Cleveland Sports Forum

We're in a pennant race with a super huge three games coming up.


Let's sweep the Kitty Litter of Detroit.


This week I'll pay close attention to The Cleveland Indians, and will pay closer attention to giving attention and homage to the destruction, death and sorrow of September 11, 2001.

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:
But we've all watched enough baseball to know that miracles can happen regardless of the next three game outcomes.

Not ever for Cleveland teams to this point of my lifetime, but hey...we're due.

yeah we definetly need a miracle to go our way for once.

All we need is the good pitching our staff is capable of. This will be a real test of their makeup since the Tigers are hitting the hell out of the ball. I watched that 18-2 game last night, it was painful and scary.

Maybe they'll do like we do and score a shit ton in one game then the bats go to sleep for the next for games.

Indians kick off critical set against first-place Tigers
By Quinn Roberts / MLB.com | 9/5/2011 12:14 AM ET

While Ubaldo Jimenez had only three career starts against the Tigers before coming over to the American League at the Trade Deadline, he'll face off against them Monday for the third time since becoming a member of the Indians.

In a crucial three-game series for the Tribe, who sit 6 1/2 games back of Detroit in the American League Central, Jimenez can get the club off on the right foot in Monday's opener at Progressive Field.

Jimenez pitched a gem against Detroit on Aug. 10, giving up three runs in eight innings for the win. He wasn't able to repeat his success on Aug. 21, though, unraveling to the tune of eight runs on nine hits in just 3 1/3 innings of a losing effort.

However, this time around, Jimenez (2-1, 5.56 ERA with Cleveland) could get an added boost from the Indians' offense, with Grady Sizemore potentially returning from the disabled list on Monday.

Even second baseman Jason Kipnis is on target to come off the DL during the coming week.

"I think at some point," Indian manager Manny Acta said, "we're going to be able to add both of them."

Yet, an improved Indians lineup should be no problem for Detroit's Doug Fister, who took a perfect game into the seventh inning of his last start.

Against the Royals on Tuesday, Fister (3-1, 2.97 ERA since being traded by the Mariners to the Tigers) mowed down hitters one by one, giving up only one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings of work. However, the right-hander took the no-decision in an eventual 2-1 walk-off win.

"He just changed speeds and used both sides of the plate," manager Jim Leyland said after the start. "He threw some other stuff behind in the count and got ahead very good as well. He pitched."

Tigers: Alburquerque activated

• Before Sunday's game against the White Sox, Detroit activated right-hander Al Alburquerque from the DL. Alburquerque had been on the disabled list since Aug. 12 after being hit in the head with a batting practice line drive and sustaining a concussion. The reliever is 5-1 on the season with a 2.19 ERA in 34 appearances.

• Alburquerque is rejoining a strong group. Tigers relievers have compiled a 2.25 ERA (24 earned runs in 96 innings) and 84 strikeouts over the club's last 30 games dating back to Aug. 4.

• Catcher Alex Avila has hit safely in 25 of his last 30 games, batting .354 (39-for-105) with nine doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 21 RBIs. Avila also has reached base safely in 29 of his 30 games dating back to Aug. 2.

Indians: Hafner could return by end of month

• The Indians are holding out hope that designated hitter Travis Hafner (right foot strain) will be able to come off the disabled list before the end of the month. Hafner still has a few hurdles to clear in his recovery process.

"He needs to progress to batting practice on the field," Acta said. "We're expecting him to be joining us, but I don't think he's as close as [Jason] Kipnis and Grady [Sizemore]."

• On Sunday, Asdrubal Cabrera was back at shortstop and in the three-hole in the Cleveland lineup -- two days after knee pain forced him off the field.

"It didn't hit him directly in the bone," Acta said. "So that was a break we caught there. He's been just a gamer the whole season. He has played through a lot of minor injuries and stayed out there."

• A 9-6 win over the Royals on Sunday gave the Indians their third straight series win.

Worth noting
• Indians reliever Vinnie Pestano has not allowed a run in his last 13 2/3 innings, and over his last 16 appearances, he has allowed just one earned run.

• Tigers outfielder Ryan Raburn is hitting .303 (40-for-132) with eight doubles, a triple, six home runs and 17 RBIs over his last 43 games.

G Sizemore CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .237 .304 .466
K Fukudome RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .282 .325 .394
A Cabrera SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 .277 .338 .467
C Santana 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .239 .349 .443
J Thome DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 .235 .341 .457
S Duncan LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .260 .321 .447
L Chisenhall 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .235 .271 .379
J Donald 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .291 .329 .418
L Marson C 0 0 0 0 0 0 .232 .311 .308
Totals 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cleveland Indians
Pitchers IP H R ER BB SO HR PC-ST ERA
U Jimenez 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0-0 4.70

Huh....2 strikeouts for Jimenez....guess what they were fastballs.

Imagine that.

What a beginning - he struck out the side!

That was a nice way to start the game.

5 Ks for Ubaldo already!

So much for the good start. Martinez makes it 3-0.

Really gotta stop wasting stuff like bases loaded and 1 out without scoring anything.

Why is Sizemore leading off? I was gonna ask that earlier...but forgot.

Maybe we can get something going

Dang VMart. 3 runs seems like a huge deficit for this team.

‎3-1 Detroit, 7th inning

Fister just keeps mowing our guys down.

Smith works himself into a bases loaded 1 out jam, and then served up a DP ball that could have gotten us out of the jam. Donald makes a bad throw on the turn at second and blows the DP, 4-1 Tigers. Smith finished.