Roster Update: On Thursday, the Indians reactivated Mike Aviles from emergency medical leave and sent Jose Ramirez back to Columbus. Ramirez didn’t get into a game while in Cleveland.
Not really a roster update, but Nick Hagadone (on the DL with a strained back) seriously injured his left elbow during his rehab appearance in Mahoning Valley on Wednesday. We will have a more detailed analysis when the Indians official announce his injury.
Player of the Game
Sarcastic Player of the Game goes to David Murphy, who’s 0/4 with three runners stranded in scoring position is a greater credit to his astronomical .342 BABIP coming into the game than anything else. Expect a lot more of the same from the Indians clean-up hitter this year as he teaches Terry Francona the lesson he never learned from Ryan Raburn of regression to the mean.
If you want a legitimate Player of the Game, it was Jeff Manship for his two scoreless innings pitched and two strike outs. He allowed just one hit in his first appearance since July 6th.
Feathers Up
Ryan Webb, Jeff Manship and Austin Adams all pitched tonight, the first time any of the three had pitched in the last seven games (11 days). This saved the Indians real relievers and may have justified the eight man bullpen to Terry Francona. Of course it was that eight man bullpen that allowed Francona to use such prodigious pinch hitters tonight as Michael Bourn and Mike Aviles instead of Zach Walters, Jesus Aguilar or Tyler Holt.
Feathers Down
Facing the opposing pitcher at bat should be an easy out, but there is a reason Mike Leake was batting eighth. In his first at bat, he knocked in the Reds second run of the night with an attempted sacrifice bunt to first and in his second, he crushed a two run, two out double to right center in the third. Outside of the pitcher spot, Bauer also gave up solo home runs to Marlon Byrd in the second and Joey Votto in the fourth as he threw one of his worst games of the season. Bauer ultimately pitched four innings and allowed five runs with four strike outs.
The Indians didn’t even get a runner into scoring position until the fifth and when they did, it looked very similar to the pre-All-Star break Indians. Yan Gomes was safe on a Todd Frazier error and was able to advance to second on the play. After, Brandon Moss and Giovanny Urshela fouled out, Michael Bourn (pinch hitting for the pitcher) walked and Jason Kipnis flew out to left to finish the “scoring opportunity.”
The following inning it was more of the same, although the Indians did accidentally get one run across. Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley started the inning off with hits to put runners on second and third, but another infield fly, ground out and fly to center ended the “threat” with just one run scored.
The Indians final run scoring chance came in the ninth when Yan Gomes doubled to lead off the inning. Brandon Moss moved him over to third with a ground out (much more useful in a one run game than a four run game), then fly outs from Urshela and Aviles ended the game with Gomes on third. In the end, all the opportunities the Indians had tonight were thanks to a total of three hitters (Gomes, Brantley and Lindor), with the rest of the lineup failing to score them in any way possible.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 1 – Cincinnati Reds 5
On Deck: Game two of the second half will feature the Indians ace, although the Reds are saving theirs for game three of the series. Corey Kluber will match up instead with Anthony DeSclafini at 7:10 PM in Cincinnati.
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