he's played 26 games at shortstop, 11 at second and one at third) allows the Clippers to field their optimal lineup, and the club leads the IL in average, walks, on-base and runs scored.

Phelps said that he played shortstop all during his time at Santa Barbara (Calif.) High as well as early on in his sophomore year at Stanford. A 2008 third-round pick, he played only second base prior to this season as he climbed the ladder with Cleveland.

"I've definitely found that the clock is different at shortstop," Phelps said. "I'm still getting used to how quickly you have to get rid of balls, and also on which ones you come in on and which ones you play back."

The level of defensive play by shortstops in the IL this season is unusually strong, so Phelps doesn't necessarily stand out from the crowd on paper. His peers include (or have included) Pawtucket's Jose Iglesias, Toledo's Cale Iorg, Louisville's Zack Cozart, Charlotte's Eduardo Escobar, Buffalo's Ruben Tejada, Syracuse's Chris McConnell, Lehigh Valley's Brian Bocock, Scranton's Ramiro Pena, Gwinnett's Brandon Hicks and the Indianapolis duo of Chase d'Arnaud and Pedro Ciriaco.

Phelps' handiwork at the plate is readily apparent. He ranks fifth in the IL in on-base percentage this season at .403. He finished second (.386) in the high Class A Carolina League in 2009.

Considering only his time at Double-A and Triple-A during the past two seasons, Phelps has shown a feel to hit from both sides of the plate, batting .314/.379/.510 from the left side (494 plate appearances) and .294/.380/.385 (216 PA) from the right. He said he believes the repetitions as a lefty batter account for some of the improved contact and power from that side of the plate.

"I feel like I see the ball pretty well from the left side," Phelps said. "If you talk to other switch-hitters I think they'd say that it's very rare that both sides are going good at same time. There are days where one side feels great, but the other feels a bit off."

Phelps began switch-hitting at age 9 or 10 but didn't begin implementing it into games until a couple of years later.

"I had been a righty up to that point," he said, "but I wanted to play around with (switch-hitting) because I also used to be able to throw lefthanded. So I thought I might as well try to hit lefthanded as well."

BA Chat:

Elliot (Youngstown OH): To hang on and make the playoffs the Indians are going to need some help. Who from Columbus is ready to contribute? Cord Phelps as a utility man? Zach McAllister at the back of the rotation? Nick Hagadone or Zach Putnam in the bullpen?

J.J. Cooper: Phelps, Chisenhall and Kipnis are all ready to help if the Indians need a boost. Hagadone should be up at some point as well.

IF Hagadone can be brought up and does well, I think we could move R. Perez and he just might bring us something back, especially in the National League.

Hey, how about some Indian before The Indians?


Indian Delight restaurant in Cleveland lives up to its name


Published: Friday, June 03, 2011, 2:30 PM

By David Farkas, Special to The Plain Dealer

The other week, my wireless printer on the fritz, I wound up talking to a technician in India -- Sam in Kolkata, to be precise.

It occurred to me to ask Sam about Indian food. I had dined at Indian Delight, and I particularly loved the soft, flaky crust of the warm veggie samosas ($3.99). Were these potato-and-pea-stuffed pastries, served with sweet tamarind and piquant cilantro sauces, the real deal?

Sam figured they probably were, given my rapturous description, but added that everyone knows that the samosas in Kolkata are the absolute best street food in India.

"You must try them when you come," he said, sounding as if my arrival were imminent.

Instead, I beelined to Indian Delight that night. We ordered bhelpuri ($4.99), relishing the crunchy puffed wheat bits littered with tiny noodles, onions, chickpeas and tomatoes and bathed in tamarind chutney. Alongside it, we noshed on papri chaat ($4.99), small pieces of crisp fried dough doused in tart yogurt and combined with potatoes and chickpeas. Except for dessert -- the incomparable rice pudding known as kheer ($3.99) -- that was our meal.

By the way, each table gets two big pieces of papadam, a crackly flatbread with a slightly salty flavor. Don't fill up, though, because you'll want to order pillowy Indian breads, de rigueur for sopping up the "gravy" in your main dishes. (Best bets: naan, $2.49, and paratha, $3.49. Paying for bread? You'll see.)

On other visits, including a trip for the buffet lunch, we liked the Chicken Jalparezi ($11.49), tender pieces of chicken breast and sauteed carrots, peas, and onions in zesty red gravy. (You can order dishes mild, medium or hot.) Chicken Madras ($11.99), the spectacular curry that gets its unique flavor from shredded coconut, is also an excellent choice. A large plate of fragrant basmati rice, speckled with carrot bits and peas, accompanies main dishes.

