Indians chatter

Clubhouse confidential: The Indians are working on a short leash when it comes to making a decision on Grady Sizemore’s $9 million club option for 2012. Not only are they waiting for Dr. Richard Steadman’s findings — he examined Sizemore’s bruised right knee Monday — the timetable for exercising his option has been shortened.

In agreement with the players association, a decision on all options must be made three days after the last game of the World Series, regardless the language in individual contracts. Game 7 of the World Series is scheduled for Oct. 27.

“We have a number of decisions we have to make this off-season and we’re going to take the time to get as much information as we can before making those decisions,” GM Chris Antonetti said.

Closer look: Amidst the rubble of the Indians’ 9-6 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday, manager Manny Acta said he was impressed with the work of rookie relievers Nick Hagadone and Zach Putnam.

Hagadone threw 1 scoreless innings as he faced the minimum. He walked Ryan Raburn with one out in the seventh, but caught him trying to steal. Putnam retired the Tigers in order in the eighth.

“They could be options for us next year,” Acta said.

Stat of the day: Fausto Carmona finished first in the AL in runs allowed (125), second in earned runs allowed (110), tied for second in hit batters (14) and third in losses (15).

DETROIT, Mich. — It’s over for Ubaldo Jimenez. The rest of us have two games to go to put this odd season behind us.

At times inspiring, at times maddening, the Indians stand at 80-80 after their most lopsided loss of the season Monday night at Comerica Park. Once again, the Tigers were the hammer and the Indians the nail in a 14-0 defeat administered by right-hander Doug Fister and the bats of manager Jim Leyland’s lineup.

There are a couple of different ways to dissect the Tribe’s eighth straight loss to Detroit.

There’s the Jimenez-Fister angle. The Tigers acquired Fister on July 30th from Seattle. The Indians acquired Jimenez from Colorado on July 31. Fister is 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA since the trade. Jimenez is 4-4 with a 5.10 ERA since the deal.

When the Indians acquired Jimenez, they were in second place in the AL Central, 2 1/2 games behind the Tigers. They are still in second place today after being eliminated on Sept. 16, but trail the Tigers by 13 games.

If you think that’s hopeless, how about the Indians trying to hit Fister? He’s 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA against them. In his last two starts, Fister has 22 strikeouts in 16 innings. For the season, he’s struck out 38 Indians in 39 innings.

“Fister just carved us up pretty good,” said manager Manny Acta. “He continues to pitch very well against us.”

If the Fister-Jimenez angle doesn’t appeal to you, try this one. Forget this season, Jimenez is going to be just fine next year. The Indians say the most important thing they’ve seen from him since the deal is that he’s healthy.

“I think he’s going to be fine for us,” said Acta. “I think the stuff is there. He has to tinker with some things here and there and that’s what the off-season is for.

“The arm strength is there. The secondary pitches are there. We’re expecting him to be fine for us.”

There has been a cloak of mystery around Jimenez since the trade. He was slowed by a groin injury in spring training. Then a thumb problem arrived. The Indians put him through an extensive physical before approving the trade, but his 11 starts have been uneven.

Jimenez says a winter of rest and condition will cure that.

“I’m going to have everything 100 percent,” said Jimenez. “I’m going to have my velocity. My breaking ball. It’s going to be a different season.”

Jimenez went 10-13 with a 4.68 ERA overall. Against the Tigers he went 2-3 with a 6.35 ERA (20 earned runs in 28 1/3 innings). They scored six runs on nine hits in five innings against him Monday. On Aug. 21, when the Indians were still in the race, they peppered him for eight runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

“He’s had a couple of tough outings against them,” said Acta. “Eventually he’s going to have to figure them out because we play them 18 times a season.”

Detroit scored all its runs against Jimenez with two out. Ryan Raburn hit a two-out triple in the second for a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers made it 4-0 with three runs in the third. The inning unraveled when Cabrera failed to backhand a routine grounder to short by Delmon Young with two out in the third. It was ruled a hit, but should have been an error because Cabrera usually makes that play in his sleep.

Miguel Cabrera followed with an RBI single and Alex Avila added a two-run double.

The Tigers made it 6-0 in the fifth. Don Kelly hit a leadoff double, but Jimenez retired the next two batters. Victor Martinez doubled home Kelly and came around to score on Avila’s single.

When asked if he was glad if his season was over, Jimenez said, “When you’re out of the playoffs, you’re glad it’s over. Especially for me, it’s been a long season.”

