Cleveland Sports Forum

More from Ocker:

FIRST BASE

One of the keys to the offense is Matt LaPorta. In his first full big-league season of 2010 with the Indians, he struggled to maintain consistency at the plate, but that usually takes time and young players deserve a pass. He's above average as a defender, but if he fails to generate more offense, the club's deep thinkers will begin to seek other options.

SECOND BASE

Orlando Cabrera is a much-admired shortstop, who, at 36, no longer is in his prime. Nevertheless, he was asked to learn a new position and has had no trouble adapting. Whether he holds the position for a full season might depend on how swiftly Jason Kipnis develops in the minors.

THIRD BASE

Jason Donald's timing couldn't have been worse. On the verge of becoming a starter for the first time in his infant career, he was struck by a pitch that cracked a bone in his left middle finger. The beneficiary of Donald's misfortune is Jack Hannahan, who will open the season at third. When Donald is healthy, probably by mid-April, who will play the position? Depends on how well Hannahan is playing. More to the point, who will play third in July? Lonnie Chisenhall is the heir apparent at third and should be ready for a promotion from Triple-A by mid-season.

SHORTSTOP

Nobody talks much about Asdrubal Cabrera. He is neither a star nor a problem player. He does his job reliably in the field and contributes to the offense, everything from moving runners to ripping doubles in the gap.

CATCHER

Indians officials talk about Carlos Santana the way they would about a veteran impact player. In his rookie year of 2010, he was already batting in the cleanup spot. Manager Manny Acta didn't have to fret about putting him there, either. You just knew that Santana would thrive on the pressure. He might be the best Tribe hitting prospect since Manny Ramirez. What's more, he can catch and throw.

LEFT FIELD

Austin Kearns was supposed to come off the bench. That was his role last year until Grady Sizemore got hurt and Michael Brantley moved to center. Sizemore still isn't in the lineup, so Kearns is back as the starter in left. Last year, he started fast at the plate but began to fade and eventually was traded to the New York Yankees. The Indians re-signed him in the offseason for what might be a reprise of 2010. Yes, he could be July trade bait again.

CENTER FIELD

Brantley hasn't yet reached the heights predicted of him. But in the second half of last season, he started to make his move. He can run, and he looks stronger this year. When he came to the big leagues, he seldom drove the ball. That changed last year. He has a chance to be an All-Star-caliber player, and this might be the season he blossoms. He probably will end up in left field, when Sizemore is activated, probably some time in late April.

RIGHT FIELD

Shin-Soo Choo is the Indians' best all-around player. He can hit for average, hit for power, run, throw and catch the ball. Though he still is a young player, he has become a model of consistency, and he helps the club win in so many ways.

DESIGNATED HITTER

Travis Hafner has had a mediocre spring. Generally, he hasn't hit the ball with authority, but he did hit his first home run last Friday. The Indians need Hafner to solidify the middle of their lineup, but even though his shoulder no longer is an issue, there's no guarantee he will return to hammering the ball the way he did in 2005 and 2006. Then again, there's no guarantee that he won't.

ROTATION



Except for Fausto Carmona, the guys in the rotation are largely anonymous to the baseball world at large. So what? The Indians' starters have the potential to be pretty good. While there is no Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee in the bunch, most of the pitchers should keep the Tribe in game most of the time. Carlos Carrasco has the kind of arm that could transform him into a 15-to-17-game winner — once he learns how to pitch. Josh Tomlin has shown he has the repertoire and the command to be a winner. Carmona's upside is 17-to-20 wins. Justin Masterson is a question mark, and Mitch Talbot could struggle. But waiting in the minors are Anthony Reyes, Jeanmar Gomez and David Huff, all of whom are viable options.

BULLPEN

Potentially the strongest part of the team. Chris Perez has the arm and fearless attitude to be a top closer. Rafael Perez and Tony Sipp probably will hold leads in the eighth inning consistently, though there will be breakdowns. Joe Smith (once he's healthy), Chad Durbin, Frank Herrmann and Vinnie Pestano all have value.

BENCH

Injuries altered the composition of the bench in spring training and undoubtedly will be a factor in determining who is in and who is out for much of the season. No matter who mans the reserve outfield and infield spots and backup catcher job, there isn't likely to be an abundance of offense or speed. On the other hand, the guys who start the season on the bench can catch the ball.

Those are rather optimistic comments on Brantley who still doesn't impress me, but I don't watch him everyday like Ocker does. He has all of three steals this spring. Is he drawing walks like he did in the minors? I'm hard-pressed to seeing him achieve 400-400 OBA and SLG, but I hope so.

Hi, Civ! I saw you were on here.

Cleveland Indians briefing
Published: Monday, March 28, 2011, 2:24 PM Updated: Monday, March 28, 2011, 3:00 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
Follow

Goodyear, Ariz. -- This is a daily briefing on the Cleveland Indians in spring training as they prepare for the 2011 season.
March 28, Day 42 -- The roster is set. Now GM Chris Antonetti just has to squeeze everybody onto it.
The Indians made their final roster cuts Thursday. Here's who received the good news:
-Lou Marson will be the backup catcher. Paul Phillips and Luke Carlin were reassigned to minor league camp.
-Relievers Vinnie Pestano, Justin Germano and Frank Herrmann won the last three spots in the pen. Jess Todd, who had a 1.17 ERA in camp, was optioned to Columbus.
-Adam Everett won the utility infielder's job. Luis Valbuena was optioned to Columbus and Jayson Nix was told he would not make the club. Nix is out of options. GM Chris Antonetti said the Indians will try to trade him in the next few days. Nix could be outrighted to Columbus if he clears waivers, but he has the right to refuse the assignment and become a free agent.
If he did, he'd forfeit his salary. Nix signed a split contract that pays him $438,100 in the big leagues and $252,000 in the minors.
Here's a breakdown of the 25-man roster:
Starting rotation (five): Fausto Carmona, Carlos Carrasco, Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, Mitch Talbot.
Bullpen (seven): Chris Perez, Tony Sipp, Rafael Perez, Vinnie Pestano, Chad Durbin, Frank Herrmann and Justin Germano.
Catchers (two): Carlos Santana and Lou Marson.
Infielders (six): Matt LaPorta, Orlando Cabrera, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jack Hannahan, Adam Everett and Travis Hafner.
Outfielders (five): Austin Kearns, Michael Brantley, Shin-Soo Choo, Travis Buck and Shelley Duncan.
Germano, Hannahan, Everett and Buck made the club as non-roster players. They must be added to the 40-man roster by Thursday, the day before season opener against Chicago at Progressive Field. The Indians roster is at 39, which means Antonetti must create three openings.
One possibility is putting Trevor Crowe (right shoulder) on the 60-man disabled list to create a spot. He returned to Cleveland Sunday to get the shoulder examined.
Crowe, Joe Smith, Grady Sizemore and Jason Donald will start the season on the 40-man roster.
Head to head: Here are the matchups for the Indians vs.Chicago series this weekend at Progressive Field: Mark Buehrle vs. Fausto Carmona, Friday at 3:05 p.m.; Edwin Jackson vs. Carlos Carrasco, Saturday at 1:05 p.m. and John Danks vs. Justin Masterson, Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
Bye, bye: Reliever Doug Mathis, another non-roster candidate, was re-assigned last week. On Sunday, he asked for and was granted his release by the Tribe.
"But we can still re-sign him," said Antonetti.

