Michael Young's first inning home run was all the offense the Rangers needed. Of course, this was par for the course for Kevin Millwood, who pitched eight solid innings and received his tenth loss.
Chris Young dominated the Indians' lineup. Tribe hitters were constantly late on Young's fastball, and seemed to have trouble picking up the ball. To some extent, the former basketball player's delivery is similar to that of Scott Elarton; like Elarton, Young is a tall right-hander who doesn't throw that fast. Young also has a short-armed delivery, relying on deception to some extent to get hitters out. And the Indians simply could not center the ball tonight; most outs were weak fly balls.
Speaking of Colorado rejects, the Indians claimed one today; the newest Indian is RHP Jason Young. The Stanford grad was drafted by the Rockies in the second round of the 2000 draft, and pitched very well until reaching AAA in 2002. Since then he's bounced between Denver and Colorado Springs, in addition to spending time on the Disabled List. One of Young's main weapons is his curve, so the Indians may think a return to normal altitude will right Young's sinkng ship.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Indians DFAd RHP Francisco Cruceta. Francisco has been a major disappointment during his time in the organization, and has really stagnated in Buffalo. There's a good chance that Cruceta won't clear waivers, but remember that Cruceta is out of options after the season, so whoever claims him has to place him on their 25-man roster next year. Cruceta is the younger pitcher, and doesn't have the injury history that Young does. But Young probably has the higher upside, and perhaps a change of scenery may be good for him. In my view, this is the Indians trading one disappointment for another, although there are some parallels between Scott Elarton and Jason Young (injuries, curve isn't effective in Colorado).