Early Gausman update and more notes (O's lead 2-1)
By Roch Kubatko
Ubaldo Jimenez walked two batters in the first inning last night and fell behind 3-0 on Carlos Santana's long home run to center field.
Kevin Gausman walked two Indians in the first inning today and escaped the jam, getting a popup and ground ball with two runners in scoring position.
Bad things usually happen when you walk batters.
Steve Pearce lined to center field in the first inning, leaving him in a 5-for-45 slump, but he's hit the ball hard in his last two at-bats. Maybe that's a good sign.
I wrote this morning that right-handers are hitting .317 against Danny Salazar this season, and left-handers are batting .245. Could explain why Pearce and Delmon Young are in today's lineup.
Apparently, the Indians are still miffed at the Orioles for "delaying" Friday night's game in the eighth inning as manager Buck Showalter argued that Corey Kluber's pitch hit Adam Jones on the hand.
The blood running down Jones' finger provided the first clue.
First base umpire Ron Kulpa ruled that Jones, who squared to bunt, offered at the pitch and therefore couldn't be awarded first base. Check swings can't be reviewed, for whatever reason, and Jones had to remain in the batters box.
"I'm not sure what the whole process was they were arguing about," Kluber said earlier today, his quotes shared by Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. "I just thought the whole process took way longer than it needed to.
"I don't know if they were trying to ice me or not. I can't speak for (Showalter) and what his intentions were. If that was the intent, it probably wasn't too good for the game to try and manipulate the system to do that.
"Again, I don't know if that was their intent. They were both pretty adamant about what they were saying about it at the beginning. So I imagine they felt pretty strongly about it."
Earlier today, Showalter confirmed to reporters in Cleveland that Wei-Yin Chen will start Wednesday night's game against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
Leave it to Showalter to snap off the best curve of anyone on the team.
Showalter indicated during the last homestand that Miguel Gonzalez would be recalled from the minors and start Tuesday night. Later, the Orioles listed Chris Tillman as Tuesday's starter, leading to speculation that Gonzalez would take the mound Wednesday.
Gonzalez may have to wait until the weekend series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He's not guaranteed a start, with a bullpen assignment a possibility.
I'd expect Jimenez to go to the bullpen before Gonzalez, but I've clearly been wrong in the past.
Showalter wants to provide extra rest for Chen when it's possible, but the left-hander will work on regular rest Wednesday night. Hence, the curveball thrown by the manager.
Chen seemed less than thrilled with the extended rest Friday night, but we're talking eight days. That's an extreme. He responded by completing seven innings for the third time in his last four starts.
Chen is 1-0 with a 3.13 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox. In his only start in Chicago, he allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Update: Jason Kipnis' bloop single to center field in the fourth inning scored Carlos Santana and broke a scoreless tie.
Santana doubled off the bottom of the left field fence before scoring. Young slowed up as he approached it and couldn't make a play.
Young made a leaping catch to rob Lonnie Chisenhall and save a run. It wasn't pretty, but it worked.
Gausman has thrown 64 pitches in four innings.
Update: J.J. Hardy's two-out RBI single in the sixth tied the game 1-1, and Chris Davis' second double of the game gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead.
Pearce led off with a double and Adam Jones was hit by a pitch, bringing reliever Scott Atchison into the game. Atchison retired the next two batters, but the Orioles finally broke through for their second run in the last 26 innings.
Hardy singled to right field to score Pearce, and Davis poked a double to left to bring home Jones.
Davis has two multi-hit games since July 19.
Steve Pearce lined to center field in the first inning, leaving him in a 5-for-45 slump, but he's hit the ball hard in his last two at-bats. Maybe that's a good sign.
I wrote this morning that right-handers are hitting .317 against Danny Salazar this season, and left-handers are batting .245. Could explain why Pearce and Delmon Young are in today's lineup.
Apparently, the Indians are still miffed at the Orioles for "delaying" Friday night's game in the eighth inning as manager Buck Showalter argued that Corey Kluber's pitch hit Adam Jones on the hand.
The blood running down Jones' finger provided the first clue.
First base umpire Ron Kulpa ruled that Jones, who squared to bunt, offered at the pitch and therefore couldn't be awarded first base. Check swings can't be reviewed, for whatever reason, and Jones had to remain in the batters box.
"I'm not sure what the whole process was they were arguing about," Kluber said earlier today, his quotes shared by Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. "I just thought the whole process took way longer than it needed to.
"I don't know if they were trying to ice me or not. I can't speak for (Showalter) and what his intentions were. If that was the intent, it probably wasn't too good for the game to try and manipulate the system to do that.
"Again, I don't know if that was their intent. They were both pretty adamant about what they were saying about it at the beginning. So I imagine they felt pretty strongly about it."
Earlier today, Showalter confirmed to reporters in Cleveland that Wei-Yin Chen will start Wednesday night's game against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
Leave it to Showalter to snap off the best curve of anyone on the team.
Showalter indicated during the last homestand that Miguel Gonzalez would be recalled from the minors and start Tuesday night. Later, the Orioles listed Chris Tillman as Tuesday's starter, leading to speculation that Gonzalez would take the mound Wednesday.
Gonzalez may have to wait until the weekend series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He's not guaranteed a start, with a bullpen assignment a possibility.
I'd expect Jimenez to go to the bullpen before Gonzalez, but I've clearly been wrong in the past.
Showalter wants to provide extra rest for Chen when it's possible, but the left-hander will work on regular rest Wednesday night. Hence, the curveball thrown by the manager.
Chen seemed less than thrilled with the extended rest Friday night, but we're talking eight days. That's an extreme. He responded by completing seven innings for the third time in his last four starts.
Chen is 1-0 with a 3.13 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox. In his only start in Chicago, he allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Update: Jason Kipnis' bloop single to center field in the fourth inning scored Carlos Santana and broke a scoreless tie.
Santana doubled off the bottom of the left field fence before scoring. Young slowed up as he approached it and couldn't make a play.
Young made a leaping catch to rob Lonnie Chisenhall and save a run. It wasn't pretty, but it worked.
Gausman has thrown 64 pitches in four innings.
Update: J.J. Hardy's two-out RBI single in the sixth tied the game 1-1, and Chris Davis' second double of the game gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead.
Pearce led off with a double and Adam Jones was hit by a pitch, bringing reliever Scott Atchison into the game. Atchison retired the next two batters, but the Orioles finally broke through for their second run in the last 26 innings.
Hardy singled to right field to score Pearce, and Davis poked a double to left to bring home Jones.
Davis has two multi-hit games since July 19.
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