5/13 Game Recap

Player of the Game

Travis Hafner stole tonight’s ‘Player of the Game’ award away from Michael Brantley with authority. Pronk hit his first home run since his foot injury and ended the game in dramatic walk-off fashion. Hafner hit an infield single early in the game, but the majority of his 4.61 ‘POG’ score came from the two run, game winning homerun. Brantley ended the game with a score of 4.51, after hitting a home run and a double, scoring two runs. Tony Sipp was also exemplary, scoring a 3.32, the third highest single game score by any relief pitcher this season.

Feathers Up

Tony Sipp got out of a jam in the 8^th inning with one pitch. The Sipper came in with the bases loaded and two outs, after Fausto Carmona was removed from the game. Sipp threw one pitch to Adam Kennedy and got him to pop up in the infield. This could have been the most important moment in the game.

The Indians now have five consecutive walk-off wins at Progressive Field. This is really hard to do, because you have to be bad enough not to win the game before the 9^th inning, but good enough to win the game.

The Indians attendance of 33,774 tonight was the most in a non-opening day game since July 29, 2010 against the Yankees (34,455). Apparently someone is starting to pay attention.

Feathers Down

Fausto Carmona only allowed one hit through 6 innings, but was knocked around in the 7^th for 3 runs. Indians starters have been successfully pitching between 5 and 7 innings each game, but have had a hard time going any longer than that, a fact made all the more obvious by the lack of complete games for this Indians staff. Carmona and Justin Masterson especially have shown in the past they are more than capable of going nine, but for some reason this year, the endurance just isn’t there.

Austin Kearns was caught stealing on a botched hit and run by Jack Hannahan. The next hitter, Michael Brantley, hit a home run. Someone made a mistake here, it was either Manny Acta for calling for a hit and run when the Indians were having trouble making contact (Fister struck out 6 in 8 IP) or Jack Hannahan, who should have choked up and just made sure he got the bat on the ball. Either way it cost the Indians a very important run in a close game.

Final Score: Cleveland Indians 5, Seattle Mariners and Eric Wedge’s mustache 4