Terry Pluto comments on the Tribe:

Goodyear, Ariz. -- Scribbles in my notebook as the Tribe beat the Cubs, 4-3.

1. This was a good day for two guys who needed a good day -- Carlos Carrasco and Matt LaPorta. Neither was headed to Class AAA. The Indians are correct to insist they need a real chance to prove they can play in the majors. Carrasco entered the day with a 7.56 ERA, allowing six homers and 26 hits in 16 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander was terrific, allowing one run (a homer) and three hits in six innings. He had no walks, five strikeouts and was ahead in the count all day. The Cubs had most of their regulars playing, another good sign.

2. Carrasco has 57 starts and 344 innings in Class AAA with a 23-18 record and 3.90 ERA. Even if he had been hit hard by the Cubs, it makes no sense to send him back to Columbus.

3. The same with LaPorta, who is 26. He has 474 Class AAA at bats, hitting .310 (.947 OPS) with 22 homers and 76 RBI. The Indians need a right-handed power hitter, and they need a first baseman. He is one of the most important players on the team, and he had been in a horrible slump most of the spring.

4. But Monday, LaPorta had a sacrifice fly. He lined out to short and singled to center. It's the best contact that he's made in weeks as he didn't seem too anxious. He also did it against Carlos Zambrano, a member of the Cubs' rotation. LaPorta is hitting .161, but another trip to Columbus is not the answer.

5. Pitchers throwing strikes were rewarded in the final cuts. Josh Tomlin won a spot in the rotation because he's "a strike-throwing machine," according to manager Manny Acta. The final three bullpen spots went to Justin Germano, Frank Herrmann and Vinnie Pestano. In 27 2/3 innings, they combined to walk only four.

6. Four walks in 7 2/3 innings is not the only reason that Jess Todd was the last reliever sent to the minors Monday, but it didn't help his cause.

7. Defense ruled the final spots on the Tribe bench. The exception was Shelley Duncan, who made the team because he has some power against left-handed pitching. But the others picked -- Lou Marson, Adam Everett and Jack Hannahan -- are all above average with the glove.

8. Most fans know the Indians had a terrible defensive infield last season. The team knew it was an area it could fix without spending a lot of money. Orlando Cabrera was signed for $1 million. Then came Everett ($700,000) and Hannahan ($500,000). It's hard to know how much offense they will get from these players, but all have a history of catching the ball in the big leagues.

9. The Indians sent Luis Valbuena (iffy with the glove) to the minors. Jayson Nix may join him, if he can't find another team. Nix is an average second baseman, but he is not able to play third and short. Everett and Cabrera are very good at short. Everett showed he can play everywhere in the infield, as did Hannahan.

10. There was a debate about sending Marson to the minors. He was 4-of-28 (.143) in "A" games and not much better in minor and "B" games. He hit only .195 in 262 at-bats for the Tribe in 2009. More disturbing was his .202 average in 37 games at Columbus. Marson was a .275 hitter in the minors before that.

11. Marson made the team over Luke Carlin and Paul Phillips as the backup catcher. Marson did lead American League catchers throwing out stealing base runners (34 percent), so they decided to keep him. He may play two to three times per week as Carlos Santana sees time at first base and DH. The Indians say they want Santana to play "about 145 games," but not catching that many. He is their cleanup hitter, and he did have off-season knee surgery.

12. While Travis Buck hit .420 to make the team, the Indians also consider him an above-average outfielder who can play all three spots, along with doing a decent job at first base. They signed him for $625,000.

More from Terry:

Goodyear, Ariz. -- At the end of last spring training, I was the genius who wrote, "Don't worry, the Indians will hit."

You won't read that again this year, at least not from me.

I'll say this: "The Indians will hit better than last year . . . I think?"

That won't take much.

The 2010 Indians ranked 12th out of 14 American League teams in runs scored and batting average. They were 11th in homers, 13th with a .700 OPS.

No matter if you like old-fashioned statistics or new numbers, the Indians didn't hit in 2010.

When I asked Manny Acta about the offense, the manager quickly said, "I feel good about it."

He talked about Carlos Santana batting cleanup from Opening Day -- and Santana should hit.

Yes, Santana hit .345 (1.165 OPS) in 58 at-bats after he was promoted from Class AAA Columbus in June -- but after July 1, it was .207 (19-of-92) with two homers. But he still drew walks, and didn't look totally overmatched as he had a .345 on-base percentage during that span.

Shin-Soo Choo has had a strong spring, and he's coming off an All-Star caliber season (.300, 22 HRs, 90 RBI). He has hit exactly .300 each of the past two seasons, his OPS being an all-star caliber .884 since 2009.

The top of the lineup is intriguing, from Michael Brantley to Asdrubal Cabrera to Choo to Santana. Asdrubal Cabrera appears ready to return to the 2009 form when he hit .308 (.799 OPS). This should be the year Brantley builds on the .292 average he had after returning from Columbus last August.

It's hard to imagine the news being any more upbeat when it comes to Grady Sizemore's comeback from microfracture knee surgery. But there is reason for caution until Sizemore shows he can play nearly every day without the knee showing fatigue and/or swelling. Most doctors say an athlete doesn't fully recover from that type of knee surgery until nearly two years after the surgery -- about 10 months of rehabilitation, followed by a season for the knee to adjust to the demands of playing.

Question marks

in middle of lineup

Travis Hafner is the No. 5 hitter. Fans know about Hafner's shoulder problems. They know how his power has declined, he hasn't hit more than 16 homers or driven in more than 50 runs in a season since 2007.

Acta believes Hafner deliver 20 homers and 90 RBI, playing more than the 118 games of last season. Maybe that happens. But Hafner was at his best last season after the All-Star break when he was in the lineup no more than three days in a row.

Hafner batted .329 (.932 OPS) in the second half, with five homers and 21 RBI in 44 games.

Acta calls spring stats "numbers of convenience that you can use to bury someone."

So he says he's not concerned about Hafner having only one homer and three doubles in 48 Arizona at-bats. He is hitting .283. Hafner looks the same as in the second half of 2010 -- he hits for average and occasionally rips a double, but there have been few signs of raw power.

There is a major decline in the lineup when Orlando Cabrera is set to hit sixth. The 36-year-old is a Gold Glove winner known for his defense. In the last six seasons, he's hit 4-9-8-8-9-8 homers.

Why is a guy signed right before spring training to bring stability to second base batting sixth?

Because Matt LaPorta has had a dismal spring, hitting .148. The best Acta could say is LaPorta is "fourth on the team in RBI." He admitted the first baseman has been "inconsistent," but insisted LaPorta is his first baseman.

He added LaPorta has been working on some changes in his approach to hitting this spring.

No matter how the Indians try to explain it, they hoped LaPorta would show more -- but he looks like the .208 hitter he was in 139 at-bats after Aug. 1, 2009. Acta pleads for the fans and media to give LaPorta a chance.

