Akron Air Raid: Chen and Offense Heating Up

(Photo Credit - Lianna Holub)

It was a week filled with double-headers for the Akron Aeros. The four game series with Bowie was played in twos, as the Aeros and Baysox played a pair of double headers due to the wet weather. Both ended in splits and after that, Akron hit the road for a seven game swing.

The weather in Binghamton was much nicer as the club got to play all three games at the normal time. They came away with a pair of offensive explosions, but got shutout on Saturday in between.

Next up the Aeros are in Altoona for the first four games before returning to Canal Park this weekend to face Trenton. Akron lost last night to Atloona, after coming back and taking the lead in the seventh, the Akron closer blew his first save.

Latest Landings: Bowie (2-2), Binghamton (2-1)
Future Itinerary: @ Atloona (4), Trenton (3), @ Erie (3), @ Bowie (4)
As it Stands: Akron is currently in second place in the Eastern League Western Division and 1.5 game back of first place.

Scheduled Rotation: Matt Packer (TUE), Kelvin De La Cruz (WED), Joe Gardner (THUR), Austin Adams (FRI), T.J. McFarland (SAT), Matt Packer (SUN)

On the Mound

In his shortest outing of the season, Kelvin De La Cruz walked the most hitters an Aeros pitcher has all year with six. He also struck out five, and while he only gave up one run, the amount of pitches he threw signaled an early end to his only out inf of the week.

Matt Packer threw the first complete game, albeit an abbreviated one, for the Aeros this season. Packer went the full seven innings, but took his third loss of the season after giving up three earned runs (four total) off seven hits and two walks. It was his longest outing of the year, but he continues to search for his first win. The one starter who did pick up a win against Bowie was T.J. McFarland who went five innings, giving up just one unearned run and striking out five.

Austin Adams has been tip-toeing around that line and perhaps he finally crossed over it on Sunday with his seven inning performance. It matches Barnes for the longest outing by an Aero this season and it ended in victory. Adams went seven, giving up just one run off three hits and three walks. But he struck out eight, signaling he may have put it all together. Adams won his first start, giving up just two hits and a walk, but since has struggling to find some consistency until Sunday's stellar outing against Binghamton.

Joe Gardner's third start was a forgettable one. He only gave up a run but in just 2.2 frames surrendered six hits and two walks. He also struck out a pair, so it was an early exit for Gardner, who is averaging just a start per week right now.

From the 'Pen

Your weekly Nick Hagadone update: The left-handed reliever leads the league in holds and picked up his first win over the past week. Against bowie he went three scoreless frames, striking out four and giving up just one hit to earn the win in the second game of the first double header. Hagadone walked his second hitter of the year against Binghamton, but pitched a scoreless frame. Hagadone also received the Indians new Minor League Player of the Week award for his performance the week before.

And your weekly Cory Burns update comes with the first blemish to the Akron closer. Burns finally looked human, blowing his first save and giving up a pair of runs off three hits and a walk in the ninth against Altoona on Monday. He was only able to record one out before Akron was sent back with a loss after battling back to take the lead.

Quite the 'relief' appearance for Paolo Espino against Binghamton. The reliever came in and provided some long work, going five innings and giving up three earned. The good news is that he struck out nine hitters and didn't walk anyone. He also pitched three innings against Bowie giving up a run ff seven hits and one walk.

Great to see Kyle Landis, 2007 draftee appear. Landis was added to the roster after spending some time in extended spring training to getting himself into game shape. Landis took the place of Bryan Price and over the weekend against Binghamton pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Landis spent 2009 and 2008 split between Lake County and Kinston. He did not pitch in an official minor league game last season and after pitching a scoreless inning for Lake County, made his Akron debut this past weekend.

CC Lee had been up and down throughout April, but may be setting his ways after two straight scoreless appearances. Lee's gem outing this season came against Binghamton on Friday, going three innings and striking out five with just one baserunner. Lee continued that by striking out five more in 2.2 innings yesterday against Altoona.

Swinging Sticks

If the Aeros are going to score runs this season, they're going to need more performances like the one they got from Chun Chen this week. Chen is the most legit hitting prospect this team has and the 20-run outburst this weekend showed that when he's hitting, the rest of the lineup can pull together. Chen hit four home runs in the span of four games and over the past two series was 8-for-21 with 6 RBI. His two home runs on Sunday was the first multi-home run game for a player this season. Chen followed it up with two more doubles and three runs batted in on Monday.

Juan Diaz is starting to come into his own in the middle of the lineup as well, perhaps feeding off the performance of Chen. Diaz was 3-for-14 against Binghamton with three runs scored. He hit a solo home run against Bowie, one of his six hits in that four game series. He's off to a great start against Altoona, with two more hits and three more RBI.

Kyle Bellows has only five hits over his past seven games, but he knocked in the same amount of runs. Bellows is making his hits count, even if they are sparingly. John Drennen has seen a dip in run production, but has recently picked it back up after Sunday's game.

Mr. Consistency Tim Fedroff quietly notches hits and produces. Fedroff doesn't go through many hitless streaks and over the week collected eight hits. He isn't a huge run producer, but finds ways to get on base and scrap together hits.

On the struggling side is Matt McBride, who has four hits in his last 23 at-bats with a pair of strikeouts. He hasn't produced many runs over the past week. Jordan Henry was struggling int he Bowie series, but has recently re-ignited his fire, going 9-18 over the past four games with four more stolen bases to up his total to nine.

Additional Notes

Eric Berger was promoted to Columbus to replace Jess Todd in the bullpen. Given that he is the only left-hander in the bullpen and Joe Martinez is in the rotation in place of Alex White, he could be there for a good period of time, especially if he pitches well. With Akron he went 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched. Good luck to the Marvelous Mustache and hopefully, his promotion is permanent.

Replacing Berger on the roster is Marty Popham, who will presumably fill the role of Berger as spot-starter/bullpen arm, a role he was filling with Kinston with great success. Popham got the start on Monday due to the multiple double headers and doubling up of starters and things didn't go so well. Popham's first taste of Double-A action went south as he gave up seven runs off 10 hits.

Akron finished April 11-12. Matt McBride has played every game, all but two at first base. They've still yet to win more than two games in a row, but on the bright side, have not had a losing streak longer than three.
 The offense finally started to hit and after not scoring more than six runs, had two 10-run performances over the weekend. However their inconsistencies are still there, as they got shutout in between those two games.

Sunday's game against Binghamton set a high for hits in a game this season with 16. The team has not hit more than two home runs in a game this season, but Chun Chen's mutli-home run game on Sunday is a sign of good things to come.

Out for Repair

Bryan Price was placed on the disabled list with some inflammation in his right shoulder. Price is eligible to be activated this weekend, but it will likely take more than week for him to be 100 percent ready to pitch once again, especially with his throwing shoulder. Price is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA. He made an appearance against Bowie, going 1.1 scoreless.

Transaction Report
April 27:RHP Bryan Price placed on Disabled List
RHP Kyle Landis received from Kinston
April 29: IF Jason Donald finished rehab assignment
May 2: LHP Eric Berger sent to Columbus
RHP Marty Popham received from Kinston

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Nino covers the Akron Aeros season-long here at the IPI. He has his own blog at The Tribe Daily and you can follow him on Twitter @TheTribeDaily.

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Around the Farm: May 2

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday's game.

Jordan Henry-CF, Akron: 5-for-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, E (1):

Henry is one of my favorite prospects in this organization. The 23-year-old has a lifetime OBP of .408, to go along with his lifetime .301 average. At Mahoning Valley in 2009, and Kinston in 2010, he walked more than he struck out, and overall, he's walked 135 times in his 2+ seasons, while striking out only 134 times. This guy is high impact, and a tremendous lead-off man. While he has no power to speak of, he's stolen 58 bases in his career, while only being caught 7 times. He's broken out of a mini-slump by going 8-for-10 in his past two games. Of course, with the way Columbus and Cleveland are playing, where does he go?

