Cleveland Sports Forum

Ocker on Thursday

CLEVELAND: The first thing manager Manny Acta said after the Indians' 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday showed the depth of his team's fall from grace.

''It was a very poor homestand,'' said Acta, who was not emulating a teacher giving a grade to an underachieving student.

Acta, like many managers, believes a team can become a significant player in the race for the posteason if it kills at home and plays .500 on the road. Until recently, that's what the Tribe had done.

Coming into the latest homestand, the club was 19-6 at Progressive Field and 14-14 on the road, but the 1-6 record on its own turf against the Texas Rangers and the Twins put the strategy in temporary jeopardy, at least.

Again it was a debilitating inability to score that sabotaged the chance to win two in a row. And for the 13th time in the past
21 games, the Tribe scored two or fewer runs. Its record during this span is 8-13.

Despite being 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, solo homers by Grady Sizemore, leading off the sixth, and by Jack Hannahan in the ninth, when the Indians were down to their last two strikes, preserved a chance to win.

But Acta didn't take much consolation in the two home runs. His emphasis was on hitters who were not taking the correct approach, trying to bring the entire team out of its slump with one giant swing of the bat.

''We can't seem to get a run unless we hit a home run,'' Acta said. ''We didn't have enough quality at-bats today. We have to go back to doing that, to letting the next guy take care of business.''

In other words, it's futile for every batter in the lineup to try to win the game by himself by going deep. It doesn't take long to notice that too many at-bats are made up of hitters reaching for outside pitches and yanking the ball to the pull field rather than taking it the other way.

Justin Masterson started and aside from grabbing a bat himself, he did what he had to do to keep the game close. In eight innings, Masterson gave up two runs and nine hits, walking none. Despite the quality outing, he was lucky to avoid a loss.

''I'm very disappointed that we couldn't get a win for Justin,'' Acta said.

Masterson insisted that he isn't paying attention to his (and others') lack of run support, that he can only keep the opposing team from scoring.

''You get frustrated for the team,'' he said. ''You want the team to win. I would have been happy if we'd won the game today and it didn't go on my record. To me, [the team loss] is the frustrating part.''

If Masterson can be faulted, it would be for failing to close out the third and sixth innings, when the Twins scored after two were out.

Ben Revere's single with a runner on second in the third produced the Twins' first run, and Justin Morneau's double with Revere on second accounted for the second.

Asked if he would like to have any pitches back, Masterson said: ''Not really. I attacked guys and pounded the zone and didn't walk anyone.''

Even the winning run came after Chris Perez had retired the first two batters in the 10th. Drew Butera, batting .150 coming into the game, doubled with a full count and scored on Revere's single to left.

''That's what we were doing early in the year,'' Acta said. ''That's how we built our lead. They're doing it now. What goes around comes around.''

After Hannahan's two-out home run with a 2-and-1 count in the ninth tied the score, the team felt energized.

''Yeah, I felt like we've done it [come from behind] so many times at home,'' Acta said.

But the best the Tribe could do in the 10th was a two-out double by Carlos Santana, followed by Shin-Soo Choo's hard one-hopper to the pitcher for the third out.

''We were batting over .300 with runners in scoring position [earlier in the season], but I know that's impossible to keep up,'' Acta said. ''What we have now is guys expanding the strike zone [swinging at bad pitches].

''We felt when Travis Hafner got hurt and some others were struggling, a couple of guys would come alive and keep us above water. But it didn't happen that way.''

PLAY CATCH WITH JOE DELAMIELLEURE

Football and baseball in the same day? WHY NOT! Catch all of the Father's Day action on Sunday, June 19th at 1:00 as the Pro Football Hall of Fame goes on the road to Progressive Field in Cleveland to watch the Indians take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first 7,000 kids 12 and under will receive a FREE admission to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a pack of Panini Adrenyln football cards. Be sure to stop by one of Football Hall of Fame tables at Gates A and C and sign up to win an autographed football signed by 8 Hall of Fame Enshrinees! You can also stop by the Terrace Club and check out some rarely seen Browns and Steelers artifacts.

Hall of Famer and Browns great Joe DeLamielluere will throw out the first pitch, sign autographs during the first second and third innings and best of all, you can win a chance to play catch with Joe D on the field following the game!