Power surge

is possibility

The Indians have three power hitters in Sizemore, Hafner and LaPorta who are not guaranteed to make major impacts this season. Odds are that one of them will. If two perform, the lineup will be fun to watch.

They are excited about Travis Buck. He is finally healthy and having a monster spring -- batting .404 (1.187 OPS) and showing he can play all three outfield positions along with first base.

Buck is 27, a career .308 hitter in the minors and once was a prime prospect.

Maybe Buck finally stays healthy. But he has spent significant time on the disabled list in each of the past four years. He has never played more than 98 games in any pro season.

Once in a while, a team gets lucky.

The Indians did last season, signing Austin Kearns after two injury-marred seasons -- and he contributed (.272, eight HRs, 42 RBI, .772 OPS in 84 games). They will platoon Kearns, who is hitting .300 this spring, and Buck in left field. Buck also may play some first base.

Third base will probably be a dead zone offensively with Jack Hannahan or Jason Donald (when healthy) -- at least until Lonnie Chisenhall is promoted. That also assumes that Chisenhall hits well at Columbus, then makes a quick adjustment to major-league pitching.

So your hitters from 5-to-9 are Hafner . . . Orlando Cabrera . . . Buck/Kearns . . . LaPorta . . . Hannahan.

No lineup is perfect. Every team has question marks. But the bottom of the Tribe's lineup seems soft and injury prone.

So when it comes to the offense -- this year, I make no promises.

Finished roster includes four on DL

There's no timetable for return of Sizemore, Smith, Donald, Crowe

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Tuesday, Mar 29, 2011

GOODYEAR, ARIZ.: Now that the Indians' roster is set, it won't be long before manager Manny Acta and General Manager Chris Antonetti have to tinker with it.

That's because four players will start the season on the disabled list: Grady Sizemore, Joe Smith, Jason Donald and Trevor Crowe.

There is no timetable for the return of any of them — at least none has been made public — but whenever Sizemore (knee surgery) and Smith (strained ab) are ready to be activated, they will take their place in center field and the bullpen, respectively.

Donald (left cracked middle finger) and Crowe (rotator cuff) will not automatically return to the big leagues when they are healthy. Donald was projected to be the starter at third before he was hit in the hand by a pitch early in March. It probably won't be long before he can play, but he is not a tested veteran entitled automatically to get his spot back.

While Donald is on the DL, Jack Hannahan will play third. If he is making all the plays and delivering modest contributions to the offense, the Tribe might opt to keep him where he is.

Crowe potentially could end up in surgery to repair his shoulder. The current approach of rest and rehabilitation has not shown results, and Crowe is visiting a surgical specialist this week.

Even if the shoulder responds to the current treatment, Acta and Antonetti might elect to keep veteran reserve outfielders Shelley Duncan and Travis Buck. And when Sizemore comes back, possibly in late April, Austin Kearns will move from left field to the bench, which probably will put either Duncan or Buck in jeopardy.

''They will make the decisions for us,'' Acta said, indicating that performance will be the determining factor.

Acta said the final bullpen job caused him some consternation, but it was the utility infield spot that was the most difficult.

''Probably the toughest decision was Jayson Nix,'' Acta said. ''He's the kind of prototype player, personality and character that we want around here. But at the end of the day, we had to do what was best for the team.''

That meant giving the utility infield job to shortstop Adam Everett, who can play more than one position and has a long history of having been a starter and reserve.

Because of the injury to Smith, there were three vacancies in the bullpen. It was almost a given that Frank Herrmann and Vinnie Pestano — based on their workmanship in spring training and last season — would latch on to two of those.

Justin Germano, who also pitched well in exhibition games and demonstrated proficiency in his 2010 big-league trial, ended up with the final spot.

''It probably came down to Germano and Jess Todd,'' Acta said. ''Todd is a pro. He understood. He knows that it's a numbers game, and that we can keep only so many guys. And nobody pitched better than Germano.''

Germano was removed from the 40-man roster last fall, not surprisingly a move that disappointed him. Nevertheless, Germano didn't look around for a new employer.

''Not really,'' he said. ''I just took some time to think if this was the best situation for me. And it was. At first, I was upset. It was just a little anger. But I sat down with my wife and we talked about it.

''They told me right away they wanted to keep me. They said it didn't matter if I was on the roster or off the roster, I would get the same opportunity, and I did.''

Said Acta: ''What Germano did was nice to see. When he came back here we gave him our word that he would get a chance, and he took advantage of the opportunity.''

For a club that has so many young players, Pestano is the only rookie. He did not think he had a spot locked up, even though he has pitched well in March.

''No, not with the guys I was competing against,'' he said. ''But I did come to camp shooting to make the team.''

Pestano wasn't told he had made the team until Monday morning, but it didn't take him long to spread the news.

''I called my parents, my high school coach and some close family friends,'' he said. ''I got a lot of texts and phone calls. I had a lot of different emotions. As happy as I feel to make the team, I have friends who didn't make it.''

The roster: starters Fausto Carmona, Carlos Carrasco, Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, Mitch Talbot; relievers Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp, Chad Durbin, Frank Herrmann, Vinnie Pestano, Justin Germano; infielders Matt LaPorta, Orlando Cabrera, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jack Hannahan, Adam Everett; catchers Carlos Santana, Lou Marson; outfielders Austin Kearns, Michael Brantley, Shin-Soo Choo, Travis Buck, Shelley Duncan; designated hitter Travis Hafner.

Justin Masterson brilliant as Indians win 6th straight on M's gaffe

SEATTLE -- In his first outing, Justin Masterson couldn't strike out anyone. But on Saturday night, he had Seattle batters flailing at pitches.

Either way is working just fine. Masterson and the Cleveland Indians are on an early tear.

Masterson took a shutout into the seventh inning, striking out nine, and the Indians benefited from one major defensive lapse by Seattle in a 2-1 win over the Mariners.

The Indians won their sixth straight and stand alone in first place in the AL Central for the first time since May 2008.

"It's going to come and go," Masterson said of his strikeouts. "Like anyone, you're going to get to a point where you say, 'I'm going to strike this guy out' and other times guys are putting it in play early, so I'll take that. I feel like with the stuff I have, I have the ability to go both ways at times."

Masterson (2-0) backed up an impressive season debut last Sunday against the Chicago White Sox with a performance that left Mariners batters waving at air most of the night. He gave up one run and four hits in 6 1/3 innings before turning things over to the bullpen.

His slider had late break. His sinker left Seattle batters either swinging over the pitch or grounding out weakly. And when he needed it, Masterson was able to reach back and throw into the upper 90s (mph) with his fastball.

Cleveland manager Manny Acta was right when he called Masterson's stuff "filthy."

"He threw a very good fastball with his usual movement and he was able to just pound the strike zone the whole night," Acta said. "Also, he had a very good slider. He had the lefties and righties swinging over it. He did a great job."

Masterson, who pitches from a unique arm angle, had Seattle hitters guessing for much of the night. Masterson had seven strikeouts in the first four innings and retired 13 of his first 15 batters before giving up a one-out double to Adam Kennedy in the fifth.

Masterson walked only one and nearly matched his season debut against the White Sox when he threw seven innings, giving up just one run but without any strikeouts.

The nine strikeouts against Seattle tied for the second-most in his career.

