Recap
Box Score
Win Probability Added @ Fangraphs
Highest WPA:
Jason Michaels .432
Joe Borowski .168
Rafael Betancourt .124
Lowest WPA:
Jhonny Peralta -.125
Trot Nixon -.068
Mike Rouse -.062
Because Paul Byrd was able to recover from early-inning struggles to give the Indians seven innings of work, he not only saved the bullpen for future games, but kept the offense within a reasonable distance of the lead. The former accomplishment should not be underestimated, given how thin the back end of the bullpen is now.
I think Trot Nixon is done as an everyday player. Perhaps it's the regular play that's wore him down, but even if that's not the case, it's very difficult to justify giving him more playing time than Franklin Gutierrez or Jason Michaels, both of whom are much better defensively and offensively right now. He's still useful to the Indians, at least as long as David Dellucci's sidelined, but his usefulness as a starting corner outfielder has evaporated.
Cautionary stat of the day: Josh Barfield is hitting .326 in June, but he hasn't drawn a walk in over a month.
Promising stat of the day: From June 1-June 24, Travis Hafner had two extra-base hits. In the past four games, he has three.
Up Next: The Indians welcome Tampa Bay to town. Westbrook vs. Jackson, 7:05 PM