Cleveland Sports Forum

I think Carmona drops us back to 3 1/4

Tony Lastoria with a million words on Kipnis rumors. I dont' recommend reading them all,but I might as well post the whole thing for those of you have absolutely nothing else to do today but read this.

Kipnis may be on verge of a callup

10:16 AM Tony 2 comments


Jason Kipnis (Photo: IPI)
There are a lot of reasons that the Cleveland Indians should not callup Triple-A second baseman Jason Kipnis to the big league club. He is not even up for roster protection until after the 2012 season, and he is still very green at second base since this is his second full season playing the position.

If the Indians were not contending and simply going through another sub par season as they have the past few years, there would be no chance at a callup of Kipnis for these exact reasons. But winning changes everything, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

The Indians surprisingly are in a heated AL Central battle as at the end of June they find themselves in a first place tie with the Detroit Tigers, something many people – even the Indians themselves – did not expect at this point in the season. With winning now the priority and development taking a backseat, we are seeing several of their young heralded prospects such as right-handed pitcher Alex White and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall getting called up much earlier than expected.

Kipnis, 24, could be the next highly touted prospect to join the team.

General Manager Chris Antonetti and Director of Player Development Ross Atkins were both in Triple-A Columbus this week to see Kipnis and several other players in action to get firsthand reports on them. Maybe it was just a routine scheduled trip to see the Triple-A club, but it certainly looks like with the Indians’ top two decision makers being in town together that some assessments are being made as to who may be called up next, possibly as soon as game time on Friday night in Cincinnati.

Kipnis put up a great showing this week in front of the Tribe bosses going 7-for-12 with two homers and four RBI in the three games they were there. Overall, he is having a very good season where in 76 games he is hitting .302 with 11 homers, 48 RBI, and a .909 OPS. He also has nine triples and ten stolen bases.

“Things are going good actually,” Kipnis said in an interview this week. “The team is playing great and I am really learning a lot about this level. I only got about a week to ten days here last year so I was just kind of playing to help the team win, but this year I have kind of really developed and learned who I am as a player. I think it has gone well so far and I think it is only going to get better.”

There is no doubt that the Columbus roster is filled with a lot of options for the Indians to pull from who could help the big league roster to varying levels. Almost every player on the roster has or will play in the big leagues someday, and they could almost be a Major League expansion team with all the talent on the roster and would probably hold their own.

“Whether we can or not, we do kind of believe that as we joke around that we think we might be a mediocre Major League team or something like that,” Kipnis said. “The best part is that it is not just one guy standing out every night, it is always two or three guys every other night or a great pitching outing by someone. It is a very hard team to beat when everyone is chipping in. We expect to win everyday and when we don’t win it is a shock to us. When that’s the environment you have in the locker room, it is a real productive one.”

For a player like Kipnis who is knocking on the proverbial door to the big leagues, it can be hard to block out the distraction of waiting for a callup. Players often talk about controlling only what they can control and letting all the roster decisions take care of themselves, but it can be hard to ignore and sometimes players will try to do more to get noticed, which hurts them in the long run.

“I think when you are this close and knocking on the door you are doing what you can to get noticed to make it up there,” Kipnis said. “But at the same time we have a great group of veterans on this team who have been there who know and tell us our time will come and don’t try to force it and do something you are not used to doing.”

Kipnis got off to an okay start in April where in 21 games he hit .253 with 2 homers, 11 RBI and a .820 OPS, but since May 1st is hitting .319 with 9 homers, 37 RBI, and a .942 OPS in 55 games. His performance at the plate has been consistent almost all season, and he feels a lot of his success is the result of him maturing as a player.

“Not even talking about numbers, I think I am maturing a lot on and off the field,” Kipnis said. “I wanted to work on becoming a better all around player and teammate. People like Travis Buck who I am sure don’t want to be down here, but when they are they have been fantastic in helping me out with being a better teammate and handling slumps. I think in terms of evaluating my season I have matured a lot more than I could have hoped for so I am happy about that.”

