Roster Update: The Indians set-up man is back after spending his minimum of 11 games on the DL. To make room for Vinnie Pestano, the Indians have demoted Nick Hagadone for the third time this year. If this continues, Hagadone will be nicknamed the Herrmann of 2013.
Player of the Game
Tonight, the hero and the Player of the Game are one in the same as Jason Kipnis hit the home run that ended the game (even though a single would have done it). Kipnis also walked and singled earlier in the game as he reached base in four of his five at bats. This is his second POG in a row as he scored 5.76 points for tonight's effort.
Feathers Up
Seeing the Mariners play the Indians is always a good time. You always get to see a fair amount of players on one team that played (or managed) for the other. They also have been competitive with each other since at least the early 1990's, providing some of the greatest match-ups in recent history. Tonight was no different as the two teams took a tie game into the tenth inning before the Indians won in walk off fashion.
What Mark Reynolds couldn't do, Carlos Santana took care of himself. With Santana at third and one out in the second, Reynolds grounded out to short with the infield pulled in. Still at third, Santana then scored on a wild pitch by Brandon Maurer to give the Tribe a 2-0 lead.
Ubaldo Jimenez did a great job throwing strikes tonight and has now been effective in four straight starts. Most impressively, and an effect of throwing strikes, is that he has struck out at least eight batters in each of his last three starts. Jimenez only allowed 7 hits, six of which were singles, only one of which ended up creating a run (thanks to Rich Hill).
Michael Bourn has found the perfect place to hit the ball, just to the right side of the pitcher. Twice tonight he was safe on an infield hit that rolled slowly toward the second baseman. The second single was necessary to set up Jason Kipnis' two out, game winning, walk off, three run home run.
Eric Wedge deserves a lot of credit for this Indians win as he removed Carter Capps, who had no problem mowing down Tribe hitters for an inning and a third. He replaced Capps with Lucas Luetge (who now has an ERA of 10.50) and Luetge walked Drew Stubbs and gave up the Michael Bourn single before losing the game on the Kipnis home run.
Feathers Down
The only non-single that Ubaldo gave up tonight was a monstrous jack hit by Kendrys Morales. The ball landed in Kendrysville (I think the Indians are renaming the mezzanine after whoever hit the last home run there) a place that no Indians hitter has reached yet this year.
Rich Hill had a fairly easy chance at a hold in the sixth inning, facing the left handed Raul Ibanez with no outs and a runner on. Hill threw a 0-1 curve ball that stayed very high in the strike zone which Ibanez deposited far into the right field seats. The blast tied the game and stole what could have been a win away from Ubaldo Jimenez, who was great.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 6 – Seattle Mariners 3
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