You will get thirsty eating Indian food. If you want an adult beverage, you will have to bring your own or pop over to the carryout next door. Its owner (and host's brother) may have Indian beer on hand for $1.49 per bottle. Otherwise, order mango or strawberry lassi ($2.99), a yogurt smoothie and a good foil for dishes ordered medium-hot.

Several biryanis ($10.99 to $15.99), the celebrated rice dish from Hyderabad, are on the menu. There are two ways of making it, the most famous of which is prepared by cooking meat and rice together over a long period of time -- a process that's not used here, a server told me. Perhaps because of this, I found the lamb dry and tough, though the rice was superbly seasoned. If you like fork-tender lamb, go for rogan josh ($11.99), a complex curry spiked with garlic and ginger.

Among a dozen vegetarian items, we loved the potato-and-cauliflower combo know as aloo gobi ($8.99). Its supporting cast of tomatoes, onions, green chiles, and spices were in perfect balance. Daal tadka ($6.99), yellow lentils with cumin, is another winner.

Surprisingly, chickpea-crammed chana masala, one of a dozen dishes on the lunch buffet, was bland. Naan is an especially good choice with any of these dishes.

I've already mentioned kheer, the refreshing basmati pudding with golden raisins. Another delicious ending is a neon-orange dish called gajar halwa ($4.49). It's a sweet Punjabi confection consisting of cardamom, boiled milk and shredded carrots.

On several visits, only a few customers were seated in the restaurant. I thought Indian food, with its hip, street-food cred, would make Indian Delight ground zero for the skinny-jean denizens who inhabit the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. Then again, the drab storefront wouldn't entice anyone to rush in. There's also the distraction of popular Minh Anh, directly across the street.

Still, the next time you talk to a technician in India, you can tell him the samosas in Cleveland are great -- you must try them when you come.

TASTE BITES

Indian Delight

Where: 5507 Detroit Ave., Cleveland.

Online: classicindianfood.com

Call: 216-651-4007.

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Noon-9 p.m. Sunday.

Prices: Appetizers, salads, soups: $3.49-$9.99; breads, $2.25-$9.99; entrees, $9.99-$16.99; desserts, $3.99-$4.99; all-you-can-eat lunch, $7.99.

Reservations: Not required.

Credit cards: All major.

Cuisine: Northern Indian (mainly).

Kids menu: None.

Bar service: No alcoholic beverages served.

Accessibility: Good through front door entrance and in bathrooms.

Grade: * * *

http://www.cleveland.com/top-restaurant ... _name.html

He better chart his hats. I'm sure some are luckier in certain situations than others.

Updated: June 5, 2011, 12:24 PM ET
Shin-Soo Choo: Arrest affecting game
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Associated Press
CLEVELAND -- Shin-Soo Choo believes he is thinking too much and trying too hard to make a good impression since he was charged with drunken driving.


Choo
Choo was back in the Cleveland Indians' lineup Sunday against Texas after getting a game off. Manager Manny Acta dropped the slumping outfielder three spots to No. 6.

The Indians' top offensive player the past two seasons is hitting only .242 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 54 games. Acta replaced him with one of the hottest hitters in the AL, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

Choo was arrested May 2 on suspicion of drunken driving after a breathalyzer test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of .201. Ohio's legal limit is .08.

He apologized to each of his teammates individually before Cleveland's next game.


Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

Give Choo some ladies underwear to wear under his uniform, and tell him to breathe through his eyelids.

Hell, I would have let 1986's Susan Sarandon tie me to a bed.

And I'm a Republican most of the time.

CLEVELAND (AP)

Shin-Soo Choo says his arrest on a drunken-driving charge has affected his play.

''I know what the problem is: I try too hard, I think too much. I need to slow down my mind,'' Choo said Sunday as he returned to the Cleveland Indians' lineup against Texas after getting a game off.


Choo said he is no longer worried about the legal problems stemming from his arrest, but is concerned with how he is regarded in both America and his native South Korea.

I think so,'' he said. ''My first country is Korea, but I've lived here 11 years. This is my country, too. I have two different countries, so I worry about more fans.

''That happened last month. So I wanted to play good in the field, show better play and then try to make people forget.''

Choo was arrested May 2 on suspicion of drunken driving after a breathalyzer test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of .201. Ohio's legal limit is .08. He apologized to each of his teammates individually before Cleveland's next game.

