Player of the Game
Lonnie Chisenhall won tonight’s Player of the Game with one of the most ridiculous stat lines I’ve ever written. This is why I have a formula that automatically picks the Player of the Game. His final score was 3.12 and he had, among other things, good defensive plays, bad defensive plays, a run scored, a couple hits, a walk, a strike out and an RBI. This is what happens when two teams are irresponsible and play a 14 inning game that has no relevance to anything in the real world.
Feathers Up
The Indians knocked Royals phenom Jake Odorizzi out in just the second inning of tonights game after forcing him to throw 65 pitches. The Indians scored just a single run off Odorizzi, but did a good job making him work by being patient at the plate.
Chris Seddon came in to save Jeanmar Gomez tonight, pitching three scoreless innings after Gomez was pulled before the fourth.
You could do a lot worse for a mop up man than Frank Herrmann. The Indians genius right hander has allowed no earned runs or inherited runners to score in his last 6 outings including a one hit, two strike out inning tonight.
A couple players who have been out with injuries made brief appearances in tonight’s game. Asdrubal Cabrera (out since 9/26) pinch hit and struck out after Jason Donald (9/15) pinch ran for Travis Hafner. Michael Brantley (9/24) then hit a pinch hit single in place of Thomas Neal. If these players are available for pinch hitting duties today, it is assumed they should be able to start tomorrow, giving Sandy Alomar his full starting lineup available.
The comeback kids scored two runs in each of the eigth and ninth innings (mostly due to the addition of Cabrera and Brantley to the lineup late in the game) to tie the game and force extra innings after being down by five early in the game.
Carlos Santana has walked in five consecutive games, tallying 11 over that span. If there is one thing Santana is great at, it is walking. He is already in the top 8 in walks as an Indians catcher in his career and is second in OBP.
Ezequiel Carrera was safe in five of his seven at bats with two walks, a single, a double and a safe on error.
Feathers Down
Lonnie Chisenhall is at least partially to blame for the the Royals 6 run third inning. After one run had scored and two were out, Chisenhall was unable to gather and throw a chopper down the third baseline. After this single, the Royals scored 5 more times, enough to win the game.
Travis Hafner was safe on base twice more tonight, making four times since his return from the DL, but it still hitless. Tonight he walked and was hit in the ribs by a pitch.
If either the Indians or the Royals had a decent home run hitter this game could have been many innings shorter.
If you play long enough everybody gets to play, unless you are Matt LaPorta. Then you never get to play.
Play of the Game
Carlos Santana swung at the first pitch with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 14th and popped out to shallow left. This was the Indians best chance to win the game right before they lost it.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 6 – Kansas City Royals 7
My writing partner believes that everyone should watch this video in preparation of Spring Training.
Seriously folks, this things just about over, hang in there.
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