Rafael Perez and Tony Sipp worked the seventh and eighth in relief for Cleveland. Chris Perez pitched the ninth for his third save of the season and 13th straight dating to last August.

"This is fun. Everybody is loose. You start a season off like this, especially with a young team, it just gives us confidence," Perez said. "That's a dangerous combination with a young team, is confidence."

Cleveland got its only runs in the fourth, when Seattle made a defensive mistake the offensively challenged Mariners can't afford. Seattle starter Doug Fister gave up consecutive singles to Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo to start the inning, then loaded the bases on a one-out intentional walk to Travis Hafner.

Orlando Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly that was deep enough to easily score Asdrubal Cabrera. Milton Bradley caught the fly and threw to third base in an attempt to keep Choo at second. The problem? No one was covering third for the Mariners. The ball bounced free and in his attempt to back up the play, Fister kicked the ball into the Indians dugout.

Choo was awarded home and Bradley was charged with an error for what proved to be the decisive run.

"We just messed it up. We didn't have a guy there," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said, noting that shortstop Brendan Ryan should have been at third.

That was all the offense the Indians got, but it was enough against a Mariners lineup that hasn't been able to come through with clutch hitting. The Mariners were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and haven't led since the second inning of last Sunday's loss at Oakland.

Michael Saunders had the one hit, an RBI single that scored Justin Smoak in the seventh, but Seattle failed to get Chone Figgins home following a leadoff double in the eighth.

Game notes Bradley wore ear plugs during his at-bat in the eighth. He jogged in from left field to speak with third base umpire Sam Holbrook with two outs in the seventh and has been booed at home. ... Indians OF Grady Sizemore played nine innings for Double-A Akron on Saturday as he continues his recovery from offseason knee surgery. Acta said Sizemore was encouraged after the outing, which included five plate appearances. Sizemore also was "tested" on the bases, he said. ... Indians INF Jason Donald (hand) expected to begin his rehab assignment at Double-A Akron on Sunday.

Cleveland Indians notebook
Sizemore rehabbing nicely, might rejoin Tribe soon April 10,2011 07:00 AM GMT Sheldon Ocker Beacon Journal Publishing Co. Copyright © 2011 Beacon Journal Publishing Co. Inc and Black Press. All Rights Reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of the Akron Beacon Journal is expressly prohibited. Sizemore rehabbing nicely, might rejoin Tribe soon

Acta says he needs more playing time to regain timing at the plate since his knee injury in 2010

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Sunday, Apr 10, 2011

SEATTLE: For the first time since he tore up his knee almost a year ago, Grady Sizemore played nine innings on Saturday, which means he probably is two weeks or less away from rejoining the Indians and that someone on the current Tribe roster is in jeopardy of losing his job.

Manager Manny Acta isn't giving many hints about when Sizemore will return, and in fact, he might not know himself, since it really depends on Sizemore.

But after Sizemore went 2-for-4 with a double for the Aeros on Saturday at Canal Park, Acta said: ''He felt good after the game. He was tested; he had to dive back into first and slide into second.''

The condition of Sizemore's knee doesn't seem to be an issue anymore. He has run hard, abruptly changed directions, played several games in the outfield without restrictions and done just about everything a player has to do on his legs.

What Sizemore is lacking is playing time. The last time he participated in a big-league game was May of 2010. Late in spring training, when he began playing a few innings in exhibition games, Sizemore admitted that his timing at the plate was off.

There is no way to speed up the process of regaining the edge he needs when he swings a bat. He has to face live pitching and continue getting reps in the outfield.

''Grady only started playing again the last week of spring training,'' Acta said. ''And then he was getting only two or three at-bats a game. For him to come back, his timing has to be right and he has to build his stamina.''

A few days ago, Acta said that the final phases of Sizemore's rehab would include playing nine innings and eventually playing nine innings on consecutive days. He has accomplished the first goal, but it's not clear when he will be asked to play back-to-back complete games.

Asked when Sizemore might be activated, Acta said: ''He might be a couple of weeks away, who knows? Maybe by the end of the month. It depends how next week goes.''



When Sizemore does return to center field for the Tribe, Austin Kerns will head to the bench and presumably, either Travis Buck or Shelley Duncan will be lopped off the roster.

Candy man

It's one of those silly, but important rituals of baseball.

The reliever with the least seniority is charged with carrying a backpack filled with snacks to the bullpen before every game. In the case of the Indians, that would be Vinnie Pestano, but it is Chris Perez, by virtue of his position as closer, who oversees this project.

On Saturday, there was a new backpack on the floor of the clubhouse next to the old one.

''Vinnie bought the new one himself, so that's pretty good,'' Perez said. ''It's got the three Disney princesses on there. But it's not big enough; we have to use the old one, too.''

What is in the backpack isn't necessarily public information, but it is club policy to make only ''healthy'' snacks available to players. Asked if there were any Hostess Twinkies in the stash, Perez said, ''I guarantee you there's none of those in there.''

On the move

Jason Donald, who suffered a left cracked middle finger in spring training, will begin a rehab assignment in Akron today.

But for Donald to get back on the big-league roster, Jack Hannahan will have to cool off considerably. At the moment, he is 20th in the American League with a .940 OPS.

''Decisions, oh we love it,'' manager Acta said. ''That's part of the game. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Every day something new happens in baseball.''



Stat tracker

The Tribe went into Saturday's game ranked second in the American League in runs (44), third in runs per game (6.29), third in batting average (.289), second in on-base percentage (.364) and second in walks (27).

Farm facts

Lonnie Chisenhall homered, doubled and drove in two runs, as Columbus defeated Indianapolis 3-2. Ezequiel Carrera had three hits, including a triple, and Jeanmar Gomez gave up two runs and seven hits in 52/3 innings. . . . Drew Pomeranz pitched 51/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, no walks and striking out nine, as Kinston beat Winston-Salem 7-6. . . . Mike Rayl delivered five scoreless innings, giving up one hit and one walk in Lake County's 2-1 win over Great Lakes.

SEATTLE: For the first time since he tore up his knee almost a year ago, Grady Sizemore played nine innings on Saturday, which means he probably is two weeks or less away from rejoining the Indians and that someone on the current Tribe roster is in jeopardy of losing his job.

Manager Manny Acta isn't giving many hints about when Sizemore will return, and in fact, he might not know himself, since it really depends on Sizemore.

But after Sizemore went 2-for-4 with a double for the Aeros on Saturday at Canal Park, Acta said: ''He felt good after the game. He was tested; he had to dive back into first and slide into second.''

The condition of Sizemore's knee doesn't seem to be an issue anymore. He has run hard, abruptly changed directions, played several games in the outfield without restrictions and done just about everything a player has to do on his legs.

What Sizemore is lacking is playing time. The last time he participated in a big-league game was May of 2010. Late in spring training, when he began playing a few innings in exhibition games, Sizemore admitted that his timing at the plate was off.

There is no way to speed up the process of regaining the edge he needs when he swings a bat. He has to face live pitching and continue getting reps in the outfield.

''Grady only started playing again the last week of spring training,'' Acta said. ''And then he was getting only two or three at-bats a game. For him to come back, his timing has to be right and he has to build his stamina.''

