Indians glimpse Marcum of old in scoreless start
Right-hander allows two hits over seven innings in series capper over Mariners By August Fagerstrom / MLB.com | 5:10 PM ET + 3 COMMENTS
CLEVELAND -- Shaun Marcum has been back since April 12, when he pitched five innings in relief for the Indians, marking his first appearance in the big leagues since July of the 2013 season.
But he hasn't been back the way he was in Thursday's 6-0 victory against Seattle.
Marcum turned in his finest outing of the year, throwing seven scoreless innings while striking out five and allowing just three baserunners on a pair of hits. It was his longest outing since June 26, 2013, and he retired the first nine batters he faced, not allowing a hit until the fifth inning. To Indians manager Terry Francona, it looked like the Marcum of years past, before his surgery to repair his Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. "He's the same," Francona said. "In Spring Training, we needed to see him get stretched out and be able to bounce back, and in Triple-A, he went three starts in a row where he threw over 100 pitches. And now here, when he's this effective and can stay out there, that's really good to see."
Marcum threw 106 pitches, the first time he's eclipsed triple digits this season and his highest total since May 26, 2013, and he was a strike-throwing machine. He threw a first-pitch strike against 17 of 24 batters, and of his 106 pitches, 68 went for strikes.
Marcum, a fly-ball pitcher who had allowed at least one home run in every start before Thursday, was helped out by the strong wind blowing in at Progressive Field. But Giovanny Urshela proved that it was possible for balls to leave the yard, and Marcum kept them in by throwing lower in the zone than usual.
"Some of those guys like to pull the ball, and with the way the wind was blowing today, they were going to have to hit it a lot harder to get it out," Marcum said. "The main thing was keeping it down, and if they got one up in the air, most likely it was going to stay in the park."
Marcum has now lowered his season ERA to 4.04 and, outside of a poor start against Texas on May 25, he has been generally solid for Cleveland. In the 30 1/3 innings pitched around the Rangers game, Marcum's ERA is 1.78 with a 24:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
"It feels good," Marcum said. "It was nice to get out there and be able to locate the ball, take what I've been working on between starts and actually have it happen. It's nice to do that, but again, the guys went out and played behind me well, scored a lot of runs for me and played good defense. All in all, it was a pretty good day for everybody."
First hit, HR highlight Urshela's huge day
By August Fagerstrom / MLB.com | 5:50 PM ET + 1 COMMENT
CLEVELAND -- On a windy Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field, there were a handful of deep fly balls that looked and sounded like home runs off the bat, only to fool the fans, players, coaches and broadcasters in attendance by falling short at the warning track.
A betting man might have wagered that no home runs would be hit with the way the ballpark was playing during the Indians' 6-0 victory. A betting man would have lost when Giovanny Urshela smacked his first career home run over the high left-field wall, hitting a railing and caroming back onto the field and eventually finding its way back into Urshela's hands in the dugout.
"I'll keep it forever," Urshela said.
The rookie third baseman, ranked the Indians' No. 4 prospect, was called up from Triple-A Columbus on Sunday night and made his Major League debut on Tuesday.
On Wednesday night, he recorded his first career RBI on a ninth-inning groundout. The third inning of Thursday's game brought him his first career hit -- an RBI single to left field -- and his first run when he came around to score on a two-run single by Roberto Perez.
"We're all happy for him," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "You can see just how happy he was, just genuine, pure -- you don't get to see that all the time. It's once in a lifetime when you get your first Major League hit, first Major League home run. That was fun to watch.
Urshela has always been praised for his defense at the hot corner, but a revamped weight training program adopted before the start of last season gave Urshela added muscles and the results showed, as he's slugged 21 home runs in 149 games between Double-A and Triple-A in the last two years.
Whether that strength will continue to translate to the Major League level remains to be seen. But Thursday's power display into the heavy gusts by Lake Erie can't be viewed anything but a good sign.
"I was just so happy to round the bases," Urshela said.
Urshela bursts out to back terrific Marcum
By August Fagerstrom and Alejandro Zúñiga / MLB.com | 4:20 PM ET + 66 COMMENTS
CLEVELAND -- A rookie and a veteran led the Indians to a 6-0 victory over the Mariners in the series finale at Progressive Field on Thursday afternoon. Ninth-year pitcher Shaun Marcum held Seattle scoreless over a season-high seven innings, while Giovanny Urshela delivered the first two hits of his career, including a home run.
Mariners starter J.A. Happ was bounced after recording just seven outs, having allowed four earned runs on six hits and two walks. The leadoff man reached in all three innings he began, and he racked up a high pitch count, throwing 29 pitches in the first frame and 37 more in the second.
"I don't think anybody in baseball is going to let his pitcher go out there and throw 90 pitches in three innings," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. "You just can't do that."
Marcum turned in his finest start of the season, striking out five batters and allowing just three baserunners on a single, a double and a hit-by-pitch. The Indians' bullpen picked up where Marcum left off, as relievers Zach McAllister and Cody Allen each worked a perfect inning to shut the door.
"It feels good," Marcum said. "It was nice to get out there and be able to locate the ball, take what I've been working on between starts and actually have it happen."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Perfect start: Marcum retired the first nine Mariners he faced, four of which were retired via the strikeout (three looking). Seattle didn't have a baserunner until Marcum hit leadoff man Logan Morrison to start the fourth inning, and it didn't have a hit until Mark Trumbo's one-out single in the fifth.
"Yeah, that was really good," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Change speeds, stay out of the middle of the plate, don't walk anybody. And today, the way the ballpark played, it was playing so big and he knew that. It took kind of the sting out for the most part, and there were a couple balls hit real well that just weren't going."
More >
Third-inning mis-Happ: After laboring through the first two frames, Happ unraveled in the third, allowing three singles before being pulled at 77 pitches. Michael Brantley and Ryan Raburn reached on sharply hit ground balls to right field, and Brandon Moss followed with a broken-bat bloop into shallow center field to chase Happ, who entered having allowed two runs or fewer in eight of 11 starts this year.
"They took a lot of pitches close to the strike zone; they fouled a lot of pitches off," Happ said. "That was kind of the difference, I guess." More > Young guns: The Indians began the scoring with a second-inning bloop single by the recently recalled 25-year-old Zach Walters. Urshela later tacked on his first career hit in the third, followed by a two-run single by second-year catcher Roberto Perez. Urshela added to his big day with his first career home run in the fifth inning. In total, five of the six Indians runs were driven in by players with fewer than two years service time. More >
"I don't care what their age is, just want us to win and play well," Francona said. "I thought Zach did a good job today, filling in for [Jason Kipnis]. He played a good second base and got a big hit for us early. And then Roberto … we scored three and he got the last two that inning, that was huge for us to spread it out a little bit."
Missing offense: A day after breaking a 13-game streak of scoring three runs or fewer with a nine-run outburst, Seattle's struggles at the plate made an unwelcome comeback. The club didn't record a hit until Trumbo grounded a single into left field with one out in the fifth inning, and it was shut out for the fourth time this year. The one positive was Robinson Cano's double to lead off the seventh, giving the second baseman three extra-base knocks in the series.
"He's starting to swing better," McClendon said. "He hit a couple of balls on the nose." More > SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Until Happ's poor showing, Mariners starters had recorded eight consecutive quality starts. The left-hander's 2 1/3-inning outing snapped the streak, which was the club's longest since June 2013.