Kipnis has a unique routine when he steps to the plate where he will setup in the box and then while holding the bat will lay it sideways in mid-air parallel to the ground so he can better wrap his fingers around it and then move it up to his shoulder area. It looks a lot like what Mickey Tettleton used to do, and while it may look silly he is not about to change what is working for him.

“I have no idea where it came from,” Kipnis laughed. “I wanted the bat in my fingertips and I didn’t know how to get it there and I didn’t want the bat wrap so that is what I came up with. As long as it keeps working I am going to stick with it. I know it looks dumb, but as long as it keeps working I can’t change it.”

There is no question that Kipnis’ bat is Major League ready. Even more ready than Lonnie Chisenhall’s was before he was called up on Monday. The question with Kipnis is whether he is ready to handle playing second base everyday at the big league level, and there is still some uncertainty with that since he has only played the position now for a year and a half.

“I am loving the competition out here as there are a lot bigger and smarter guys and the groundballs come faster,” Kipnis said. “I am enjoying it now and having a lot of fun [at second base]. It is something I have had to keep after everyday. The more groundballs you take and the more reps you get, the easier it is going to be on you. You can never take too many. They have me out for early work a lot and it really may not be to work on something but just to keep getting used to it so it doesn’t get too far away from me.”

Kipnis continues to work hard and is making strides at second base, but probably needs more time. The Indians, however, don’t have time and may have to finish him off at the big league level as his bat is too valuable and could really help a struggling offense.

“I have really worked hard with the coaches here about double plays, turns, my arm slot and everything,” Kipnis said. “I am starting to get the hang of it where it is starting to be more instinctual rather than me being a robot out there. Once instincts take over is when you really start to play the position.”

If the Indians do decide to call up Kipnis they will need to decide what to do with both Cord Phelps and Orlando Cabrera. Phelps and Kipnis are almost strictly second base options for the time being, whereas Cabrera could play almost anywhere in the infield. Kipnis was an outfielder in college and Phelps has played some third base and shortstop in the minors, but those do not appear to be options for either player at least for this season.

Though, again, when a team is desperate for answers, anything is possible.

In the meantime Kipnis continues to plug away and impress his bosses with his electric bat.

“This season I just think it is a maturing process where I am finding out who I am as a player,” Kipnis said. “I want to just keep getting better. What that means in terms of stats or a callup is nothing; it is just to keep getting better this year. I’ll let the other stuff take care of itself. For me it is just one of those things where they say that if you are going to get up there you want to stay up there, you don’t want to be going up and down. That’s the goal, to become a better player so I’ll know when I am ready and will be ready to go.”

But Kipnis would by lying if he did not admit he was excited for the opportunity to make his Major League debut.

“I always joke with Ross, my phone is always on.”

Big 3 are a pleasant surprise. Now let's see them keep it at that level as they pile up more innings. The good ones are at their best coming down the stretch.

I believe they also had Narleski & Mossi in the bullpen. What a pitching staff.

Indians manager Manny Acta told Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes that Melvin Mora and Mike Cameron are “interesting” possibilities (Spanish link on Twitter). Mora was released yesterday and Cameron was designated for assignment today.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Way too much effort here by Sheldon to have fun. Stick to the game, it was a good one.



Indians score big, Masterson finally rewarded

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published: July 2, 2011 - 12:18 AM

CINCINNATI: The last time the Indians scored at least eight runs, William Howard Taft was standing in the middle of Cincinnati’s Fountain Square telling a crowd that he would make a fine president.

Just kidding.

The Tribe scored at least eight runs as recently as June 1 in a 13-9 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. So Friday night’s 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds was hardly precedent setting.

But look at this this way: The Indians scored only four runs in a three-game series against the Giants last weekend in San Francisco; they were held to eight runs losing two of three to the Detroit Tigers in the middle of last month, and they scored a grand total of six runs dropping four games to the Texas Rangers early in June.