Updated: June 9, 2011, 3:15 PM ET
Travis Hafner set to take BP
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Associated Press
CLEVELAND -- Injured Cleveland Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner is set to take batting practice for the first time since going on the disabled list.


Hafner
Hafner, who has been sidelined since May 20 with a strained side muscle, will take batting practice Friday with his teammates in New York before the Indians open a four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Manager Manny Acta said Thursday that Hafner could soon be sent out on a rehab assignment in the minors.

Hafner said earlier this week he believes he can be playing by the time the Indians return home on June 17.

Although they still lead the AL Central, the Indians are just 4-11 since May 24 and have sorely missed Hafner in the middle of their lineup. He was batting .345 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 32 games before getting hurt.

During a just completed homestand, the Indians went 1-6 and were just 3-for-42 with runners in scoring position.


Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

pat graham wrote:So does Phelps use up one of his years that count towards free agency?

Not sure if this helps or not, but I`ll post its anyway:

Super Two Watch: Rizzo, Gordon, Weeks, Phelps
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [June 8, 2011 at 9:44am CST]

Since the Marlins called Mike Stanton up to the Major Leagues a year ago today, he has hit 35 home runs and posted a .257/.332/.520 line. Stanton was clearly MLB-ready and Florida's timing worked out in another respect, too. The Marlins slugger will have just two years and 118 days of service time after the 2012 season, which hasn’t typically been enough for super two eligibility and an extra year of arbitration.

A year later, another group of prospects is appearing on MLB rosters and, as always, there are service time implications for all involved. Before we get too worried about whether these prospects will qualify for super two status, let’s be clear about a few variables.

It’s too early to know how much service time will be required for super two status three offseasons from now, because the cutoff date changes most years. Plus, baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires after 2011, so there’s no guarantee that the super two will even exist a few years from now (though coming up with an alternative that satisfies baseball’s owners and the players’ association will not be easy). Finally, most players who reach arbitration do get optioned to the minor leagues at some point, so there’s a good chance some of the players below will return to the minors before becoming arbitration eligible.

With that in mind, here are the service time implications for a few recent callups:

Anthony Rizzo, Padres - If Rizzo debuts tomorrow, as Dan Hayes of the North County Times reports he will (Twitter link), he'll pick up a maximum of 112 days of service time this year and the Padres probably won't have to worry about super two status.
Dee Gordon, Dodgers - Tom’s son was called up Monday and he has already had his first three-hit game. Gordon can pick up a maximum of 115 days of service time this year. Last year’s cutoff was unusually low at two years and 122 days, so the Dodgers appear safe.
Jemile Weeks, Athletics and Charlie Blackmon, Rockies - Both players got the call yesterday, which means they can pick up a maximum of 114 days of service time this year. It’s likely not enough for super two status, even if they never see the minors again.
Cord Phelps, Indians - Phelps, the first member of the Indians’ 2008 draft class to reach the majors, will debut today. He won’t pick up more than 113 days of service time this year, so the Indians probably won’t have to worry about super two status for Phelps, Lonnie Chisenhall or Jason Kipnis.

Asdrubal Cabrera is the AL MVP to this point

Published: Friday, June 10, 2011

By Jim Ingraham
JIngraham@News-Herald.com

If the Major League Baseball season ended today, who is your Most Valuable Player in the American League?

Mine is Asdrubal Cabrera.

I know Jose Bautista is leading the American League in everything worth leading, but I'd still go with Cabrera as the AL to-this-point-in-the-season MVP.

Offensively, Cabrera is almost single-handedly carrying the Indians right now. He's also been their best defensive player. He's played every single game. He's played a premium position. He's been the best player on the team that for most of the first 2 1/2 months of the season has been the best team in baseball.

Without question, Cabrera has been the best shortstop in the American League. It's not even debatable. He deserves to become the first Indians shortstop to start the All-Star game since Lou Boudreau in 1948.

That won't happen, though, because Derek Jeter leads, and will win the voting at shortstop, for two reasons: the entire body of work in his career, and he plays in New York.

Cabrera, though, has been the gold standard at shortstop in the American League thus far.

