Series #6: @Chicago

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Friday 8:05
Ricardo Rodriguez vs Bartolo Colon

Saturday 2:05
Brian Anderson vs Josh Stewart

Sunday 2:05
Jason Davis vs Mark Buehrle

Monday 2:05
Jake Westbrook vs Jon Garland

Chicago leads the season series 2-1.

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Ricardo Rodriguez (2-0 1.35)
http://mlb.mlb.com/cle/photo/ph_play_mugshot_400156.jpg

vs

Bartolo Colon (1-0 3.32)
http://mlb.mlb.com/cws/photo/ph_play_mugshot_112526.jpg

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Tribe wastes another one
04/19/03
Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter


Chicago- Ricardo Rodriguez didn't pump his fists last night. No fans ran onto the field to attack an umpire or coach.

Maybe it was too cold for such stupid things.

But it was not too cold for Rodriguez to fail to hold leads of 2-0 and 3-2 as the White Sox came from behind to beat the Indians, 5-3, at U.S. Cellular Field.

It's true the Indians' offense didn't do much - it's no accident that they're averaging 3.4 runs per game - but consider- ing that they were fac ing Bartolo Colon on a night where you could see your breath and not feel your fingers, they did all right.

The Indians gave Rodriguez a 2-0 lead in the third on Omar Vizquel's single and Karim Garcia's sacrifice fly. Josh Bard's leadoff double and Casey Blake's single started the rally.

But Rodriguez, the Tribe's best starter, couldn't stop the White Sox. They came right back in the bottom of the second to tie the score, 2-2.

D'Angelo Jimenez tripled off the fence in right and scored on Jose Valentin's single to left. Valentin scored on Magglio Ordonez's two-out double to left.

"You hate to see that happen," said manager Eric Wedge. "When you take a 2-0 lead, you're always looking to go out and shut the other team down in the next inning. Ricardo had done a good job of that up until tonight."

The Indians reclaimed the lead, 3-2, in the fifth. It was an inning that should have ended better.

Vizquel, hitting .500 (4-for-8) against Colon in two starts this season, opened with a double past third. Brandon Phillips singled to right as Vizquel stopped at third. Vizquel scored when Garcia hit into a 4-6-3 double play, but the juice was gone from the inning.

Chicago, with 10 wins in its last 13 games, waited only slightly longer to get back into the game than it did the first time the Tribe took the lead. Carlos Lee drove a 2-2 pitch deep into the left-field stands to tie the score at 3-3 with one out in the sixth.

Rodriguez brought the White Sox to the top step of their dugout when he buzzed Joe Crede, the next hitter, with a head-high pitch. But plate umpire Charlie Reliford issued no warnings as Rodriguez finished what would be his last inning of the night.

"I thought the umpire did a good job of keeping an eye on things," Wedge said.

The Indians out-hit the White Sox, 9-8, and had several scoring chances against Colon.

"He threw a lot more change-ups tonight," Vizquel said of his former teammate. "But whenever he needed the fastball he could reach out and get it."

This is the third straight game in which the Indians have lost a lead in the sixth inning or later. Last night, an error by reliever Jose Santiago in the seventh hurt them.

Billy Traber (0-1), who started the seventh in relief of Rodriguez, walked Jimenez to start the inning. Jimenez stole second and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Valentin. Traber intentionally walked Frank Thomas to bring Santiago into the game.

Ordonez sent a hard grounder back to the mound that Santiago got a glove on, but couldn't hold. Jimenez scored what proved to be the winning run and Santiago made things worse when he threw past first in an effort to get Ordonez.

"Who knows what happens if that ball goes through," Wedge said. "We may have gotten a double play. But that's just a reaction play by Jose."

Colon, as he did so many times as an Indian, started throwing harder in the late innings after he got the lead.

Ellis Burks and Shane Spencer singled in the eighth, but with two outs, Colon struck out Travis Hafner with a fastball that left a vapor trail.

"He reached back for something extra there," Wedge said.

Colon (2-0, 3.21) retired the Indians in order in the ninth for the 20th complete game of his career. It took him 102 pitches.

"I was confident I could throw nine innings and make the right pitches when I had to," Colon said.

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Send in the clowns
04/20/03
Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter


Chicago- Brian Anderson, looking like a man rudely awakened from a deep sleep, somehow pitched five innings yesterday without damaging himself by bumping into the bedroom dresser.

Maybe manager Eric Wedge should have taken him out earlier. Then again, Wedge was probably too preoccupied with the notion of replacing two-thirds of his outfield to bother with Anderson.

Chicago scored six unearned runs in the first inning on the way to a 12-3 victory over the Indians at U.S. Cellular Field. The Indians, 5-12 for the season, have lost 11 of their last 14 games.

As the Indians' record drops closer to Detroit's, Wedge has focused on the "small victories" his club has achieved in spite of losing games. There were no small victories yesterday.

The Indians gave Chicago six outs in the first. First baseman Travis Hafner made the only official error of the inning, but center fielder Milton Bradley and right fielder Karim Garcia were guilty of poor play.