In other words, things are looking up for these wacky Wahoos, who have won three of four after losing five of six.

So are they going to make up their minds or what?

The Tribe seems to have settled into a pattern against the Reds, who have lost four out of four against the Indians with two more to play this weekend.

The big news at Great American Ball Park was not that Justin Masterson pitched well. He usually does. But he actually won a game for the first time since April 26, when nobody was running for president (well, maybe Sarah Palin, but nobody is sure).

“It took a combination of both things to get Masterson out of his losing streak,” manager Manny Acta said. “It took good pitching by him and us scoring some runs. The middle of our lineup came up big, driving in eight runs, and Masterson was still throwing 94 at the end of the eighth inning.”

Masterson (6-6, 2.85 ERA) endured 11 starts without a win, posting an 0-6 record and an earned-run average of 3.34. In those 11 games, his teammates scored an average of two runs.

“The way things have been going lately, I’ve been pretty happy [about his pitching],” Masterson said. “I can’t worry about the runs. The only thing I can control is my effort. I don’t want to be satisfied when we don’t win as a team, but I know everybody is trying.”

Friday night, he mesmerized the Reds for eight innings, giving up four hits and only one walk, striking out five. He got 12 outs on 10 ground balls and never allowed a serious threat to get going.

All the while he’s been pitching well with almost no run support, Masterson has been positive and upbeat, almost to a fault.

After a game in Arizona earlier in the week, Orlando Cabrera said he felt badly because of Masterson’s lack of wins.

“There’s no need to feel bad,” Masterson said, when he was told of Cabrera’s comments. “It’s not like anybody is not trying. It’s like, I’m working my tail off, and they’re working their tails off.”

Cabrera obviously was pleased that the offense showed up. “As soon as we scored four runs, I knew it would be enough for him,” Cabrera said. “He was in the zone. His slider was working really, really well, and he wasn’t afraid to throw it.”

Masterson insisted that he had no reason to hang his head because other pitchers have endured slumps for the same reason. “Why feel sorry for yourself?” he said. “You can’t. This is a crazy game. I’m not the first pitcher to go through anything, and I won’t be the last. And it might happen again.”

Cabrera hopes not. “Especially to Masterson,” he said. “He’s such a sweetheart. The guy is always smiling. I want him to do good and win every game.”

Masterson had his own cheering section, including with his parents (Mark and Judy) and his high school coach, who drove from Beavercreek, southeast of Dayton.

How long did the drive take? “It’s about 45 minutes,” Masterson said. “If Dad is driving, about an hour.”

What if Masterson is driving? “We won’t go there,” he said. “Just say about 50 minutes.”

The run Masterson allowed came on Brandon Phillips’ homer leading off the fourth inning, by which time the Tribe led 4-0. Phillips has never let the Indians forget that he used to belong to them. But he does it the right way, by killing the Tribe at the plate.

In 33 career games, he is batting .346 with seven home runs in 127 at-bats. Oh yes, he hit another homer off Chad Durbin in the ninth.

But the Indians easily offset Phillips’ onslaught. Carlos Santana hit a solo homer and singled, driving in two runs; Grady Sizemore homered with nobody on in the second for the Tribe’s first run and doubled home a run in the fifth; Asdrubal Cabrera whacked a two-run homer, and Travis Buck doubled home two runs.

However, Buck was forced to leave the game with left hamstring tightness running out a ground ball in the seventh.

“We’ll find out more tomorrow, when he comes in,” Acta said. “If it happens to be more severe [than it appears] after tomorrow, we’ll have to make a decision.”

Just the facts from Paul Hoynes



Cleveland Indians hitters finally support Justin Masterson in 8-2 victory over Cincinnati Reds
Published: Friday, July 01, 2011, 8:09 PM Updated: Saturday, July 02, 2011, 12:37 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer


CINCINNATI, Ohio — All Justin Masterson needed was a little offense.

Check that . . . all Justin Masterson needed was more than a little offense. He's been getting little, if any, offensive support since late April.

