Jason Kipnis’ First MLB Hit Gives Indians Walk-Off Win
We all know the Cleveland sports cliché: just as everything looks like it’s going right, it all falls apart. Indians, Cavs, Browns, whoever—their hot streaks seem to be designed for the sole purpose of setting up heartbreak.
After the Tribe’s comeback, walk-off 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Progressive Field Monday night, it seems like things are inverted. The Indians team doesn’t give us false hope and burst our collective bubble—it lets us down only so it can build us up. (more…)
What Should Indians Expect in Rematch with Los Angeles Angels?
The Cleveland Indians had a rough weekend, losing two tough games to the White Sox and watching the third get rained out. This after splitting what should have been easy-win series against the Twins and Orioles. The Indians haven’t won a series in almost three weeks.
Unfortunately for the Tribe, things might get worse before they get better—both Dan Haren and Jered Weaver will take the mound at Progressive Field in the next 36 hours as the Indians kick off a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. But every cloud has a silver lining: this time around, our series preview interview has been doubled.
In order to get a better idea of what to expect from the Angels, I talked to MonkeyWithAHalo.com “Supreme Overlord” Garrett Wilson, as well as contributing writer Ryan Falla. They were kind enough to offer their thoughts on Mike Trout’s future, Howie Kendrick’s emergence, and the huge butt-kicking we’re about to get from Haren and Weaver. Here’s what they had to say:
WAHOO BLUES: The Angels are only 3.5 games behind the Rangers in the AL West, but Baseball Prospectus gives them just 13% odds of winning the division. What would it take for the Halos to make a comeback? How do you think the division will shake out?
GARRETT WILSON: First, let me just say that those BP odds need to be taken with a grain of salt only because the prediction and sim systems always seem to underestimate the Angels. That being said, I still concur the Rangers are the favorite, largely because I think they have the budget and farm system to go out and make big additions to bolster their team at the deadline to get separation from the Angels, who lack both of those resources. Even with that, the Angels have a puncher’s chance if only because they still have ten games against Texas before the season is over, so they could win the division just by beating up Texas.
RYAN FALLA: If the Angels want to make a comeback in the division they’re going to need to shed some dead weight from their bullpen, namely Fernando Rodney, and trade for a righty reliever that can actually bring something to the table and bring it consistently. I have no fear in saying the Angels have one of the best lefty set up men in the game and a phenomenal rookie closer, but that’s all they have in the pen. I hate to reuse a worn out line, but pitching wins championships and this Angels offense isn’t good enough to back a mediocre bullpen. Too many times have I seen games that should have been won slip out of the teams hands simply because we can’t have Scott Downs and/or Jordan Walden playing relief for every single game.
As for the rest of the division, it has become rather pathetic competitively, hands down the worst in baseball. The only real competition is between the Angels and the Rangers since the Mariners have hit their 15 game losing streaking sending them all the way down to last place at 15 games back. As for the A’s, it will take nothing short of a miracle to get them within striking distance of 1st before the seasons end ever since they fell 14 games back. Both of those teams face the exact same problem, great pitching staffs weighed down by weak offenses. The A’s offense had potential to thrust them into the thick of the race before the season began, with the pick-ups of Matsui and Willingham, yet they have fallen flat on their faces this season.
WAHOO BLUES: The trade deadline is less than a week away. What (if anything) do you expect the Angels to do before July 31? Are there any particular players you’ve got your eye on? (more…)
What Should Cleveland Indians Expect in Rematch with Los Angeles Angels?
Three weeks ago, the Cleveland Indians were riding a seven-game winning streak when they paid a visit to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After taking the first game from the Halos, the Tribe got two-hit by Dan Haren in the second game before losing the rubber match in extra innings.
Today, the Indians return to Anaheim for a three-game rematch against the Angels, who have found themselves in first place in the tight AL West. In preparation for the series, I talked to HalosHub.com‘s Doug Rush about what to expect from the Tribe’s weekend hosts. Here’s what he had to say:
You can see my answers to Doug’s questions at HalosHub.com.
WAHOO BLUES: Don’t look now, but the Angels are in first place. What’s worked for them that they’ve managed to catch the Rangers?
HALOS HUB: The solid starting pitching for the Angels has been a big plus, however now, some of the bats are starting to wake up. Abreu had seven runs batted in for the series in Boston, after collecting only eight all season. Erick Aybar is back and healthy, and hitting .342, and he combined with Maicer Izturis have given the Angels a fighting chance at the top of the batting order. (more…)
Cleveland Indians Finally Lose: And Life Goes On…
Well, the honeymoon is over.
The Cleveland Indians finally lost Tuesday night, falling to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 2-0, snapping the Tribe’s eight-game winning streak.
It was bound to happen eventually.
Starter Fausto Carmona threw 7.2 strong innings, giving up just two runs on four hits while striking out six and inducing 12 groundouts, but it wasn’t enough to beat Angels ace Dan Haren, who threw a complete game one-hit shutout.
Fun as it was to pretend that this Tribe team was invincible, winning streaks can’t last forever.
One loss is no reason to dismiss the amazing start to the season that the Indians have enjoyed. It doesn’t negate the great pitching we’ve seen or the team’s offensive explosion or the fact that the Tribe swept the preseason favorites to win the AL pennant.
Sure, Cleveland’s lead over the second-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central has dropped to just one game, that means the Indians are still leading the division. An 8-3 record might not mean much in a 162-game season, but 11 games are a lot more telling than one loss.
The Indians will lose again—maybe today, probably sometime this week, and certainly many dozens of times by the end of September.
But more importantly, Cleveland will also win again.
Cleveland Indians Win Eighth Straight Game, Extend Lead in AL Central
The Cleveland Indians won their eighth straight game Monday night, beating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 4-0. This marks the longest winning streak the Indians have had since they won 10 straight games in August 2008.
The Indians got off to a quick lead in Angel Stadium when Asdrubal Cabrera hit a one-out solo home run in the first inning. Matt LaPorta followed with a three-run shot in the second to put the Tribe ahead, 4-0. The two teams remained scoreless for the final seven-and-a-half innings.
Mitch Talbot shut out the Angels through eight innings, scattering five hits and two walks with two strikeouts to get his first win of the season. It was the deepest he’s pitched in a game since May 15, 2010.
With the win, the Indians extended their lead in the AL Central to 1.5 games over the second-place Kansas City Royals, who had the night off. The Chicago White Sox fell to 2.0 games behind after losing to the Oakland Athletics, 2-0.
The Tribe’s 1.5-game division lead is the largest the team has had since May 17, 2008.
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