Indians second baseman Kipnis received an off-day after playing every game so far this season. After recording a double in the ninth inning of Wednesday night's game, Kipnis extended his home hitting streak to 20 games, breaking the record for the longest by a Cleveland hitter at Progressive Field.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mariners: Seattle's road trip continues with a three-day stint in Houston, and the Mariners will send Felix Hernandez (9-2, 2.51 ERA) to the hill for Game 1. The ace leads the American League in wins (nine) and opponents' batting average (.196). First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. PT. Indians: Cleveland and Danny Salazar (6-1, 3.50 ERA) travel to Detroit to begin a brief five-game road trip. Salazar has pitched as well against Detroit as any other team in his career, owning a career 2.93 ERA with 45 strikeouts and just eight walks in six career starts against the typically-potent Tigers lineup
Indians picks have a connection to Bauer
By August Fagerstrom / MLB.com | 2:00 PM ET + 0 COMMENTS
CLEVELAND -- The Indians showed their progressive nature as an organization and the emphasis placed on proper training and development on Wednesday with several of their late-round picks on Day 3 of the 2015 Draft.
Cleveland, of course, caused a buzz by drafting switch-pitcher Ryan Perez out of Judson University in the 12th round Wednesday. But beyond that, the club drafted two players in the later rounds who have spent time training at progressive baseball facilities -- each with a connection to Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer.
In the 29th round, the Tribe selected right-handed pitcher Christian Meister, who did not pitch competitively this most recent season, choosing rather to train at the Driveline Baseball facility in Seattle and hone his craft. In the 33rd round, catcher Garrett Wolforth was selected, the son of Ron Wolforth, who runs the Texas Baseball Ranch that Bauer attends each offseason.
Bauer has known Garrett and the Wolforth family since he began training at the ranch at 14 years old. He met Kyle Boddy, the owner of Driveline Baseball and a recently hired consultant for the Indians, in the winter of 2012, and Bauer has been training at that facility ever since. • Indians Draft Tracker
The specifics of what is done at each facility are sprawling and complex. But at its core, each aims to develop hard-throwing, healthy pitchers. "The ranch is a lot more about natural learning-type stuff," Bauer said. "They do a lot of drills and help you learn from the drills. The drills put you in a good spot, and those help you shape your delivery. Kyle's place is a lot more scientific."
At Driveline, technology such as high-speed cameras and EMG sensors are used to study and refine a pitcher's muscles and mechanics, and weighted balls are often used to build arm strength -- something Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway has integrated after visiting Driveline in the offseason.
Not all pitchers at Driveline get put on the same program. In Meister's case, he was already more advanced with his mechanics than some of the younger pitchers who come through the facility, so the focus was on adding velocity.
"Once a couple of the pros told him he had a pretty good arm and he really needed to start taking it seriously, he really did," Boddy said. "Now he's up to 92-95 [mph]."
Though Meister's route to the pros is an unconventional one, it's one Boddy advocates and thinks the league may start seeing more often. Bauer admitted that he was prepared to take a year off to train during his senior of high school if he didn't find a scholarship he liked.
"You're not really going to get a lot better by pitching in junior college games," Boddy said. "You're going to get better by developing off the field. And probably the only club that understands that is the Indians. That's how they shape their player development as well.
"Most organizations are like, 'Oh, yeah, if they play in games, they're going to get better.' And the Indians don't feel that way, which is rare. It's progressive in baseball."
Salazar set for duel with Price in opener vs. Tigers
By Alejandro Zúñiga / MLB.com | 4:50 PM ET + 5 COMMENTS
Following a day off, the Tigers welcome the Indians for the first contest of a three-game series at Comerica Park on Friday.
Cleveland will face a pitching gauntlet in Detroit. Lefty David Price (5-2, 2.70 ERA) takes the mound Friday, Justin Verlander will make his season debut Saturday and Alfredo Simon (6-3, 2.76 ERA) will start Sunday. Price, who tossed a complete game last Saturday against the White Sox, didn't earn a decision when he allowed three unearned runs to the Indians on April 11.
Danny Salazar (6-1, 3.50 ERA) will try to replicate his second outing of the year, when the right-hander surrendered only one run and struck out 11 in a win over the Tigers.
Things to know about this game
• The Tigers are 5-1 against Cleveland this year. They swept a series at Progressive Field from April 10-12, then took two of three at home from April 24-26. Salazar's stellar outing led to the Indians' only win of the year against their American League Central counterparts.
• Nick Swisher has had plenty of success against Price. He's batting .324 lifetime (47 plate appearances), including two doubles, a home run and 10 walks. Ryan Raburn also has a homer against the Detroit southpaw.
Indians 6, Mariners 0: Giovanny Urshela records first hit and first homer in win over Mariners By Ryan LewisBeacon Journal sports writer
CLEVELAND: Indians rookie third baseman Giovanny Urshela had quite a day Thursday in the Indians’ 6-0 win over the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field, even if his family wasn’t able to stay and see it.
Urshela is from Colombia, and his family was able to stay only through the second inning. In the third inning, he collected his first major-league hit, an RBI single to left field that put the Indians on top 3-0.
That alone made for a day that just about every kid who grows up playing baseball dreams of — but Urshela wasn’t done. In the fifth inning, he added his first career home run, a solo shot that cleared the left-field wall despite high winds blowing in, that capped the day’s scoring. “Very exciting — both hits. I was just trying to get one in one day and I got two,” Urshela said. “I was just so happy to round the bases.” Players in the Indians dugout, of course, mobbed Urshela when he got back. Carlos Santana also made sure to get the ball, although unlike Brandon Moss’ 100th home run ball, there won’t be any ransom note.
“We’re all happy for him,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “You can see just how happy he was, just genuine, pure — you don’t get to see that all the time. It’s once in a lifetime when you get your first major-league hit, first major-league home run. That was fun to watch.” Shaun Marcum (3-1) had his best outing of the season. He pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five. “It feels good. It was nice to get out there and be able to locate the ball, take the ball what I’ve been working on between starts and actually have it happen,” Marcum said. “It’s nice to do that but, again, the guys went out and played behind me well, scored a lot of runs for me and played good defense. All in all, it was a pretty good day for everybody.”
Marcum had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning before Mark Trumbo singled to left field. In his seven innings, only one Mariner reached third base, and it came after he hit Logan Morrison and unleashed two wild pitches.
Marcum did have the wind at his back and used that to his advantage. But it was a solid performance from the Indians’ No. 5 starter in the rotation.
“Yeah, that was really good,” Francona said of Marcum’s outing. “Change speeds, stay out of the middle of the plate, don’t walk anybody. And today the way the ballpark played, it was playing so big and he knew that.”
Zach Walters, who started at second base while Jason Kipnis got a day off, gave the Indians a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a single to right to score Moss, who had doubled.
In the third, Moss had an RBI single just before Urshela’s run-scoring single. Roberto Perez pushed the Indians’ lead to 5-0 two batters later with a two-out, two-run single to left field.
Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 06.12.2015
Indians 6, Mariners 0: Thursday's One Last Thing on Giovanny Urshela's great day of firsts By Ryan Lewis Published: June 11, 2015
The Indians beat the Mariners 6-0 Thursday afternoon. Shaun Marcum threw seven scoreless innings and the Indians snapped a three-game skid.
Thursday's One Last Thing: Giovanny Urshela had the type of day a kid dreams of, even if his family missed it.
It's really one of those great things about sports, a rookie collecting his “first” whatever. In the grand scheme of things, a lot of times maybe we overlook how great it is that somewhere, a kid grew up and got to live out his dream, or a portion of it, even for second.
Just think of Moonlight Graham in Field of Dreams and Kevin Costner saying, “It would kill some men to get so close their dream and not touch it.” Urshela got to live it when he was called up to the bigs Tuesday and made his debut and now he’s added to it.
More: Indians looking to "cash in" more often; Jason Kipnis gets a day off
Urshela collected his first major-league hit in the third inning of Thursday’s win, an RBI single to left field that made it 3-0. Two innings later, he added his first major-league home run, a solo shot to left field that cleared the wall even with winds blowing in.