Ezequiel Carrera-CF, Columbus: 4-for-6, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB;

There has to come a point when someone asks the question, "Is Zeke Carrera creating himself into a top Tribe prospect?" For those that don't remember, Carrera was once again mined from a Seattle minor league system that has produced Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo. Carrera came over in the Russell Branyan deal, and has really made a splash this season. He's currently on a four-game hit streak in which he's gone a paltry 9-for-21, with three runs, a double, six RBI and a stolen base. Overall, Carrera is hitting .314, and has silently become a major blip on the Tribe radar. This system has some incredible depth, and there could be a serious logjam in Columbus for this massive amount of talent.

Jared Head-RF, Columbus: 3-for-5, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 K, SB:

Remember when I mentioned a logjam in the outfield? Head is currently hitting .379. He's currently on a five-game hit streak, going 10-22. In his past two games alone, he's gone 6-for-10. Head is another guy that isn't a household name for to many not paying attention, but is certainly prepared to play in the bigs if there's an injury. At 28, it's not likely that Head is going to be an impact player, but if he can ride this current streak, he could be valuable as a role-players should the Indians call.

• Jason Donald-SS, Columbus: 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, K: Donald is smoking the ball at Columbus, going 5-for-9, with three runs and five RBI in his two games since being assigned.
• Lonnie Chisenhall-3B, Columbus: 3-for-5, 3 R, 3B, 2 RBI, 2K: "Chiz" continues to regain momentum as the Tribe's top position player prospect.  He's back up to .275, with five multi-hit games in his last 10 games.
• Chad Huffman-1B, Columbus: 2-for-6, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 K: Huffman stays hot, hitting in six of his last seven ball games.  He's currently leading a potent Clippers attack with five homers, 18 RBI, 20 R and 6 2B.
• Jason Kipnis-2B, Columbus: 1-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K: This can be typical for Kipnis.  Even without hits, Kipnis gets on base three times, scores all three times, and drives in two with his one hit.
• Luis Valbuena-DH, Columbus: 2-for-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 K: Valbuena continues to make a bid to return to the show.  You have to hope he's more than a quad-A player.
• Luke Carlin-C, Columbus: 2-for-5, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 K:  Yeah, Carlin is hitting .346.  Here's another guy pining for the show, and making it count in Columbus.
• Josh Rodriguez-SS, Columbus: 1-for-6, 3K: Rodriguez made his first start after the Pirates returned him when he didn't stick with the big league club after being selected in the Rule V.  It wasn't his night, but c'mon, every other offensive player was listed.  I couldn't NOT throw him up here, could I?
• Scott Barnes-SP, Columbus: 5 IP, 10 H, 7 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 4 HR: Wow did Barnes get lit up tonight.  You can't give up four homers in a month, let alone a game.
• Jensen Lewis-RP, Columbus: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 1 K, HR, W (3-0): JLew got the win tonight, but it wasn't his best.  He gave up his first runs of the season., bumping UP his ERA to 1.69.
• Zach Putnam-RP, Columbus: 1 IP, 2 K: Putnam continues to shine, as the ONLY pitcher in this offensive massacre to not give up a run.  He should be beatified.
• Josh Judy-Closer, Columbus: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB, 2 K: Judy got beat down tonight in garbage work.
• Clayton Cook-SP, Kinston: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K: Cook has been outstanding this season, despite his 5.09 ERA.  That will happen when you have one start in which you give up nine earned runs in one inning of work.  His other games have seen him give up 2,1,1 and 0 ER.  He's a top prospect, and showed why again tonight.
• Juan Diaz-SS, Akron: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 1 K: Back-to-back 2-for-5 games, and hits in 8 of his last 9 games gives hope that he's finally starting to put it all together.
• Chun-Hsiu Chen-C, Akron: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 1 K: Out of nowhere, Chen is hitting .295.  He's currently riding a five-game hit streak, going 9-for-20, with five runs, 3 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 2 BB and 3 K's.  Yeah, I'd say he's back.
• Marty Popham-SP, Akron: 3 IP, 10 H, 7 R/ER, BB: Popham made his first start since his promotion, and well...it fell flat.  He got shelled.  Let's hope it was jitters.
• Kyle Landis-RP, Akron: 2 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, BB: Landis continues his comeback with a fair outing.
• Cory Burns-Closer, Akron: 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, BS (1), L (1): Well, Burns is human after all.  His 54 ERA from tonight notwithstanding, he's still potentially the best closer in the system not named Perez, and actually closing (c'mon, Hagadone is earmared, isn't he?).
• Carlos Moncrief-CF, Lake County: 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K: Moncrief has a three-game hit streak, and hit in six-of-seven.
• Jesus Aguilar-1B, Lake County: 2-for-5, 1 RBI:  Aguilar broke out of a three-game hitless streak.
• Alex Lavisky-DH, Lake County: 0-for-5: The 20-year-old is really scuffling right now offensively, hitting .197.  Let's hope it's first year jitters.
• Jason Smit, RF, Lake County: 0-for-4, 1 R, 1 K: Smit is currently hitting .353, but has struggled of late.  He's only hitting .219 in his last ten games, which should let you know how good he was playing prior.
• Anthony Gallas, LF, Lake County: 2-for-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K: Gallas is hitting .312, and has a four-game hit streak.
• Clayton Ehlert, Closer, Lake County: 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, L (0-1): This was not a night to close games for the Tribe organization.  Ehlert struggled with hits deflected off gloves, and a passed ball.
  

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Game Recaps 5/2: The Columbus Train Keeps Rollin'

Ezequiel Carrera (Photo: Tony Lastoria)

Clippers Win High-Scoring Showdown

Another game, another offensive explosion for the Clippers as they won 18-12 over the Charlotte Knights Monday.

Nine Clippers came to the plate in the first inning, as they put up four runs. Still, the Knights came back and led 9-6 in the top of the seventh. Then, a Luis Valbuena double, scoring Lonnie Chisenhall, Chad Huffman and Jason Kipnis tied the game. The Clippers broke it open in the eighth with an Ezequiel Carrera single. They went on to score eight more runs in the inning.

Carrera went 4-6 on the game, driving in four and scoring twice.

The win marks the twelfth in a row for the Clippers, and they look to sweep with a win against the Knights Tuesday. Right-hander Zach McAllister puts his 4-0 record on the line against Charlotte's Freddy Dolsi.

Burns Blows Save as Curve Walk-Off Against Aeros

Cory Burns allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Altoona Curve came from behind and won in their last at bat beating the Akron Aeros 10-9 Monday at Blair County Ballpark.

Burns entered the ninth with a 9-8 lead, but gave up an RBI single to Tony Sanchez to tie it. Later in the frame, Kris Watts drove in the game-winning run on an RBI double.

Burns suffered his first blown save and first loss of the season.

Noah Krol picked up the win for Altoona pitching a scoreless inning out of the bullpen and striking out one.

The Aeros (12-13) got things started offensively in the top of the first inning. Jordan Henry led off the game with a single and moved to third when Juan Diaz reached on a fielding error. Chun Chen followed with a double that plated both Henry and Diaz to give the Aeros a 2-0 lead.

Akron added to their lead in the top of the second inning on a Henry RBI single that scored Kyle Bellows and made it 3-0.

The Curve (12-11) rallied in the bottom of the frame. Jordy Mercer started the inning with a leadoff single and Jeremy Farrell doubled him home to make it 3-1. Sanchez moved Farrell to third on a single and Watts followed with an RBI single to score him. Later in the frame, Brad Chalk drove in a run with a single that tied the game at 3-3. With the bases full, Starling Marte gave the Curve the lead on a sacrifice fly.

Altoona scored three more times in the bottom of the third inning, but the Aeros answered back in the top of the fourth. With two on and one out, Tim Fedroff grounded out to first, but advanced the runners to second and third. Diaz cut into the Curve lead with a two-RBI double that made it 7-5. Chen capped the inning with his second double of the game scoring Diaz and cutting the Altoona lead to 7-6.

After an Altoona run in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Aeros scored a run in the top of the sixth inning and two in the top of the seventh to take a 9-8 lead.

The Curve rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Aeros. The walk-off win was the first by an Aeros opponent this season.

The Aeros and Curve will play game two of this four-game series Tuesday night. Akron will give the ball to southpaw Matt Packer, who is 0-3 with a 4.79 ERA in 2011. He will face right-handed pitcher Mike Colla. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. The game can be heard on Fox Sports 1350 AM or online at sportsradio1350.com. Coverage begins at 6:15 p.m.

