Game of the Week: June 14: BAL @ CLE

[Commissioner Erick]

Baltimore Orioles (37-27) @ Cleveland Indians (32-32)


BAL: Tim Longo (5-6, 3.35)
CLE: Chad Simon (1-6, 4.64)



The Baltimore Orioles continue to play well, and are 37-27, 5 out in the AL East, but looking strong in the AL Wild Card picture. However, they keep suffering outfield injuries. Wessell Russchen was hitting .323 with 11 homers when he got hurt in late May, and should be out until the trade deadline. The team has David Bollman hitting .305 with nine homers, and 18 doubles, and the team signed the excellent all-around talent Jahmai Jones to fill in for Russchen, giving the team a terrific outfield. Mike Siani was chipping in nicely with a .296 average, but now he’s hurt, forcing Baltimore to scramble even more.

Tony Beno may get a shot at replacing Siani—he won’t hit above .225, but he has big power. Juan Carrasco is a little less extreme as a low-average, high-power outfielder. Still, it’s not a great option and should put pressure on Baltimore’s ability to remain third in offense in the AL.

This may be Cleveland’s last gasp at a playoff run, with impacted financials and a number of players eligible for arbitration who could be non-tender candidates. Luis Retana is still a star, but the supporting cast isn’t there. Oil Can Evans has been a huge disappointment, and has a .624 OPS this year. Izak Pals still has pop, but he has a .182 average. Juan Marrufo still has a lot of doubles, but he only has a .257 average and six homers. If Cleveland can get a win over a team ahead of them in the standings though, it would go a long way to Cleveland stabilizing and making a run for the playoffs.


Questions for the GMs:


For Dan Wagner, Mike Siani is out for more than a month. Who will replace him in the lineup and the roster?

Your bullpen has a 5.01 ERA, but also has the fewest losses in the AL. What do you make of the unit?

You didn’t have picks in the first three rounds. What did you think of your draft with that limitation?

For Chris Stephan, you have impacted financials, but are still making a go at it for this year. What about long term? Are you expecting to be sellers in the offseason?

Larry Evans hasn’t had a good season. Do you still think of him as a player with a bright future for you?

Kevin Schneck was your first round pick. What did you think of your draft, and will you have the ability to sign Schneck?


TRIVIA: Who has the most career losses in Cleveland Indians history?

[baltimoredan]

Seems as though you’ve forgotten about Jimmy Torres, who will be returning from injury tonight to start in left field. While his fielding isn’t quite what I’d like it to be, he’s committed just one error and had a positive zone rating while on the major league roster. We’ll move Bollman to right field to facilitate the change while leaving JJ in centerfield. Not my ideal lineup, from a fielding aspect, but with Torres’ bat in the lineup I don’t see our offense losing ground.

My bullpen has very few losses because my starters suck too! Seems to me that too many games start with us in a hole early, having to try and claw back out. In those situations, my relievers aren’t doing enough to stop the bleeding. I expect, or maybe just foolishly hope, that Bowers and Longo continue to grow into their roles and have the offense support them a little better. I swung and missed on signing several FA pitchers this offseason, and boy do I regret not offering a little more to some of them.

Regarding my draft, I think I may have walked away with a gem or two. I’ll be the first to admit that my lack of experience may limit my ability to spot all the telltale signs of a stud or a turd, but I tried to find guys with the right combination of attributes for my type of play. Granted, without an early pick I may be looking at little more than a few quality backups, but I’m at the tail end of a win-now period and will have more resources for development in the next year or two. So, with time and money, perhaps we can put a nice shine on one of these potential turds.

[Commissioner Erick]

Indians 3 - Orioles 2 (11)


WP: T. Fleury (2-0)
LP: B. McCullough (0-1)


The Cleveland Indians got a stellar performance from pitcher Chad Simon, who handcuffed the Baltimore offense en route to a win, 3-2, at Progressive Field. The Indians bumped their record to 33-32 with this latest triumph.

Cleveland won the game in the bottom of the 11th inning. With no outs and Ben McCullough on the mound for Baltimore, catcher Izak Pals hit a dramatic solo home run, bringing Indians fans to their feet.

"What a great win for our team," said a jubilant Chris Stephan, the Cleveland manager.


Questions for the GMs:


For Dan Wagner, your team whiffed 14 times. Granted it was in extra innings, but is contact a concern for your club?

Tim Longo is young, but he was strong as a rookie last year, and looked strong today, allowing just two runs on 6 innings. What are your thoughts on the 24-year old as a fixture in your rotation?

It took the loss, but your bullpen had a solid day, allowing a single run in 4 innings. Do you feel the unit is improving?

For Chris Stephan, Brayan Hernandez had a huge defensive game with two outfield assists. Will he see more playing time moving forward?

Jacob Allred went 2-3 in the game, but was pinch hit for by Oil Can Evans in the 7th. Did you agree with the move?

Raul Mondesi ended up pinch hitting for Oil Can in the 10th. Did you agree with that move?


TRIVIA: Which pitcher has the best single-season ERA in Orioles history?

[Commissioner Erick]

TRIVIA 2: Ben correctly guessed Darwinzon Hernandez

[Commissioner Erick]

TRIVIA 1: Nobody guessed Luis Esparza