“We’re all happy for him. You can see just how happy he was, just genuine, pure—you don’t get to see that all the time,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime when you get your first major-league hit, first major-league home run. That was fun to watch.”
Of course, the Indians mobbed Urshela when he got back to the dugout and Carlos Santana made sure to retrieve the ball, although unlike Brandon Moss’ 100th home run ball, there won’t be a ransom note.
“Very exciting—both hits. I was just trying to get one in one day and I got two,” Urshela said. “I was just so happy to round the bases.” The only problem? Urshela is from Columbia, and his family had to leave in the second inning, about 20 minutes before his first hit an inning later.
But they got to see his MLB debut Tuesday night. And Urshela got to have his Moonlight Graham moment. So what will he do with the ball?
“Just keep it forever.”Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 06.12.2015
Giovanny Urshela collects first hit, HR; Shaun Marcum terrific in 6-0 Indians win over Mariners By Ryan Lewis Published: June 11, 2015
Rookie third baseman Giovanny Urshela had himself quite a day and Shaun Marcum delivered his best outing of the season in a 6-0 win for the Indians over the Mariners Thursday at Progressive Field.
Urshela, called up this week, collected the first hit of his career in the third inning, an RBI single to left field. Two innings later, he added his first home run, a solo shot in the fifth.
Marcum threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out five.
Zach Walters and Brandon Moss added RBI singles and Roberto Perez had a two-RBI single for the Indians, who improved to 28-31 this season. The Mariners fell to 27-33.
Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 06.12.2015
Indians notebook: Francona looking for baserunners to ‘cash in’ more often; Jason Kipnis gets first day off; Austin Adams sent down, C.C. Lee called up
By Ryan LewisBeacon Journal sports writer
CLEVELAND: The Indians this season have never been among the league’s best with runners in scoring position. But over the last few games, it’s been their biggest downfall.
The Indians entered Wednesday ranked 24th in baseball in batting average with runners in scoring position (.230) and 21st in slugging percentage (.360). Those rankings have been slipping lower as of late. In three of their last four games, the Indians have left 10 men on base (in the fourth, it was eight). In those three games, they are a combined 5-of-40 with runners in scoring position. That’s an average of .125. Indians manager Terry Francona has said multiple times this season that while it’s obviously frustrating, it’s at least a positive that runners are getting on base at a high rate. But if the Indians are going to challenge Kansas City, Minnesota and Detroit, turning scoring chances into runs must be improved.
“I always want us to get a bunch of hits,” Francona said. “The more opportunities you have, the better chance you have to score. If you have an opportunity a night and you don’t cash in … I like the idea that we’re giving ourselves chances — we just need to cash in.”
The Indians haven’t been great this season in key hitting situations, but for much of the season they haven’t been far from league average, either. Francona doesn’t expect this recent dry spell to continue.
“I think those things tend to even out,” he said. “But there’s nights where you certainly need them.” First off day for Kipnis
For the first time this season, the Indians played without Jason Kipnis in the starting lineup. Kipnis had played all 58 games this year before getting his first game off Thursday.
Francona earlier this year had talked about needing to give Kipnis a day off at some point. But then he became so hot at the plate — 51 hits, 30 runs scored, American League Player of the Month in May — that it became more difficult. Kipnis was arguably baseball’s hottest hitter, so as long as he said he was OK, how could you take him out?
But Francona didn’t want to play Kipnis for all 162 games, either.
“Today’s the day,” Francona said Thursday. “This will be really good for him. … It’s hard to do when a guy’s playing that well, but I think you can make some bad mistakes by going too far. He’s been really good about communicating with me because I probably wanted to give him a day off two weeks ago.”
Lee up, Adams down
The Indians on Thursday morning optioned relief pitcher Austin Adams to Triple-A Columbus and called up relief pitcher C.C. Lee. The move isn’t being made because of Adams’ performance — he’s pitched well when called upon — but to give the Indians insurance in the bullpen.
Adams threw two innings Wednesday night and wouldn’t have been available for a day or two. Lee gives the Indians an option in the near future. Scott Atchison, per Francona, is expected to be activated from the disabled list Friday or Saturday. When that happens a move will be made, possibly Lee’s trip back to Columbus.
Lee has a 1-1 record and 2.35 ERA in 19 appearances this season. He owns a 0.75 ERA in his last nine outings, including 17 strikeouts over 12 innings.
Adams this year has a 2.38 ERA with seven strikeouts in 11 innings pitched with the Indians. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 06.12.2015
Indians promote RP C.C. Lee from Triple-A, send down RP Austin Adams By Ryan Lewis Published: June 11, 2015
The Indians Thursday morning promoted relief pitcher C.C. Lee from Triple-A Columbus and sent down relief pitcher Austin Adams.
Though, it likely won't last long. The Indians needed an extra arm for the next few days and Adams wouldn't have been available after he threw two innings of work Wednesday night.
Indians manager Terry Francona added that relief pitcher Scott Atchison, who struck out all three batters he faced in a rehab appearance for Akron, will likely be activated Friday or Saturday.
Lee has a 1-1 record and 2.35 ERA in 19 appearances this season. He owns a 0.75 ERA in his last nine outings, including 17 strikeouts over 12 innings.
Adams this year has a 2.38 ERA with seven strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings pitched with Cleveland. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 06.12.2015
Akron RubberDucks' Will Roberts throws 1-hitter in win over New Hampshire Cliff Pinckard, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Cliff Pinckard, Northeast Ohio Media Group
Akron RubberDucks right-hander Will Roberts gave up a single to New Hampshire's second batter of the game Thursday at Canal Park. will roberts.pngWill RobertsAkron RubberDucks
That would be it for the Fisher Cats.
Roberts didn't surrender another hit in a dominating Class AA Eastern League performance to lead Akron to a 3-0 victory.
The Fisher Cats wouldn't get another batter on base until the fifth inning, when Roberts walked Dwight Smith Jr. with two outs. It was no problem ... Roberts got the next batter out on a liner to left field.
No Fisher Cats reached base for the rest of the game as Roberts (5-2, 3.70 ERA) struck out seven.
Outfielder Anthony Gallas hit a two-run homer in the first inning, giving Roberts an early lead he would never surrender. A single from shortstop Erik Gonzalez in the eighth added an insurance run.
Gallas finished 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Gonzalez was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2015
Shaun Marcum's performance as the No. 5 guy and a possible ransom note for Giovanny Urshela's home run ball: Zack Meisel's musings
Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Giovanny Urshela had a couple of relatives in town to watch the Indians' series against the Mariners, the third baseman's first in the big leagues.
His family members left in the second inning on Thursday. Urshela proceeded to notch his first career hit in the third and his first career home run in the fifth.
Here are five thoughts on the Tribe.
1. Windy city: A stiff wind blew in at the ballpark for much of Thursday afternoon, which presented a challenge to every hitter who stepped up to the plate. Tribe starter Shaun Marcum used it to his advantage.
"Some of those guys like to pull the ball and with the way the wind was blowing today, they were going to have to hit it a lot harder to get it out," Marcum said. "The main thing was keeping it down and if they got one up in the air, mostly likely, it was going to stay in the park."
2. Mambo No. 5: The Indians' top four starting pitchers receive plenty of acclaim. Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar are each averaging more than a strikeout per inning. Marcum is a change of pace, a guy who amps it up to 85 mph when he heaves his hardest heater toward the plate. Even he, though, is averaging nearly a strikeout per inning.
In five starts with the Indians, Marcum has logged a 3-1 record and a 4.50 ERA. Overall this season, he owns a 4.09 ERA in 33 innings. He has held opponents to a .218 batting average and he has 10 walks against 30 strikeouts. On Thursday, he stymied Seattle, as he held the Mariners to two hits in seven scoreless frames.