Salem Slips by Kinston

Salem continued its recent success against the K-Tribe with a come from behind 3-2 win in Salem Monday night. With the win, Salem managed to stretch its lead of the Carolina League Southern Division to 2.5 games. Two games remain in the Indians current six game road trip, both in Salem.

In the top of the second inning, Kinston took advantage of a bizarre performance from Salem starting pitcher Drake Britton. After getting the first two batters in the inning out, Britton had a pitch slip out of his hands and ended up in the first row of seats above the visiting dugout. The pitch seemed to shake Britton, who walked Kinston newcomer Kyle Smith. Smith advanced to second base and then to third on two wild pitches. After a walk to Perez, Smith scored on the third wild pitch of the inning to put Kinston up 1-0. After Delvi Cid walked, Britton’s catcher Dan Butler helped him out by picking Perez off of second base. Britton would then settle down, making it four innings, giving up just the one run on two hits. Britton walked four and struck out four.

Salem would take advantage of Kinston miscues in the bottom of the third. With Clayton Cook on the mound for the Indians, Michael Almanzar reached on an error by the third baseman. After Derrick Gibson got hit by a pitch, Zach Gentile dropped a perfect bunt down the third base side. Cook made a great bear handed snag, but his throw was wide of first base. Almanzar scored on the second error of the inning. Peter Hissey would then drive Gibson home from third base with a sacrifice fly to give Salem a 2-1 lead.

Kinston would tie the score at two in the top of the seventh inning off of Salem reliever Tom Ebert. With two outs in the frame, Perez doubled and Chase Burnette followed with a walk. Tyler Holt then smoked a double off of the wall in left field to drive home Perez.

With Clayton Cook off the hook, Jose Flores entered the game to pitch for the K-tribe in the seventh. After a leadoff single, Flores committed a throwing error on an infield bunt single, allowing two Salem runners in to scoring position. The next batter, Zach Gentile, knocked an RBI single to put the Red Sox on top again. The effort of Flores to end the inning by stranding three Salem base runners went unnoticed as Kinston’s offense was halted through the remaining two innings. Flores (0-2) took the loss for Kinston.

The two teams will meet for the middle game of the three game series, Tuesday night in Virginia. Game time 7:05 pm as Giovanni Soto will get the start for Kinston. The K-Tribe returns home for a four game homestand this Thursday through Sunday at Historic Grainger Stadium.

Captains Fall to the Lugnuts 4-3 in 10

The Lugnuts' Steve Marisnick's RBI single in the bottom of the tenth scored Jonathon Jones as Lansing won in walk-off fashion 4-3 over the Captains.

Lake County scored the game's first run in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Jason Smit reached with a leadoff walk. Nick Bartolone drove in Smit with a single to centerfield.

In Lansing's half of the second, Michael Crouse reached on one of three Bartolone errors to start the inning. Steven Wright walked the next hitter, Oliver Domiguez. Bryson Namba hit into a double play but the Lugnuts tied the game up as Crouse scored from third.

The Captains tied the game in the top of the seventh, at two, when Anthony Gallas hit a homerun to left, his third of the season. With one out Carlos Moncrief doubled to get aboard. Jesus Aguilar with runners on first and third, singled to right field, to drive in Moncrief giving Lake County a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Namba reached on a single, and advanced to second on an Owen Dew wild pitch. Namba moved to third on a ground out from Jones. Lansing tied the game at three on a passed ball charged to Alex Monsalve.

The Captains and the Lugnuts wrap up the series Tuesday morning at 10:35AM at Cooley Law School Stadium. Lake County will start RHP Mike Goodnight (1-2) against LHP Egan Smith (2-0) for Lansing. Catch all the action on 1330AM WELW or online at captainsbaseball.com

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Minor League Memories: Where Have You Gone, Daren Epley?

by Rick Grayshock, writer/editor/co-founder, WaitingForNextYear

I was somewhat surprised when the invitation came my way to contribute during Tony's recovery. While I frequent the site, and have appreciated Tony's work for some time, I don't consider myself any kind of expert on the minor leagues, or players developing.

I am a big fan of minor league baseball though. It started for me around 1989, when I would go to Canton-Akron Indians games down at Thurman Munson Stadium. At the time, Canton-Akron was the AA affiliate for the Indians. The stadium was nowhere near what Canal Park is today. There were no seats, only metal bleachers. No suites. No luxury boxes.

The dugouts were underneath the seats, and I have to imagine it was loud for the players hearing fans walk up and down the metal bleachers all game.

My favorite pastime at the stadium was autograph fishing. Before the game we would throw lines over the fence, and down to the players to ask for autographs on cards. We made small holes in the corners of hard plastic card holders to attach the line to, and clipped a sharpie to the line. Most players (like Charlie Nagy and Mark Lewis) were gracious enough to take some time to pull the card out and sign it for us. Others (like Joey Belle and Carlos Martinez) didn't want to be bothered and never signed.

Then there was Rudy Seanez. Seanez played for 9 big league clubs in his career, and currently owns a Cold Stone Creamery for all those interested. Rudy didn't quite understand the autograph fishing process. We had purchased packs of cards from the stadium featuring all the AA Indian prospects, and when we saw Rudy walking toward the dugout from warming up we shouted his name and threw his card in the protective holder and lowered it over the side. Not wanted to disappoint a couple of young fans Rudy took the marker and proceeded to sign. The plastic sleeve.

Yep. From that day on I had his autograph on whatever card I wanted. Just pop it in the signed plastic sleeve!

It was an exciting time to watch minor league baseball. The majority of the Cleveland stars of the mid-nineties all made it through Canton at some point. Even if it was just a rehab start. The Tribe's triple A club was in Colorado, and so for short rehab starts they all came to Canton. Thome, Ramirez, Giles and Belle all played there. At the time we had no idea these guys would have that kind of success at the major league level, but it was certainly fun to watch them pound out runs down at Thurman Munson.

As exciting as those players were, our favorites were always the guys that hung around longer than everyone else after a game, or spent more time before the game talking with fans. Guys like Daren Epley and Ken Ramos. Epley was a 4th round pick in 1988, and played for Canton-Akron for the majority of 3 seasons. He had a good year in 1992, leading to a promotion to AAA Colorado. He never saw the majors in Cleveland or anywhere else.

Epley was a career .265 hitter in the minors. That 1992 season he hit .327 for Canton-Akron. But he was out of baseball 2 seasons later. Jared Goedert anyone?

I would encourage anyone to take in minor league baseball on a regular basis. It's a great way to get to know the players long before they show up in Cleveland. But if you can't get there regularly, Tony's writing brings them to you. Get well soon sir.

As I mentioned before, Rick is the co-founder, co-editor, writer extraordinaire over at WFNY. Rick is certainly one of the most visible writers out there, and WFNY has become one of the most concise Cleveland sports websites on the planet. Rick was the first to e-mail me back saying he'd write a piece for IPI. Thanks to Rick, and to WFNY for helping Tony out.

If you are interested in adding a piece as a guest columnist over the next month, please feel free to e-mail me at pojorisin@gmail.com. 

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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This Just In: Brown traded to Brewers

The Indians traded 1B/OF Jordan Brown to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash on Monday. The 27-year old leaves the Indians organization where in seven minor league seasons (594 games) he hit .305/.369/.471 with 159 2B, 15 3B, 62 HR, and a 214-316 walk to strikeout ratio in 2266 at bats. He made his major league debut last August and in 26 games in 2010 with the Indians hit .230/.272/.310 with 7 2B and 2 RBI.

With Brown's departure the Indians were able to clear a roster spot at Triple-A Columbus for infielder Josh Rodriguez who was recently returned by the Pirates (Rule 5).  Rodriguez is expected to play some left field and infield.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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The K-Tribe Chronicle: As the Hamstring Turns

(Photo: Kinston Indians)

From the Reservation:

I've realized something quite disturbing in my life, and I'm really not sure that I can or will do anything about it. The Cleveland Indians organization is my royal wedding. It became readily apparent to me this past Monday, as my wife was telling me her plans to get up at 3:00 in the morning to watch the pre-wedding show, then stay up until 10 or noon or whenever the coverage was over.