Friday night the Indians provided the 6-6 right-hander with the most runs he's received in the past two months in an 8-2 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Masterson allowed one run over eight innings to end an 11-start winless streak that included six losses, four coming on shutouts.

"I feel so good for Masterson tonight," said second baseman Orlando Cabrera. "When we scored those four runs early, I knew it was going to be enough for him. He was in the zone tonight."

The victory gave the Indians a 4-0 record against the Reds this season. It's their first outright series win against the Reds since 2005. It also means the Ohio Cup is coming back to Cleveland.

Masterson (6-6, 2.85 ERA) had not won a game since April 26. Between then and Friday night, he went 0-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 11 starts in which the offense scored 22 runs.

Earlier this week Orlando Cabrera was talking about Masterson and how well he'd handled this streak.

"Why feel sorry for yourself?" said Masterson, who struck out five and walked one in 102 pitches. "You can't. This game is crazy. . . . good things, bad things. Whatever is going to take place, there's no room for feeling sorry for yourself.

"No one else is going to feel sorry for you. I'm not the first person to go through this. I won't be the last person to go through it. This what keeps bringing you back to the game of baseball."

Masterson grew up in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton. It's about a 45-minute drive from there to Cincinnati.

"I think about how the city of Beavercreek was here representing for me," said Masterson. "There were a lot of Indians fans in the crowd."

Masterson didn't go overboard in leaving tickets for family and friends.

"I left about seven or eight," he said. "Make everyone else fend for themselves. We'll see who else really wants to come."

The Indians put this one away early on homers by Grady Sizemore, Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana off Bronson Arroyo (7-7, 5.49) for a 4-0 lead after three innings.

Sizemore made it 1-0 in the second on a drive to right-center field for his eighth homer and first since June 8. Sizemore, struggling at the plate, added an RBI double in the fifth.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Santana hit consecutive homers in the three-run third. Cabrera drove a 1-2 pitch 421 feet into the seats in right-center for a two-run homer and a 3-0 lead. It was his 14th homer of the season. Cabrera entered this season with 18 homers in his big-league career.

Santana followed by driving an 0-1 pitch into the Indians bullpen down the right-field line for his 12th homer. It was his fifth homer in his past 16 games.

Arroyo has allowed 24 homers this season.

The Indians didn't stop after the display of power. They stretched the lead to 8-1 with four runs in the sixth. The four runs came with two out.

Travis Buck's two-run single was the big hit of the inning, but he left the game with a strained left hamstring and was replaced by pinch-runner Austin Kearns.

Acta said the Indians will know more today when Buck comes to the ballpark.

"We have Kearns and Shelley Duncan so we're all right," he said. "If we have to make a move [disabled list] we'll do it, but we're not going to do it now."

Michael Brantley and Orlando Cabrera started the rally with two-out singles off Arroyo. After Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to right, Santana singled home Brantley and Sizemore delivered Orlando Cabrera with a double to right to knock Arroyo out of the game.

Arroyo allowed eight runs on nine hits in 4 innings. It was the second most runs he's allowed this season.

Brandon Phillips accounted for the Reds only runs with homers in the fourth and ninth inning. He homered off Masterson in the fourth and Chad Durbin in the ninth. Phillips' second homer was the 1,000th hit of his career.

Masterson contributed to the Tribe's 12-hit attack with a single in the third.

"Josh Tomlin represented for the starting staff on Tuesday with two knocks," said Masterson. "I figured I had to get at least one."

Mark Shapiro and the art of the one-year deal

Published: Friday, July 01, 2011, 1:03 PM Updated: Friday, July 01, 2011, 1:05 PM


Andy Lyons/Getty Images Kevin Millwood was just one of the many one-year wonders under Mark Shapiro's watch
Last night I was having dinner with my buddy Jeremy and he and I were discussing the many one-year wonders the Indians collected in the past 10 years. Once the Dolan ownership era was ushered in and the realities of our market took shape, then GM Mark Shapiro had to take chances on guys who have had injury issues in the past and were looking to get their careers back on the right path or veterans stars on one year deals looking to cash in the following year.