"We were very poor defensively early in the game," said Wedge. "There were some misjudged balls, some poor decisions. I thought Brian did a good job competing with that kind of defense behind him."

The Indians made four errors, three coming on ghastly throws. Garcia made two and Anderson one.

D'Angelo Jimenez, the first of 11 Chicago batters in the first, opened with a bloop single to center. Tony Graffanino sent a bouncer to first and Hafner threw to second to start a 3-6-3 double play. But the throw pulled shortstop John McDonald off the bag and the runners were safe.

"I had a bad angle on the throw to second," said Hafner. "The runner was in my way. It would have been smarter to take the sure out at first."

Anderson came close to ending the inning without drama as he struck out Frank Thomas and retired Magglio Ordonez on a pop to second. Then his outfielders put the drama back in the inning.

Paul Konerko sent a fly ball along the foul line in right. Garcia ran forever in pursuit only to let it fall in front of him to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.

"I hesitated," said Garcia. "That was a mental mistake. I thought the wind was going to push the ball toward the line, but it pushed it back to me."

Carlos Lee singled off the left-field wall to score Graffanino and send Konerko to third. The White Sox led, 2-0, but when Joe Crede sent a liner to center it seemed like Anderson's problems were over.

But Bradley misjudged the ball and let it sail over his head for a two-run double.

"Milton just didn't get good reads on a line drive right at him," said Wedge.

Anderson kept the inning going by hitting Aaron Rowand and giving up a slow-rolling single down the third-base line to Miguel Olivo. Jimenez, 4-for-4 off Anderson, sent a two-run single to center to complete the scoring.

"This is a game I'm going to forget immediately and I hope everybody else in this room does too," said Anderson (2-2, 3.51 ERA).

The Tribe's defense was so bad that only two of the nine runs Anderson allowed were earned.

Garcia's errant throws came in the third and fifth innings. In the third, with Rowand on second and one out, Jimenez singled to right for a 7-1 lead. Garcia's throw home was way off line, but Anderson was backing up the play and threw to second to try and get Jimenez. But the ball bounced into center and Jimenez went to third.

That would be an error for Garcia and Anderson on the same play. The only thing missing was a midget car and 20 clowns tumbling out of it.

"That play summed up the whole game," said Anderson.

In the fifth, Jimenez singled to right with Olivo on first. Garcia made a wild throw past third that almost bounced into the stands. Olivo was waved home for a 9-1 lead.

"I should have [not thrown] both balls," said Garcia.

Rookie Josh Stewart (1-1, 3.71 ERA) went six innings to win his first big-league game. The Tribe's first two runs came on solo homers by Hafner and Casey Blake. Hafner doubled home the Tribe's last run.

Ordonez and Lee homered for the White Sox.

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Jason Davis (1-2 8.36)
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/425186.jpg

vs

Mark Buehrle (2-1 1.57)
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/279824.jpg

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Longballs lead Tribe to victory
By Brooke Tunstall / Special to MLB.com

CHICAGO -- It had all the makings of another Cleveland loss. One of the poorest hitting teams in the American League, riding a four-game losing streak, facing a surging club that was sending their ace to the mound.

But the Indians defied the odds when they jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, beating the Chicago White Sox 7-4 before 14,975 fans who were spending their Easter Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field.

"We did a good job taking this game today," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "We hit well and the pitching did the job and we need to come out with the same approach tomorrow. To put (Saturday's) game behind us and come out and play the way we're capable of, that's a good sign."

With the Sox sending Mark Buehrle and his 1.57 ERA to the hill, the chances of an offensive explosion for the Indians looked slim considering they entered the game batting just .236 as a team.

And with Cleveland (6-12) countering with rookie Jason Davis, who last Easter was pitching Single-A, the White Sox hitters were likely licking their chops.

But Davis (2-2) showed why he has flown through the Indians system, quieting the White Sox bats with 6 2/3 solid innings. Davis scattered seven hits, walked only one and gave up three runs.

"It took me a while to get comfortable out there, to get into a groove," said Davis. "I didn't have my best stuff, but I was able to stay focused and relaxed and still get the key outs I needed to get."

Catcher Josh Bard got a great deal credit from Davis for keeping him focused and calling a strong game.

"Between innings he kept pumping me up, telling me to keep throwing through the target, to trust my stuff," Davis said. "He got this win as much as I did, calling pitches, keeping my concentration up."

Davis continued a pattern of strong outings by Indians' starters, who have gone at least six innings in 16 of 18 games this year. But what made Wedge happiest was how relaxed the 22-year old was Sunday.

"I think he is becoming much more comfortable on the mound" said Wedge. "Today he was getting his splitter and his slider over for strikes. Sometimes it just takes time for a pitcher to get his confidence out there."

Karim Garcia committed two errors Saturday, but atoned for that Sunday by going 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored.

The Indians got to Buehrle (2-2) early, as Ellis Burks hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Shane Spencer followed with a solo blast to make it 3-0. They had a chance to do further damage when two singles and hit batter loaded the bases with two down, but Brandon Phillips grounded out to end the threat.

