Astronomicals are starting a rookie pitcher today. That doesn't bode well for the Indians

Tribe grabs the early lead:

Bourn doubled to deep left center.
Ramírez reached on bunt single to pitcher, Bourn to third.
Kipnis hit sacrifice fly to left, Bourn scored.

And here's an update for VT'er:

http://www.uschesschamps.com/

Bauer walks 2, but K's 3 in the first. 1-0, us

Maybe we are supposed to be retroactively concerned that Brantley missed much of ST with his bad back, despite repeated assurances that it was not big deal. He's out of the lineup again today. Murphy in left, Moss in right, Gomes DH, Perez behind the plate.

Bourn's first hit, a double, leads to tribe's first run not from a homer, as Kipnis with his first RBI since August 2014, on a sac fly. Ramirez had a bunt single and a steal; speed is a nice weapon.

Bauer is a little young to have a "classic" game style, especially anything can happen with him out there but this is not a surprising Bauer inning:

walk, steal; strikeout; walk; strikeout; strikeout.

Some opportunities to see if we can hit with RISP coming up as Gomes leads off the 2nd with a double.

David Murphy keeps him there. Why do I wish he would disappear?
Lonnie takes a called strike and leaves him there. Why do I not care much for Lonnie?

Gomes avoids the tag at home to score another run! He should have been out by 10 feet!

2 runs is the quota of runs in this series, so the next 7.5 innings are guaranteed uneventful.

Bauer fans Lowrie, that makes 4 outs, all on swinging strikes.

Mixes things up a little, as Rasmus called out on strikes.

And Bauer follows that up by walking the next two. That makes 5 K and 4 BB in 1 2/3. He did this kind of thing last year, too. How many did he walk in his debut? Haven't see the pitch count but it must be fairly phenomenal. Now he faces AL reigning batting champ, who probably will not strike out, which I guess leaves only one other option.

Although with Bauer there is the possibility of the 450 feet homerun; not sure if Altuve can manage that, howver.

Something new and different: a fair ball, popped up to 2nd. Astros have left 4 on in 2 innings.

Bauer's first Indians game in 2013, he walked 7 in 5 innings but had only 2 K.
His next time out he worked 5 1-hit innings, with 5 K and 6 walks.
Last season he topped 4 walks only once, with 5 in 5 2/3 IP in a game in which he also recorded 6 Ks


2 innings: 54 pitches by Trevor. Tito will get the chance to work through his long list of releivers today.

Kipnis triples with one out. Santana gets the chance to bring him in.