Of course, I only caught a couple of words of the entire conversation, because while she was telling me this, reports out of Kinston came out that Drew Pomeranz was hurt, and had to come out of the game. Was it serious? Was it his shoulder, his hamstring or did his arm fall off? Did someone run into him while he was covering a base? WOULD HE EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN?

On Friday morning, the alarm went off, so I decided to do a quick check of the blogs to see if anything was going on. Sure enough, rumors were abound that Atom Miller would be making his return to Kinston. Wow, Miller was returning from surgery that repaired the pulley-system in his finger. Now, I have no clue what a pulley system in a finger looks like, but visions of moving couches in and out of my old apartment's second floor window came dancing into my head.

Topping that off was the news that Alex White would be making his first start with the Tribe, and Drew Pomeranz wouldn't miss a start, and would be on the hill Sunday. The Clippers were on an incredible streak of their own, with a 9...no 10...no 11 game win streak. The K-Tribe bullpen has a 16 1/3 innings streak without giving up a run.

Wait a second, the Cleveland Indians have the best record in baseball? C'mon, a royal wedding can't touch this...

We better get driving before I start talking about Kate Middleton...

Where We Stand after Week 3:

Overall Record: 9-14(3-4 the past week, third place in the Carolina League Southern, 7 1/2-games back)

Week 3 Games:

25 vs. Salem, L 3-7 (WP: J. Bayer; LP: T. Murata; SV: C. Cabral)
26 vs. Salem, Postponed: Rain
27 vs. Salem, L 6-16 (WP: M. Herold; LP: C. Cook)
27 vs. Salem, W 6-0 (WP: G. Soto; LP: T. Ebert)
28 vs. Salem, L 3-4 (WP: A. Batista; LP: T. House; SV: C. Cabral)
29 @ Lynchburg, W 2-0 (WP: B. Brach; LP: M. Crim; SV: P. Guilmet)
30 @ Lynchburg, L 0-4 (WP: D. Delgado; LP: A. Miller; SV: J. Lowey)

May 2011 (all times local unless noted)

1 @ Lynchburg, W 3-1 (WP: T. Turek; LP: Z. Spruill; SV: P. Guilmet)

This Week's Transactions:

04/30/2011 Francisco Jimenez assigned to Kinston Indians from Lake County Captains.
04/30/2011 Marty Popham assigned to Akron Aeros from Kinston Indians.
04/29/2011 Kinston Indians activated CF Delvi Cid from the 7-Day disabled list.
04/29/2011 RHP Adam Miller assigned to Kinston Indians from Indians Extended Spring Training.
04/29/2011 SS Kyle Smith assigned to Kinston Indians from Lake County Captains.
04/29/2011 RF Greg Folgia assigned to Lake County Captains from Kinston Indians.
04/29/2011 Kinston Indians released SS Ron Rivas.

The Offense:

Three UP...

1. I'm not sure if Casey Frawley is a serious prospect, or just one of those kids, like Wes Hodges, that comes ready to play every single day. Frawley had an outstanding week, with a six game hitting streak that was broken during today's game. During the streak, Frawley went 9-for-21, with five runs, two doubles, a triple, a homer and three RBI. He's a shortstop by trade, and carries a solid bat. Again, Frawley doesn't project to be a major player by prospect standards, but he does have decent pop, and he's a solid fielder. If he continues to hit like he did this week, he'll make a name for himself soon enough.

2. Bo Greenwell always gets off to a torrid start, and this season has been no different. Greenwell rarely does enough to make you think superstar, but he's always hitting, is an improving fielder, and is a plus base stealer. Greenwell is currently on a five-game hitting streak, in which he is 6-for-17, with two runs, two doubles, three RBI, three walks and three K's. Overall, Greenwell is hitting .313 for the season, with a .367 OBP. He is a testament to the depth that this system has.

3. Alright, everybody take a seat. Abner Abreu just might be breaking out of the doldrums. Abreu's knock used to be his slow starts, but his injury two years ago has more or less made people forget his terrible springs. Enter 2011, and sure enough, Abreu has struggled out of the gate. Then came this week. Abreu has hits in six of his last seven games, with a current four-game hit streak. He's hitting 8-for-22 during the streak, with six runs, two doubles, two homers, four RBI, 1 walk and 7 K's. He's also stealing bases this year. He has six overall, counting two today. Abreu is currently hitting .273, and while that isn't all-star material by any stretch, he's starting to smoke the ball. Perhaps the only thing he needed was spring.

...and Three DOWN...

Last week, I had Ron Rivas and Joey Mahalic here, and their both gone. I'm almost afraid to add anyone to the list.

3. Adam Abraham had a terrific start to the season, but things have really tapered off quickly for the corner infielder. He's six for his last 33, with 2 runs, one double and three RBI. Of course, his lifetime average is closer to his current .250, so perhaps this really isn't a slump, but just the player that he ultimately is.

2. If Chase Burnette wants to be anything more than minor league fodder, he has to show some pop. Well, so much for that. He hasn't hit a home run yet this season. Burnette is currently mired in a 4-for-20 slump, scoring two runs, with one double and one RBI. You just have to hit better in this organization.

1. Roberto Perez certainly isn't known for his offense. Still, you have to do a lot better than two for your last fifteen, and four for your last 29. He has a chance to be a major leaguer someday because of his defensive abilities, but nearly every organization has a similar player. If he doesn't hit better than .151, then others are going to take his place.

The Pitching:

Three Up...

1. Brett Brach isn't the best pitcher on this team, but it's quite possible that he's next on the list behind Drew Pomeranz. Brach has been nothing short of spectacular in his two starts with Kinston. This week's start was better than last. He went 5 1/3, with one walk and 4 K's. In ten innings as a starter, he's only given up one earned run, and has become a stopper on this team. He's currently 2-0 as a starter, and would be a candidate to move up soon if not for a stacked system.

2. Kinston hasn't needed a closer until this week. Preston Guilmet must have felt useless prior. Still, he hadn't given up a run prior to this week. In his last four games, he has three saves in 4 IP, while striking out three, without walking a batter. Overall, Guilmet has pitched in eight games and 9 1/3 innings, with 9 K's and no walks. He still hasn't given up a run.

3. Toru Muratu quietly signed with the Indians prior to last Christmas. At his signing in Japan, he said, "If I'm going to do this, I figured I'd step onto the biggest stage, the Majors." I sure hope he knew that the minors came first. Regardless, he struggled in two relief appearances, but turned into perfection during his first start this week. He went four innings, giving up only one hit, while striking out seven without a walk. I don't know that anyone figured this kid into the equation until that start. He's 25, so he's not young, but perhaps they have something there. He has a 92 MPH fastball, with good movement. His best pitch is his slider, but he does also throw a cutter and a split-finger with movement. He also has a curve and change. He's got a lot of "stuff," so let's hope it continues to translate.

note to the readers...I've got no three down for the pitchers this week. Instead, I have a fourth up...and...it goes to...

4. Atom Miller is back! Okay, so he got lit up like a Christmas tree, but he's back! I can't begin to tell you I know what a pulley-system for your finger is, but it sounds like a one-in-a-million sort of injury, and a one-in-a-million sort of return. He's back, and his velocity is in the mid-90's. Could he return to the form that made him the top-prospect? I doubt it...but he's back...so I suppose that anything can happen. Here's to you Adam Miller. Trust me when I say that the Indinas fan-dom is behind you 100%.
Week 1 Awards:

Offensive player of the week: Abner Abreu

Pitcher of the week: Toru Murata

Player of the week: Toru Murata

Here comes week 4:

April 2011

2 @ Salem, 7:05 PM
3 @ Salem, 7:05 PM
4 @ Salem, 11:05 AM
5 vs. Potomac, 6:30 PM
6 vs. Potomac, 6:30 PM
7 vs. Potomac, 6:30 PM
8 vs. Potomac, 1:30 PM

The Rearviewmirror:

Ron Rivas, whatever will I do now that you are gone. You have been this columns whipping boy for the better part of a year-and-a-half. You came to Kinston in 2009 as a hopeful offensive prospect trying to learn the ropes defensively, and it never really came together. On defense, you had more errors than the entirety of several small professional leagues across the country. Offensively, well, you weren't that much better. While I had some fun with you here, I did quietly hope that you would succeed, and find a way to hit .400 so I could finally shut up. It never happened, and your time with the Tribe has disappears. Good luck Mr. Rivas, in all your future endeavors...just try not to drop them when you get a chance..

