CC Sabathia had his worst outing in two months, Bob Howry gave up his fourth home run of the season, and the Indians still managed pull out a win. Don't ask me how, but they did.
It was easy to see why Sabathia was out of the game after five innings; he couldn't spot his fastball. The fifth inning showed many signs of previous struggles; the first runner gets on via a walk/infield hit, and Sabathia can't throw strikes from the stretch.
The bright spot in the game (beside the win, of course) was Fernando Cabrera. Because Raffy Betancourt wasn't available, Wedge was almost forced to go with Fernando, and he didn't disappoint; he dispatched the Royals with ease, allowing the Indians to get to Bob Howry with the lead. I'd think you'll see Cabrera and Betancourt trade off middle relief stints down the stretch. Betancourt is better with rest, and Cabrera has the stamina to go multiple innings at a time.
Some notes:
- One of my favorite former Indians is back with the team; Ellis Burks has been hired as a special assistant to Baseball Operations. Ellis lives in the area, and with three minor-league teams in Northeast Ohio, it's a great fit for him and the organization.
- The Jason Stanford saga continues. The Indians pitcher was arrested last week for disorderly conduct, and now has compounded his troubles by missing a court appearance.
- The Indians finally lost a one-game playoff homefield advantage. Previously, the Indians won coin flips with New York, Chicago, and Oakland, meanig they would host a one-game playoff in case of a tie. With Boston losing their lead in the AL East, MLB had to hold another coin flip. This time, the Indians lost; if the Tribe and Red Sox tie for the Wild Card lead, the playoff game will be in Fenway.