3. Crisp with RISP: The Indians tallied four hits in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position on Thursday. Entering the game, they owned a team slash line of .224/.317/.349 with runners in scoring position. The league average was .256/.335/.398.
Zach Walters came through with an RBI single to score Brandon Moss from second base in the second inning on Thursday. Moss, Urshela and Roberto Perez all notched run-scoring hits with men in scoring position in the third.
4. An Apple product a day: The bullpen's ransom note -- left in Brandon Moss' locker after the slugger clubbed his 100th career home run last week -- made national headlines after Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned it in his keynote speech at a company event. Apple promised to pay the relievers' ransom. The Indians were grateful for the company's decision to send the gifts. The relievers made it clear they were not seriously asking for any items from the company nor did they expect the story to take on a life of its own. Hopefully, if they do receive Apple watches, iPads and MacBooks, the story ends with the relievers making some kind of monetary donation to charity.
5. Keeps the doctor away: Francona joked that he was going to leave a ransom note for Urshela. "I'm thinking about it," Francona said. "I need a TV."
Urshela did, in fact, receive his home run ball. "[I'm going] to keep it forever," he said. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2015
Shaun Marcum, Giovanny Urshela lead Cleveland Indians past Seattle Mariners: DMan's Report, Game 59 Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer By Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Shaun Marcum gave up two hits in seven innings and Giovanny Urshela notched his first major-league hit and first homer as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Seattle Mariners, 6-0, Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field.
Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:
Quality victory: The Indians (28-31) rebounded from a 9-3 loss Wednesday night. They avoided a three-game sweep and won the season series, 4-3.
They improved to 12-18 at home.
No Kipnis, no problem: Tribe second baseman and leadoff batter Jason Kipnis was given the day off -- his first of the season. Kipnis owns a .921 OPS and 3.4 WAR.
Piling up goose eggs: Marcum (3-1, 4.09 ERA) walked none and struck out five. He threw 68 of 106 pitches for strikes. The Tribe's offensive provided him leads of 1-0 after two innings, 5-0 after three and 6-0 after five.
Marcum did not allow a hit until one out in the fifth. Mark Trumbo sent a grounder through the hole at short for a single.
Seattle's other hit came when left-handed batter Robinson Cano doubled to center to lead off the seventh. Then Marcum did his best work, getting lefty Kyle Seager to fly to right, lefty Seth Smith to strike out (nasty 2-2 changeup) and Trumbo to fly to right.
The Mariners finished 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Seager and Smith were responsible for the ninth and 10th flyouts against Marcum. Tribe reliever Zach McAllister recorded two in a perfect eighth and closer Cody Allen one in a perfect ninth.
Marcum benefitted from a breeze blowing in from right-center; the Mariners thought they hit several balls much farther than actually traveled. But Marcum deserves most of the credit for keeping the balls in the yard because he consistently kept pitches out of the middle of the plate and, most importantly, none of them was straight. And it wasn't as if Tribe outfielders spent the afternoon on the warning track or running down screamers.
Marcum and catcher Roberto Perez had the Mariners guessing throughout re: pitch type and location.
Marcum's ability to handle lefties was the key to his success. Lefties entered at .347 (17-for-49) with three doubles, four homers, 10 RBI and seven walks against him. Conversely, righties were at .149 (7-for-49) with one double, three homers, three RBI and three walks.
Seattle's lineup featured six lefties who combined to go 1-for-15 with an HBP against Marcum. Seager was 0-for-3, which is news: He entered batting .433 with nine doubles, three homers and nine RBI in 15 career games at Progressive Field. He had hit safely in 14 of the 15. Special moments: Third baseman Urshela, recently recalled from Class AAA Columbus, went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs.
Urshela batted in the third with one run in, one out, and runners on first and third. He faced righty Tom Wilhelmsen, who had just replaced ineffective lefty J.A. Happ. Urshela, down in the count, 1-2, sent a fastball through the hole at short for an RBI single to put Cleveland ahead, 3-0.
It was Urshela's first major-league hit, snapping an 0-for-5 since his debut Tuesday against the Mariners. Two batters later, Perez dumped a 1-2 fastball into left-center for a two-run single.
With none on and two outs in the fifth, Urshela faced lefty Vidal Nuno. Urshela took an 86-mph pitch for a strike and fouled an 84-mph pitch. Nuno and catcher Mike Zunino opted for a fastball away, but Nuno didn't get the 90-mph pitch far enough away. Urshela pounced and shot it into the left-field bleachers.
The ball caromed back onto the field, meaning no negotiations were necessary for Urshela's first major-league homer.
You've been Bucknor'd: Urshela should have been 2-for-3 with a walk, but he was denied by plate umpire CB Bucknor and his infamous zone. In the second inning, Urshela fell behind Happ, 1-2, but worked the count full. Happ threw a fastball that was outside, and Urshela took a step toward first -- only to be stopped by Bucknor's emphatic punch-out.
Fox SportsTime Ohio play-by-play voice Matt Underwood said: "Urshela rung up by the floating zone of CB Bucknor.'' Fox SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "Right now, you don't know where the strike zone is.''
Urshela got his first taste of the adventure on which batters embark when Bucknor is behind the plate. It has been this way for years and years and years. Ask players whom they least would like to see calling balls and strikes, and Bucknor's name undoubtedly is among the first mentioned.
Among the Seattle players who appeared to be confused by Bucknor on Thursday: Happ, Cano and Trumbo.
Help from below: The bottom three in the Tribe's order -- Urshela, Zach Walters and Perez -- combined to go 5-for-11 with five RBI and two runs.
Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2015
What the Cleveland Indians said following Thursday's 6-0 win against the Seattle Mariners Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Behind a stellar outing from Shaun Marcum and some offensive contributions from rookie Giovanny Urshela, the Indians topped the Mariners, 6-0, in Thursday's series finale. Here is what Marcum, Urshela and manager Terry Francona had to say about the win, which allowed the Tribe to avoid a sweep.
Marcum, on his outing, in which he limited Seattle to two hits over seven scoreless frames:
"It was nice to get out there and be able to locate the ball, take the ball what I've been working on between starts and actually have it happen. It's nice to do that, but again, the guys went out and played behind me well, scored a lot of runs for me and played good defense. All in all, it was a pretty good day for everybody."
Francona, on the effect of a swift wind that was blowing in for much of the afternoon:
"It took kind of the sting out for the most part and there were a couple balls hit real well that, they just weren't going. And Gio hit his ball so well because it was gonna take something to hit it out of the ballpark today."
Marcum, on what was working:
"The main thing was fastball location. Cutter location was good as well. You've got to give those guys credit, they did hit some balls hard. W e kind of pitched with the wind as well, used that to our advantage. Other than that, it was just trying to keep the ball down, not trying to walk anybody and make them hit their way on."
Francona, on how the bottom of the order -- a trio of youngsters in Urshela, Zach Walters and Roberto Perez -- fared:
"I don't care what their age is, I just want us to win and play well. I thought Zach did a good job today, filling in for [Jason] Kipnis. He played a good second base and got a big hit for us early. And then Roberto, with a two-out—we scored three and he got the last two that inning, that was huge for us to spread it out a little bit."
Urshela, on how he felt after he launched his home run into the bleacher seats: "I was just so happy to round the bases."
Francona, on if Marcum seems closer to resembling the pitcher he was in the past, prior to a slew of shoulder troubles:
"He is the same. Again, in spring training we needed to see him get stretched out and be able to bounce back and in Triple-A, he went three starts in a row where he threw over 100 pitches. And now here, when he's this effective and can stay out there, that's really good to see." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2015
Giovanny Urshela blasts first career home run, Shaun Marcum pitches Cleveland Indians to 6-0 victory Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Giovanny Urshela pointed to the sky, clapped his hands and stepped on home plate.