His spot on the AL All-Star team should have been clinched when he made that insane barehand grab and behind-the-back flip from his knees to start a double play last month in Chicago. But beyond that, Cabrera has been the best all-around player on the most surprising, and for much of the first half of the season, the best team in the American League.

Even more impressive, Cabrera has elevated his game when his team has needed him the most. Nobody's noticed, because almost every other hitter on the team has been in a slump since Travis Hafner went on the disabled list. But since then, Cabrera has taken his All-Star caliber game up another notch.

Batting average-home runs-RBI for Indians players since May 18, when the Indians began playing without Hafner:

Carlos Santana .217-1-6, Matt LaPorta .186-4-6, Orlando Cabrera .150-0-4, Jack Hannahan .200-1-3, Michael Brantley .284-1-6, Grady Sizemore .209-1-6, Shin-Soo Choo .261-0-3, Austin Kearns .250-0-0, Travis Buck .233-2-4, Shelley Duncan .176-1-7.

Asdrubal Cabrera since Hafner was hurt: .329-5-15.

Since Hafner went out of the lineup, no other Indian has driven in more than seven runs. Cabrera has driven in 15. No other Indian is hitting over .284. Six are hitting under .220, three are hitting under .200. Cabrera is hitting .329.

For the season, Cabrera is hitting .302 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI — as a shortstop.

If you project Cabrera's numbers thus far over a 162 game season you get 32 home runs, 113 RBI, 108 runs scored, 41 doubles, eight triples, 19 stolen bases and 203 hits.

Those are great numbers for any player. For a shortstop, those are MVP numbers.

The deeper into the season we get, the better Cabrera has played. He hit .262 in April, .330 in May, and he's hitting .343 so far in June.

How about with runners in scoring position?

With runners in scoring position, nobody on the Indians right now is hitting. That's the problem, the biggest problem, since Hafner got hurt. Nobody is driving in any runs. Well, almost nobody. Cabrera is.

With runners in scoring position, Cabrera is hitting .442.

It would be hard to have a better 2 1/2 months than Cabrera. He's been rock solid at the plate and in the field, where, oh, by the way, he also took part in a triple play.

Where would the Indians be right now without him? Not in first place, that's for sure. He's been the one constant, the one player who has been a consistent, dependable, All-Star performer in the first half of the season.

It's been a sensational bounce-back season for the 25-year-old Cabrera, who missed about two months of last season with a broken arm. Even when he came back he looked and played weak, especially in his upper body, which is understandable, given that he was basically playing with one arm.

For the Indians to have any chance of making significant improvement this season, they needed a big season from Cabrera, who despite last year's injury, showed in the two years prior to that the potential to be a star.

This year, Cabrera has delivered.

In case you hadn't noticed, switch-hitting shortstops who can hit .300, with power, and drive in a lot of runs don't grow on trees.

Those guys are typically All-Stars, and sometimes MVPs.

In the first round of this year's June Draft, the Indians on Monday selected switch-hitting high school shortstop Francisco Lindor.

The Indians can only hope that Lindor eventually develops into the kind of shortstop the Indians have right now — an All-Star at the very least, an MVP at the very most.

It's a little early in the season to crown MVPs but I agree that Bautista is the only candidate to challenge Asdrubal for the 2.5 month MVP crown.

Ingraham probably wanted to write a positive column and AC is the only thing going right now.

Hafner looks strong during BP session

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 06/10/11 7:10 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Travis Hafner stepped into the batter's box at Yankee Stadium early Friday afternoon and looked like his old self. The Indians designated hitter sprayed line drives around the stadium and peppered the right-field stands with a few blasts.

The session marked Hafner's first time taking regular batting practice since injuring his right oblique on May 18 in Chicago. The DH came away from three rounds feeling fine and itching to get back in the lineup for Cleveland.

"Everything was good," Hafner said. "There's no pain with it. Everything feels good. It's gotten better pretty much every day since I started hitting."

The current plan calls for Hafner to rest on Saturday before resuming regular BP sessions again on Sunday and Monday in New York. If everything goes well throughout those workouts, the Indians plan on sending the 33-year-old DH out on a Minor League rehab assignment.

Hafner did not sound like a man wanting to take some hacks down on the farm.

"We'll talk about it and see what happens," Hafner said.

Manager Manny Acta said a Minor League rehab stint will be necessary.

