A Look Back At The Week Ahead; May 20 to May 26

May 20

The interesting stat about this day isn't the sparkling .570 winning percentage. It has to be that the Pythag for this date is only .515. Now normally that wouldn't be too crazy, but also taking into account that the Indians have broken double digits nine times while their opponents have only done it six times. So the disparity isn't from a random amount of blowout losses. The longest winning streak was six games from 1963 to 1970. And we have yet to beat Seattle on this date. In 1937, the Indians smacked around the Red Sox in Fenway by a 16-5 tally. Johnny Marcum started for the Sawx and allowed one in the first and two more in the second, getting pulled in favor of Fritz Ostermuller who allowed two more. Johnny Allen was unable to protect the 5-0 lead, giving up four in the bottom of the third, with Willis Hudlin relieving him. Ostermuller was mostly effective until the seventh, where he gave up three more runs. Heading into the top of the eighth, the Indians led 9-4, but exploded for seven more runs off of Archie McKain and Ted Olson. The hitting star for the day was shortstop Lyn Lary, going three for six, three runs, three RBI, two triples and a double. Jeff Heath drove in four while also going three for six with a triple. Third baseman Roy Hughes was three for three with four runs scored and two stolen bases. Hudlin pitched 6.1 strong innings, scattering six hits, the lone blemish a Pinky Higgins homer. Hudlin himself went two for three with a stolen base.

May 21

The longest streak on this date was seven games, from 1957 to 1965. Our 2013 opponent, the Tigers, has beaten us five out of seven so far, with the last meeting back in 2003, a 4-0 Tribe home win. One of the wilder games was a twelve inning 12-7 victory in Kansas City in 1977. Wayne Garland had one of his few effective outings in this one, throwing 6.2 innings, allowing a solo homer to Hal McRae among his five hits and two walks. Jim Kern put out the mini-fire in the seventh and the Tribe led 5-1 on an RBI triple by Rick Manning, an RBI groundout by Duane Kuiper, a Buddy Bell sacrifice fly and a two run homer by Manning, all off of Doug Bird. Steve Mingori threw three scoreless innings for the Royals, but Marty Pattin put out Mingori's flames in the sixth. Pattin would allow two runs of his own doing on back to back RBI doubles by Bell and Fred Kendall. Kern would let the Royals back into the game with a three run homer by McRae. Heading to the bottom of the ninth, Kern got two groundouts, but Freddie Patek singled. Sid Monge allowed Patek to steal second and then walked Joe Zdeb. Tom Buskey gave up an RBI single to John Wathan and then Don Hood lost the lead completely on a two run triple by Dave Nelson. Al Fitzmorris, the fifth pitcher of the ninth, finally ended the inning. The Royals threatened again in the tenth, a Freddie Patek double and two intentional walks, but Rick Waits struck out pitcher Mark Littel. Little folded in the twelfth, a leadoff walk, steal and passed ball to put Kuiper at third, and he scored on a sacrifice fly from Jim Norris. Frank Duffy singled in two more and Buddy Bell wrapped up the five run inning with a two run double.

May 22

While there have been many opponents on this date, the schedule makers have doubled up quite a bit in back to back seasons. The Philadelphia Athletics were the opponents in three games straight from 1902 to 1906 and four games straight from 1916 to 1920. The Red Sox got three straight from 1921 to 1923, the Brewers three straight from 1985 to 1987, the Tigers for four straight (all losses) from 1999 to 2003 and the Reds three straight from 2009 to 2011. That game in 2011 was a 12-4 victory at Progressive Field. Our misunderstood Carlos Carrasco escaped the first by picking off LGFuT Drew Stubbs after an Asdrubal Cabrera error, but did allow Joey Votto to go yard. Edison Volquez was a bit more unlucky, with Droobs atoning for the error with a two run shot, and Travis Buck and Shin-Soo Choo both scoring when Ramon Hernandez threw into center on Buck's steal attempt. Choo plated one more in the second. Michael Brantley scored Austin Kearns on a lineout to center and Droobs had an RBI single in the third. Carrasco allowed a solo shot to Jay Bruce in the fourth and two more in the sixth on a Votto double and a Brandon Phillips groundout. Droobs extended the lead to 8-4 on another homer, this time off of Sam LeCure. Jordan Smith gave up for more in the seventh on a Jack Hannahan double, a Brantley double, another Droobs single and a Choo sacrifice fly. Droobs finished with five RBI.