The baseball he launched to left field caromed off of the railing atop the wall and bounced back onto the outfield grass. Carlos Santana popped out of the dugout to retrieve it for the rookie.
Two innings after his first major-league hit, Urshela notched his first big-league home run, some extra backing for Shaun Marcum in a 6-0 Tribe victory on Thursday afternoon.
Marcum tossed seven scoreless innings. He limited Seattle to two hits. Mark Trumbo ended his bid for a no-hitter with a single to left with one out in the fifth. To that point, only one batter had reached against the soft-tossing righty: Logan Morrison was plunked by an errant heave to begin the fourth.
Marcum had plenty of support from the Tribe's bats, even though leadoff hitter Jason Kipnis -- the American League Player of the Month for May -- had the day off. Zach Walters plated Brandon Moss with a bloop single to right in the second inning. In the third, the Indians produced four runs on five singles and a convenient passed ball.
Michael Brantley and Ryan Raburn opened the frame with consecutive singles. After Yan Gomes struck out, Moss and Urshela followed with run-scoring singles. When Walters missed with a healthy hack in the ensuing at-bat, the baseball skipped off of catcher Mike Zunino, which allowed Moss and Urshela to each advance a base. Roberto Perez's single to left-center plated both runners and staked the Indians to a 5-0 advantage.
Urshela's solo shot in the fifth provided the final margin. What it means
The Indians avoided a sweep and wrapped up their six-game homestand with a 2-4 mark. The club owns a 12-18 mark at home and a 16-13 record against teams outside of the AL Central.
The kids are all right
The bottom third of the order, comprised of Urshela, Walters and Perez, combined for five hits and five RBI in 11 at-bats. Urshela collected the first two hits of his big-league career.
Change of pace
After his last outing, in which he held the Orioles to three runs across 6 1/3 innings, Marcum described his brief tenure in the Tribe rotation as "a roller coaster." His start on Thursday was his best with the Indians in five opportunities. Overall, Marcum has posted a 4.50 ERA in those five starts, having allowed 23 hits in 28 innings.
Veteran right-hander
Reverend Myrtle Eppler, who is 100 years old, stood atop the rubber as she threw out the ceremonial first pitch. They came, they saw
An announced attendance of 15,316 watched the game at Progressive Field.
What's next
The Indians and Tigers will battle at Comerica Park this weekend. Cleveland will send Danny Salazar (6-1, 3.50 ERA) to the mound on Friday. Detroit will counter with southpaw David Price (5-2, 2.70 ERA). On Saturday, Carlos Carrasco (7-5, 4.35 ERA) will oppose Justin Verlander, who will be making his first major league start of the season after dealing with an arm injury. Corey Kluber (3-7, 3.53 ERA) and Alfredo Simon (6-3, 2.76 ERA) will duke it out in the series finale on Sunday. The Indians are 1-5 against the Tigers this season. Following the trip to Detroit, the club will play a pair of games at Wrigley Field against the Cubs.
Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2015
Terry Francona finally gives Jason Kipnis his day of rest: Cleveland Indians notes Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Before the skies opened up above Kauffman Stadium on June 4, Jose Ramirez replaced Jason Kipnis in the field. Kipnis sat out the bottom of the eighth inning before the rain washed away the conclusion of the series finale.
That half-inning is the only one Kipnis had spent as a bystander this season, prior to Thursday's matinee against the Mariners. Manager Terry Francona, for weeks, has promised that Kipnis' off-day was coming. After a brief encounter with the second baseman on Wednesday night, he decided that day had arrived.
"I talked to Kipnis about the seventh inning Wednesday night, which is probably not the best time," Francona said, "but I just wanted to kind of start thinking about the lineup for the next day. He was like, 'I think I'm good,' and I was like, 'OK.' After the game, we revisited and I think he [hesitated] and as soon as he did that, I knew he needed the day off."
Kipnis owns a .400/.489/.640 slash line since May 1, with four home runs, 19 RBIs, 18 doubles and 34 runs scored in 37 games.
"It's hard to [rest him] when a guy's playing that well," Francona said, "but I think you can make some bad mistakes by going too far. He's been really good about communicating with me because I probably wanted to give him a day off two weeks ago, but he's been so good and so honest about it that it makes it easier for me."
Trading places: Austin Adams tossed two innings of relief in Wednesday's 9-3 loss to Seattle. Then, he was optioned to Triple-A Columbus. The Indians recalled reliever C.C. Lee to add an arm to a taxed bullpen that had to cover the final 5 1/3 innings of Wednesday's game. Adams surrendered three runs (two earned) on five hits in his two frames, though he had posted a 0.96 ERA in six previous appearances. "Sometimes with shorter outings, unfortunately, it kind of costs guys jobs, which is a shame," Francona said. "Austin wouldn't have been available. I told Austin, this was not an indictment on him giving up runs last night because he's been really good. He understood and I think he was mad, yet respectful, which I kind of think is pretty good. I liked the way he handled it. I think he thinks he belongs here and I agree with him. He'll be back."
Lee compiled a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings at Columbus. He walked six and struck out 29.
On the way back: Reliever Scott Atchison, on the disabled list with a sprained ankle, will likely be activated on Friday or Saturday, Francona said. Atchison tossed a scoreless inning for Double-A Akron on Wednesday. He tallied three strikeouts and, according to Francona, his velocity was up a tick.
"We told him, 'Hey, get yourself healthy, go pitch your inning and we'll activate you,' Francona said, "and that's what we're doing."
Off his feet: Yan Gomes started at designated hitter on Thursday, the first time since his return from a knee sprain that he started, but did not catch. Entering Thursday's contest, Gomes had collected multiple hits in four of the five games during the Tribe's homestand.
"When he first came back," Francona said, "I got asked about it a little bit, but he really wasn't swinging the bat yet. Now, he's starting to look like he wants to get hot. Again, with Kip not playing, it gives us that right-handed bat."
Playing favorites: Francona, the man who loves late-inning matchups, on switch-pitcher Ryan Perez, the Indians' 12th-round draft choice: "He'll be the only kid in A-ball who's on speed dial."
Cleveland Indians recall reliever C.C. Lee, option reliever Austin Adams to Triple-A Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians swapped relievers on Thursday morning, mere hours after Austin Adams tossed two innings against the Mariners.
The club recalled right-hander C.C. Lee from Triple-A Columbus. Adams will head down I-71 and join the Clippers.
Adams pitched two innings in Wednesday's 9-3 loss to Seattle. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits. Prior to that appearance, he had posted a 0.96 ERA in six innings with the Tribe, having yielded only one earned run in 9 1/3 frames.
Lee logged a 4.50 ERA in 37 outings for the Indians last season. In 19 appearances with Columbus this year, he owns a 2.35 ERA, with 29 strikeouts and only six walks in 23 innings.
The Indians wrap up their three-game set against Seattle at noon on Thursday. The club then ventures to the Motor City for three contests against the Detroit Tigers this weekend.
Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2015
Urshela gets 1st hit, home run but family had to leave early
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Giovanny Urshela got his first major league hit in the third inning.
He added his first big league home run in the sixth.
Unfortunately, his family did not get to see either milestone.
''They left in the second inning,'' he said.
The 23-year-old Colombian third baseman made his major league debut Tuesday, and his family stayed in town for three days. But his family had to start heading home and couldn't stay at Progressive Field for the entirety of the Cleveland Indians' 6-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.
''It's very exciting, both hits,'' Urshela said. ''I was just trying to get one in one day, and I got two.''
Urshela, who backed a two-hitter by Shaun Marcum and a pair of relievers, was called up from Triple-A Columbus when Lonnie Chisenhall was sent down Sunday.
