Recap
Box Score
Win Probability Added @ Fangraphs
Highest WPA:
Franklin Gutierrez .036
Tom Mastny .016
Josh Barfield .011
Lowest WPA:
Jhonny Peralta -.133
Casey Blake -.112
Grady Sizemore -.122
To call the Indians' offense pathetic this weekend would be an understatement. The pitching staff allowed a grand total of 10 runs over the three-game series, and no more than four runs in a single game. Given Washington's pitching (13th in NL ERA), that should have been more than enough to win the series. Instead, the Indians came dangerously close to being swept.
Jake Westbrook was decent in his return from the DL, going seven innings and keeping the team in the game. It was a vintage Westbrook performance, not especially aesthetically pleasing, but still productive. His sinker was back, and the downward movement on it portends good things the rest of the season.
But the major concern with this team is the offense, which still ranks third in the AL in runs, but hasn't been consistently good in almost a month. The main problem is still Travis Hafner's long descent into league-average, and while guys like Casey Blake and Victor Martinez have done a good job in picking up for Hafner's absent run-production, they can't be expected to do it over the long haul. This weekend, the offense was top-to-bottom bad, and while this series should not be seen as representative of the team's true offensive ability, it does plant some seeds of concern in your mind.
Next Up: If the Indians had problems against one of baseball's worst rotations, what will they do against one of baseball's best? Sabathia vs. Gaudin, 7:05 PM