The Tigers settled things with eight runs on eight hits in the eighth against relievers Corey Kluber and Josh Judy. The big hits were a three-run homer by Young and a two-run double by Andy Dirks off Judy. It gave Dirks two hits and three RBI in the eighth.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Everyone knows the Detroit Tigers are about to win the Central Division. Everyone knows this except the Cleveland Indians.

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com writes how manager Manny Acta insists that the goal remains the same for his ballclub.

“We’re still trying to win every single game,” Acta said. “Then, once they put the ‘X’ right next to us, then maybe we can change plans.”

Acta was referring to the “X” that appears in the standings, alongside to the names of the teams that have been officially eliminated from the postseason picture. Entering Monday’s off-day, the Indians (72-72) were in third place in the division and 11 games behind the first-place Tigers.

That’s some positive thinking on Acta’s part, but on Aug. 19, the Tribe entered a three-game series with Detroit only 1 1/2 games back in the standings. But since then, writes Bastian, the Tribe is 10-14 and the Tigers have gone 19-4, entering Monday’s action. 

“A lot of things can change in a week,” Acta said. “If you didn’t know the history of this season, you probably would think we’ve never been in it. It’s just one bad week by us and a good week by them, so we just need to continue to battle with what we have and try to win every game.”

Around the horn 

There’s nothing wrong with the Tribe, especially since they are a mediocre team at best, writes News-Herald reporter Jim Ingraham.

The Indians are about to set a franchise record that is nothing to be proud of.

The race in the Central Division may have been slowed, but the Texas Rangers are in the midst of a heated battle in the American League West.

 

 

CLEVELAND – So this was the plan: win the first two games and take your chances with Justin Verlander in the third game.

This is the reality: Thanks for coming! Good night everybody!

The postseason ship sailed Tuesday night at Progressive Field – and the Indians weren’t on it.

Barring a collapse of near historic proportions, the Detroit Tigers essentially clinched the Central Division title Tuesday night, speedily laying waste to a fumbling Fausto Carmona and trampling the Tribe 10-1.

The Indians, who in the first two games of the series have scored three runs and hit .121 as a team, now trail the division leading Tigers by 8 ½ games, and the regular season ends three weeks from today.

For the game but gassed Indians, their case may not be hopeless, but they can see hopeless from here.

Ideally the Indians needed to sweep the three-game series that ends today, but with the overpowering Verlander on the mound for the third game, a more realistic goal was to win two of the three games.

That would have left the Tribe 5 ½ games behind Detroit at series end. Not great, but not road kill.

Instead, they were flattened in the first two games, and are staring this afternoon at the grille of an 18 wheeler named Verlander.

Tuesday’s game was over before many fans found their seats – or Carmona found his mojo. Continued…

In a stunning display of mojo misplacement that sapped the life and spirit from the crowd and his team, Carmona retired the first two batters of the game – repeat: two outs, nobody on base – then proceeded to give up a walk, a balk, and then six consecutive two-out hits.

It was basically batting practice for the red-hot Motown hit men, who feasted on Carmona’s pitches, most of which arrived over the fat part of the plate screaming “Hit me!”.

So the Tigers did.

Coming into the game Delmon Young, Detroit’s No. 3 hitter, had not drawn a walk in 90 at-bats since being traded to the Tigers by the Twins.

With two outs and nobody on base, Carmona walked him.

The rest of the inning went something – actually, it went exactly – like this: single (Miguel Cabrera), single (Victor Martinez), single (Alex Avila), single (Jhonny Peralta), single (Don Kelly), single (Ramon Santiago).

Picking up a pattern?

The RBI went to Martinez (2), Peralta, Kelly, and Santiago (1 each). Carmona needed 30 pitches to stumble through the inning, and when he finally staggered off the mound he and his team were losing 5-0.

“It’s tough,” said Tribe manager Manny Acta. Before you even hit you’re down 5-0, before you take your first swing you know you’re going to need at least six to win the game.”

In the second inning Carmona gave up doubles to two of the first three batters he faced before Acta mercifully removed him from the game. Carmona (6-14) jogged to the dugout amid a cascade of boos from fans who perhaps are mindful of the fact that Carmona hasn’t won a game at Progressive Field in over four months _ since April 28. Continued…

Since that date Carmona is 0-7 at home, and is just as big of an enigma in the last month of the season as he was for Tribe officials in the first month of the season.