Urshela grounded an RBI single past shortstop Brad Miller in a four-run third, the first batter after Tom Wilhelmsen relieved J.A. Happ (3-2). His home run off Vidal Nuno just cleared the 19-foot fence in left and rebounded onto the field.
Both momentos were retrieved and were in Urshela's locker following the game. Urshela smiled widely as he slapped hands with teammates in the dugout after his home run.
Asked whether he had any special plans for the ball, he responded: ''Just keep it forever.''
Urshela is 2 for 8 with three RBIs in three games.
''You could see how happy he was,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said. ''It was genuine, pure. You don't get to see that all the time. It's once in a lifetime when you get your first major league hit, first major league home run.''
Marcum (3-1) retired his first nine batters and already led 5-0 before hitting Logan Morrison on the back of his right leg leading off the fourth. Mark Trumbo grounded a single just out of the reach of Urshela at third and shortstop Mike Aviles with one out in the fifth.
Robinson Cano, hitting .214 since May 9 (25 for 117), doubled to right-center leading off the seventh. The Mariners' final nine batters then made out.
Marcum struck out five and walked none. Zach McAllister and Cody Allen followed with perfect innings for Cleveland, which broke a three-game losing streak.
Seattle (27-33) has lost nine of its last 12 games and scored more than three runs just once in its last 15 games. Nelson Cruz, who leads the AL with 18 home runs, missed his second straight game because of back spasms.
''We didn't do much offensively,'' Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. ''We hit some balls hard, but credit goes to Marcum, he kept us off balance. Cutting and sinking and did a nice job.''
Happ allowed four runs, six hits and two walks in 2 1-3 innings. Brandon Moss chased him with an RBI single, and Roberto Perez capped the burst with a two-run single.
Zach Walters's RBI single put Cleveland ahead in the second.
Morrison was 0 for 3, ending his career-high hitting streak at 16 games.
Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis didn't start for the first time this season after playing in Cleveland's first 58 games. Kipnis is second in the AL in hitting with a .333 average.
STRONG OUTING
Marcum, making his fifth start since being called up in late May, had his best performance with the Indians.
''It was nice to go out there and be able to locate the ball and take what I've been doing between starts and actually have it happen,'' he said.
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Mariners: Cruz is expected to return Friday when Seattle opens a three-game series in Houston.
Indians: RHP Scott Atchison (sprained left ankle) is likely to be activated on Friday or Saturday. He threw a scoreless inning in a rehab assignment for Double-A Akron on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (9-2), who leads the AL in wins, starts Friday against Houston.
Indians: RHP Danny Salazar (6-1), fourth in the AL with 81 strikeouts, opens a three-game series Friday at Detroit.
RubberDucks: Ronny Rodriguez getting back to being himself
Thursday afternoon, RubberDucks infielder Ronny Rodriguez enjoyed watching his friend and former teammate Giovanny Urshela have a career day in a major league uniform.
“I feel good because I’ve been playing with him since I was signed by the Cleveland Indians,” Rodriguez said of Urshela, who got his first major league hit and first major league homer in a 6-0 win over the Seattle Mariners. “I was talking to him today and said I was happy for him, to see his dream come true. I hope one day I’ll be there with him.”
At 23 years old in his fifth season with the Tribe organization, Rodriguez is known for his infectious smile and positive attitude. He’s one of the team’s favorites and popular with the fans at Canal Park as well.
“Always good to have Ronny in the clubhouse,” Akron manager Dave Wallace said. ”He’s energetic and always has a smile on his face, that’s a welcome sight for sure.”
Near the end of spring training, Rodriguez broke the hamate bone in his left wrist, shelving him for about four months.
Tuesday night, he came off of the disabled list and donned a RubberDucks uniform for the first time since Sept. 1. On his first swing of the bat, he lined a double to left field.
“It affected me because I lost too much of the season already,” Rodriguez said of the setback. “But I tried to get back, get ready and help the team win.”
“I was really happy to see his swings [Tuesday],” Wallace said. “The bat speed looks like it’s there. Just going through in the past, as far as seeing guys come back from hamate surgery — most recently Joey Wendle last year — when he came back he was not anywhere near 100 percent. Ronny was himself [Tuesday], so that’s a great sign.”
Wallace said Rodriguez will primarily be used as a utility infielder. In two games, he’s played second base and first base. This shuffling is nothing new for Rodriguez, and he embraces whatever role he is given.
“I come to play my game,” he said. “Whatever position they play me, I’m going to go and play the game.”
In his third season with the RubberDucks, Rodriguez has had fun playing in Akron, but he hasn’t played to the best of his ability. Now a veteran of the developmental system, Rodriguez is determined to avoid any more injuries and show his skills.
“I’m more mature right now,” he said. “When you’re young and you come here, you have a lot of things going on. But now for me, one of my goals is to stay healthy and get to 100 percent.”
“I’m excited to see how he’s going to be this year because he needs to prove himself,” Wallace said. “The last few years or so haven’t been what he expected or what we expected, so I think he’s going to go out and work his tail off to get back to where he had been a couple of years ago.”
“I feel really good to be back.” Rodriguez said. “I’m happy to be back here in Akron again.”
RubberDucks serve up ‘Delly Dog’ to honor Cavs guard
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matt Dellavedova is cooking up lots of fan interest with his heroic, floor-diving efforts in the NBA Finals.
And the Australian point guard’s last name is cooking up a decent amount of food inspiration, too.
To mix sports metaphors, Delly fans now might have a home run on their hands.
We give you the Delly Dog. It is the latest culinary gem by the braintrust at the Akron RubberDucks minor league baseball team, whose “Extreme Menu” includes the Screamer — 21 scoops of ice cream, bananas and more in a full-size batting helmet — and 3 Dog Night, a hot dog stuffed inside a bratwurst that is stuffed inside kielbasa.
Rest assured, while Delly the player has tons of grit, there’s none of that in Delly the hot dog.
“The Delly Dog” is a jumbo all-beef hot dog wrapped in a grilled combination of ham, provolone cheese and salami, topped with Stadium Mustard.
It joins the Diamond Dellavedova sandwich wrap at the Diamond Deli to debut this week in downtown Akron to honor the new fan favorite.
The RubberDucks will start selling the Delly Dog for $6. You can find it at the Godfather’s Kitchen concession stand at Canal Park.
“Delly’s exciting play has captured the blue-collar work ethic of Northeast Ohio, and we thought this was a fun, tasty way to honor him,” RubberDucks General Manager Jim Pfander said in a statement.
The RubberDucks are prepared to sell as many Delly Dogs as fans want when Canal Park gates open, said Brian Manning, director of food and beverage. The inclusion of deli meat with the hot dog is intended as a fun note, with Northeast Ohio’s Stadium Mustard tying it all in, Manning said.
“The Delly craze has kind of taken over the Cavs’ fan base,” Manning said.
Naming a custom hot dog for the popular guard is a great way to cross-promote the two sports teams, he said. He noted that the RubberDucks did a “Return of the King” burger last year to honor LeBron James coming back to the Cavs.
What’s next? Peanut Butter and Delly? Anyone?
Rubberducks 3, Fisher Cats 0
Storylines: The RubberDucks won their second consecutive game to take the series finale. Will Roberts had his best outing in a RubberDucks uniform, nearly throwing a no-hitter in a complete-game shutout. The big right-hander struck out a season-high seven batters and walked one, advancing to 5-2 on the season and improving his ERA to 3.70. The only hit was a single by Dalton Pompey in the first inning.
Quick Hits: Anthony Gallas hit a two-run homer to left field again, which was his third homer in as many games. He also had a two-out RBI in the bottom of the eighth to give the RubberDucks some insurance going into the ninth inning. Shortstop Erik Gonzalez singled twice and drove in a run as well for the RubberDucks.
