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The season is drawing to a close as the Indians prepare to face the Red Sox in a series of no consequence. There's still some other interesting stuff going on in baseball, though, so let's have a look at that:
Yesterday's game: Twins 4, Indians 2
Trevor Bauer had a solid final outing, but his bullpen and defense failed him in the late innings.
- LGT recap (me)
- Cleveland.com recap (Zack Meisel)
- Indians.com recap (Rhett Bollinger and Jordan Bastian)
Indians news & notes
Brantley becomes vocal presence for Tribe | Indians.com - Injuries have taken their toll on Michael Brantley this season, but that hasn't stopped him from taking on a larger leadership role. Now one of the Tribe's grizzled veterans - this is seventh season with the team - Brantley has traded in respectful deference for confident yet quiet authority.
Brantley proving 2014 was no fluke | Did the Tribe Win Last Night? - Bookended by a back injury and a shoulder injury, Michael Brantley still managed to put up some fine numbers to prove that his breakout in 2014 wasn't a flash in the pan. His leadership may have been essential, but without his on-field play the Tribe may not even be sniffing .500.
Jose Ramirez's presence in the leadoff spot not a complete coincidence | Cleveland.com - After the Twin's mouthy reaction to Jose's Wednesday post-homer bat flip, Terry Francona chose to bat Ramirez in the leadoff spot Thursday. Tito doesn't seem to be a follower of the Bud Norris School of Baseball Etiquette:
The one thing I really like about Jose is, he's kind of fearless out there. You could tell that when they walked Kip, he took that as a [slight]. And I love that. I just don't think it had to go past that. What he did was enough.
Tidbits from around MLB
- The Jackasses won their 10,000th game in franchise history and, in the process, clinched their spot in the Wild Card game
- Fangraphs' Dave Cameron is wracking his brain trying to figure out who to vote for for NL Cy Young, so he's written an article about who he would vote for in a hypothetical NL MVP ballot
- That's OK, though, because Craig Calcaterra isn't afraid to talk about who should and who will win the Cy Young awards
- Apparently, they're making a spinoff of the "hit" 90's "show" Full House, so here's a picture of Andre Ethier with the cast
- 14-year veteran Jeremy Affeldt has announced his retirement
- Max Scherzer is the latest Nationals teammate to try to choke out Bryce Harper