O's drop game one of road trip 13-8 at Cleveland
The Indians hit three homers and eight different players drove in runs as Cleveland beat the Orioles 13-8 in game one of a four-game series Monday night. The Orioles have allowed 28 runs in losing the last two games.
Asdrubal Cabrera, Ben Francisco and Andy Gonzalez homered as the Tribe banged out 13 hits off five O's pitchers. Starter Dennis Sarfate gave up seven runs in four innings.
Nick Markakis had two doubles, a triple and a season-high 4 RBI. Aubrey Huff added a solo homer, extending his hitting streak to 19 games.
Cleveland has won four in a row and is 16-11 over its last 27 games. The O's fall to 5-5 in August and 11-13 in the second-half.
Cleveland scored three in the 7th to quickly move right back in front, 10-8. A botched rundown play by the O's helped the rally; and Cabrera's hot smash off Melvin Mora's glove was an RBI double and potentially could have been an inning-ending double play. Jamey Carroll and Grady Sizemore added RBIs in the 7th for the Indians.
Francisco and Gonzalez homered off Jamie Walker in the 8th to make it a 13-8 game.
The Orioles, who trailed 5-0 in the second, scored five runs in the seventh to take an 8-7 lead. Starter Fausto Carmona walked Ramon Hernandez and Jay Payton with one out. After singles by Alex Cintron and Brian Roberts made it a 7-4 game, Edward Mujica replaced Carmona.
Markakis greeted him with a three-run triple to right that tied the game, 7-7. Then Mora's sac fly to right gave the O's an 8-7 lead, their first lead of the night. It's Mora's 9th RBI in three games and his 79th on the season.
The Indians picked up two runs in the 5th to lead 7-3. Francisco and Jhonny Peralta led off the inning drawing walks and then Alberto Castillo replaced Sarfate. Later, Ryan Garko came up with an RBI single and Castillo hit Sal Fasano with the bases loaded and the 7th run scored. Cleveland got two runs on one hit in the 5th.
Huff hit a solo homer leading off the 4th to cut Cleveland's lead to 5-3. Huff's 24th of the year, a line drive shot to right, extended his current hitting streak to 19 games.
The Orioles pulled to within 5-2, scoring twice in the third. Hernandez led off with a walk and Payton singled. With one out, Roberts scored a run with a groundout and Markakis' RBI double to center plated Baltimore's second run.
Number nine hitter, Cabrera, led off the second inning with a homer for a 5-0 Indian lead. It's his 4th of the season.
Cleveland scored four in the first inning for a 4-0 lead. After a leadoff walk to Grady Sizemore, David Dellucci tripled to right for a 1-0 lead. The next batter, Francisco, singled to left and it was a 2-0 Cleveland lead. Later, Ryan Garko added a sac fly and Sal Fasano's RBI single capped the four-run outburst.
Balt 8-9-1
Clev 13-13-0
Postgame Notes
Burn This Tape
The O's have had a lot of solid efforts this year. This wasn't even close. Defensive lapses and miscues in the first and seventh innings really hurt. The Indians scored a total of 7 runs in those innings. Alex Cintron failed to step on second base to record an out and Ramon Hernandez, running a Tribe runner back to third base, failed to throw the ball to anyone and the runner got back safely. There were others as well, but why dwell on it. The pitching allowed 13 hits, 3 homers, 6 walks, 2 hit batters and 2 wild pitches. No need to overanalyze this one. Let's try again Tuesday.
Not His Night
Three poor starts for Dennis Sarfate has his grip on his rotation spot looking rather loose at this point. His control has been very poor and tonight he couldn't get his curve over and left most everything else up. He allowed 7 runs, 6 earned in four frames. In three starts he has given up 13 hits and 14 earned runs with 11 walks in 11 innings.
Final Notes
The 28 runs allowed is the most the O's have given up in back-to-back games on the season.....The team ERA has risen from 4.65 to 4.80 in two days.....After the O's gave up one run combined to Texas on Friday and Saturday, they've now allowed 28 runs, 27 earned the last two games covering 17 innings pitched......No Indians player had more than two hits or RBI but 8 different Tribe players drove in runs.
The O's have scored 33 runs the past four games, but are just 2-2.....Aubrey Huff's solo homer in the 4th was his only hit in five at bats.....But he now has a 19-game batting streak during which he is hitting .390......Brian Roberts was 1-5 with an RBI and his hitting streak reaches 13 games....He is batting .370 during his streak......Melvin Mora went 0-4 with an RBI as his 8-game batting streak ended.........Mora had five straight multi-hit games before Monday.