Shapiro became the king of this technique. It was almost as big of a calling card for him as using the phrase "championship caliber club," his khaki pants and golf shirt look, and trading veterans for prospects as they approached free agency.

On this holiday Friday afternoon, let us take a look at some of Shappy's biggest low risk/high reward one year signings:

Marty Cordova - 2001

The right-handed hitting outfielder and former 1995 AL Rookie of the Year with the Minnesota Twins was coming off three injury-plagued seasons, his last being in Toronto in 2000 where he only played in 62 games. The 20+ home run power he showed as a rookie in Minnesota was long behind him and Cordova looked like he was on his last chance.

Shapiro brought him into Spring Training with the Indians where he made the ballclub as the platoon right-handed leftfielder with the fame and fabled Jacob Cruz. Soon thereafter, Cordova took the job full time and wouldn’t let it go. In a lineup stacked with All-Stars like Juan Gonzalez, Jim Thome, Roberto Alomar, Omar Vizquel, Kenny Lofton, and Ellis Burks, Cordova thrived at the bottom of the order.

In 122 games, the 31-year old hit .301 – the highest average of his career – with 20 homers and 60 RBIs. On a one-year deal, all it took was one team to see that one good year and hand him over the cash. During the winter of 2001, Cordova smartly cashed in, signing a three-year deal with Baltimore worth $9 million. He played only one full season – 2002 – with the Orioles before completely breaking down. He played in just nine games in 2003 and was never heard from again.

Juan Gonzalez – 2001

Everyone knows this story. The former AL MVP in Texas was one of the most feared right-handed hitters in the game. In 2000 he infamously turned down an eight-year $140 million contract with the sad sack Detroit Tigers after being dealt there. Gonzalez then hit the market during the winter of 2000 and found that the money he had turned down just wasn’t there.

Shrewdly, Mark Shapiro approached his agent with the idea of rebuilding his character issue-plagued image by giving him a one-year deal to prove himself again. Juan Gone went for it, inking a one-year, $10 million contract with the Tribe. He immediately hit clenup and tore apart AL pitching. With tablesetters Lofton, Vizquel, and Robbie Alomar in front of him, Gonzalez drove in 135 runs with a batting average of .325 as the team's everyday right fielder. Did I mention he hit 35 bombs as well? He turned his one season in Cleveland into $25 million with Texas over the next two years, before his body broke down, from what we now know may have been performance enhancing drugs.

Interestingly, Juan Gone will always go down in Tribe folk lore for a different reason. In 2005, the Indians took another chance on him for $400,000. In spring training he sprayed the ball all over the field and looked like he could be a huge coup for the Tribe. Then in his first at-bat of the season, he pulled his hamstring and never stepped onto a major league field again. The Indians replacement for Gonzalez on the roster? A young centerfielder by the name of Grady Sizemore.

Kevin Millwood – 2005

The Tribe was on the cusp of becoming a really solid team. They had CC Sabathia coming into his own at the top of the rotation. A young Jake Westbrook looked like a dependable option who would give 30 starts. Cliff Lee was coming off a 14-win campaign, and the Indians really needed one more veteran starter they could count on.

Super agent Scott Boras was looking for a big deal for one of his clients, but couldn’t get what he wanted, so he decided to look at one-year audition deals. This was right up Shapiro’s alley and the marriage was perfect: The young up and coming team and the veteran ace looking to cash in. So Kevin Millwood became a Cleveland Indian for one year at the cost of $7 million plus incentives.

Everything played out exactly how Boras planned it. Millwood was the ace of the upstart Indians rotation, winning the AL ERA title (2.86) and pitching like an ace. The 93-win Indians missed out on the playoffs by one game, but Millwood got a four-year, $50 million deal from Texas in the offseason.