“Fausto just didn’t have it,” Acta said. “And with the lineup they have if you’re not on your game they are going to put a bunch of runs on you.”

By the end of the second inning the Indians were trailing 8-0, and after that it was up to the fans to entertain themselves.

Tigers starter Rick Porcello was nearly perfect for six innings, retiring 18 of the 19 batters he faced. The Indians’ only base runner in that span was Jason Kipnis who singled in the second inning, in his first at bat since coming off the disabled list.

That hit helped the Indians avoid the unthinkable nightmare of potentially getting no-hit the day BEFORE they faced Verlander.

Porcello, who in his last two starts against the Indians has had leads after the third inning of 7-0 and 8-0, pitched into the seventh inning and is 13-8 for the Tigers, who have won five in a row and since August 19 are 15-4.

The Indians’ only run came in the seventh inning on a home run by Kosuke Fukudome.

Jim Ingraham covers the Indians for The Oakland Press’ sister paper in Ohio, the Lorain Morning Journal. Email him at jingraham@morningjournal.com .

CLEVELAND – So this was the plan: win the first two games and take your chances with Justin Verlander in the third game.

This is the reality: Thanks for coming! Good night everybody!

The postseason ship sailed Tuesday night at Progressive Field – and the Indians weren’t on it.

Barring a collapse of near historic proportions, the Detroit Tigers essentially clinched the Central Division title Tuesday night, speedily laying waste to a fumbling Fausto Carmona and trampling the Tribe 10-1.

The Indians, who in the first two games of the series have scored three runs and hit .121 as a team, now trail the division leading Tigers by 8 ½ games, and the regular season ends three weeks from today.

For the game but gassed Indians, their case may not be hopeless, but they can see hopeless from here.

Ideally the Indians needed to sweep the three-game series that ends today, but with the overpowering Verlander on the mound for the third game, a more realistic goal was to win two of the three games.

That would have left the Tribe 5 ½ games behind Detroit at series end. Not great, but not road kill.

Instead, they were flattened in the first two games, and are staring this afternoon at the grille of an 18 wheeler named Verlander.

Tuesday’s game was over before many fans found their seats – or Carmona found his mojo.

In a stunning display of mojo misplacement that sapped the life and spirit from the crowd and his team, Carmona retired the first two batters of the game – repeat: two outs, nobody on base – then proceeded to give up a walk, a balk, and then six consecutive two-out hits.

It was basically batting practice for the red-hot Motown hit men, who feasted on Carmona’s pitches, most of which arrived over the fat part of the plate screaming “Hit me!”.

So the Tigers did.

Coming into the game Delmon Young, Detroit’s No. 3 hitter, had not drawn a walk in 90 at-bats since being traded to the Tigers by the Twins.

With two outs and nobody on base, Carmona walked him.

The rest of the inning went something – actually, it went exactly – like this: single (Miguel Cabrera), single (Victor Martinez), single (Alex Avila), single (Jhonny Peralta), single (Don Kelly), single (Ramon Santiago).

Picking up a pattern?

The RBI went to Martinez (2), Peralta, Kelly, and Santiago (1 each). Carmona needed 30 pitches to stumble through the inning, and when he finally staggered off the mound he and his team were losing 5-0.

“It’s tough,” said Tribe manager Manny Acta. Before you even hit you’re down 5-0, before you take your first swing you know you’re going to need at least six to win the game.”

In the second inning Carmona gave up doubles to two of the first three batters he faced before Acta mercifully removed him from the game. Carmona (6-14) jogged to the dugout amid a cascade of boos from fans who perhaps are mindful of the fact that Carmona hasn’t won a game at Progressive Field in over four months _ since April 28.

Since that date Carmona is 0-7 at home, and is just as big of an enigma in the last month of the season as he was for Tribe officials in the first month of the season.

“Fausto just didn’t have it,” Acta said. “And with the lineup they have if you’re not on your game they are going to put a bunch of runs on you.”

By the end of the second inning the Indians were trailing 8-0, and after that it was up to the fans to entertain themselves.

Tigers starter Rick Porcello was nearly perfect for six innings, retiring 18 of the 19 batters he faced. The Indians’ only base runner in that span was Jason Kipnis who singled in the second inning, in his first at bat since coming off the disabled list.

That hit helped the Indians avoid the unthinkable nightmare of potentially getting no-hit the day BEFORE they faced Verlander.

Porcello, who in his last two starts against the Indians has had leads after the third inning of 7-0 and 8-0, pitched into the seventh inning and is 13-8 for the Tigers, who have won five in a row and since August 19 are 15-4.