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Around the Farm: May 1st

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday's game.

Chun-Hsiu Chen-C, Akron: 3-for-3, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB

What a game for Chun Chen! If the Aeros are going to produce offensively, Chen will need to have more performances like this one. He hit his third and fourth homers of the season and was on base all five times. Chen has now upped his average to .288 and his on-base percentage to .316 and has taken over the team lead in RBI.

Austin Adams-SP, Akron: W (2), 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K

This has been the Austin Adams that Double-A has waited to see. Adams went deep into the contest and while he walked three, only gave up one run and three hits and struck out eight in an impressive win. Adams is now 2-2 on the season and second on the team in innings pitched. His ERA is 3.09 and behind just Kelvin De La Cruz among the four starters in the rotation.

• Ezequiel Carrera-CF, Columbus: 2-for-6, R, RBI: The spark plug in Columbus' lineup has been on base in seven straight games and nine of his last ten.
• Jason Donald-SS, Columbus: 3-for-4, R 3 RBI, 2B, BB: Jason Donald has been waiting all year to have a game like this. Donald has been rehabbing between Akron and Columbus all year and is now a regular member of the Clippers roster. Donald knocked in his first runs with the Clippers this season.
• Jason Kipnis-2B, Columbus: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB, K: After a quiet start, the second baseman is starting to find himself at the plate. He has three multi-hit games in his past six.
• Luke Carlin-C, Columbus: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K: For a backup catcher, Luke Carlin is really productive. He's played in 16 games this season and has knocked in 10 runs off a .340 average. He walks more than he strikes out and has also scored 11 runs.
• Jerad Head-LF, Columbus: 3-for-5, R, RBI, K: Super sub Jerad Head does nothing but produce when called upon. He's hitting .361 on the season in 16 games with 10 RBI.
• David Huff-SP, Columbus: W (3), 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, BB, 2 K: Say what you will about David Huff, but he's undefeated on the year, improving to 3-0 after another solid start. Huff gets the necessary run support, but doesn't get hit too hard. Probably his best effort to date, walking just one hitter and going seven.
• Frank Herrmann-RP, Columbus: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K: Frank Herrmann will need more appearances like these if he wants to get back to the big leagues and stay there. Herrmann claimed strikeout victims of five of the six hitters he faced.
• Jordan Henry-CF, Akron: 3-for-5, R, BB, SB: Henry continues to swipe bases, stealing his seventh on the season and for the second straight game.
• John Drennen-RF, Akron: 3-for-3, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB: Drennen was on base all five times as well, recording three hits and knocking in a pair of runs. 
• Karexon Sanchez-2B, Akron: 2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI: The rarely used infielder knocked in his fourth and fifth runs of the year, but is still hitting .105 on the season.
• Bo Greenwell-LF, Kinston: 2-for-4, R, 2B, K: Bo Greenwell quietly just collects hits in the middle of the Kinston lineup. He's now hitting .313 on the season.
• Abner Abreu-RF, Kinston: 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 SB: Looks like Abner Abreu is starting to heat up a bit at the plate. He's 6 for his last 15 with four RBI and his average is now up to .273 on the season.
• Drew Pomeranz-SP, Kinston: 5.1 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 7 K: Another fantastic start from Drew Pomeranz, who has shown the issues with his cramps in his last start were nothing serious. Pomeranz has struck out an incredible 34 hitters to just seven walks in 23 innings.
• Travis Turek-RP, Kinston: W (3), 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, K: Travis Turek was great in relief yet again, picking up his third win of the season.
• Preston Guilmet-RP, Kinston: S (3), IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K: Finally, Preston Guilmet notched himself a save, after finally getting an opportunity. Guilmet has yet to give up an earned run on the season.
• Carlos Moncrief-CF, Lake County: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB: He is a leadoff hitter more known for his speed, but he continues to match his stolen bases and his home runs. Moncrief led off the game with a home run and would later steal his fourth home run.
• Argenis Martinez-2B, Lake County: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, 3 SB: Argenis Martinez was on a rampage, stealing three bases against Lansing. They didn't lead to any runs scored, but he Martinez himself did knock two in.
• Nick Bartolone-SS, Lake County: 0-for-2, RBI, SB: Nick Bartolone was hitless, but he did steal a base and knock in a run through a sac-fly. He also didn't commit any errors, which has been hard to do lately for him.
• Cole Cook-SP, Lake County: W (1) 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K: Wins have been hard to come by for Cole Cook this season, but it certainly hasn't been his fault. Cook has been searching not just for his first win of the season but his first professional win entirely. He finally got it Sunday.
• Nick Sarianides-RP, Lake County: S (1), 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K: The Captains reliever picked up his third career save as he continues a solid season for Lake County.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Game Recaps 5/1: Chen leads Aeros to huge victory

Chun Chen (Photo: Lianna Halub)

Chen Powers Aeros to Win in Rubber Match

Chun Chen clubbed two home runs and drove in three runs as the Akron Aeros won the rubber match of a three-game series against the Binghamton Mets 10-1 Sunday at NYSEG Stadium.

Chen now has four home runs on the season and four in the past four days.

Right-handed pitcher Austin Adams recorded his second win of 2011 tossing seven innings, allowing one earned run on three hits, striking out eight and walking three.

Mark Cohoon suffered the loss for Binghamton lasting five innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on nine hits, walking three and striking out one.

The Aeros (12-12) got on the board in the top of the first inning off Cohoon. With two outs, Juan Diaz walked. Chen followed with a two-run home run to left field that gave Akron a 2-0 lead.

Akron added to their lead in the top of the fourth inning. Chen began the frame with his second home run of the game to make it 3-0. John Drennen followed with a double and later scored on a pair of Jordany Valdespin errors to give the Aeros a four-run lead.

The B-Mets (7-13) got a run back in the bottom of the fourth inning on a Carlos Guzman RBI single.

The Aeros erupted for five runs in the top of the sixth inning. Kyle Bellows started the inning with a double and advanced to third on a Donnie Webb single. After Binghamton replaced Cohoon with reliever Michael Powers, Karexon Sanchez hit a two-RBI double to make it 6-1. Akron added three more runs on a Tim Fedroff RBI groundout and a Drennen two-RBI double.

Akron added a run in the top of the eighth inning and went on to win the rubber match of this three-game series.

The Aeros will head to Altoona to begin a four-game series with the Curve Monday night. Akron has yet to announce a starter for Monday’s game. Right-handed pitcher Jared Hughes will get the start for the Curve. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. The game can be heard on Fox Sports 1350 AM or online at sportsradio1350.com. Coverage begins at 6:15 p.m.

Clippers keep rolling with 9-3 win over Charlotte

The Clippers used a six run sixth inning to carry them to an 9-3 victory over the Charlotte Knights Sunday afternoon.

The first Clippers run came in the third when Donald doubled to tie the game at one. The next inning, Columbus took the lead on a Luke Carlin sacrifice fly to drive home Kipnis. Their final run came off of a Jerad Head single in the ninth.

The Clippers won their eleventh game in a row, and look to extend it to twelve 7:15 P.M. Monday. Lefty Scott Barnes will take the mound for the Clippers.

Kinston Wins Thriller Over Lynchburg

The K-Tribe picked up a series win with a 3-1 victory at Lynchburg Sunday afternoon. Sunday's victory gives Kinston a two games to one advantage over Lynchburg this season.

Kinston got on the scoreboard early thanks to aggressive base running by speedster Abner Abreu. After a single to left that started the second inning, Abreu promptly swiped two bases. Adam Abraham then punched a ground ball single through a drawn in Lynchburg infield.

An error allowed Lyncburg to even the contest in the bottom half. Adam Abraham misfired a throw to first, which allowed the leadoff man to get in to scoring position. He scored on a bloop single to shallow left. The run, unearned, was all Drew Pomeranz would allow, striking out two of the next three batters he faced to get out of the inning.

