Tribe vs. Angels...the West Coast trip continues.

• vball10set

  Glory Days;1611049 wrote:11-16. The only sub .500 team in the AL central....that's bad....

  
  ...very bad
• TBone14

  

  I was just curious. So I went back and looked at the standings on this date a year ago.
  
  Last year on this date, the Indians were 10-13 (coming off back to back wins. They were 8-13) and 3.5 games back of the Tigers and sitting in 4th place just a half game better than the woeful White Sox.
  
  After this series, we will have gotten our tough roadtrips to Oakland, San Fran and the Angels out of the way. Two west coast trips in a month is tough and unusual. Still have to play Dodgers in LA and in Seattle but we never play well on the west coast. Good to get them out of the way early. Survived one trip to Detroit with a split so that leaves more home games left than road games with them. In fact, the Indians only leave the East/Central time zone one more time the whole season. An 8 game, 3 city trip with 2 in Arizona, 3 in Seattle and 3 vs the Dodgers at the end of June. The schedule is favorable going forward.
  
  All in all, not in much worse shape than we were at this exact point last year. All it takes is one of their patented 7 game winning streaks that they had about 4 or 5 of last year and we will be rolling.
• IggyPride00

  

  TBone14;1611091 wrote:I was just curious. So I went back and looked at the standings on this date a year ago.
  
  Last year on this date, the Indians were 10-13 (coming off back to back wins. They were 8-13) and 3.5 games back of the Tigers and sitting in 4th place just a half game better than the woeful White Sox.
  
  After this series, we will have gotten our tough roadtrips to Oakland, San Fran and the Angels out of the way. Two west coast trips in a month is tough and unusual. Still have to play Dodgers in LA and in Seattle but we never play well on the west coast. Good to get them out of the way early. Survived one trip to Detroit with a split so that leaves more home games left than road games with them. In fact, the Indians only leave the East/Central time zone one more time the whole season. An 8 game, 3 city trip with 2 in Arizona, 3 in Seattle and 3 vs the Dodgers at the end of June. The schedule is favorable going forward.
  
  All in all, not in much worse shape than we were at this exact point last year. All it takes is one of their patented 7 game winning streaks that they had about 4 or 5 of last year and we will be rolling.

  We were a combined 30-8 vs. the White Sox and Twins last year. Roughly a 1/3 of the entire season's wins were against 2 teams.
  
  Against Chicago we were a God like 17-2.
  
  That was a honey hole that is not going to be there this year. Hell, Chicago has already surpassed their win total from all of last year against us.
  
  We basically last year were awful against good teams and played like the 27 Yankees against some of the league's also rans.
  
  Suddenly those teams we whooped on are showing life and that formula isn't going to work.
  
  We were ripping off 7-10 game win streaks at will because we would have back to backs against Chicago and Minnesota to fatten us up. I just don't see it right now.
  
  We shouldn't be as bad against Detroit as last year, but on the path to 90 wins (roughly what it will take) we are going to have to find new routes that don't include 30 wins against the White Sox and Twins.
  
  I am not sure people appreciated at the time how insanely dominant we were against them, and just how rare that was.
• IggyPride00

  

  The offense also has to start to contribute on a regular and consistent basis. We are getting 1-2 big hits a night and almost nothing in between.
  
  There is just no margin for error when you are scoring 3-4 runs a game (many times not even that). It is putting tremendous pressure on a staff that doesn't seem ready for it, and I think it is contributing to the problems on defense because guys are pressing.
  
  When you know the offense isn't going to score, it just amps up the pressure on every other aspect, and I think it is getting to everyone.
• Footwedge

  Tribe leads all of baseball in scoring 3 runs or less this year...roughly 60% of their games.
  
  Still astounded that a lifetime 250 hitter like Swisher can command that type of money.
• BRF

  

  I was starting to feel a little better after reading TBone14's post and then Iggy had to chime in and ruin it.
• Footwedge

  What is??
  
  215, 152, 167, and 222?
  
  Our batting averages from our 3 to 6 hole hitters today. Murderer's row.
• HitsRus

  

  this is ugly
• vball10set

  HitsRus;1611418 wrote:this is ugly

  Pretty much sums up the season so far...
• Mulva

  

  I can't help but feel like somehow Elliot Johnson is to blame for all of this.
• Glory Days

  

  IggyPride00;1611111 wrote:
  I am not sure people appreciated at the time how insanely dominant we were against them, and just how rare that was.

  I know I pointed it out numerous times last year. I also pointed out that if we made the playoffs they would have had their asses handed to them. Which also why their "playoff" game didn't mean anything to me.
• vball10set

  Mulva;1611439 wrote:I can't help but feel like somehow Elliot Johnson is to blame for all of this.

