Read More: twins baseball, minnesota twins baseball, indians baseball, cleveland indians baseball, twins at indians, twins vs indians, twins indians score, twins indians recap, Jim Hoey (P – MIN), Travis Hafner (DH – CLE), Francisco Liriano (P – MIN), Jack Hannahan (3B – CLE), Kosuke Fukudome (CF – CLE), Matt LaPorta (1B – CLE), Brian Duensing (P – MIN), Carlos Santana (C – CLE), Trevor Plouffe (SS – MIN), Danny Valencia (3B – MIN), David Huff (P – CLE), Jason Kipnis (2B – CLE), Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians, Sep 24, 2011 12:05 PM CDT

The Minnesota Twins’ bullpen, as has been their propensity for much of the 2011 season, completely fell apart in the opener of their doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning after Twins’ starter Brian Duensing was pulled to pace them to an 8-2 victory on Saturday afternoon.

Cleveland got on the board first, thanks to Shelly Duncan’s two-run double in the bottom of the first to give the Indians an early 2-0 lead, but the Twins fought back. They got a run in the top of the fourth when Danny Valencia scored on a wild pitch by Indians’ starter David Huff, and a single run in the top of the sixth when Valencia scored again on a double by Trevor Plouffe, tying the game at two going into the bottom of the sixth.

Then, the Twins pulled Duensing and brought Francisco Liriano in to relieve him. Here is how Liriano’s afternoon went.

-Walk to Jason Kipnis
-Walk to Carlos Santana, Kipnis to second
-Hit Travis Hafner with a pitch, loading the bases
-Sacrifice fly by Duncan (Kipnis scores, 3-2 Cleveland)
-Double by Matt LaPorta (Santana scores, 4-2 Cleveland)
-Single by Jack Hannahan (Hafner scores, 5-2 Cleveland)

Liriano was then pulled for Jim Hoey, who was greeted by a single by Kosuke Fukudome, scoring LaPorta and making the score 6-2. Duncan eventually concluded the scoring with a two-run single off of Hoey to make the score 8-2.

Liriano took the loss for the Twins, getting charged with five runs (all earned) on just two hits in one-third of an inning. Reliever Zach Putnam picked up the win for Cleveland, his first of the season.

The second half of the double-header is scheduled to get underway at 6:05 PM Central time at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Where: Progressive Field.

When: Monday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.

Pitching matchups: LHP Charlie Furbush (3-9, 4.86) vs. LHP David Huff (2-5, 3.40) at 4:05 p.m.

Season series: Indians lead Seattle, 5-3. Indians lead, 201-157, overall.

Indians update: Following a three-game sweep by the Tigers, the Indians returned home to lose three out of four to the last-place Mariners to send them reeling out of contention and for all. Coming off a 10-game trip in which they went 5-5.

Mariners update: Furbush, acquired from Detroit in the Doug Fister deal, is making his second appearance and first start against the Indians this season. He’s lost five straight starts. In Seattle’s last visit to Cleveland, third baseman Kyle Seager hit .714 (10-for-14).

Injuries: Indians –RHP Josh Tomlin (right elbow), OF Michael Brantley (right hand), RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow) are on the disabled list. 3B Jack Hannahan (left calf) is day to day. Shin-Soo Choo (left oblique) is out for the season. Mariners — RHP David Aardsma (right elbow), RHP Dan Cortes (right hand) and C Adam Moore (right knee) are on the disabled list. 1B Justin Smoak (right groin) is day to day.

Next: Chicago visits for a four-game, three-day series starting with Tuesday’s day-night doubleheader.

By Richard Bauer

– Contributor

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Aug 19, 2011 – The Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers have met nine times in 2011, and the Indians lead the season series six games to three. But all of that really doesn’t matter as much as the final nine meetings might. Six of those games will be in Detroit (including the final three of the season) and three will be at Progressive Field.

With the two clubs separated by only a game and a half in the AL Central, each of the final nine meetings might be said to have playoff implications, and that begins with tonight’s game at 7:05 at Comerica Park.

Josh Tomlin will go for his 13th win of the season against another pitcher with a dozen victories — Detroit’s Max Scherzer.

Scherzer (12-7, 4.37 ERA) will be facing the Tribe for the third time this year, having had a no-decision on April 29 and having beaten Cleveland in Detroit on June 16. In his two previous appearances vs. the Indians, Scherzer has gone 12.1 innings and given up seven runs, so the Tribe has proven that they can at least score off of him. But Scherzer also has an ERA at home three-quarters of a run per game lower than his overall number, so let’s not think it will be any kind of a cakewalk.

For his career, Scherzer is 2-3 vs. The Good Guys, with a high 5.50 ERA in 34.1 innings of work.

Tomlin, meanwhile, will be facing the Tigers for the first time this year. Tomlin was 1-1 against Detroit in his rookie season of 2010, with a 6.55 ERA in only 11 frames. Thus there is not really a template that gauges Tomlin’s success rate vs. Detroit.

A nice seven- or eight-inning workout tonight could augment that success rate.

Tomlin (12-5, 3.97 ERA) is only 4-3 away from home in 2011. with an ERA of 4.88, so it is to be hoped that he will be able to pitch at a little higher level than he has thus far outside of Progressive Field.

The Indians swept the Tigers at home April 29-May 1, and also took two-of-three at Progressive Field August 9-11, but Detroit took two-of-three from the Tribe in the Motor City June 14-16.

David Huff will face Doug Fister on Saturday at 7:05, and in the series finale on Sunday at 1:05 Ubaldo Jimenez will face Rick Porcello — or at least that is how the schedule looks on Yahoo! Sports and on MLB.com. If that is so, the Indians will catch a huge break by not having to face Justin Verlander this weekend.

