Gomes HBP, creates our first RISP opportunity.

N.B. Bauer has hit two Tigers. Gomes just happens to be his catcher. It looks like the Tigers and Indians are ending their season series on a friendly note.

Tribe now 1-1 with RISP but game remains scoreless: Murphy single loads them for Chisenhall. Lonnie's 3-6 plus an HBP with sacks full this year.

Make that 3-7 as he pops up and R. Perez with a line out and once again we fail to score.

Indians finally take a 2-run lead, but the Tigers come roaring back.
I'm afraid I know how this will end

Shaw does it again!

How many runs has the Tigers' defense cost us this weekend? I thought that was supposed to be one of their weaknesses!

CC Lee just threw a wild pitch on an intentional walk, and gave up a run!!

Civ- You read my post differently than my intent, I do feel Bauer is in the rotation for next season, I simlpy meant that a really strong outing in such an important game would give reason for being optimistic about how everyone felt about him. Sorry if I said it strangely.
BTW he pitched well enough today to deserve better. One of the hit batters on replay did not appear to be clearly hit, though the NY ump saw it differently.

Yep now I agree JR we are done. Man we had two of these games vs the Tigers and Allen blew one against them a couple of week ago in the 9th. I say play Agular, Holt and Walters everyday from here on out and be careful with Kluber and Salazar and Allen and Shaw!

Loulfa: I get it. And I agree he did a nice job today. He should be a solid rotation member. Wish we had a lineup that matched those 5.

Frank:

You're right: we can take it easy on the starting pitchers, Bauer included. Let Zach McAllister get a farewell tour of Progressive Field before we nontender him. I don't think there's anyone else on the roster we has started any games this year, at any level. Could just go with a 6 man rotation and low pitch counts for the starters.

Francona is going to coax 85 wins out of this team! Amazing!!! Again I say lock up the starting rotation long term and develop the kids in the field. Zimmer, Bradley, Papi and Frazier look fantastic so far. All 2/3 years away though! Spend the big money on PITCHING, play elite defense and SMALL BALL in the mean time!!!

Dump Swisher, Murphy and Bourne if you can....

Good luck getting rid of Swisher and Bourne! But let Kipnis try the OF, bring Lindor up as everyday SS and Ramirez to 2b. Better for defense and small ball.

Bourn's not bad; although he's nothing special; he can play center; still hits 265, runs line drives into triples; wish he would walk more; can't steal anymore. His defense with Brantley's in left and the new dp combo and Gomes behind the plate is a solid core. If we really want defense we use Urshela at 3rd. He hit well, actually very well, in his AAA debut, but still doesn't walk. I think we want to keep Chisenhall although he's not much of a 3rd baseman, but we need offense somewhere other than from Brantley and Gomes and Santana.

I'd like Ramirez and Lindor at 2nd/ss.

I'm afraid Kipnis couldn't play RF, nor can Brantley, so moving Kipnis to the OF doesn't fill the gap we have there. Plus OFs need to hit even more than 2bs do and the way he played this year he would be no better than all the lousy of's we've had this season.

I agree with Frank that the minors look promising for a change, but a few obvious caveats: it's a long way from Eastlake to downtown Cleveland; Papi actually didn't look very good at plat in his brief debut. Zimmer had a very impressive debut. Others between Lindor and those kids who should help are Naquin: more defense, possibly a hitter, could be the RF we need but without an RF bat. Erik Gonzalez who adds to the crowd of IFs. Never too many of them. Could make Aviles expendable.

Now and future DH/1b contenders: Aguillar and Nellie Rodriguez the "all-AAA" and "all Low A" 1st basemen in 2014.

And in the more distant future, Gomes gets pushed by Francisco Mejia who's only 18 but played real well against 22 year old competition.