Nick Markakis had a season-high 4-RBI night.....He has had six 3-RBI games this year including two in his last 5 games, that gives him 10 RBI over those last five games and 14 RBI over his last 7 contests...His career-high for RBI is 5.....He also had a season-high three extra-base hits with two doubles and a triple......Luke Scott went 1-4 and is 8-18 during a five-game hitting streak.
The O's have scored 85 runs over their last 13 games, scoring 6.5 per game. They are averaging 5.8 runs per game and batting .302 as a team since the All-Star break.
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog
28 Runs, Two Games
As I type this, the Indians could get more, but so far they have 13 runs and that's 28 allowed by the O's the last two days, the worst back to back pitching efforts of the year. Also, this contest should get a nomination for the the O's poorest performance of the year. If not number one, it's right up there.
Liz Good Outing
At Triple-A tonight, Radhames Liz had a good start. He pitched six innings for Norfolk vs. Toledo, giving up five hits and just one run. He walked four, fanned eight and threw 100 pitches. His ERA for Norfolk is 3.99. Lefty Nathan Nery pitched six shutout innings of four-hit ball in his start for Delmarva tonight.
Can't Keep Doing This
Normally I would not say remove Sarfate from the rotation after three starts. But he's just a mess out there right now and it won't do him or the team any good to keep this going. He's pitched a total of 11 innings in three starts. It's now hurting the team for the next night or two after he pitches since the pen has to cover so many innings. He now needs to find himself and stop trying to throw so hard in side sessions with Rick Kranitz.
It's time for Hayden Penn, Brad Bergesen or David Hernandez. In my opinion the latter two deserve it more than Penn, but a change must be made.
Sarfate's three starts: 11 IP, 13H, 14ER, 11BB, 10K, 3 HR
His ERA as a starter is 11.45. The guy still has potential, but he's got to find the strike zone and stop pressing. His confidence seems to fall with each walk. Time to try and get him right, but not in the rotation.
Huff's Homer
His solo shot leading off the 4th extends his hitting streak to 19 games. It's his second homer in two days and his 5th during the streak and his 10th over his last 34 games. It's his 24th of the season, nine more than last year. It's the most he has hit in a season since he hit 29 for Tampa in 2004. His career-high is 34 homers and he got that in 2003.
Minor League Notes
Brian Burres has not allowed a run since joining Triple-A Norfolk. He pitched two scoreless frames to get a win Sunday and has thrown 5 innings without allowing a run in three games for the Tides. At Double-A Bowie, CF Jonathon Tucker is batting .478 (11-23) during a six-game hitting streak with two homers and 4 RBI. Aberdeen 3B Tyler Kolodny hit a bottom of the ninth Grand Slam as the IronBirds beat State College, 9-8, on Sunday. At Bluefield, 1B Elvin Polanco is batting .375 over his last 8 games with 8 RBI.
That Was Awful
Brutal bottom of the first with Cleveland taking a 4-0 lead. Sarfate, who starts the game pitching from the stretch, allows a leadoff walk and four hits. They get a chance for a 1-6-3 double play, but the second base ump rules Alex Cintron never touched second base. Cintron either touched it or got within inches, you seldom see that call made. Guy can't catch a break right now. The O's are hoping Sarfate can go deep, but after four runs, and 30 pitches, how far can he go ? Meanwhile, Carmona looked sharp in the first, but I expect the O's to get to him tonight.
Road Trip is Underway
Are the O's in store for another solid road trip ? Game one in Cleveland is underway. Both clubs have been hitting well recently, the O's scoring 6.4 runs per game over their last 12 and Cleveland is scoring 5.6 runs per game over their last 27 contests. Check back here often tonight for news and updates.
Starting Lineups
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
3B Melvin Mora
DH Aubrey Huff
1B Kevin Millar
LF Luke Scott
C Ramon Hernandez
CF Jay Payton
SS Alex Cintron
P Dennis Sarfate
Indians
CF Grady Sizemore
LF David Dellucci
RF Ben Francisco
SS Jhonny Peralta
DH Shin-Soo Choo
1B Ryan Garko
C Sal Fasano
3B Andy Marte
2B Asbrubal Cabrera
P Fausto Carmona
Trembley's Talk
The skipper told reporters in Cleveland today that the O's training staff prefers Juan Castro to sit out one more day, so he was a late scratch from the lineup. Trembley said Castro wanted to play tonight.
Trembley says Fernando Cabrera or Rocky Cherry could move into the role that Chad Bradford held before he was traded.
"Cabrera is showing better mechanics and more consistent velocity," Trembley said. "He's very effective vs. right-handed batters with that arm angle." Cabrera has pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings over his last three games.
The team is still monitoring Hayden Penn, who was skipped in the Norfolk rotation after he felt some shoulder stiffness in a recent side session.