"I absolutely think he'll need some games," said the manager. "He's been out for too long just to throw him out there."

Through 32 games for the Indians this season, Hafner hit .345 with five home runs, eight doubles and 22 RBIs. Along the way, he fashioned a .409 on-base percentage and a .549 slugging percentage. Since Hafner went down, Cleveland has gone 8-13 with a .226 average as a team, scoring 3.2 runs per game.

Acta was encouraged by what he saw from Hafner on Friday.

"He swung the bat really good, man," Acta said. "It was very good to see. He was very effortless and right on time. He also ran the bases and looked good."

In lesser role, O-Cab eager to bounce back

NEW YORK -- During the Indians' surprising run to the top of the American League Central standings, second baseman Orlando Cabrera has provided the ballclub with a veteran presence and leadership both on the field and in the clubhouse.

Under the circumstances, Cabrera was caught off guard when Cleveland decided to pull him out of the full-time role at second base in favor of prospect Cord Phelps on Wednesday. Sitting at his locker in the visitors' clubhouse at Yankee Stadium on Friday, Cabrera admitted he was surprised by the decision.

"I don't know," Cabrera said. "Maybe I was naive to think that would never happen if the team was still in first place. I don't know. Yeah, it took me for surprise in that particular moment. We'll see. We'll see what happens, man. There's still a lot of games."

After the Tribe promoted Phelps from Triple-A Columbus, Indians manager Manny Acta said that Cabrera was "disappointed in a way" upon learning that the young infielder would garner most of the playing time at second. Cabrera said that "disappointed" was not the right word.

"He said I was disappointed?" Cabrera said. "I don't feel disappointed at all. Feeling disappointed at all would be saying, 'Yes, I agree with everything.' I just don't feel anything, bad or good."

Cabrera said the only thing he is focusing on right now is the fact that the Indians remain in first place in their division. A veteran of six postseasons in the past seven years, Cabrera said the team's position is more important that his personal statistics. That said, Cabrera's production has been down over the past month.

Through 56 games this season, the 36-year-old Cabrera has hit .246 with two home runs, eight doubles, 23 runs scored, 28 RBIs and a .586 OPS. Dating back to May 3, Cabrera has posted a .192 average (20-for-104) with a .453 OPS over 29 games. He was hitting .301 prior to that stretch.

Cabrera also entered Friday's game against the Yankees hitting only .228 on the year against right-handed pitching. With the Tribe's lineup struggling as a whole of late, Acta indicated that, for now, the switch-hitting Phelps will get the bulk of the starts at second on days when a right-hander is on the hill.

"They call it an average," Cabrera said. "You don't get your average in the first year, or the first day. You don't get your average in the middle of the season. You get your average at the end of the season. I believe that's why they call it an average. It's not something that you get and that's it. It's only 56 games. If you give me a season, we'll see.

"I don't expect myself to hit .400 the entire year. I've never done it, so how can I expect that from myself? What I expect from myself is to win almost every day and go home feeling happy that we're still in first place. After that, so many things can go wrong or can go right that you can evaluate throughout a whole year."

Cabrera was not taking the Tribe's decision to mean he can no longer be an everyday player for the team.

"No one can tell me if I can still play or not," Cabrera said. "It's just something that can happen right now, and they believe this is one of the ways they can fix it. I can't do anything about that.

"We'll see. We'll see what happens. Hopefully, we can maintain our position."

Gotta give O-Cab cred.


(Am I really nearly 55 years old and typed THAT?)


Seriously, Orlando Cabrera is the melt in this 2011 edition of The Tribe's joints. He helped amazingly well to carry us to the big early season lead, and he'll help again.

We'll need him down the road, and he deserves to be appreciated in Cleveland.


I'd like to hear Joe Z's opinions, but he might be wussying out from some of our sharper tongued residents.

Actually.....I fully believe Joe Z would NEVER wussy out. He has stuff going on. I had that happened to me a few times and I hated it.

I would like to know what Joe Z is thinking though.

Crap, we're STILL in first place for over two months and the All Star Break is just a few weeks away.