The Indians’ only run came in the seventh inning on a home run by Kosuke Fukudome.

Jim Ingraham covers the Indians for The Oakland Press’ sister paper in Ohio, the Lorain Morning Journal. Email him at jingraham@morningjournal.com .

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was hard to tell who the Indians were playing on a rainy Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium.

On the field, it was the Kansas City Royals. On the scoreboard it was the Detroit Tigers. Consider this a doubleheader loss.

The Royals beat the Indians, 5-1, and the Tigers overcame an 8-1 deficit to beat the White Sox, 9-8, at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Tigers lead the Indians in the American League Central Division by 6 1/2 games, and unless manager Manny Acta’s lineup can conjure some magic from the disabled list or beyond, the six games they have left with the Tigers have lost their meaning.

Rookie reliever Josh Judy was in the bullpen checking the scoreboard Saturday. He saw that the Tigers were trailing, 8-1, early. After the second of two rainouts that delayed the Tribe game, Detroit was trailing, 8-6.

“Then they come back and win it,” Judy said. “That’s baseball at this time of the year. You’re always on the edge of your seat. It’s a roller-coaster ride.”

If this was the defining game of the Indians wondrous season, let it be remembered this way: The Tigers used a veteran lineup to run down the White Sox. The injury-ravaged Indians rolled out a lineup against Luke Hochevar with four rookies and Jason Donald, who has spent the majority of this season at Class AAA Columbus, playing for injured All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

“That’s our team,” Acta said. “We can’t sit here and complain. They ran out four guys who were in [Class AAA] Omaha [Neb.] this year. And we ran out five who were in Columbus.

“We just have to fight and try to win the ballgame. That’s our team and we’d won six of the last nine. We just have to continue to play and battle until we can get some of those guys back from the DL.”

When asked about Detroit’s victory, Acta said it didn’t matter.

“It has nothing to do with us. We’re the Indians,” he said. “We’re not worried about Detroit. We’re worried about what we can do. Who cares what Detroit does if we don’t win?”

Hochevar (10-10, 4.76) had allowed 12 earned runs in 12 1/3 innings in two previous starts this year against the Indians. Saturday night, he went from punching bag to knockout artist.

He plowed through the Tribe’s lineup, allowing one unearned run in eight innings with eight strikeouts. He combined on a three-hitter with Greg Holland.

“That’s as good as we’ve seen him in two years,” Acta said. “He just dominated our lineup.”

Indians left-hander David Huff, with an assist from Mother Nature, lived up to his Rain Man nickname. The start of the game was delayed 20 minutes because of heavy rain. It was delayed again for 16 minutes in the top of the second.

Huff earned the nickname because when he pitches this season, whether it’s for the Indians or Class AAA Columbus, rain is usually involved.

“I didn’t even know it was raining until somebody told me,” Huff said. “I was just … that’s a shocker.”

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first. Ezequiel Carrera opened the game with a bloop single and raced to third on Hochevar’s errant pickoff attempt. Carlos Santana delivered him with a sacrifice fly.

The Royals came back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first. They scored both runs with two out. After Melky Cabrera singled, Billy Butler flied out to right for the second out, but Eric Hosmer singled past Lonnie Chisenhall at third and Jeff Francoeur doubled into the right-field corner to score both runs. It was the 44th double for Francoeur this season.

Kansas City made it 3-1 in the second by taking advantage of an error by shortstop Jason Donald, who was starting in place of Cabrera.

Donald, with one out, couldn’t handle a bouncer by catcher Salvador Perez. Chris Getz moved him to third with a single to right. Perez scored on Alex Gordon’s fielder’s choice to second.

“David gave us the effort, but didn’t make pitches with two outs,” Acta said. “Still, we didn’t do anything offensively.”

Billy Butler’s two-out double to the wall in right field made it 4-1 in the fifth. Huff walked Alex Gordon, who stole second ahead of a bad throw by Santana.

In the sixth the Royals made it 5-1 on rookie second baseman Johnny Giavotella’s one-out homer. It was just the second homer Huff (2-3, 2.81) has allowed in seven appearances, including six starts. Both have been by right-handers.

Huff allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits in six innings.

“I was bummed out when I heard the Tigers won,” Huff said. “We’ve got a lot of winning to do. If we don’t our season is going to be over before we know it.”

To reach this Plain Dealer Reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158.

Twitter: @hoynsie