Very good chance the Tribe will end up with 8 guys who have double digit homers on the season. Power distributed throughout the lineup is a good thing.

The trade for Asdrubal is now looking pretty darn GENIUS!

We could be seeing the blossoming of a real superstar here.

Remember 2 years ago?

And last year was tainted by injury.

Anyone besides me concerned about White? 12 weeks?? Maybe forever??? It sounds like the same as Adam Miller.

Acta and Hamilton talked about 6-8. Our luck seems to be changing this year; maybe with Alex, too.

So Miller's injury was to a finger TENDON, not a ligament. From wikipedia:

Ligaments connect bones to other bones to form a joint. They do not connect muscles to bones; that is the job of tendons.

It takes playing 18 games above .500 for a season to get to 90 wins. We are 14 above .500 now.

If accepting the 90 win mark as what it will take to win the Division, tonight it looks like this:

We need to go 61-57 the rest of the way to get to 90.

Detroit must go 67-49, noting they have played two more games than us.

Kansas City must go 68-48

Chicago must go 68-46 as they have played four more games than us.

Minnesota must go 75-42 the rest of the way to get to 90.

Every game we can pick up now in the standings is big, even though still May. Our foes are getting greater challenges to catch us each day.

If we add 4 more games above .500 to our wins, .500 ball the rest of the way gets to 90.

Tribe closer Chris Perez has allowed 12 hits in 19 innings over 20 appearances, but his WHIP has been hurt by 12 free passes. Left-handed batters have caused the vast majority of the trouble. They are not hitting Perez much (7-for-34) but have drawn 10 walks.

Perez said he needs to make a sight adjustment with his catcher against lefties to accommodate his tailing fastball. It was required early last year, as well.

"I need to make sure the catcher sets up down the middle, so when I come through the delivery and pick him up, I'll throw it to him and the movement will take the ball to the corner," Perez said. "I've been throwing to a target on the corner and the movement's taking it too far off the plate.

"It's not the catcher's fault; it's on me. And I've got to do a better job of getting ahead, regardless."
The walks have not affected the bottom line. Perez is 12-for-13 in save opportunities.

We need to go 61-57 the rest of the way to get to 90.

I'm very interested in the next 2 weeks. If we can play 500 ball across the Red Sox etc without Hafner, White and at least for part of the time Sizemore, I may finally be convinced that the 90 wins are achievable. Although I will probably worry all season long whether Masterson, Tomlin, Carrasco and Talbot can hang on.

With Grady Sizemore close to returning from the disabled list, Indians manager Manny Acta joked the outfielder has another major hurdle to overcome.

"He has to beat the onion in the hot-dog race for us to consider activating him," Acta deadpanned.

We lengthened the lead on everyone in the Division tonight except Detroit.

Detroit remains 7 back.

KC is 8 1/2 out.

Chicago is once more 10 out.

And Minnesota is 15 1/2 out.....more than a week before Memorial Day.

In 2010, Tribe won game #30 on June 30. Their record became 30-47.

We've played well with success on the bases all year, so really no room to nitpick just about today.

We did erase four of our own base runners on our own today, and did it consecutively in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings.

Orlando Cabrera must have read something incorrectly as he tried unsuccessfully to go from 1st to 3rd on the 2nd inning Carrera ground single that plated Buck.

Choo caught stealing 2nd with two outs in the 3rd was just trying to make something happen which of course is cool.

Buck caught stealing in the 4th with one out was a little tougher to take.

LaPorta getting doubled off first on the one out liner to center by Carrera in the 5th must have just been a complete FUBAR on knowing the number of outs.

Let's just win tomorrow, and try not to erase four of our own base runners again anytime soon.

I know the focus today is on the lousy pitching but that is going to happen from time to time.

However, even with Sizemore scheduled to come back and eventually Hafner I still think we need another bat. I know offense is down overall this year and we are playing great team defense but if our lineup is going to feature Hannahan and O-Cab (both of whom I like a lot), the would like Acta needs a true offensive option on the bench.

I'm thinking a right handed hitter with some pop who can play multiple positions and is a good teammate who will do whatever is asked of him. The guy I keep coming back to is Casey Blake and with the Dodgers losing, he should be on the trading block before long.