  
  Nah, it's all Bush's fault
• TBone14

  

  Anybody else want to see Tony Plush called up? The guy is a pro. He is a table setter. He finds ways to get on base and cause choas on the bases. He can DH for all I care. I would leave Bourn at 1 and either slide Morgan in at 9 to get things rolling for when the order turns over or throw him in at 2 and move Swisher down. Bourn and Morgan back to back would be a nightmare if they are getting on base. Offense needs a spark and he may be able to give them a jolt.
• vball10set

  TBone14;1611570 wrote:Anybody else want to see Tony Plush called up? The guy is a pro. He is a table setter. He finds ways to get on base and cause choas on the bases. He can DH for all I care. I would leave Bourn at 1 and either slide Morgan in at 9 to get things rolling for when the order turns over or throw him in at 2 and move Swisher down. Bourn and Morgan back to back would be a nightmare if they are getting on base. Offense needs a spark and he may be able to give them a jolt.

  Sure as hell wouldn't hurt.
• Laley23

  

  TBone14;1611570 wrote:Anybody else want to see Tony Plush called up? The guy is a pro. He is a table setter. He finds ways to get on base and cause choas on the bases. He can DH for all I care. I would leave Bourn at 1 and either slide Morgan in at 9 to get things rolling for when the order turns over or throw him in at 2 and move Swisher down. Bourn and Morgan back to back would be a nightmare if they are getting on base. Offense needs a spark and he may be able to give them a jolt.

  MAYBE would work for now, but when Kipnis is back, unless you plan on moving him, Tito will never put 3 LH in a row in the line-up.
  
  I wouldnt be opposed to seeing him in the 9 hole. But, Murphy has to be in the line-up as well vs. RHP. So, who gets taken out? Santana, Swish, Murphy or Chisenhall...?
• TBone14

  

  Laley23;1611582 wrote:MAYBE would work for now, but when Kipnis is back, unless you plan on moving him, Tito will never put 3 LH in a row in the line-up.
  
  I wouldnt be opposed to seeing him in the 9 hole. But, Murphy has to be in the line-up as well vs. RHP. So, who gets taken out? Santana, Swish, Murphy or Chisenhall...?

  Lonnie can sit. He is what he is. He was off to a hot start BA-wise but I don't really see this as him breaking out. He has 1 RBI and it is May 1st and a is striking out 4 times for every walk he has.
• HitsRus

  

  Anybody else want to see Tony Plush called up? The guy is a pro. He is a table setter. He finds ways to get on base and cause choas on the bases. He can DH for all I care. I would leave Bourn at 1 and either slide Morgan in at 9 to get things rolling for when the order turns over or throw him in at 2 and move Swisher down. Bourn and Morgan back to back would be a nightmare if they are getting on base. Offense needs a spark and he may be able to give them a jolt.

  
  I never wanted him sent down.
• Laley23

  

  TBone14;1611621 wrote:Lonnie can sit. He is what he is. He was off to a hot start BA-wise but I don't really see this as him breaking out. He has 1 RBI and it is May 1st and a is striking out 4 times for every walk he has.

  Hasnt had a lot of opportunities for RBIs
  
  I hate that he swings so damn much. I sweat he, Bourn and Asdrubal think its against the rules to take a BB. Its a rule they have to swing at 3-2.
  
  But, he has 6 2Bs and is OPS is over .900 at the moment. I agree, he is probably what we have seen in the past. But, we have also never seen this kind of stretch from him before. I want to see him get some ABs in a meaningful position in the order for like a week and see how he fares.
• TBone14

  

  Josh Tomlin threw a complete game shutout tonight. The line is pretty solid.
  
  9IP 0 runs. 3 hits. No walks. 10 K's. It took him 89 pitches and 70 of them were strikes.
• Glory Days

  

  TBone14;1611778 wrote:Josh Tomlin threw a complete game shutout tonight. The line is pretty solid.
  
  9IP 0 runs. 3 hits. No walks. 10 K's. It took him 89 pitches and 70 of them were strikes.

  
  I think his previous outing was pretty solid also. When does Carrasco's spot come up in the rotation again?
• Laley23

  

  Glory Days;1611814 wrote:I think his previous outing was pretty solid also. When does Carrasco's spot come up in the rotation again?

  Its being skipped, so it doesn't matter.
• Glory Days

  

  Laley23;1611817 wrote:Its being skipped, so it doesn't matter.

  I knew that, which is why I was asking because eventually it will matter.
• Footwedge

  Bauer and Tomlin in...Carrasco and Salazar out. Should have been done 2 weeks ago. Very bad upper management going on so far.
• TBone14

  

  I'll get the White Sox thread going.
• Laley23

  

  Glory Days;1611831 wrote:I knew that, which is why I was asking because eventually it will matter.

  Gotcha. ZMac took it I think, so I guess whenever he is due to pitch again.