A few days ago, Acta said that the final phases of Sizemore's rehab would include playing nine innings and eventually playing nine innings on consecutive days. He has accomplished the first goal, but it's not clear when he will be asked to play back-to-back complete games.

Asked when Sizemore might be activated, Acta said: ''He might be a couple of weeks away, who knows? Maybe by the end of the month. It depends how next week goes.''



When Sizemore does return to center field for the Tribe, Austin Kerns will head to the bench and presumably, either Travis Buck or Shelley Duncan will be lopped off the roster.

Candy man

It's one of those silly, but important rituals of baseball.

The reliever with the least seniority is charged with carrying a backpack filled with snacks to the bullpen before every game. In the case of the Indians, that would be Vinnie Pestano, but it is Chris Perez, by virtue of his position as closer, who oversees this project.

On Saturday, there was a new backpack on the floor of the clubhouse next to the old one.

''Vinnie bought the new one himself, so that's pretty good,'' Perez said. ''It's got the three Disney princesses on there. But it's not big enough; we have to use the old one, too.''

What is in the backpack isn't necessarily public information, but it is club policy to make only ''healthy'' snacks available to players. Asked if there were any Hostess Twinkies in the stash, Perez said, ''I guarantee you there's none of those in there.''

On the move

Jason Donald, who suffered a left cracked middle finger in spring training, will begin a rehab assignment in Akron today.

But for Donald to get back on the big-league roster, Jack Hannahan will have to cool off considerably. At the moment, he is 20th in the American League with a .940 OPS.

''Decisions, oh we love it,'' manager Acta said. ''That's part of the game. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Every day something new happens in baseball.''



Stat tracker

The Tribe went into Saturday's game ranked second in the American League in runs (44), third in runs per game (6.29), third in batting average (.289), second in on-base percentage (.364) and second in walks (27).

Farm facts

Lonnie Chisenhall homered, doubled and drove in two runs, as Columbus defeated Indianapolis 3-2. Ezequiel Carrera had three hits, including a triple, and Jeanmar Gomez gave up two runs and seven hits in 52/3 innings. . . . Drew Pomeranz pitched 51/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, no walks and striking out nine, as Kinston beat Winston-Salem 7-6. . . . Mike Rayl delivered five scoreless innings, giving up one hit and one walk in Lake County's 2-1 win over Great Lakes.

Cleveland Indians look to be starting something, top Seattle for sixth straight win
Published: Sunday, April 10, 2011, 12:06 AM Updated: Sunday, April 10, 2011, 1:08 AM
Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

SEATTLE -- On a cold Saturday night at Safeco Field, Justin Masterson continued the resurgence of the Indians' starting rotation.

Masterson allowed one run and struck out nine in 6 1/3 innings, but it was the bullpen that turned his hard work into the Indians' sixth straight victory as Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp and Chris Perez worked the final 2 2/3 innings to beat Seattle, 2-1.

The 6-2 Indians have matched the start of the 2006 Indians.

"Justin Masterson was just filthy," said manager Manny Acta. "He pounded the strike zone all night and he had a very good slider."

In the first two games of the season, starters Fausto Carmona and Carlos Carrasco went 0-2 and allowed 17 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings. Over the last six games, the starters have gone 4-0 and allowed six earned runs in 37 2/3 innings for a 1.43 ERA.

In that stretch Masterson is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in two starts.

Masterson came out for the seventh, but he'd lost something. Justin Smoak greeted him with a leadoff double that center fielder Michael Brantley almost tracked down in left-center field.

He retired Miguel Olivo on a great stop and throw by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera on a hard grounder. Acta then brought lefty Rafael Perez out of the bullpen. He walked Luis Rodriguez, but struck out Brendan Ryan. Lefty Michael Saunders blooped a single into center field as Smoak scored to cut the Tribe's lead to 2-1.
Related stories

Brantley didn't field the ball cleanly as Rodriguez went to third on the error. Ichiro Suzuki, a .347 lifetime hitter against the Indians, did them a favor when he bunted a 3-1 pitch back to the mound for the third out.

"Raffie gave up a run, but he held them in check," said Acta. "He got Ichiro out and that was huge for us."

The tension did not end there.

Seattle's Chone Figgins started the eighth with a double past third off lefty Tony Sipp, who appears to have locked up the eighth inning setup job. Sipp rallied to retire Milton Bradley on a dangerous-looking fly ball to deep left with Figgins running on the pitch. Travis Buck made a nice catch in the corner for the out.

Bradley appeared to be playing with cotton in his ears. Earlier in the game he came in from left field and talked to third base umpire Sam Holbrook. Bradley may have been having trouble with some fans in the crowd.

Sipp recorded the second out of the eighth by striking out Jack Cust on a pretty 1-2 breaking ball. Cust has eight career homers and 27 RBI against the Indians.

He ended the inning by getting Smoak to ground out weakly to short.

"I like being in pressure situations whether it's the sixth, seventh or eighth inning," said Sipp. "The fact that they trust me so late in the game, I definitely bring that out with me to the mound."

Chris Perez retired the Mariners in order for his third save.

"I live for one-run games," said Perez. "That's the best I've felt all year."

Perez says the Indians are enjoying themselves.

"Coming over here at the end of 2009 and all last year, we didn't have many streaks like this," he said. "We're having well pitched games, making good plays on defense, our hitters our grinding out at bats when we need them.

"This is fun. Everyone is loose. Starting off like this, especially for a young team, just gives us confidence. That's a dangerous thing for a young team. We swept a good Red Sox squad and we traveled across country and didn't have any letdown."

Masterson was at his best in the sixth when he struck out Bradley and Cust with Figgins at third to protect a 2-0 lead. Figgins singled with one out and went all the way to third on a wild pitch that bounced toward the Seattle dugout.

"A situation like this is what I'm out there for," said Masterson. "That's the fun part. Sometimes it breaks you, sometimes you make it. Tonight I was able to get it done.

"As a competitor, when you see that guy at third base, your one thought is he's not scoring. Sometimes it bites you in the booty. But tonight it didn't."

As for the wild pitch, Masterson said, "I tried to throw it as hard as I could. He (catcher Carlos Santana) was set up outside, and it ended up hitting him on the inside part of the plate. It hit off his shin guard. I'm surprised he even touched it."

The Tribe took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Orlando Cabrera, after Travis Hafner was intentionally walked with one out to load the bases, sent a sacrifice fly to left field to score Asdrubal Cabrera.

Shin-Soo Choo came around to score from second when Bradley's throw to third ended up in the Indians dugout. Doug Fister, Seattle's starting pitcher, was backing up the play. He tried to stop the ball from rolling into the dugout with a sliding stop, but knocked it in.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Choo opened the inning with singles. After Santana advanced the runners with a ground out to first, Fister fell behind Hafner, 2-0, before intentionally walking him.

Orlando Cabrera worked the count full. On the pitch before his sac fly, he lined a shot down the third baseline that hit Asdrubal Cabrera, who was coming home in foul territory. It was ruled a dead ball and Cabrera followed with his sac fly to left.

"When they walked Hafner, I was kind of excited," said Cabrera. "I think it was a good move. They wanted a right-hander on right-hander. They wanted to face somebody with bases loaded where you could get a double play.