Next Game: At Reading Phillies at 7:05 p.m. Friday. RubberDucks left-hander Shawn Morimando (5-5, 2.63) and Phillies left-hander Tom Windle (2-3, 5.26) are the scheduled pitchers.
— Spencer Davies
Clippers 2, Chiefs 1, 10 innings | Weary Jesus Aguilar provides winning hit By Jim MassieThe Columbus Dispatch • Friday June 12, 2015 4:27 AM
Jesus Aguilar looked at Clippers teammate Francisco Lindor standing on second base and knew what he wanted to do as he stepped into the batter’s box in the 10th inning of a 1-1 tie against the Syracuse Chiefs on Thursday night at Huntington Park.
The Clippers were playing in a third consecutive extra-innings game for the first time since Aug. 25-27, 2001, and their fourth in the past five games. And it was a steamy evening.
“I tried to do something good,” Aguilar said. “I tried to win the game.”
He lined a one-out single to left-center field and watched Lindor race to the plate to seal the 2-1 victory.
“From first base, I could see he was going to beat the throw,” Aguilar said. “But I was thinking, ‘You got to do it. You got to score because I don’t want to keep playing.’”
The hit ended a superb pitching duel that initially matched starters Cody Anderson for Columbus and former Clipper Paolo Espino for Syracuse. Both pitched seven strong innings, leaving with the score tied at 1.
Anderson joined the Clippers for his first taste of triple-A on June 5 in Toledo after an impressive two-month performance with double-A Akron. He won a 6-1 decision over the Mud Hens, who started Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander on an injury rehabilitation assignment.
Against the Chiefs, Anderson scattered six hits. He struck out six and walked none.
A two-out RBI single by Cutter Dykstra in the fifth inning was Anderson’s only blemish. The Clippers tied the score in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back doubles by Jose Ramirez and James Ramsey.
Anderson spent the past offseason at the Cleveland Indians facility in Goodyear, Ariz., working on his conditioning. Spring training began, and Ruben Niebla, the Indians’ minor-league pitching coordinator, liked Anderson’s transformation.
“We saw him much slimmer and more athletic,” Niebla said. “Obviously, that has translated into more velocity and more consistency. He’s in a much better position than he was last year.”
Anderson is thrilled with how the work has paid dividends.
“I feel a lot better,” he said. “My arm is responding a lot better. In between starts, it feels a lot better. On the day that I pitch, it feels a lot better.”
He only went home for the holidays.
“It was tough not going home for most of the offseason, but you have to sacrifice a little bit to get a little bit,” Anderson said. “It’s starting to pay off. I want to keep it going and keep the Clippers winning.”
The Clippers will activate outfielder Tyler Holt (left hamstring strain) from the disabled list for Friday’s game against the Chiefs. He will be the designated hitter.
Cleveland Indians: Shaun Marcum shuts down Seattle Mariners in 6-0 win By Jim Ingraham, The News-Herald & The Morning Journal
If you can’t beat ’em, Marcum.
After losing the first two games of their series with Seattle, the Indians sent Shaun Marcum to the mound, and Marcum sent the fans home happy.
Marcum tossed seven scoreless innings on two hits as the Indians salvaged the last game of the series and the last game of a dreary 2-4 homestand with a 6-0 dunking of the Mariners.
“It was nice to be able to locate the ball the way I did,” Marcum said. “The guys played well behind me, and also scored a lot of runs. It was good day for everybody.”
Marcum retired 18 of the 21 batters he faced. He struck out five, he walked one, and he greatly impressed Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon. “We didn’t do much offensively. But a lot of that was Marcum,” McClendon said. “He kept us off-balance. He was able to cut it, sink it, backdoor us, front door us — everything.”
Rookie third baseman Giovanny Urshela picked up his first major-league hit and first major-league home run, but it was zero hero Marcum who kept the Mariners off the scoreboard.
“He changed speeds, stayed out of the middle of the plate and didn’t walk anyone,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.
Marcum (3-1) has been quietly chugging along at the back of the Indians’ starting rotation, slowly putting the wheels back on his career, which was sidetracked by shoulder surgery two years ago.
“When he can do this, that’s really good to see,” Francona said.
The 33-year-old Marcum has been around the block a few times, and he showed it in shutting down the Mariners on a windy day at Progressive Field.
“We probably hit three balls that would have been home runs on another day, but give credit to Marcum,” McClendon said.
“They hit some balls hard, but I tried to pitch to the wind,” Marcum said. “I tried to keep the ball down so if they got one up in the air, it would stay in the park.”
The Indians strung together a lot of good at-bats and timely hits to chase Seattle starter J.A. Happ (3-2) from the game after 2 1/3 innings and 77 pitches. Zach Walters’ RBI single in the second inning gave the Indians a 1-0 lead.
In the third, Michael Brantley and Ryan Raburn led off with singles. One out later, Brandon Moss singled home Brantley, and Urshela rolled a single through the left side of the infield for his first major-league hit, an RBI single that scored Raburn to make it 3-0.
Roberto Perez capped the inning with a two-out, two-run single that stretched the Tribe lead to 5-0. “That was a huge hit by Roberto to spread it out a little,” Francona said.
It became 6-0 in the fifth inning when Urshela hit a 0-2 pitch from left-hander Vidal Nuno over the left-field wall for his first major-league homer. “I’m very happy, that was really exciting. The wind was blowing in, so I didn’t know if it would get out,” Urshela said.
“We were all happy for Gio,” said Francona. “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, getting your first major-league hit and first major-league home run in the same game.”
Cleveland Indians notes: Tribe still has losing record at home By Jim Ingraham, The News-Herald & The Morning Journal
The Indians are trending into waters in which no team wants to trend — or tread: As a team that can’t win at home. Nothing can doom a season quicker, or more completely, than being a team that can’t win at home. Like the Indians. Even with their 6-0 win over Seattle, the Indians still lost four of the six games in the homestand that ended June 11.
At the start of play June 11, the Indians had the third-worst home record in the major leagues: 11-18 (.379). The only teams with worse home records were Oakland 10-18 (.357) and Milwaukee 9-20 (.310).
If the Indians were to finish the season with a winning percentage at home of under .400, it would be their worst home record in 24 years. The 1991 team was 30-52 (.366) at home en route to a franchise-record 105 losses.
In Indians history, only four teams have finished with a home winning percentage of under .400. In addition to 1991, the 1971 team was 29-52 (.358) at home and finished the season with an overall record of 60-102. The 1928 team was 28-49 (.364) at home and finished 62-92. The worst team at home in Indians history was the 1915 team that had a home winning percentage of .351 (27-50) and finished 57-95 overall. Comings and goings
Before the game June 11, the Indians recalled reliever CC Lee from Triple-A Columbus and optioned reliever Austin Adams to Columbus. In 18 relief appearances at Columbus, Lee was 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA. In 23 innings, he gave up 18 hits with 29 strikeouts and six walks.
In seven appearances with the Indians, Adams hah a 2.38 ERA. Second thoughts
For the first time this season, Jason Kipnis was given a day off June 11. Kipnis was the only Indians player who had started all of the Tribe’s first 58 games.
Zach Walters replaced Kipnis at second base. Although Walters struck out three times, he also had an RBI single in the second inning that drove in the Indians’ first run.
“Zach did a good job of filling in for Kip, and got that big hit,” Manager Terry Francona said. Notes
June 11 was the Indians’ last game of the season against Seattle. They were 4-3 vs. the Mariners. ... The Indians are making progress in their quest to beat left-handed pitchers. They have won eight of their last 12 games against left-handed starters. ... Shaun Marcum, Zach McAllister and Cody Allen, who combined on a two-hit shutout over the Mariners, held first baseman Logan Morrison hitless in three official at-bats. That snapped Morrison’s 16-game hitting streak, the longest hitting streak by a Mariners player in two years. ... Following the game, the Indians left on a five-game trip to Detroit and Chicago to play the Cubs. The pitching matchups for the Detroit series: June 12 at 7:08 p.m., Danny Salazar (6-1, 3.50 ERA) vs. David Price (5-2, 2.70). June 13 at 4:08 p.m., Carlos Carrasco (7-5, 4.35) vs. Justin Verlander (first start). June 14 at 1:08 p.m., Corey Kluber (3-7, 3.53) vs. Alfredo Simon (6-3, 2.76).