Final Pre-Game Fodder
The Orioles and Cleveland last played in May of 2007, 461 days ago. Since then, Cleveland has played Detroit, 30 times.......Grady Sizemore is third in the AL with 27 homers and is on pace for 38 homers and 38 steals.......While Cleveland is 15-11 over 26 games, the Tribe is 30-45 over its last 75 games......Cleveland starters over the last 14 games, are 7-4, 3.56 and the Tribe leads the Majors pitching 12 shutouts.
Game Preview
Orioles (56-60) at Cleveland (52-64)
After scoring 25 runs and taking two of three from Texas over the weekend, tonight the Orioles begin a seven-game, seven-day road trip in Cleveland. They'll play four versus the Indians and then it's on to Detroit for a three-game series.
The Orioles went 5-4 on their last road trip and are 25-36 this season in road games. The Orioles have won 3 of their last 5 and 8 of 13 games. They are 11-12 since the All-Star break.
The Orioles had 43 hits in the Texas series and hit .374 with six homers vs. Rangers' pitching. They have hit .304 and are averaging 5.7 runs per game in the second-half.
Brian Roberts, who went 4-4 Sunday, was 7-11 vs. Texas with four doubles and six runs scored. He is batting .388 during a 12-game hitting streak. Aubrey Huff is batting .403-4-14 during his 18-game batting streak.
Despite their poor record, the Indians just swept a three-game series from Toronto, winning 4-0 Sunday as Cliff Lee won his AL-leading, 16th game. Cleveland just concluded a 5-4 road trip and is 15-11 over its last 26 contests.
The Indians' record was 41-53 at the All-Star break and that was its worst mark at their break since 1992. The Tribe lost ten straight from June 28-July 9, its longest losing streak since 1979. The Indians are 11-11 in the second half.
This is the first meeting of these teams on the year. The Birds were 3-4 vs. Cleveland in 2007 and have lost the season series vs. the Indians in six of the last seven years.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Dennis Sarfate (4-2, 4.58) tonight will make his 48th appearance of the season, his 3rd as a starter and the first of his career vs. Cleveland.
Sarfate gave up five runs in three innings in his last start, last Monday vs. the Angels. In his two starts since moving into the rotation, he is 0-1, 10.29. He has allowed 8 hits and 8 earned runs over seven innings with six walks and two homers allowed.
Sarfate, who has an ERA of 3.78 as a reliever, has walked 45 in 57 innings. The O's are 0-2 in his two starts so far.
The 27-year-old, who was drafted in round nine by Milwaukee in 2001, has made 26 appearances on the road this year, two starts, and is 2-2, 4.13. He gives up an average of .232 vs. right-handed batters and just .191 vs. left-handed hitters.
Sarfate, who made 107 starts in his 174 Minor League games, has never pitched against the Cleveland Indians.
RHP Fausto Carmona (5-4, 4.46) tonight is set to make his 13th start of the season, his 9th at home and his first this year vs. the Orioles.
Carmona, a 19-game winner last year, missed about two months this season due to a strained hip. He returned from the DL in late July, and in three starts since then, is 1-2, 10.66 (15ER in 12 2/3 IP). Before the injury sent him to the DL in late May, he was 4-2, 3.10.
In 2007, Carmona had a breakout season, going 19-8, 3.06. His 19 wins were the most by a Tribe pitcher since 1984 and he finished 4th in the Cy Young voting. His 2.26 ERA in the second-half was the best in the Majors after the All-Star game.
This season, in 70 2/3, he has given up 69 hits and 43 walks, but allowed only two home runs. The Indians are 6-7 when he starts.
Carmona, who was Cleveland's Minor League pitcher of the year in 2003, has made 8 starts at home this season and is 4-3, 4.78.
Carmona vs. the O's:
2008: 0 appearances
2007: 2-0, 0.59 in two starts (1 ER - 15 1/3 IP)
Career: 2-2, 3.52 in five games, three starts, covering 23 innings
Orioles Hitters, 2008 Road Games Only
Castro: .103-1-3
Cintron: .219-0-2
Hernandez: .230-5-22
Huff: .301-9-36
Markakis: .320-8-35
Millar: .226-8-29
Mora: .235-5-31
Montanez: .500-1-1
Payton: .248-4-21
Quiroz: .183-1-8
Roberts: .295-3-19
Scott: .222-9-21
I expect the O's to make a run at Mark Teixeira but so will many others of course. I think there is a solid chance that Wieters is the starting catcher by opening day next year. There may be someone new at shortstop that the O's acquire in the off-season.
can you give me what you think the orioles lineup will be next year.