"I missed a couple of good pitches, but I got a very good pitch to hit. I should have done a better job, but it was enough to drive in that run."

Said Acta, "Orlando, as usually, was in the middle of everything."

For the record, Seattle manager Eric Wedge said Bradley wasn't too blame for his errant throw. He said Ryan, Seattle's third baseman, should have been on the bag.

Saturday, April 09, 2011, 11:19 PM Updated: Saturday, April 09, 2011, 11:30 PM
Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer
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jason donald grady sizemore.JPGView full sizeChuck Crow l The Plain DealerIndians center fielder Grady Sizemore, left, and third baseman Jason Donald continue to rehab injuries but could rejoin the Tribe soon.

SEATTLE, Wash. — Decision time is approaching on three fronts for the Indians. Manager Manny Acta can't wait.

Center fielder Grady Sizemore played nine innings Saturday for Class AA Akron for the first time during his rehab from microfracture surgery on his left knee. He'll have today off and is expected to try to play consecutive complete games starting Monday. It could be a big week for Sizemore.

Right-hander Joe Smith pitched his second scoreless inning on Saturday for Akron as he recovers from an abdominal strain. Smith is scheduled to pitch again on Monday and could be ready by the time the Indians return home Thursday from this six-game trip against the Mariners and Angels.

Then there's third baseman Jason Donald, sidelined with a cracked bone in his left middle finger. He's scheduled to start his rehab assignment with Akron today with a start at third base.

Sizemore, Smith and Donald opened the season on the disabled list. When they're ready to rejoin the Indians, the big-league shuffling will start.

"We love it," said Acta, when asked about making the upcoming decisions. "It's part of the game. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Everyday something new happens in the game."

When Sizemore returns, the Indians have made it clear he'll be in center field. Michael Brantley, who has played well in center, will move to left. It remains to be seen if Sizemore will reclaim his leadoff spot where Brantley has hit well through the early part of the season.

Sizemore's return, whenever it happens, means one of the extra outfielders, Travis Buck, Austin Kearns or Shelley Duncan, could be in danger of losing his job.
Indians chatter

Clubhouse confidential: Rookie Vinnie Pestano is the designated backpack man for the Indians' bullpen. Before every game he has to fill the backpack with goodies to keep his teammates in the pen happy and well-fed for the game.

Of course, the backpack has to be suitably embarrassing. Pestano's is pink with a yellow bow. It's a Disneyland backpack with Cinderella and some other princesses on it.

"Vinnie bought it himself," said closer Chris Perez. "But it was too small. It had only two pockets and he needed three. So now he has to carry two backpacks with him."

Nice debut: Left-hander Drew Pomeranz, in striking out nine in his pro debut for Class A Kinston on Friday against Winston-Salem, threw between 94 mph and 95 mph. His off-speed pitches were in the 78 mph to 79 mph range.

Pomeranz allowed two hits in 51/3 innings. Both hits never left the infield. He was the Indians' No.1 pick last year.

Stat of the day: The opposition is hitting .188 (15-for-80) through seven games against the Indians' bullpen.

-- Paul Hoynes

When Smith is ready to rejoin the bullpen, a reliever could lose his job. The seven-man bullpen of Chris Perez, Tony Sipp, Rafael Perez, Justin Germano, Chad Durbin, Vinnie Pestano and Frank Herrmann has pitched well for the most part. Smith has an option left, but he's making $850,000. The Indians are already paying Jensen Lewis big-league money ($650,000) to pitch at Class AAA Columbus.

Donald seemed to have the inside track on the third base job when he was hit on the hand on March 5. It ended spring training for him and opened the door for Jack Hannahan. All Hannahan has done is hit .333 (7-for-21) with one homer and five RBI and play sparkling defense.

When asked if there was a chance Donald could start the year in the minors once he's healthy, Acta once again said, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

It's still unclear when Sizemore will join the Indians. Acta and Lonnie Soloff, Indians head athletic trainer, said playing nine innings Saturday was an important step.

"It's encouraging," said Acta. "He felt very good after the game. He had five at-bats. He had a double.

"He was tested around the bases, diving back to first, sliding at second base. After the game he felt good."

Acta said Sizemore needs at-bats, stamina and timing at the plate. Sizemore had 20 at-bats in spring training, 10 in Cactus League games and 10 in minor league games. He has eight at Akron.

Most players need 45 to 55 at-bats in spring training.

"Grady is amped up," said Acta. "He wants to be out there with this club after missing so much time last year, but he understands. He's handled it very well.

"We spoke to him before we left on this trip. He knows. [It] could be a couple of weeks away. Who knows? It could be by the end of the month, maybe earlier. It all depends on how this week goes."

Playing consecutive nine-inning games will give the Indians a good read on Sizemore.

Five straight: Catcher Carlos Santana made his fifth start Saturday night at Safeco Field. It would appear his left knee is doing just fine.

Asked if Santana would make it six straight starts behind the plate in today's series finale, Acta said, "Come on in about two hours before the game tomorrow and check the lineup card. You'll find out."

Santana, who turned 25 on Friday, entered the game hitting .346 (9-for-26) with one homer and six RBI. He's started all seven of the Tribe's game, making one start at first base.

"Carlos did such a good job with his rehab in Arizona that he's been fine," said Acta. "He deserves a lot of credit. He didn't go home. He stayed in Arizona and did it the right way.

"He finished the rehab before the start of spring training. He has no issues with his knees."

Santana was injured on Aug. 2 in a frightening collision at the plate with Boston's Ryan Kalish. He had surgery on Aug. 6 and rehabbed during the winter.

That's better: Justin Germano pitched two scoreless innings in Friday's 13-2 victory over the Mariners. It was his first appearance since he gave up four runs in three innings against Chicago in the season opener on April 1.

"My sinker was finally sinking," said Germano.

Just-released Indians prospect cashes $1 million lottery ticket

By 'Duk


It could not have been easy for Joel Torres to learn that he was being released from the Cleveland Indians minor league system late last month.

But he probably couldn't have been launched to the unemployment line with a better parachute. A month earlier, the 21-year-old outfielder had won $1 million in the New York State Lottery's "Sweet Millions" game after buying a ticket in Queens while visiting his mother over the winter.

Yes, that sound you heard was mothers everywhere asking if we see what happens when you act like a good son and visit your mum. Anyway, Torres' victory was revealed when he picked up his lump sum payment of $660,300 over the weekend. He bought the ticket on Feb. 24.

From the NY Post:


"The first thing I plan to do with the money is buy my mom a new house," said Torres. He said the money will allow him to pursue his hopes of playing ball in the major leagues.

What's interesting is that the NY Post has pictures of Torres picking up his oversized check and he's still wearing a Indians cap. Presumably he now has a little more scratch to buy a lid of a team that didn't dump him onto the free agent scrap heap.

And hopefully his newfound financial freedom will allow him some more peace of mind in pursuing his dream. Torres played 38 games for the Indians team in the Arizona Fall League and posted a .184/.260/.307 line with one homer and 14 RBI — numbers that will never prove anywhere near as profitable as whatever numbers he played in the lotto.