Both starters were stellar but Kinston's pen picked up the win thanks in large part to Travis Turek's gutsy outing. Turek entered for Pomeranz in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and one out. Kinston's right hander got a line out and started an inning ending double play to strand all three Lynchburg base runners.

Bo Greenwell led off the seventh with Kinstons first hit since the second, a double. Two batters later Abner Abreu launched his second home run to put Kinston on top. Both of Abreu's homers have come in the last week.

Pomeranz went 5.1 innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out six and walking two. Turek (3-0, 2.65) was rewarded for his 2.2 inning performance with the win. Preston Guilmet worked a perfect ninth for his second save of the year. Guilmet has yet to give up an earned run this season.

Lynchburg starter Zeke Spruill (1-2, 2.25) was just as good as his counterpart but was left in one inning to many it appeared. Spruill gets saddled with the loss, going seven innings, scattering six hits and allowing three runs while whiffing five and walking one.

The K-Tribe's roadtrip continues Monday night in Salem, Virginia. First pitch 7:05 with Clayton Cook on the mound for Kinston. The Indians return home this Thursday through Sunday for a four game series with the Potomac Nationals.

Captains Edge the Lugnuts 5-3

The Captains Cole Cook earned his first professional win on Sunday night with a 5-3 win over Lansing. Cook tossed five innings allowing two runs on six hits, striking out four for Lake County.

Carlos Moncrief started the ball game off for the Captains with a leadoff homerun to right field it was his fourth homerun of the season.

Argenis Martinez provided Lake County's second run in the second inning, Martinez with runners on second and third hit a ground ball to short scoring Alex Monsalve to make 2-0.

The Lugnuts got on the board in the bottom of the third inning, Bryson Namba hit his first homerun of the season, a solo shot off of Cook cutting the lead in half at 2-1.

Lake County came right back with a big inning in the fourth. A leadoff walk to Jesus Aguilar followed by a single by Monsalve put runners on first and second. Anthony Gallas drove in a run with a double down the line in left. Martinez with one of his two hits on the night singled in his second RBI of the game. Nick Bartolone finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center and the Captains led 5-1.

Nick Sarianides entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out, for Lake County and retired all seven hitters he faced striking out three for his first save of the season.

Lugnuts' starter Misaul Diaz took the loss allowing five runs on four hits over four innings of work, walking three and striking out one.

Lake County and Lansing continue their three game series on Monday night in Lansing at 7:05PM. On the mound for the Captains is RHP Steven Wright (0-0) against RHP Drew Hutchison (1-0) for the Lugnuts. Catch all the action on AM1330 WELW or online at captainsbaseball.com

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Tribe Happenings: How long will it last?

The Indians have been flying high in April,
but can they sustain it the rest of the season?
(Photo: AP)

Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Tribe notebook…

Will April wins bring end of season success?

What an amazing month of April for the Cleveland Indians.  It was a historical month and the best month of April EVER in the history of the organization.  That says a lot since the Indians have been around since 1901.

After last nights walkoff win the Indians set a club record with 18 wins in April, have a 12-game home winning streak (longest since 1996), have been in first place since April 7^th, and in the American League rank 1^st in batting average (.272), 1^st in runs (141), 3rd in home runs (34), and 4^th in ERA (3.49).

That’s some fun baseball.

Now, there are a few caveats to acknowledge with the hot record-breaking April start.  The Indians started their season on April 1^st this year, so they had a full month to get those 18 wins whereas for most of the Indians’ past they did not start the season until about a week into April.  They also went 16-6 in April in 1988, yet finished the season 78-84.

It will be hard for this team to maintain this pace all season, especially with the starting pitching and the offense as a whole.  This team may be a year ahead of itself and overachieving, and at some point they may fall (crash?) back to earth.

But this feels different, and they may not fall back as much as the naysayers keep saying.

This is not a collection of rag tag guys coming together a la the movie “Major League”.  This is a young, talented ball club with lots of untapped talent up and down the roster, and a ton of very talented players about ready to supplement the team from the minors.

You have two stars in the lineup in outfielder Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo who are the anchors of the team, and with the renaissance of Travis Hafner to go along with the continued growth of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, the big potential of catcher Carlos Santana, the hitting ability of Michael Brantley, and the power of first baseman Matt LaPorta, the Indians have the makings of one of the premiere lineups in all of baseball.

Even though the offense is off to a hot start, there is good reason to think that they can maintain their performance to date for the rest of the season.  Sure, there will be a few hiccups or slumps along the way, but this offense is well balanced and has yet to even reach optimal performance considering for most of April the meat of the order with Choo and Santana have struggled.  While there will undoubtedly be a drop in performance from others in the lineup when Choo and Santana finally get things going, this offense appears to have the horsepower from almost every spot in the lineup to be very productive all season.

Compared to the offense, there is much less faith that the pitching can keep this up all season.  If the Indians falter, it will be because of the pitching.

Not necessarily the bullpen as they are a very solid, deep group.  They have not been as advertised by pitching exactly to the level expected so far.  Chris Perez is a very good closer, and Tony Sipp, Rafael Perez, Vinnie Pestano and Joe Smith are solid to very good seventh and eighth inning options.  The other two spots in the bullpen will likely be in flux all year, and the Indians have lots of options at Triple-A Columbus to fill those spots, but overall the bullpen is strong and should continue to plug away as they have.

The one area of the team where the faith is lacking is the starting pitching, and it may ultimately prove to be the kryptonite that weakens the team over the course of the season.

Beyond Fausto Carmona there are a lot of question marks with the rotation.  Can Justin Masterson (5-0, 2.18 ERA) and Josh Tomlin (4-0, 2.45 ERA) continue to pitch this way all season?  Will injuries to the starting staff begin to catch up with them?  Will the youth and inexperience of most of the starting staff begin to show over the course of the long season?

Masterson is a very talented pitcher and he may be coming into his own as a solid middle of the rotation starter, maybe even more.  Tomlin may not be as talented as most of the pitchers in the big leagues, but he is a winner, workhorse, and knows how to pitch.  The other young pitchers like Carlos Carrasco, Jeanmar Gomez and Alex White have upside and potential as long term starting options.

There is no doubt that the Indians starting pitching is very talented.  The only question right now is if their inexperience and youth will catch up to them.

The important thing is the hot start the Indians have gotten off to, which for a young team can give them the feeling that they belong.  A young, talented team that believes in itself is dangerous as the ignorance of youth and the momentum winning provides may make them oblivious to it all and just continue to roll all season.

The White move

The Indians made a big decision this week calling up right-handed pitcher Alex White from Triple-A Columbus to start yesterday’s game.

After just four Triple-A starts (1-0, 1.90 ERA), the Indians deemed him ready for the big league call.  This is a much different and more aggressive direction the club has taken with White as in years past they may have been more inclined to take a more conservative approach and give a pitcher like White a good two months in Triple-A before even being considered for a callup.  Also, considering he was not up for roster protection until after NEXT season, they really pushed the envelope with regard to the 40-man roster.

Sometimes winning changes everything.

The early call is not a huge surprise as White is an advanced pitcher and was expected to move quickly through the Indians’ system and possibly debut later this season.  He came into the season ranked as the best pitcher in their minor league system, and has all the intangibles and abilities to be a good starting pitcher in the big leagues.  His fastball-splitter combination is one of the best you will see as he can get the ball up to 96-98 MPH when needed and his splitter is devastating to hitters.

From the day White was drafted until now it has all been about developing the command of his pitches and his slider.  He has shown noticeable improvement with his command during spring training and the start of his season in Columbus (23.2 IP, 5 BB, 28 K), and his slider is much improved.  The Indians appear satisfied that he can really help the starting rotation all while finishing off any development still needed at the big league level.

Regardless of how good or bad White’s first start ended up being for the Indians, this is a move more for the long term than short term.  When Carlos Carrasco or Mitch Talbot come off the disabled list, it looks very likely that Jeanmar Gomez will be first in line to go back to Columbus.  The Indians would not have rostered White for a short two or three game look, they rostered him because the organization believes he can be a vital part to the continued success of the starting rotation and team for the rest of the season.

