Roster Update: More news has come out on the Michael Bourn front and it isn’t getting better. Bourn is now expected to miss at least three weeks and with Nyjer Morgan also out for the foreseeable future, the Indians have brought in some help. Chris Dickerson was obtained through trade this morning and added to the 25 man roster prior to game time with George Kottaras being designated for assignment to make room. Dickerson has spent the entire season with the AAA Indianapolis Indians in the Pirates organization after spending 2013 with Baltimore.
Player of the Game
Since it is Nick Swisher Day, Nick Swisher was going to win the award no matter what, but he actually earned it, blasting an opposite field home run over the big wall in left. Prior to the home run, Yankee starter Shane Green had faced the minimum, throwing a no hitter through four innings. Of course, he did make the last out of the game and was surpassed in POG score by both Yan Gomes, who also hit a solo home run and Carlos Carrasco, but we won’t let that ruin Nick Swisher Day.
Feathers Up
The second inning was not a good one for Justin Masterson, but the Indians upgraded defense (without Nick Swisher) helped him get out of it. Masterson gave up two doubles and a single to start the inning, but Brian Roberts, who hit the second double, fell down trying to score on the Ichiro Suzuki single. When Suzuki tried for second on the throw, Yan Gomes was able to throw him out and keep Roberts at third. After two walks, a hit batter and another single, Carlos Santana made a tremendous play on what could have been a Jacoby Ellsbury double, snagging the sharp grounder, tagging first and throwing home to complete the double play with a slick tag by Gomes.
Carlos Carrasco continues to dominate from the bullpen as he threw another three shut out innings tonight against New York. Since being moved into a relief role, Carrasco has thrown 32.1 innings and struck out 30 in 17 games. He has mostly been used in a long relief role, like he was tonight, but he has been great in any situation, allowing just two runs in his last 23 innings.
Carrasco wasn’t the only great Indians reliever as four pitched besides him and each threw an inning and struck out a batter. Three of four (Kyle Crockett, Vinnie Pestano and Marc Rzepczynski) allowed just one single in scoreless innings while John Axford set down the Yankees 1-2-3 in the ninth. In a game when the starter can only go two innings (which appears to be happening far too often of late), a strong, deep bullpen is incredibly important and that is just what the Indians have.
Feathers Down
Masterson was only able to pitch two innings tonight after giving up two hits without retiring a batter in the third. This was his fourth start of his last five that he was unable to get past the fourth inning as it looks more and more like his knee issues will land him on the DL. It is very questionable why Indians management hadn’t done so already as the problem was known about at least since his three inning start on June 13th. The injury is obviously getting worse with time as Masterson’s control and velocity are decreasing as he continues to push things.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 3 – New York Yankees 5
On Deck: Nick Swisher and the Indians will face one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, Masahiro Tanaka, at 7:05 PM in Cleveland.
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