Carmona threw 14 of his first 18 pitches for balls and walked three in a 40-pitch first inning,

NEW YORK, N.Y. — It wasn't a case of he said, she said Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

No, this was a case of "Yes, he did; "No, he didn't" between managers Manny Acta of the Tribe and Joe Girardi of New York. The way the game turned out, the Indians being blasted by the Yankees, 11-7, for their seventh loss in the past eight games, it was the most entertaining thing that happened in the contest.

The Yankees had just started taking batting practice against Fausto Carmona (3-8, 5.71 ERA). Carmona walked the bases loaded in the first inning and allowed all three of those walks to score.

In the second, Curtis Granderson homered into the right-field seats with two out for a 4-0 Yankees lead. Carmona's next pitch hit Mark Teixeira in the back. Teixeira was not happy and started screaming at Carmona as he walked down the line.

"He was saying something like, 'If you're going to hit me, don't try to hit me in the head,' " said first baseman Matt LaPorta.

Carmona came off the mound and waved Teixeira forward. Not once, but a couple of times. Teixeira, who may have heard about Gary Sheffield's ill-fated run-in with Carmona a few years ago, kept his distance as the two teams streamed out of their dugouts and bullpens.

In the middle of the ring of bodies, Acta and Girardi started talking and then started screaming at each other. When the Indians hired Acta after the 2009 season, he had the reputation of being too laid back as Washington's manager. He did not look laid back Friday night as the two managers were separated.

"It was, 'He did,' 'He didn't, 'He did,' 'He didn't,' " said Acta.

Acta said it didn't look good that Teixeira was hit right after Granderson hit his third career homer off Carmona, but added: "This guy could only throw [48 percent] of his pitches for strikes. I mean, it was OK when he was missing and guys were walking, but when we miss and hit somebody, it's not OK. I don't think it was on purpose."
Related stories

Orlando Cabrera surprised his playing time will be cut: Indians Insider
Jack Hannahan says hamstring not yet 100 percent: Indians Chatter
Kids make effort to catch doubleheader, but get caught: Indians Memories
Box score l Scoreboard l Minor League Report


Said Girardi: "We've had five, six guys hit in the last four days. I can't tell you 100 percent, but if I was to say one was intentional, that was tonight. They're going to say it wasn't intentional, but they pitched Tex away the whole night. That one is up in his rib cage, middle of his back. That bothers me."

Regarding his conversation with Acta, Girardi said: "Manny told my guy [Teixeira] to stop. Take care of your own guy, I'll take care of my guy. I have respect for Manny. I actually had a nice exchange with Manny at 3 o'clock today. But that doesn't mean there's not some feistiness in me."

Carmona told Jeff Sibel, Indians manager of media relations, that he would talk to reporters before today's game. When reporters entered the locker room after Friday's game, Carmona already had left.

The Indians have lost 12 of their past 15 games but still hold a one-game lead in the American League Central. The Tigers, one game back, lost to Seattle on Friday.

Carmona allowed six runs on eight hits in four innings. He threw 93 pitches, 45 for strikes.

In his past six starts, Carmona has allowed 33 earned runs in 35 innings for a 8.49 ERA.

"I haven't seen him this divorced from the strike zone in the two years I've been here," said Acta.

The Indians were trailing, 6-0, before they scored their first run on Michael Brantley's run-scoring grounder in the fifth against Ivan Nova (5-4, 4.30). LaPorta and Cord Phelps started the inning with singles, and Jack Hannahan walked to load the bases. The single was Phelps' first big-league hit.

Carlos Santana made it a 6-2 game with a homer in the sixth, but by the end of the seventh, New York was leading, 11-2. They scored four runs in the seventh as Chad Durbin gave Carmona some real competition for worst Indians pitcher of the night.

Durbin pitched out of a jam in the sixth but then gave up four runs on four hits in the seventh. After Durbin loaded the bases with one out, Teixeira hit a three-run double to the fence in right-center. Alex Rodriguez, who hit the 625th homer of his career in the fourth inning, doubled past a diving Grady Sizemore in center field to score Teixeira.

Derek Jeter contributed to the rally with a double for his 2,991st career hit.

The Indians scored five runs in the last two innings, including four in the ninth. Girardi was forced to bring in Mariano Rivera with the bases loaded in a non-save situation to get the last two outs.

There are three games left in this series. LaPorta said he wouldn't be surprised if one of the Indians gets hit by a pitch.