Manager Manny Acta pointed out Saturday that Choo had never had an off-field incident before or since and that the outfielder is learning to deal with the scrutiny that comes with a misstep. To help ease the pressure, Acta dropped Choo three spots in the order on Sunday to No. 6.

''It doesn't matter to me,'' Choo said. ''I've talked to the skipper. I see my numbers. Third is the best hitter on the team. I'm not right now.''

A 4-for-23 skid before getting his one-day break dropped Choo's average to .242 with only five homers and 22 RBIs in 54 games. He had not homered since April 29. The past two seasons, he hit .300 and averaged 21 homers and 88 RBIs.

Choo said he is fine with hot-hitting shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera batting third as the Indians try to snap out of their first downturn of the season that saw them lose 8 of 11 entering Sunday.

''Cabrera is hitting really, really good from both sides, left and right-handed,'' Choo said. ''He has a lot of extra-base hits and he gets on base a lot of times, giving you a chance to win more games.

''We're losing games. Everything is a little bit down, so it doesn't matter for me to change anything. Nine hole, eight hole. It doesn't matter. Making sure we're winning is more important.''

Cabrera came in hitting .306 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs.

Choo figures that Cleveland could be even further out in front in the AL Central if his offensive production was up to normal.

''Everybody sees it,'' he said. ''I'm trying too hard. That's just my natural thought. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it makes it worse. It's given me a lot of stress.''

Choo said he's always had a great passion for playing and is trying to put his career into perspective. Instead of dwelling on his problems, he said he is thankful to be playing in the majors.

''I love it a lot, maybe too much,'' Choo said. ''I've (listened to) a lot this year. Not baseball things. I need to close my ears, close my eyes. It's not easy. There's been a lot of stress this year. My wife has told me not to worry about it. I told her, 'Honey, I know, but it's hard to do it.' ''

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:Hell, I would have let 1986's Susan Sarandon tie me to a bed.

And I'm a Republican most of the time.

With you on both counts!

INDIANS IN NEED OF RIGHT-HANDED MIGHT

Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports


The Indians’ most obvious need remains a quality starting pitcher. But the addition of a right-handed hitter would not be a bad idea, either.

Cleveland, after failing to score against Rangers left-handers Derek Holland and C.J. Wilson over the weekend, has lost five straight games against lefty starters. Overall, it is 9-9 in games started by left-handers, 24-15 in games started by righties.

The team’s best pure right-handed hitter, first baseman Matt LaPorta, is batting only .190 against lefties. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, a switch-hitter, is hitting righties better than lefties. Catcher Carlos Santana, the Indians’ other switch-hitter, is the other way around.

The rest of the Indians’ lineup — including designated hitter Travis Hafner, who currently is on the DL — is predominantly left-handed. Triple-A third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and second baseman Jason Kipnis, two of the team’s top offensive prospects, also hit from the left side.

I started thinking about the Indians’ issues after receiving an inquiry on Twitter from a fan who asked the chances of the Indians acquiring Astros right fielder Hunter Pence. The Astros probably will not trade Pence, and the Indians would have no obvious place for him. They’re not about to give up on the struggling Shin-Soo Choo.

Still, the Indians have scored two or fewer runs in 11 of their past 18 games, and they won only one of those 11 games. Five of those low-scoring efforts — including the back-to-back shutouts over the weekend — were against lefty starters.

Cleveland Indians have promoted INF Cord Phelps from Class AAA Columbus, source says

Published: Tuesday, June 07, 2011, 10:40 PM Updated: Tuesday, June 07, 2011, 10:53 PM
By Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer


AP photo
Cord Phelps is expected to be on the Indians' big-league roster for Wednesday's afternoon game against Minnesota.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have promoted infielder Cord Phelps from Class AAA Columbus, a source said.
Phelps was told he is coming to Cleveland after the Clippers' 5-1 victory over Rochester on Tuesday night in Columbus. He packed and received well-wishes from teammates.
The Indians, who face Minnesota at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday, have not announced a corresponding roster move. They defeated the Twins, 1-0, Tuesday night.
Phelps has played predominantly shortstop for the Clippers because Jason Kipnis is at second and Lonnie Chisenhall is at third.
Phelps also has played second and third and been the designated hitter.
Phelps was a third-round pick in 2008 out of Stanford.

Have to figure Kearns is the one to go. I guess Everitt is a possibility, but I'd be surprised if it isn't Kearns.