Look What We Found

There were three big problems facing the Indians heading in to Tuesday. The bullpen has been shaky. Losing your closer after 4 save opportunities with two blown is always a tough way to start a season. The second was offensive production. 79 runs in 19 games won't get it done, especially in the AL. That's less than 4 runs per game and if you don't include the 21 they scored in two games, it's down near 3 runs per game. The final problem was the disappearance of Ace pitcher CC Sabathia. He had an ERA over 13 through four games. He had three losses and a 15:14 K:BB ratio. But boy oh boy look what we found last night.

CC was throwing like a man possessed. He went six scoreless innings striking out 11 Royals including six in the first two innings. He only threw six innings because he was just over 100 pitches (67 for strikes) and the Indians were up 10-0. It was a good chance to see some of the bullpen guys get some work. Also, it wasn't worth running him back out to give him a chance to burn up some of the confidence he gained and so desperately needed. With news that Jake Westbrook will miss a few starts it was essential for CC to get back on track and he certainly did in this one.

The offense finally got rolling in this one too. The offense as a whole has been disappointing. Three runs a game is disappointing from a team that scored better than five a game last year. A team that returns every starter from last year's playoff team. After 20 games, the team's leading RBI man hits ninth. The team's left field platoon reached disastrous levels. Even Indians golden boy Grady Sizemore was struggling (.216 AVG in the last 10 games). Last night it all seemed to change. Sizemore beat out an infield single for an RBI, drew a walk, and scored a run. Dellucci, the platoon guy for the night, raised his average to .275 after hitting a HR, driving in two, and scoring a run on a 2-5 night.

The Indians offense as a whole really seemed to have it going last night: fifteen runs, including three home runs each by a different player and nine extra base hits. As an Indians fan I can only hope the bats stay hot and somehow Hafner finds some holes. He hit it hard three or four times last night including a deep opposite field sac fly and two line drives that if not right at someone would have been hits. If we get the big guy in the middle rolling, look out AL Central.

Overall, the game was very promising. If the Indians can continue to get quality starts from Lee and Carmona (and Westbrook when he returns) and get the kinds of starts from Byrd and CC that we've seen in each of their last starts, the Indians will have a chance to win every game, offense be damned. However, with the boom of the offense and the ability to put runs up in every inning from every spot in the order, the pitching could end up being a luxury on top of a mid-90's-esque offense.

Even if only one of these facets has truly been righted in this win, it will be enough for the other to catch up. And as fans from that team on the lake, we can only hope that eventually they will.