Sizemore is back

What a shot in the arm outfielder Grady Sizemore has been to the team so far this season.  Coming off microfracture surgery to his knee, no one knew what to expect from him this year, but so far he has been as good as he has ever been, if not better.

In 11 games Sizemore is hitting a blistering .378 with four homers, nine RBI and a 1.251 OPS.  He has been an extra-base hit machine lining balls all over the ballpark, and has been his old self in the outfield making diving catches seemingly every night.

Sizemore’s unexpected performance has helped ignite the offense and provide that electric top of the order table-setter the team has missed the last two years while he has been hurt.  His play right now is as good or better as it ever has been, which once again makes him a vital piece to the organization for this year and next before he becomes a free agent after next season.  The organization holds a club option on him for next season which they could decline, but at this point it is a slam dunk they pick it up.

Sizemore is re-establishing himself as one of the best outfielders in the game which is good for the Indians in the short term.  In the long term it probably almost ensures he will end up somewhere else if he maintains health and continues to play and show he is the player he once was.  But for now enjoy the special player he is and the success he could help bring to the team this year and/or next.

Poor attendance

A lot has been made of the poor attendance at Progressive Field this season as they have drawn around 9,000 to 10,000 fans almost every game since the home opener (less than 25% capacity).  To go along with that there have also been many excuses explaining the lack of fan interest.

Whether it is the economy, weather, or whatever, the poor attendance should not be a big surprise to anyone.  Even when the Indians went 96-66 and went to the ALCS in 2007 they only drew 2.25 million fans, which was less than 65% of ballpark capacity.  They will never, ever come close to duplicating the sellouts and high attendance numbers from the 90s, and realistic expectations for attendance going forward should be that the team can maximize to about an average of 25,000 fans a night.

Most of all, this is a team that has an image problem after just trading away several star players the past few seasons.  It will take time to reestablish a connection with the fans, maybe many years.

The fans know it is only a matter of time before this new batch of players are traded away for prospects.  It is the endless cycle the Indians and clubs like they will always have to deal with.  But one thing that could really help is for the Indians to find a way to keep Grady Sizemore an Indian, something that will be very hard to do on the open market if he continues to play as he has of late.

It will be hard and the Indians will likely have to overpay and go outside their comfort zone with a contract, but that is the cost of doing business.  They need to give the fans some kind of faith that the Indians can keep anyone, someone.  Once that faith is restored, and if this team keeps winning, the attendance will truly surge.

More help on the way?

It may be hard to imagine, but this Indians team could even get better this season.

How so you say?

Well, think for a moment that the Indians have two spots in the lineup at third base and second base where they have veterans filling in there for the short term.  Jack Hannahan and Orlando Cabrera have played well, and may have found a home with the team for the remainder of the season if they keep winning, but the Indians top three position player prospects play third base and second base: Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, and Cord Phelps.

All three could see time in Cleveland this year if needed, and all three have the potential to be productive big league regulars and could provide a much needed late season jolt to the lineup.  Like with Alex White in the rotation, the Indians have a lot of firepower down on the farm both with pitchers and position players to sustain their success not just for this season but many more to come.

Parting shots

Right-handed pitcher Adam Miller has been activated and assigned to High-A Kinston. He will be making his first pitch for an affiliate in three years, and if he pitches well and his slider comes along he should move quickly through the system and perhaps even make it to Cleveland this year. … A scout told me in spring training that “the Indians are not just deep with pitching, they are pitching rich.”  We are seeing that so far with the improved performance of the big league staff, and also all the arms at every level of their minor league system.  The Indians no doubt have pitching coming out of their ears. … The Pirates returned Rule 5 pick infielder Josh Rodriguez to the Indians on Friday, and he has been assigned to Triple-A Columbus. … For those wondering, my recovery from kidney surgery last week has gone okay.  I am in the beginning stages of a long recovery process, but throughout this process I have truly been amazed at the human body and what it can do.  Thanks again for the all kind words and support.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Around the Farm: April 30th

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday's game.

Toru Murata-SP, Kinston: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K

The first professional start in America was a good one for Toru Murata. In fact, he was pretty much perfect. Murata only went four innings, but was brilliant, giving up just a single hit and striking out seven. The Japanese import had made two appearances out of the pen, giving up one and four runs respectively, but also showing the ability to strike hitters out. That continued and Murata put it all together by not walking a hitter and giving up just the one hit as a starter. He's now struck out 17 in just three games (nine innings), with two walks. Murata wouldn't have earned a win with run-support, but the effort was still wasted by the offense being shutout against Lynchburg.

• Chad Huffman-1B, Columbus: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, K: First base, outfield, it doesn't matter where Huffman is, he just knocks in runs. Huffman knocked in his team-leading 18th run, which is good enough for third in the International League.
• Travis Buck-RF, Columbus: 2-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K: Since being demoted to Columbus, Travis Buck has is 10-for-29 with 10 RBI. He started by knocking in a run in his first five games. After going 1-for-8 in the final two games against Gwinnett, Buck rediscovered his stroke.
• Jason Kipnis-2B, Columbus: 1-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI: Jason Kipnis had a quiet night until he hit this third triple off Jordan Danks to knock in a pair of runs.
• Luis Valbuena-SS, Columbus: 1-for-6, R, HR, RBI, K: The Clippers got an early run off Luis Valbuena, who hit a solo shot. The middle infielder is hitting .300 on the season for Columbus.
• Wes Hodges-DH, Columbus: 1-for-5, 4 K: A rough season continues for Wes Hodges, who may no longer have much of a place in the organization. Hodges struck out four times against Charlotte, doubling his total for the season. He continues to play sparingly for the club and when he does, doesn't do very good.
• Joe Martinez-SP, Columbus: W (1), 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K: With Alex White up in Cleveland, the Clippers turned to Joe Martinez for the start and he was great. Martinez pitched five scoreless innings before giving way to the bullpen. He was rewarded with his first win of the season.
• Chun-Hsiu Chen- C, Akron: 1-for-4, 2B, K:A night after scoring ten runs, the Aeros got shutout and Chen had the only hit worth anything, a double. Chen also struck out, something all but one Aero did.
• Jordan Henry-CF, Akron: 1-for-4, K, SB: Jordan Henry had one of the four hits and also stole his sixth base on the season.
• Tim Fedroff-DH, Akron: 0-for-3, 2 K: Hitting .314 couldn't prevent Fedroff from going 0-for. Fedroff also struck out twice, which is rare for him as he only struck out nine times coming into last night's game.
• Joe Gardner-SP, Akron: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K: Joe Gardner didn't have many of these days in Kinston last year, but he couldn't get out of the third inning on Saturday. Gardner gave up just one run, but threw a lot of pitches, giving up six hits and two walks in just less than three frames. It is his first loss of the year.
• Paolo Espino-RP, Akron: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 9 K: Quite the odd relief effort from Paolo Espino. The offense was non-existent so it didn't matter much that he gave up three runs, but Espino gave the club five innings. He also didn't walk a hitter and struck out nine, which is pretty impressive.
• Adam Abraham-3B, Kinston: 0-2, 2 BB, K:Unlike most of the lineup, Abraham went without a hit, but he was on bae more than anyone but Casey Frawley with a pair of walks.
• Delvi Cid-CF, Kinston: 1-for-4, 2 K: Delvi Cid made his Kinston debut after starting the season on the disabled list. Cid had been with Lake County the past two seasons, stealing 71 bases last season. He only had one opportunity in his Kinston debut and didn't make an attempt.
• Justin Toole-2B, Kinston: 1-for-5, K, SB: Justin Toole stole his sixth base of the season, but like most of the lineup, had just one hit.
• Adam Miller-RP, Kinston: 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), BB, K: You are not imagining this. That is the Adam Miller you think it is. Miller made his much anticipated return to professional baseball by striking out his first hitter. Then reality set in and he scuffled, giving up three earned. This one wasn't about the numbers though, it was about the fact he was actually out there.
• Chris Jones-RP, Kinston: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K: Quite an appearance for Chris Jones, who needed one. He didn't allow a base-runner in three perfect frames.
• Tyler Cannon-SS, Lake County: 3-for-4, 2B: Cannon continues to inch closer to a .400 average. He's on an absolute rip this early on.
• Jason Smit-DH, Lake County: 3-for-4, R, K: Speaking of absolute rips... Jason Smit had gone three games hitless and was cooling off from a early hot start, but got a lot of momentum back last night with a three-hit night.
• Brian Heere-LF, Lake County: 1-for-3, 3R HR: The reserve outfielder hasn't seen much many at-bats thanks to the trio in the outfield, but Heere came up with the biggest hit of the night, a three-run home run, his first of the year.
• Kyle Blair-SP, Lake County: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K: Kyle Blair couldn't get the support early enough and aside from a solo home run, one of the two hits off Blair, he was nearly flawless. Blair struck out a pair and went five innings. It was his third straight start going at least five and giving up just one run, but it was his fourth game in a row surrendering a home run.
• J.D. Reichenbach-RP, Lake County: W (2), 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K: Reichenbach got his second win of the season after some good luck with the Captains offense. He went three scoreless, giving up just a single hit and striking out four to lower his ERA to 2.41 on the season.
• Clayton Ehlert-Closer, Lake County: S (6), IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB: Clayton Ehlert continues to shut it down at the end, picking up his sixth save of the season.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Game Recaps 4/30: Columbus rolls to tenth in a row