On Opening Day, more than 41,000 fans showed up in Cleveland and saw the home team fall behind 14-0 after four innings. The next day, the Indians fell behind 5-0 in the top of the second and lost 8-3. On the third day of the season, the White Sox led again, 1-0 in the fourth inning and had two runners on with nobody out.

And then came the play that turned around Cleveland’s season. At least, it will go into mythology that way if the Indians continue their magical run beyond this eight-game winning streak that has the baseball world wondering if the Indians are for real.

Alexei Ramirez squared around to bunt for the White Sox, the runners took off, Ramirez popped the ball up toward first baseman Carlos Santana -- normally the team’s starting catcher -- and Santana made a diving catch that turned into a triple play. Justin Masterson settled down from there, the Indians won 7-1 and haven’t lost since.

"You don't win or lose a division in the first week or even the first month," Orlando Cabrera said after the game. "But getting that first win is always huge. The triple play got us going."

AROUND THE SWEETSPOT NETWORK

The Ray Area
Yesterday morning, Dave Schoenfield started pushing the panic button over at the SweetSpot. … Seriously, I disagree with the new SweetSpot boss because I think he dramatically overstated the Rays pitching problems. In fact, I think the pitching performance is the reason there is no need to worry.

For the rest of this blog post, click here.

Nationals Baseball
If I were the GM heading into the season I would have one overriding hope. Let us make it through the season with no major injuries. … The Nats have had a couple minor bumps and bruises so far, nothing major. But the thought of Ryan Zimmerman being out for any extended period of time is scary.

For the rest of this blog post, click here.

Royals Authority
A show of hands of all those enjoying being a Royals' fan right now. Deep down, you are probably still thinking that this team will not approach 80 wins this season, but for now this is kind of fun isn't it?

For the rest of this blog post, click here.
So the question: Are they for real?

Before attacking that issue, let’s back track to 2010 for a moment. The Indians had a tough season, with major injuries to Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore. They shuffled players in and out of the infield all season -- four guys started at least 20 games at second base, three started at least that many at third base and three started at least 14 at shortstop. With Sizemore sidelined, Trevor Crowe and Michael Brantley tried center field, but neither hit. Overall, the defense was subpar -- 21st in the majors in defensive efficiency per Baseball Prospectus, 29th in UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) per FanGraphs.

So the offseason challenge: Bide time until the team’s top two prospects, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and second baseman Jason Kipnis, are ready, but do it on the cheap. Famous ex-shortstop Cabrera was brought in to play second base and good-field, bad-hit Jack Hannahan won the third-base job out of spring training. Far from perfect solutions, and while both are off to good starts at the plate, they’ll sink to their true offensive abilities soon enough. But they at least will anchor a much-improved defense and help a starting rotation that lacks strikeout pitchers.

Following Monday’s 4-0 shutout of the Angels, that Indians staff is on a roll: After those first two disasters, the starters have pitched 52 1/3 innings, allowing just 33 hits and nine runs. Dominant? Well … sort of. They’ve struck out only 37 batters in that span, meaning that hit ratio isn’t going to continue, no matter how good the defense performs.

Mitch Talbot epitomized this run with his outing against the Angels. He pitched into the ninth inning, not overpowering with four strikeouts, but allowed just five hits. He did induce 13 ground balls, but eventually more of those grounders will find holes. That’s what’s been happening. Josh Tomlin has allowed a .139 average on balls in play in his two starts. Masterson pitched seven innings of one-run baseball against the White Sox without striking out a batter.

This doesn’t mean the Indians can’t surprise. I’ve watched both of Tomlin’s starts and despite middling stuff, he has an idea of what to do out there. He can be a solid back-of-the-rotation guy if he keeps the ball in the park. Talbot has better stuff than Tomlin but not much of a track record. Carmona and Masterson come with a better pedigree but must show consistency and throw strikes. I still have doubts -- it’s really a staff of No. 4 and No. 5 starters -- but the defense will at least be helping rather than hindering this year.

Anyway, it’s a good time for Cleveland to get hot. After two more games in Anaheim, the Indians host Baltimore for three, have four in Kansas City, three in Minnesota and return home for the Royals and Tigers. If they can navigate that fairly easy stretch with a nice record, you could see this team gaining a little confidence.

And then there’s the big picture. A year from now, the Indians could be throwing out this lineup:

SS Asdrubal Cabrera
CF Grady Sizemore
RF Shin-Soo Choo
C Carlos Santana
DH Travis Hafner
3B Lonnie Chisenhall
1B Matt LaPorta
2B Jason Kipnis
LF Michael Brantley

They need LaPorta to improve (I’m skeptical) and Chisenhall and Kipnis to live up to their potential, but that could be one of the better lineups in the league.

Unfortunately, attendance has suffered in recent years and the front office has cut the payroll to bare bones (26th in the majors in 2011). Hafner’s $13 million per season contract runs through 2013 and Sizemore’s health remains such a great unknown that it’s possible the team won’t pick up his $8.5 million club option for 2012.

For a franchise in which not much has gone right in a long time, it’s at last nice to see something positive happening for a change.

By Tim Brown


ANAHEIM, Calif. – “Duh, Winning.”

It’s the T-shirt Travis Hafner(notes) wore to the ballpark, Angel Stadium, Monday afternoon.

“Appropriate for here, right?” he said.


A healthy Asdrubal Cabrera has performed in the batter's box and helped the Indians off to a solid start.

It’s the contained delight the Cleveland Indians wore into the second week of the 2011 season.

“Oh yeah,” shortstop and fresh American League power threat Asdrubal Cabrera(notes) said. “We’re just a good team.”

“Trying to do our thing, you know?” said first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., the catcher for the last Indians team to reach the World Series, 14 years ago, a time of the franchise’s last sustained grandeur.

It’s life in spring for the tragically lost Tribe, undone by the game’s severe economic realities, ignored by its fans, subjected to watching the superstars it created wear other colors into late October.

Ten games in, fed the sideways Boston Red Sox and underwhelming Seattle Mariners, waiting on Grady Sizemore(notes), playing in front of a vastly improved infield and behind the nobility of the Minnesota Twins and panache of the Chicago White Sox, the Indians are, well, competent and having a good time being so.

“So far!” said Orlando Cabrera(notes), the veteran shortstop turned second baseman, at once willing to go along and mindful of the calendar.

It is that time of year, of course, when the choice is to believe or not. To believe in a $50 million payroll. Or not. To believe the Indians’ rotation has learned to throw strikes (after leading the American League in walks over the past two seasons), the defense has become sturdy (after committing 207 errors over the past two seasons) and the bats have become productive (after outscoring only the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners in 2010).

Or not.

Maybe the choice is to wait and see. By summer, we’ll all find out together. But, at the moment, the Indians have endured three lousy innings, all in the first two games, both at Progressive Field against the White Sox, the first in front of almost 42,000 people, the second in front of less than 10,000.

So maybe the Red Sox were in a slump, or maybe the Indians helped put them there. And maybe the Mariners are bad, or … never mind about that one.