"I just hope it's down at the waist," he said.

A look at the Indians' needs, position by position
Published: Saturday, June 11, 2011

By Jim Ingraham
JIngraham@News-Herald.com

Indians ownership has said it will spend money when it feels the team is ready to win. Well, the Indians have had a winning record for the first 2 1/2 months of the 2011 season. Is it real, or is it a mirage?

Should ownership proceed under the assumption that the team, with proper roster tweaking, can remain in contention for the rest of the year?

Or is this a trap season, in which it looks like the Indians are ready to win, but really aren't, due to a combination of reasons that no one or two trades could fix?

That's the conundrum facing Indians officials in the little over a month that remains between now and the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Do they start plotting a potential mid- to late-July trade or trades? Or do they sit tight until 2012, when their young starting rotation is a year older and a year better, Alex White is healthy again, Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis are ready to make their big-league debuts, Drew Pomeranz is one step closer to making his as a possible midseason callup, and the overall roster is stronger and deeper and better prepared to make a legitimate run at the postseason?

Those discussions are ongoing within the executive offices at Progressive Field. Based on what we've learned thus far in 2011, you could make a case either way.

Among the non-pitchers, here's a look at the status of each position:

Catcher

Sending Carlos Santana to Columbus for a few weeks worth of out-of-the-spotlight, away-from-the-pressure at bats might be worth considering, if the Indians feel they can hang around in the division race while he's gone. They can't win the division with Lou Marson as the starting catcher the rest of the way. There isn't enough hitting elsewhere in the lineup to carry Marson's bat.

However, in sending Santana down, you risk him not doing any better in Columbus. Then what? You probably couldn't, or shouldn't, recall him if the thing you sent him down to fix isn't fixed. Or do you keep Santana in the big leagues, hope he eventually figures things out, but risk the potential psychological scar that a supposed future star would acquire from hitting .220 in his first full major-league season?

First base

What to make of Matt LaPorta? His baseball IQ doesn't seem real high. But he's big and strong, and, aside from the switch hitters, the only right-handed hitter on the team who is a threat to occasionally hit one out of the park. Oh yeah, and the Indians traded CC Sabathia to get him. So at this point there are more reasons to stick with him than to give up on him. But the fact that the Indians signed Nick Johnson suggests even management isn't all-in on LaPorta's future, which could mean that if the Indians do decide to make a trade next month, a first baseman might be a potential target, pending Johnson's progress.

Second base

The changing of the guard has already begun. Cord Phelps has been recalled to platoon with Orlando Cabrera, with Kipnis waiting in the wings. If not Phelps, maybe there's a more-productive, inexpensive veteran alternative available in a trade to finish the season and give the offense a boost during an anticipated division race, while not, in the big picture, blocking Kipnis' eventual arrival.

Shortstop

No discussion needed here. None at all.

Third base

Here's the question: How much time has Jack Hannahan's superb defense bought for his way-below-average bat? Third base is typically a run-producing position, but since April 27 Hannahan is hitting .198 with one home run. His glove is a huge asset to the Indians' staff of sinkerball pitchers, but at some point he's got to hit a little. Third base is the most obvious and likely area to be addressed through a midseason trade, should the Indians be inclined to make one.

Left field

Michael Brantley isn't your classic 30-homer, 100 RBI left fielder, but he's a very good baseball player, and getting better by the week. Unless the Indians could rent, and I mean only rent, a productive slugger to plug in here for the rest of the season — or perhaps a more attractive long-term guy if the plan is to eventually trade Grady Sizemore in the next 12 months, and move Brantley back to center — then it makes sense to stand pat in left field.

Center field

Indians officials presumably were hoping for some clarity about Sizemore's future to emerge from this season, but so far it's as murky as ever. He's played pretty well — not like he did when he was at his best, but pretty well — when he's played, but that's the problem. He hasn't played much. He has been on the disabled list twice and only started 29 of the Indians' 61 games. At this point, whether the Indians hope to take a run at re-signing Sizemore or eventually trade him for prospects, he needs to re-establish his identity as a player, and his ability to stay healthy, so he might as well do that in Cleveland for the remainder of this season, at least.