Clippers blank Knights 6-0

With their clutch two-out hitting, the Clippers beat the Charlotte Knights, 6-0, to win their tenth game in a row.

Luis Valbuena got the bats started early for Columbus, with a solo shot in the first. The Clippers got a run in the third with two outs due to Charlotte shortstop Eduardo Escobar's second error in the game. Jason Kipnis drove home Chad Huffman and Travis Buck in the fifth with a two-out triple. The Clippers final run came in the sixth when Huffman walked with the bases loaded. The Knights walked in another run in the eighth.

Starter Joe Martinez got the win going five innings and striking out five. Carlton Smith came in for two innings of relief and struck out three. Eric Berger relieved him and struck out the side in both the eighth and ninth innings.

Paul Phillips went 3-5 on the game and scored two runs. Umpires overruled a home run for Phillips in the sixth inning and he was sent back to second.

The two teams continue their four game series Sunday at 2:15 P.M. David Huff will pitch against Jeffery Marquez.

Aeros Blanked by Moore, B-Mets

Brandon Moore stifled the Akron Aeros for seven innings as the Binghamton Mets won game two of a three-game series 4-0 Saturday at NYSEG Stadium.

Moore picked up the win for the B-Mets scattering two hits, striking out nine and walking none. Manny Alvarez pitched two innings of relief for Binghamton to record the save.

Right-hander Joe Gardner struggled in his first start since April 13. Gardner lasted just 2.2 innings and suffered the loss giving up one earned run on six hits, walking two and striking out two.

The lone run Gardner allowed came in the bottom of the second inning. The B-Mets opened the frame with an Eric Campbell leadoff single. Raul Reyes followed with a single that advanced him to third base. Allan Dykstra drove Campbell in with a sacrifice fly to right field that made it 1-0.

Binghamton (7-12) scored two more times off Aeros reliever Paolo Espino in the bottom of the sixth inning. Espino gave up three earned runs, but tossed five innings of relief striking out nine and walking none. Espino’s five innings out of the bullpen were the most by an Aeros reliever in a single game this season.

The B-Mets capped their scoring in the bottom of the eighth inning on a Dykstra solo home run as they went on to the win.

The Aeros (11-12) and B-Mets will play the rubber match of this three-game series Sunday afternoon. Right-handed pitcher Austin Adams will get the ball for Akron. Adams is 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA this season and is 1-0 against Binghamton. He will face lefty Mark Cohoon, who is 1-1 with a 1.44 ERA in 2011. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. The game can be heard on Fox Sports 1350 AM or online at sportsradio1350.com. Coverage begins at 12:50 p.m.

Murata's Stellar Outing Foiled by Lynchburg's Shutout

Toru Murata's stellar outing was foiled by strong Lynchburg pitching in a 4-0 win for the hometown Hillcats Saturday night. Lynchburg fired right back at Kinston after the K-Tribe shutout Lynchburg for a series opening win on Friday night.

Murata's third appearance of the season was his first Professional start in America, and it was a great one. He lasted four innings, the first three of which were perfect frames. Murata allowed just one hit over four innings and struck out seven batters without yielding a walk.

Murata's stellar outing was followed by the first appearance of Adam Miller since the spring of 2008.

Once a feared pitching prospect and first round pick, Miller needed a number of surgeries to repair an issue with the pulley system in his right middle finger. Miller's issues were considered as career-threatening as they were rare. The 2003 first round pick played for Kinston in 2004 and 2005. He had worked his way to AAA before his most recent injury forced a nearly three year absence from the game.

Miller struck out the first batter he faced to start the fifth inning. Joey Terdoslavich followed by Smacking a double and scoring on a home run by the next batter, Joe Leonard. Leonard's shot broke an 18 inning scoreless streak posted by the Hillcats offense, thanks in large part to Kinston's shutout of the Hillcats on Friday night. After a walk, single and an out, the fifth continued to unravel for the K-Tribe. New K-Triber Delvi Cid let a single to center field slip past him which gave Lynchburg an added insurance run.

Miller pitched one inning, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits. He walked one and struck out one.

The K-Tribe's best chance to break the shutout came in the eighth. With two men on thanks to Lynchburg miscues in the field, Adam Abraham recorded the innings first out via the strikeout. Abner Abreu singled to load the bases But Kinston's following batters both popped out to leave three aboard. Kinston had a base runner on in every inning but one and left twelve on in the game.

Miller's(0-1, 27.00) first decision of the year comes as a loss while Lynchburg's starter Dimasther Delgado (1-3, 4.82)picks up his first win of the season.

Game three decides the current series and gets underway at 1:05 in Lynchburg at Calvin Falwell Field on Sunday. Sunday's matinee contest will feature Kinston's ace, Drew Pomeranz (0-0, 2.00) searching for his first win this season. Pomeranz will be opposed by Lynchburg righty Zeke Spruill (1-1, 1.70).

Captains Salvage Last Game of the Series 4-1

Brian Heere smacked a three run home run and J.D. Reichenbach pitched solid in relief to get the win as the Lake County Captains took the final game of the series from the South Bend Silver Hawks 4-1 on Saturday at Classic Park.

The Captains got to the Silver Hawks starter J.R. Bradley in the bottom of the first inning when Carlos Moncrief lead off the inning with a double. A ground out moved Moncrief to third base and he scored when Giovanny Urshela grounded out and the Captain lead 1-0. The Silver Hawks tied it at 1-1 in the top of the second inning when Yazy Arbelo hit his fourth home run of the year off of Captains starter Kyle Blair.

Heere hit his home run in the bottom of the six inning scoring Jason Smit and Anthony Gallas to give the Captains a 4-1 lead.

Blair did not get a decision pitching five innings and allowing one run on two hits while striking out two. Reichenbach (2-1) replaced Blair in the top of the sixth inning and went three scoreless innings allowing a hit and striking out four. Clayton Ehlert pitched a scoreless ninth inning and picked up his sixth save of the season.

Bradley (0-4) took the loss working six innings allowing four runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out one. Kable Hogben worked two scoreless innings allowing two hits and striking out two.

The Captains travel to Lansing to begin a three game series against the Lugnuts on Sunday at 6:05 PM. The Captains will send RHP Cole Cook (0-2, 4.67) to the hill against RHP Misaul Diaz (0-1, 6.60). The game can be heard on AM 1330 WELW and on the internet at captainsbaseball.com.

The Captains return home on Wednesday for a three game series against the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

Individual game tickets are on sale at the Classic Park box office, online at captainsbaseball.com and by phone at 440-954-WINS (9467). Full season tickets plans, 7-, 12-, 20-, and 35-game mini ticket plans for the 2011 season are on sale now at great prices complete with several exclusive benefits. Information can be found at the Captains website www.captainsbaseball.com.

The Lake County Captains are a Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians and play their home games at Classic Park in Eastlake, at the corners of State Route 91 and Vine Street. For more information on the Captains, please visit the team's official website at www.CaptainsBaseball.com.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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