Indians notes: Struggling Nick Swisher out of lineup again Filed on June 11, 2015 by Chris Assenheimer
CLEVELAND — Nick Swisher was out of the lineup for the second straight day in the series finale against Seattle on Thursday afternoon.
Swisher has provided little production since being activated from the disabled list, where he spent the first the first month of the season after offseason surgery on both knees.
In 29 games, Swisher, who is earning $15 million this year, is batting .204 with two home runs and eight RBIs. He’s hitting just .107 (3-for-28) with two RBIs and no extra-base hits in nine games since May 28 — and is currently riding an 0-for-8 skid.
Swisher has failed miserably in clutch situations this season. He’s batting just .143 (4-for-28) with runners in scoring position and .125 (5-for-40) with runners on base overall.
Moving day
The Indians optioned right-handed reliever Austin Adams to Triple-A Columbus, while calling up righty reliever C.C. Lee from the Clippers. Lee, a native of Taiwan, appeared in 37 games for Cleveland last year, posting a 4.50 ERA. He’s spent all of this year at Columbus, where he is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 19 games.
Adams has spent time in the big-league bullpen on four different occasions, owning a 2.38 ERA over seven appearances.
Resting comfortably
Second baseman Jason Kipnis got the day off after extending his home hitting streak to a franchise-record 20 games in his last at-bat Wednesday.
Kipnis’ streak is the longest at Progressive/Jacobs Field, but Miguel Dilone owns the longest home streak in Indians history — 27 games at Municipal Stadium in 1980.
Kipnis’ home batting average of .393 leads the majors.
Next up
The Indians begin a three-game series tonight (7:08) against Detroit at Comerica Park.
Danny Salazar (6-1, 3.50 ERA) opens the set, opposing LHP David Price (5-2, 2.70), while Carlos Carrasco (7-5, 4.35) goes for Cleveland on Saturday (4:08 p.m.) against RHP Justin Verlander (season debut).
Corey Kluber (3-7, 3.53) starts for the Indians in the series finale Sunday (1:08 p.m.), while the Tigers counter with RHP Alfredo Simon (6-3, 2.76).
Cleveland is 16-41 at Detroit since the start of the 2009 season, losing six of its last seven games there.
Minor details
Francisco Lindor went 3-for-5 with a double in Columbus’ 3-2, 11-inning win over Louisville on Wednesday. Lindor entered Thursday batting .279 with two homers and 22 RBIs in 56 games for the Clippers.
– Lonnie Chisenhall went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his first game for Columbus since being demoted Tuesday.
– Double-A Akron right fielder Anthony Gallas hit his fourth homer and drove in four runs in the RubberDucks’ 8-1 victory over New Hampshire on Wednesday. Gallas, a Strongsville native and Kent State University product, entered Thursday batting .251 with 17 RBIs in 44 games for Akron.
Roundin’ third
The Indians entered Thursday with the third-lowest home winning percentage (.379, 11-18) in the majors — ahead of Milwaukee (.310) and Oakland (.357). Cleveland hasn’t finished a season with a higher winning percentage on the road than at home since 2005. … The Indians have won eight of their last 12 games against left-handed starters. … Tonight, 7:08, STO/WEOL 930-AM/WTAM 1100-AM/WMMS 100.7-FM.
Filed on June 11, 2015 by Chris Assenheimer
CLEVELAND — Those in attendance at Progressive Field on Thursday afternoon were treated to a rare sight from the Indians — offensive production.
Cleveland, which has struggled with offensive consistency for much of the season, broke out the bats in the series finale against Seattle, slugging out a 6-0 victory that avoided the series sweep.
The Indians, who began the day in sole possession of last place in the Central Division, scored runs in three of the first five innings and were powered by a four-run third to secure their sixth win in 11 games.
The run support was more than enough for right-hander Shaun Marcum, who worked his best outing of the season in five starts for Cleveland. Marcum (3-1, 4.09 ERA) was perfect through the first three innings and didn’t allow a hit until one out in the fifth. He tossed seven shutout innings, surrendering two hits, while striking out five with no walks.
“That was really good,” manager Terry Francona said of Marcum’s outing. “He changed speeds, stayed out of the middle of the plate and didn’t walk anybody.”
It was all about location for Marcum, who pitched to contact with the winds gusting in from the outfield.
“I located the fastball really well today,” said Marcum, who struck out four of the first six batters he faced. “When you do that, it keeps them off the off-speed. I threw well today.
“The guys went out and played really well and scored a lot of runs for me. It was a good day all the way around.”
It was a memorable day for Marcum and an unforgettable one for Giovanny Urshela, who was promoted Tuesday from Triple-A Columbus to replace Lonnie Chisenhall at third base.
Urshela not only notched his first career hit — an RBI single in the decisive third — but he also hit his first home run, launching a two-out solo shot to put the Indians in front 6-0 in the fifth.
“We were all happy for him,” Francona said. “You could see how happy he was, genuine, pure. You don’t get to see that all the time. It’s a once in a lifetime when you get your first major league hit, first major league home run, so that was fun to watch.”
“I was very excited about both hits,” Urshela said. “I was so happy.”
A crowd of over 15,000 fans watched Urshela make personal history. Unfortunately, the family members in attendance from his homeland in Columbia, left in the second inning, missing both of his milestones, according to Urshela.
The 23-year-old Urshela, and fellow youngsters, second baseman Zach Walters (25) and catcher Roberto Perez (26) — the bottom three in the batting order — loomed large in the offensive effort and victory.
The threesome combined to go 5-for-11, driving in five runs.
“I don’t care what their age is. I just want us to win and to play well,” Francona said. “I thought Zach did a good job today, filling in for (Jason Kipnis). He played a good second base and had a big hit for us early. And then (Perez) with two out, he gets the last two (RBIs in the third inning) and that was huge for us.”
Tigers calling up lefty Krol; what about Greene?
By Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press 1:39 p.m. EDT June 11, 2015
The Detroit Tigers will recall left-handed reliever Ian Krol from Triple-A Toledo before Friday night's series opener against the Cleveland Indians (7 p.m., FSD), they announced today.
According to the team, a corresponding roster move will be made tomorrow.
A reliever could be sent down to make room for Krol -- rookie right-hander Angel Nesbitt would be the most likely candidate -- or it could be starting pitcher Shane Greene, who once again struggled in Wednesday night's 12-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Since being sent to the minor leagues April 23, Krol has excelled with the Mud Hens. In 14 appearances, he has an ERA of 1.15 with 18 strikeouts and seven walks in 15 2/3 innings. In six April games with the Tigers, he allowed three runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Indians have a number of left-handed hitters in their everyday lineup.
In addition to the roster move for Krol, the Tigers will have to make another before Saturday's game, in which right-hander Justin Verlander is slated to come off of the 15-day disabled list and make his regular-season debut.
Whether either of the upcoming moves means Greene's time in the rotation is up for the time being, manager Brad Ausmus wouldn't tip his hand. "I wouldn't talk about any decisions if there were a decision to be made," Ausmus said Wednesday.
If Greene gets demoted, left-hander Kyle Ryan likely would take his spot in the rotation.
Ryan has allowed four runs -- three earned -- on 10 hits in 13 innings this season. He threw seven innings of one-run baseball in a spot start against the Chicago White Sox on June 5.
