Another Day, Another Shutout

Tigers 4 Indians 0

Another brilliant performance from Edwin Jackson, just as many of his efforts have been this season. Once again, he entered the seventh without allowing a run, and once again, he got himself in trouble in short order. But disaster was averted with a David Delucci liner that found the glove of Brandon Inge who quickly flipped the ball to second to double off Shin Soo Choo and effectively end the threat. More small ball from the Tigers had gotten the scoring started in the top of the inning, with RBI’s from Gerald Laird on a ground ball out and Ramon Santiago on a clutch 2-out single through the middle. After that, and the double play by Delucci, The Tigers tacked on 2 more in the eighth, with Zumaya and Rodney finishing off the Tribe for the second shutout victory is as many days.

For Once, I get to second-guess the other teams manager

Now that Curtis Granderson occasionally hits in the middle of the order, I can more completely turn my attention to Eric Wedge and his out and out refusal to move Grady Sizemore from the leadoff spot. Much as with the Granderson situation, Sizemore was hitting leadoff because the Tribe really didn’t have another great option there and the had very productive middle of the order hitters. Also, like Granderson’s situation in the Tigers order, however, has been the dwindling production from former mainstays at the “run-producing” spots in the order. The disappearance of Travis Hafner and the lack of production from Jhonny Peralta has left the Tribe with exactly one bat, Victor Martinez, in the middle of the order that should scare anybody. Choo and Mark DeRosa are nice players, but they don’t frighten me with runners on base. But Sizemore sure does. Everyday the Indians lose a game, I thank Eric Wedge for not dropping Sizemore in the order, they have a talented team, but as long as Wedge continues his stubborn misuse of the pieces he has been given, the Tigers, and the rest of the Central, should have little problem keeping them in the rear view mirror.

And Furthermore:
What’s up with the Indians conceding the run in the top of the seventh? Do they not realize that they hadn’t scored a run in 16 innings to that point, and the way Jackson was pitching, they couldn’t have expected to hang two runs of the board quick. It shocked me and I’m sure it shocked the Tigers. I mean when Inge drops the bunt to set the table for Laird, who was one for his last twenty-freaking-four, by the way, that’s a roll of the dice that Laird is going to come through. So when Rod Allen points out that the Indians are playing back up the middle, I’m dancing in the streets, as was Laird, who quickly fisted a soft ground ball to short scoring the tigers first run. That was all they would need.

A sweep of the Indians would be awfully sweet, wouldn’t it? Couple that with the games being in Cleveland and it makes it a little better. Probably asking too much, but how about a shutout sweep? That’s what Rick Porcello will try to get done for the Tigers when the teams finish a three game set at Progressive Field today at 1:05pm. Anthony Reyes goes for the Tribe, sporting an 8.51ERA at home this season. Maybe the Tigers can break out a little offense today.