On a cool night in Southern California, they put up four early runs on the Angels, huddled behind starter Mitch Talbot(notes), made a couple gorgeous plays in the infield – third baseman Jack Hannahan(notes) on a bunt by speedy Peter Bourjos(notes), the Cabreras on a sixth-inning 4-6-3 that might have brought tears to manager Manny Acta’s eyes – and walked off with No. 8.

So, believe, or wait and see, or assume the Indians will be gone by mid-May, but they haven’t started this well in nine years, haven’t won as many in a row in three years, and since late September have won 15 and lost four. Aprils and Septembers tend to be as credible as a jailhouse narc, so take them for what they are: an excuse for hope, a reason to ignore the usual depth issues in a smallish market and an opportunity to discover what is right in an organization that has been forced into hard decisions since Oct. 16, 2007, the day they took a 3-1 lead over the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series.

With 6 percent of the season behind us and an eternity ahead, the Indians rank third in the league in runs, sixth in ERA and second in fielding percentage.

Days before spring training began, the Indians signed Orlando Cabrera to a $1 million contract, making them his sixth team in five seasons. Two months before that, they signed Hannahan to a minor league contract. By about that time, Asdrubal Cabrera probably had fully healed from a broken left forearm, though he’d played the final two months of 2010.

While so much has gone right for a week-and-a-half, some of it holding reasonable promise for the summer, it is the defense – the infield defense, particularly – that has the Indians most enthused. Orlando has been an easy transition to second base, a position he has never played full-time in the majors. And the knock on Hannahan, who at 30 spent all of last season in Triple-A with Seattle and Boston, has been his bat. His glove is exceptional.

A year ago, the Indians committed 72 errors in their infield. Through 10 games in 2011, they’ve made two. It changes the pitching staff, wrought with sinkerballers, and it changes the game.

For that, Acta is thankful for a solid Hannahan, for a healthy Asdrubal Cabrera, and for a willing and giving Orlando Cabrera.

“Orlando doesn’t really need Asdrubal,” he said. “Orlando already has played 15 years, been a Gold Glove winner at shortstop, been to the playoffs and won a World Series. For him to do this, he’s going to challenge Asdrubal. He’s going to challenge Asdrubal to be the best shortstop he can be.”

Already, Orlando has made an impact on Asdrubal in the batter’s box. Once a game, he told Asdrubal, pick a spot, be smart about it, “And take one at-bat for you.”

Asdrubal hit his fourth home run Monday night, a lightning bolt of a shot to dead center through the damp coastal air. He’s batting .317. Orlando, seemingly at home in another new clubhouse, is batting .361.

It’s eight games. Barely more than a week. The young starters are through two rotations. Sizemore is rehabbing in the minor leagues. The ball is bouncing true, and the weight of a nearly empty ballpark is not yet wearying.

So they win.

“Just good team baseball,” Hafner said.

Duh.

Miscues cost Tribe in 12th-inning loss

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 4/14/2011 12:07 AM ET

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CLE@LAA: Brantley plates Everett with a double

ANAHEIM -- It was a sour end to a journey through Seattle and Anaheim, a disappointing finish after the Indians had played so fundamentally sound for the first week and a half of the season.

On Wednesday, with an evening flight back home to Cleveland awaiting the ballclub, the Tribe made the type of mistakes it had avoided throughout its hot start. The Indians nearly overcame their gaffes, but ultimately headed to the airport on the heels of a 4-3 loss to the Angels in 12 innings.

"The lack of execution pretty much took away our victory today," Indians manager Manny Acta said.

The positive in all of this is the fact that Cleveland, for the most part, had not lacked solid execution to this point. In its run to the top of the American League Central standings, the Tribe has flashed strong pitching and defense with a multifaceted offense offering ample support.

The pitching was still there in the Indians' latest defeat, the team's second in a row. Carlos Carrasco delivered seven effective innings, and the Tribe's bullpen managed to keep Los Angeles in check until the fateful 12th. One costly play in the field and an anemic offense did the damage.

Acta was not about to let one loss spoil what was a strong road trip, though.

"I'm happy with the way we played on the West Coast," Acta said. "I mean, 4-2 -- I'll take that any time on the West Coast. I'm very happy about that."

The Indians (8-4) opened their trek with a three-game sweep of the Mariners in the Emerald City. Cleveland followed that with a shutout victory over the Halos here in Orange County on Monday. Those four wins upped the Tribe's winning streak to eight games and kept them atop the division standings.

But two losses later...

"Ending on this note is not what we'd like," said Indians reliever Chad Durbin.

Durbin had the unfortunate task of walking off the mound while the Angels' players partied on the field.

In the home half of the 12th, Durbin allowed a one-out single to Vernon Wells, who sent a grounder skipping off the glove of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and bouncing into left field. Durbin then walked Alberto Callaspo and shot himself in the foot again with a wild pitch that allowed both runners to trot into scoring position.

"There's no need to get a guy into scoring position," Durbin said. "Make them hit their way into it. I kept trying to throw sinkers middle away and let it run to the corner of the plate, and it ran off the plate or down. That's not very efficient."

Durbin elected to intentionally walk Mark Trumbo to load the bases with one out, setting up a potential inning-ending double play. Instead, Jeff Mathis sent one of the right-hander's pitches to center field, providing a sacrifice fly that scored Wells to deal the Indians a 4-3 defeat.

After the way Carrasco pitched for seven innings and the manner in which the trio of Vinnie Pestano, Tony Sipp and Chris Perez performed over the four frames that followed, Durbin was disappointed he could not keep things rolling against the Angels (7-5).

"I'm just not being aggressive over the plate," said Durbin, who has a 10.12 ERA through five appearances this year. "Every guy that went in there after our starter was aggressive over the plate and got quick outs because of it. That's what relievers have got to do. They've got to attack the zone."

Durbin absorbed the knockout blow, but the Indians made a handful of other mistakes that set the loss in motion.

Cleveland did find a way to cash in three runs in the seven innings they faced Angels right-hander Ervin Santana, but the Tribe also finished the evening 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. For a moment in the sixth, though, the Indians appeared poised to swing the game in their favor.

With one out and Cleveland trailing, 3-2, Shin-Soo Choo led off with a walk and promptly stole second base. He then moved to third on a groundout from Carlos Santana. Choo was 90 feet from scoring to tie the game when he was picked off diving back into third base on a strikeout pitch to Travis Hafner.

"[Choo] was running on contact," Acta said. "Haf swung and [Choo] might've been caught leaning a little bit."

In the field, Cabrera made a costly throw that ignited a three-run rally for L.A.

Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick led off the fourth with a double to deep left-center field, where Indians left fielder Austin Kearns retrieved the ball on the warning track and fired it in to Cabrera. The shortstop then threw wildly beyond second base, allowing Kendrick to score to tie the game, 1-1.

One walk and a Torii Hunter home run later, the Indians were down, 3-1.

Acta shrugged off Cabrera's errant throw.

"Asdrubal thought he was going to catch him off guard," Acta said. "If he makes a good throw and he doesn't throw it away, then it's OK throwing the ball."

Instead of wallowing in what went wrong, Acta chose to focus on the positives.

"We look at the whole trip," said the manager. "We went 4-2, and we're happy about that. Yeah, we could've won another game at least here ... but that's part of the game. I'm just happy about the way our pitching is going.

"We just need to execute better."