Bob Howry – 2005

In the winter of 2004, the bullpen-starved Indians picked up the injured Howry and gave him guaranteed money despite the fact that they knew he would miss at least half the season. Their patience paid off big time in 2005 when Howry turned his career around as the eighth inning guy for Eric Wedge’s Tribe.

After combining for just 61 appearances between 2002-2004, Howry led the team with 79 in 2005. He was as dependable as they come, posting a 2.47 ERA and a WHIP of 0.89, by far the best of his career.

In the offseason, the Chicago Cubs came calling and offered him a three-year, $12 million deal - unheard of at the time for a set-up guy. The loyal Howry gave the Indians a chance to match, considering all the time they put into rehabbing him and resurrecting his career. The cash-strapped Indians passed, and Howry left to for the Windy City. It ended up being the right decision as the 2005 version of Howry was the best we would ever see him.

Honorable mentions include Arthur Rhodes (2005) and Carl Pavano (2009)

Indians 3, Reds 1




CINCINNATI -- Michael Brantley hit a three-run homer and Frank Herrmann took over after Indians starter Fausto Carmona took a tumble, pitching three scoreless innings Saturday for his first big league win in Cleveland's 3-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Indians are 5-0 against their intrastate rival, one win away from the first sweep in the interleague series' history.

Carmona fell hard while running out a grounder in the third inning, leaving the game with a strained right thigh. Herrmann (1-0) retired nine of the 10 batters he faced.

Brantley followed Carmona's fall with his first homer in nearly a month off Homer Bailey (3-3).

Joe Smith struck out Brandon Phillips with the bases loaded in the seventh, extending his streak to 19 scoreless appearances. Joey Votto homered in the eighth off left-hander Tony Sipp. Vinnie Pestano escaped a two-on threat in the ninth, fanning Scott Rolen for his first save in four tries.

It's the first time that Cleveland has won five games in a season series against Cincinnati. No team has swept the season series, which started in 1997. The Reds went 5-1 in 2008.

The defending NL Central champions will be glad to be done with interleague play. The Reds have struggled mightily against the American League, going 5-12. Cleveland is 11-6 against the NL.

Carmona got shook up on his chest-first tumble. He was the Indians' lone All-Star last season, but has fallen on hard times, tying for the major league lead in losses at 4-10. One bad step cost him a chance to get his season turned around.

Lou Marson singled before Carmona grounded to third baseman Scott Rolen, who threw to second to try to start a double play. Shortstop Paul Janish pulled his foot off the base as he reached for the throw, an error that left Marson safe.

Carmona was running hard down the line to beat the anticipated relay and tripped a few feet from the base, sending him sprawling. He got up, stretched his right thigh and pitching hand, talked to manager Manny Acta and walked off the field.

Brantley followed with a three-run homer into the Indians' bullpen, where Herrmann was starting to warm up to replace Carmona. It was Brantley's first homer since June 6.

Herrmann pitched in 40 games for the Indians last season, going 0-1. He's in his fourth stint with Cleveland this season, and got his milestone win in his 55th appearance in the majors.

Other than the home run to Brantley, Bailey kept the Indians off balance all game. The right-hander allowed three runs, two earned, and eight hits in his second start since returning from a stint on the disabled list to let his strained pitching shoulder heal.

Game notes
The first two games of the series sold out. Cincinnati has sold out eight games this season. ... Three umpires worked the top of the first inning because Derryl Cousins was ill. He took his spot at third base for the bottom of the inning. ... The Indians expect closer Chris Perez back Sunday from his grandmother's funeral in Florida. ... Pestano's last save came on Sept. 26. ... Indians OF Travis Buck was diagnosed with a mild strain of his left hamstring, suffered during Friday night's game. He's expected back in a couple of days.

After the 2008 season, the Indians traded Franklin Gutierrez to Seattle as part of a three-team-trade with the New York Mets. The Tribe received infielder Luis Valbuena and reliever Joe Smith in return. This looked like one trade the Indians might regret as Gutierrez put up strong numbers in 2009. Since then, injuries have hampered his progress.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Indians Dealings: Under the radar trades - Cleveland Sports | Examiner.com

http://www.examiner.com/sports-in-cleve ... z1R09iKKMv


Yep, that trade is now looking a helluva lot better!!