Right field

One potential and overlooked explanation for the decline and fall of Shin-Soo Choo is the internal distraction his unsettled contract situation has become for him. Maybe he's trying too hard to have a big year to either convince the Indians he's worthy of a fat, multi-year contract, or to give him maximum ammunition for his trip into an arbitration hearing next spring. He's clearly battling himself this season. The DUI arrest didn't help. His at-bats are painful to watch. He's a mess. But the Indians have little choice but to stick with him, and hope he's better next year.

LaPorta is the least of our worries. His OPS was about 800 the last I looked. Would be very happy if Choo and Santana played up to that same level. And if Grady and Hafner played, period.

NEW YORK -- The Indians are talking more these days. Standing up for themselves under persecution, be it real or perceived.

While that may be good for the soul, they were probably having a lot more fun when they just winning ballgames and people kept asking, "Who are these guys?"

Yes, the Indians' 4-0 loss to the Yankees on Saturday in the wind and rain at the House That Ruth Didn't Build was another one of those games. It came to the forefront Friday night when Fausto Carmona hit Mark Teixeira and the two teams gathered in the middle of the diamond with managers Manny Acta and Joe Girardi leading the debate.

In the seventh inning Saturday, Mitch Talbot said he and the Indians were penalized because of that. Talbot, with the Tribe trailing, 2-0, hit Alex Rodriguez in the left thigh with an 88 mph fastball. Rodriguez crumbled like he'd been hit by a safe and plate umpire Dan Iassogna immediately ejected Talbot.

In voicing his complaint, Talbot said he slipped on the wet mound. Talbot said Iassogna's response was, "You slipped at the wrong time."

Iassogna was also taking into account that Rodriguez homered in the fourth inning and Curtis Granderson did the same in the sixth. One batter later, Rodriguez fell to the ground, the victim of Talbot's first pitch.

"Honestly, I thought I got tossed because Teixeira got hit Friday," said Talbot. "You take that away, and I hit A-Rod today, even after the home run, and I don't think I get tossed. I think they punished me and the team because of what happened Friday."

Said Acta, "Talbot was throwing a great game. It's a 2-0 ballgame. It's baffling to me that he made that decision."

Related stories
•Carmona talks, but not of slump: Insider
•Phelps' first hit: Chatter | Impact of slumping bats
•Boxscore | Scoreboard | Standings
The Yankees have had eight players hit in the last five games. They were not taking Talbot or Acta at face value.

"It's a little fishy. Obviously guys are going deep and pitchers are shaking two or three times to the fastball in and we're getting smoked," said Rodriguez, who stayed in the game.

Girardi had the same smell in his nostrils. "As a manager, you're always going to think something's fishy there," said Girardi. "I'm not sure. Grandy hit a ball out and Teixeira hit a long fly ball. But I'm not sure."

Talbot (2-3, 4.01) allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

"I've never been one to hit somebody for hitting a home run ... for doing their job," said Talbot. "I don't believe in that. I thought it was a little ridiculous."

Iassogna told a pool reporter, "After the situation we had Friday night where Alex hit a big home run, then he hit another home run today, and Curtis Granderson hit a home run Friday and another today, [Talbot] threw the pitch directly at him."

While the Indians pitchers have had no problem hitting opposing batters, their hitters have had trouble making contact for quite a while. Saturday's loss was their fifth shutout in the last 15 games.

They've lost three straight and eight of their last nine. They had a seven-game lead in the AL Central on May 23. They've gone 4-13 since and Detroit pulled into a virtual tie with an 8-1 victory over Seattle on Saturday night.

Trailing, 3-0, entering the eighth, Jack Hannahan and Lou Marson opened with singles. Reliever David Robertson struck out Michael Brantley (looking), Asdrubal Cabrera (looking) and Grady Sizemore (swinging) to end the Tribe's only threat.

"That's the way things have been going for us offensively," said Acta.

Bartolo Colon, the former Indians, was on his way to a shutout when he strained his left hamstring covering first base in the seventh inning. Colon (5-3, 3.10) threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts, two hits and one walk.

"He was throwing all fastballs, pounding the zone and getting us out," said Marson.

Rodriguez (No. 13), Granderson (20) and Teixeira (19) homered. The Yankees other run came when Nick Swisher scored from first in the seventh on Jorge Posada's single and Shin-Soo Choo's fourth error in right field.