We will see how it all plays out.

One thing is for sure — if the Tribe can win at least two-of-three (or — dare we hope — sweep), the race will truly be on. On the other hand, if Detroit wins this series, the Indians find themselves at least 2.5 games behind with less than 40 games left.

It should be fun — and probably more than a little tense as well. Go Tribe!

Read More: Justin Verlander (P – DET), Ubaldo Jimenez (P – CLE), Max Scherzer (P – DET), Rick Porcello (P – DET), David Huff (P – CLE), Doug Fister (P – DET), Josh Tomlin (P – CLE), Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers

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Clubhouse confidential: The return of Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo on Friday night meant Kosuke Fukudome slid to center. Ezequiel Carrera moved from center to left.

“Carrera has played everywhere, and Fukudome never has played left field up here,” Acta said. “Fukudome’s a center fielder by nature and played some right field in Chicago. It would be unfair to throw him in left.”

No surprise: Acta said the Indians likely will recall lefty David Huff from Columbus for a start Sunday against the Twins.

Pair of legends: Former Indians Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar, who were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, threw out ceremonial first pitches before the game. Alomar threw to his brother, Indians first-base coach Sandy; Blyleven threw to Acta.

Happy Jack: Twins designated hitter Jim Thome, the Indians’ all-time leader with 334 homers, has hit 20 against the Tribe — 10 against lefties, 10 against righties. The breakdown: LHPs — CC Sabathia (three), Jeremy Sowers (three), David Huff (two), Cliff Lee, Craig Breslow; RHPs — Jake Westbrook (three), Jensen Lewis, Justin Germano, Fausto Carmona, Tomo Ohka, Paul Byrd, Guillermo Mota, Fernando Cabrera.

Stat of the day: Beginning Tuesday, the Indians will play 44 games over the regular season’s final 44 days.

 

CLEVELAND — First, suspended. Now, injured.

It’s been a rough few days for Carlos Carrasco.

The Cleveland Indians placed the starter on the 15-day disabled list Monday with inflammation in his right elbow, temporarily voiding his six-game suspension for throwing at Kansas City’s Billy Butler.

Carrasco was suspended for six games by Major League Baseball on Aug. 1 for throwing at Butler’s head in a July 30 game. The inside fastball didn’t hit Butler, but Carrasco was ejected and later slapped with the six-game ban, which he intended to serve following his last start.

However, after pitching seven innings on Aug. 3 in Boston, Carrasco felt discomfort in his elbow, according to an Indians release.

The right-hander still faces discipline when he’s activated. Carrasco, who is 8-0 with a 4.55 ERA in 21 starts, was on the DL earlier this season with a strained elbow.

The Indians also reinstated third baseman Jack Hannahan from the paternity list. Hannahan was not with the Indians for their three-game weekend series in Texas, staying with his wife for the birth of the couple’s first child.

Hannahan will be available tonight when the Indians open a critical three-game AL Central series with first-place Detroit. Cleveland trails the Tigers by four games.

Carrasco’s injury leaves the Indians without a starter for Saturday’s home game against Minnesota. The most likely candidate to take Carrasco’s spot is left-hander David Huff, who is 1-1 with a 0.51 ERA in three starts for Cleveland. He was sent back to Triple-A Columbus last week to open a roster spot after the Indians acquired Ubaldo Jimenez in a July 31 blockbuster trade from Colorado.

In his last start, Huff pitched five strong innings, allowing just an unearned run against Boston last week.

The right-hander still faces discipline when he’s activated. Carrasco, who is 8-0 with a 4.55 ERA in 21 starts, was on the DL earlier this season with a strained elbow.

The Indians also reinstated third baseman Jack Hannahan from the paternity list. Hannahan was not with the Indians for their three-game weekend series in Texas, staying with his wife for the birth of the couple’s first child.

Hannahan will be available tonight when the Indians open a critical three-game AL Central series with first-place Detroit. Cleveland trails the Tigers by four games.

Carrasco’s injury leaves the Indians without a starter for Saturday’s home game against Minnesota. The most likely candidate to take Carrasco’s spot is left-hander David Huff, who is 1-1 with a 0.51 ERA in three starts for Cleveland. He was sent back to Triple-A Columbus last week to open a roster spot after the Indians acquired Ubaldo Jimenez in a July 31 blockbuster trade from Colorado.

In his last start, Huff pitched five strong innings, allowing just an unearned run against Boston last week.

Tonight

• Who: Cleveland vs. Detroit
• Time: 7:05
• Where: Progressive Field
• Pitchers: Masterson (9-7, 2.63 ERA) vs. Fister (4-12, 3.29)
• TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

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Today starts a huge series for the Central Division when the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins play a day-night doubleheader on Monday at Target Field.

MLB.com reporter Christina De Nicola writes how for Cleveland, its options were limited in terms of promoting a starter.

For example, Zach McAllister, who was optioned back to Triple-A Columbus on July 8 following a start, needs to remain with the club for one more day to complete the required minimum stay of 10 days.

And David Huff will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus and get the nod in the first game for the Tribe, writes De Nicola. The 26-year-old southpaw was 8-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 17 outings for the Clippers.

“He’s been pitching very well,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “He deserves to come up. He’s made some adjustments down there, and they’re happy with the progress that he has made. We still believe in this guy.”

 

 

Game stories

Cleveland.com: Grady injuries knee.

Ohio.com: Indians stranded on offense.

MLB.com: Indians drop finale to Baltimore.