May 23

The Tribe is currently on a four game win streak, which is only halfway to the longest streak of eight from 1948 to 1958. Although the Athletics have been one of the most common opponents on this date, that is mainly because the Naps faced them eight straight times from 1902 to 1911. Let's look at the 7-1 victory over the Seattle Pilots in 1969 in Cleveland. The expansion Pilots were five games better than the Indians at this point of the season, but couldn't generate much off of Dick Ellsworth. Ellsworth threw a complete game, allowing only four hits and a walk and one unearned run. That lone run came in the first when Dick Simpson was safe on shortstop Larry Brown's error and scored when Hawk Harrelson bobbles Wayne's Comers single to right. The only other danger Ellsworth had was in the third when there was a leadoff double by Tommy Harper, a walk to Simpson and a double steal. But two flies to center and a grounder got him out of the inning. Meanwhile the Tribe offense pecked away at the Pilot's staff scoring in five different innings. Mike Marshall gave up three singles back to back to back in the first with Lee Maye scoring Zoilo Versailles. Maye brought another run in on a sacrifice fly after an RBI triple by Jose Cardenal in the third. Marshall walked in a run in the fourth as well. The Tribe got two more in the fifth on an RBI single by Larry Brown and an error by right fielder Comer. The final tally was in the seventh on a Tony Horton single.

May 24

The longest streak on this date is six games, which has happened thrice, from 1902 to 1909, from 1945 to 1953, and from 1976 to 1983. Something about this date brings dominating performances against the Twins. In 2006 we beat them 11-0 in the Metrodome, and in 1951, the Tribe beat the Senators 16-0 at Griffith Stadium. No surprise that this shutout was tossed by none other than Rapid Robert. The surprise though is that he only struck out three. He only allowed three baserunners, a single to Gil Coan in the first, an Eddie Yost single in the sixth, and a walk to Irv Noren in the fourth who was erased on a line drive double play. The Indians on the other hand, busted out for five in the first and six in the third, all off of Sid Hudson. The big hits were a three run triple by Jim Hegan in the first and a three run homer by Larry Doby in the third. Bob Ross relieved in the third and allowed a solo run in the seventh and four more in the ninth on a Bobby Avila double, a Ray Boone single and an Al Rosen double.

May 25

From 1996 to 2003 the Tribe ripped off eight straight wins. The Red Sox don't like to see the Indians on this date, as we have beaten them nine of thirteen. There is no disparity in Fenway either, with us beating them five of seven there. On our last trip there we beat them 6-4 in 2003. Jason Davis started against Casey Fossum. The Tribe got two in the first on a Milton Bradley double. Kevin Millar got one back in the bottom half on a RBI single. Bradley doubled home another in the third and Shane Spencer scored Bradley on a sacrifice fly. Matt Lawton doubled home John McDonald in the fourth and the Tribe was up 5-1. Spencer got the final Indian run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh off Rudy Seanez. Meanwhile, Davis was cruising along after the rough first inning. He stranded a leadoff double by Johnny Damon in the third while walking none and striking out two from the second through seventh innings. He even got the first two in the eighth before Johnny Damon singled, Todd Walker doubled and Nomar Garciaparra doubled them both in. After a Billy Traber walk to Manny Ramirez, Kevin Millar doubled two more in off of David Riske before Riske struck out Trot Nixon to end the threat. Danys Baez closed it out, only allowing a walk.

May 26

The Tribe hasn't fared too well on this date lately, losing nine of the last twelve. The longest losing streak was seven game period from 1984 to 1991. Historically, the Indians have dominated the Orioles/Browns. That is not true on this date however, with the Tribe only winning eight of 25 games. In fact, the Tribe has never beaten the Oriole version of the franchise, going 0-8 against them. The last victory was 2-0 way back in 1946 in Sportman's Park III in the second half of a doubleheader. The Browns started Jack Kramer who was undefeated at the time and the Indians sent out Steve Gromek. This was definitely a pitcher's duel and the teams combined for only nine hits. Gromek only gave up four of them and did not issue a walk in his complete game. Kramer wasn't quite as sharp as he walked four in addition to the four hits he allowed. The scoreless tie was broken in the seventh on a two run double by pinch hitter Les Fleming, driving in Mickey Rocco and Hank Edwards.