Fausto Carmona's injury means Tribe will turn attention to Columbus for replacement: Cleveland Indians Insider
Published: Saturday, July 02, 2011, 10:51 PM Updated: Saturday, July 02, 2011, 10:59 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
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View full sizeAl Behrman, Associated Press
Trainer Lonnie Soloff, left, helps Indians starting pitcher Fausto Carmona walk off the field after Carmona injured his leg while running to first on Saturday in Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI, Ohio — If Fausto Carmona is placed on the disabled list as expected after straining his right quadriceps muscle Saturday in a fall at first base, the Indians are going to have to dip into their pitching staff at Class AAA Columbus to find a replacement.
They'll have several choices:
Right-hander Jeanmar Gomez, who has already been up once this year, is 8-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 12 starts. He's struck out 68, walked 27 and allowed 71 hits in 79 2/3 innings. The opposition is hitting .247 against him.
Left-hander David Huff is 8-2 with a 3.74 ERA in 14 starts. He's struck out 51, walked 23 and allowed 89 hits in 84 1/3 innings. The opposition is hitting .267 against him.
Right-hander Zach McAllister is 8-3 with a 2.97 ERA in 15 starts. He has 71 strikeouts, 21 walks and has allowed 86 hits in 97 innings.
Left-hander Scott Barnes is 7-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 14 games, including 13 starts. He's struck out 82, walked 31 and allowed 66 hits in 76 2/3 innings.
Carmona's next start is scheduled for Thursday against Toronto at Progressive Field.
Saturday was the halfway point of the Indians' season. They stayed in first place in the American League Central thanks to a 3-1 victory over the Reds, but they continue to be hit hard with injuries.
They lost right fielder Shin-Soo Choo at the start of this trip to a broken left thumb. He'll be out for eight to 10 weeks.
Center fielder Grady Sizemore returned from the disabled list for the second time on May 27, but still hasn't rediscovered his swing. DH Travis Hafner missed almost a month with a strained right oblique muscle. Alex White, who probably would have been the front office's choice to replace Carmona, is on the disabled list with a strained tendon in the middle finger of his right hand. First baseman Matt LaPorta is still on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle.
"I'm very impressed what these guys have been able to accomplish as a team," said Indians manager Manny Acta. "When you take into consideration the injuries we've had, these guys have kept battling.
"We've weathered a lot of storms. It's been impressive."
Sign here: Baseball America reported that the Indians have signed 16-year-old shortstop Dorssys Paulino for $1.1 million. Paulino is an international free-agent in the Dominican Republic.
The Indians are close to a deal, but since Paulino is only 16, his parents have to sign the contract. John Mirabelli, Indians director of scouting, is in the Dominican, but the deal isn't done yet.
Easy does it: Outfielder Travis Buck will miss two to three games with a "mild strain" of his left hamstring. He suffered the injury Friday running to first base after hitting a two-run single in the fifth inning.
"I was thinking double and just as I went to switch gears, I felt it," Buck said. "We've got nine games left before the break and I'd like to play in as many as I can."
After a long slump, Buck was 6-for-14 on this nine-game trip when he was injured.
It's a race: When Carmona left Saturday's game after reaching first on a attempted sacrifice bunt, but injuring himself in the process, right-hander Josh Tomlin pinch ran for him.
Tomlin scored on Michael Brantley's three-run homer. It's the first time he's scored a run in the big leagues.
Asked how he picked Tomlin, Acta said: "It was between him and Mitch Talbot. Naturally, one put his spikes on quicker than the other one."
Finally: No word on whether the Indians are interested in outfielder Mike Cameron, who was released this week by the Boston Red Sox. . . . Heard the Chicago Cubs would be more than willing to talk to the Tribe about outfielder Kosuke Fukudome.
To reach this Plain Dealer Reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

NY Times write on "who should be All Stars" (that means not exclusively Yankees and Red Sox) selects 3 Indiand: Asdrubal is the starter at SS, backed up by JJ Hardey; ChrisPerez in the pen; and interesting choice Carlos Santana as backup catcher. Are most catchers not hitting this year? Carlos' batting average is his least significant stat, with a dozen homers and plenty of walks his OPS is about 780, second highest in yesterday's lineup, and 3rd hightest when Hafner is back

From Cincy paper.

Reds fall 3-1 in fifth consecutive loss to Indians this season

CINCINNATI – Mercifully for the Reds, Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Indians is their last against an American League team this year.

After Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Indians before a sellout crowd of 41,580 at Great American Ball Park, the Reds are 5-12 against AL clubs, including 0-5 against their Ohio rivals.

“The numbers are what they are,” Reds shortstop Paul Janish said. “We haven’t played well against them for whatever reason. To be honest with you, I’m looking forward to getting back to playing in the National League.”

That will happen on Monday when the Reds play at St. Louis in the first of seven games against NL Central foes, three against the Cardinals and four in Milwaukee against the Brewers, leading up to the All-Star break.

Perhaps somewhere during that stretch the Reds will rediscover the offensive magic that served them so well last year and that has been so elusive this season.

Their latest loss to the Indians dropped the Reds, at 42-42, back to the .500 mark for the first time since June 5, when they were 30-30 and a season-high 5 1/2 games out of first place.

“Right now, I don’t think anybody’s too worried,” right-hander Homer Bailey, Saturday’s starting pitcher, said. “We’ve still got another half to play. I know you guys like to jump the gun, but we’re only halfway through. The whole second half could go in our favor.”

It could, but there are precious few signs to indicate that will happen anytime soon, manager Dusty Baker’s optimism notwithstanding.

The Reds left 12 runners on base and struck out 11 times against the Indians Saturday. They failed to score with one out and the bases loaded in the seventh inning when Drew Stubbs grounded to third base to force Johnny Gomes at the plate, and Brandon Phillips struck out to end another fruitless inning.

They put runners on first and third in the ninth with two out, but Scott Rolen struck out swinging against Vinny Pestano, who earned his first save.

“I know it’s going to happen,” Baker said. “We’ve got the talent. We’ve got the desire and we’ve got the aptitude. We’ve still got three months of baseball left. A good week or a good month and we’ll be right where we want to be. Every team is going to have that. We haven’t had ours yet.”

Bailey (3-3) allowed only two earned runs in seven innings, striking out seven and walking one, but Michael Brantley’s three-run homer in the third was all the Indians needed to beat him.

With Lou Marson on first base and nobody out, Indians starter Fausto Carmona tried to bunt Marson to second. The bunt was fielded by third baseman Rolen, whose throw to second was on target and in time to get Marson.

But second base umpire John Tumpane ruled that Janish’s foot was not on the base when he received the throw, and Janish was charged with an error.

“It was a tough call for him because I was kind of straddling the bag,” Janish said, “but my foot was pushed up against the right side of it. He kind of caught me off guard when he called him safe. On a play like that, generally speaking, it’s one of those things that you feel has to be pretty blatant in order for him to make the call that he made.”

Carmona left the game with a strained right quadriceps and was replaced by pinch runner Josh Tomlin.

Brantley then drilled Bailey’s 2-0 pitch into the Indians’ bullpen for his sixth homer.
“I’ve got to bear down better in that situation and make that pitch and things would have been different,” Bailey said. “It was a fastball that didn’t get in.”

The Reds avoided their fourth shutout of the season when Joey Votto hit his 12th home run, in the eighth inning, but were unable to muster any more offense.

“We’re just out of sync,” Baker said. “We’ll get it together.”

Hopefully they stay "out of sync" for one more game!

I am pretty much giddy at the recovery of our Tribe from their difficult June. And all this without Hafner and Choo.

I hope they don't bring up Huff.