"That was awesome, you can never get enough of that," Davis said of being spotted to an early lead. "You try to go out there and pitch the same way no matter what the score is, but in the back of your mind, when you get a lead like that you can go out there and be a little more aggressive."

The White Sox (11-7) got one back in the second on an Armando Rios RBI, but Garcia restored the three-run advantage with a solo shot in the fourth.

"Karim was much better today than he was yesterday," said Wedge. "This is a guy who has had a lot of success against left-handers in the past and he really worked hard in pregame getting back to doing what he needs to do to be successful and it really played out for him in the game. It was really critical for him that he prepared as such."

The Indians put the game out of reach in the fifth when Casey Blake chased Buehrle with a two-run. Josh Bard followed with an RBI single to score Blake and make the score 7-1.

D'Angelo Jimenez continued his torrid hitting against the Indians -- he's 9-for-13 in the series -- with a solo homer in the fifth and a Paul Konerko double drove in a run in the sixth to make it 7-3.

Closer Danys Baez made things more interesting than they needed to be in the ninth, surrendering a leadoff homer to Carlos Lee followed by a single to Rios before getting a ground-out and a double play to end the game.

"Danys hadn't pitched in a couple of days and was a little stronger than he wanted to be," said Wedge. "But I was really pleased with how he made an adjustment and settled down and got the ball down. For him to adjust like that is a good sign."

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Jake Westbrook (0-2 0.73)
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/150414.jpg

vs

Jon Garland (0-1 5.82)
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/279782.jpg

LET'S GO WESTIE!!! :dance2:
If he pitches like he has, this game is in the bag!

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04/21/2003 2:06 PM ET
Big bats help Westbrook get win
By Brooke Tunstall / Special to MLB.com

CHICAGO -- Jake Westbrook strengthened his case to avoid being returned to the Cleveland Indians bullpen.

Moved into the rotation early in the season, Westbrook had his third impressive start Monday and with the help of an offensive outburst led by Karim Garcia and Ellis Burks, the Indians defeated the Chicago White, 9-2, before 15,424 fans at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Indians second straight win gave them a series split with the White Sox. It is the first series they haven't lost since taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles to start the season.

"The guys have shown a lot of character and life yesterday and today," said Indians manager Eric Wedge. "We had a tough loss on Saturday (12-3) but I'm beginning to see things turn around the last two games. The hitting has been coming along. The work that's been done in batting practice is starting to show up."

One of the Indians problems this year are bats that have been too quiet. They are second-to-last in the American League in batting average and before Sunday they were averaging only 3.8 runs per game. However, during their modest two-game winning streak, they have scored 16 runs.

"The guys are just being more aggressive at the plate," said Burks. "Even if you miss, those guys (on the opposing team) know you're being aggressive and they can't just pitch you carefully."

Westbrook had a strong Spring Training, going 1-0 with a 1.88 ERA, but it wasn't enough to get him a spot in the Indians starting rotation. His opportunity came after Jason Bere went on the 15-day disabled list April 4 and Westbrook is pitching like he'll be a starter for some time.

"Jake was outstanding today," said Wedge. "He did a great job and he had to fight through a couple of innings. He had command of all his pitches today."

Westbrook shut out the White Sox (11-8) for five innings by keeping them off balance with solid control. Westbrook gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings and in his three starts this season he's allowed just four runs -- three earned -- 17 1/3 innings.

He acknowledged a preference for starting rather than relieving, but stopped short of saying he is pitching too well to be returned to the bullpen.

"I'm much more comfortable as a starter," said Westbrook. "I can approach the game much differently and have the focus I need. But whether I start or not when Jason comes back, that's not up to me. All I can do is go out there and pitch my best. If the way I pitch makes it a tough decision for them so be it, but I'm not worrying about starting or the bullpen when I'm out there. I'm just trying to stay focused and get guys out."

While Westbrook (1-2) was shutting down the White Sox, the Indians' batters were teeing off on White Sox starter Jon Garland (0-2).

Garcia got the Indians (7-12) started with a two-run home run in the first inning.

"After we got a couple of runs in the first inning, he started to press," said Garcia. "He never went back to being himself."

In the second, Milton Bradley doubled, driving in two more runs to make it 4-0. Bradley has now hit safely in 17 of 18 games this year.

Burks, who hit his first home run of the season Sunday, hit a pair of solo blasts Monday to put the game out of reach. The first one, in the third, chased Garland and his second came off reliever Rick White. Sandwiched between them in the fourth inning, Omar Vizquel tripled in Brandon Phillips.

"I'm not doing anything differently," said Burks, "I'm just trying to see the ball early, pick it up coming out of his hand. But, I'm not doing anything that I wasn't doing before."

The White Sox didn't get to Westbrook until the sixth inning, when Maglio Ordonez extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a double. Carlos Lee followed with a home run to make it 7-2, the fifth straight game in which Lee has homered.

Garcia added an exclamation point to the afternoon with another two-run blast, giving him three home runs in the past two games and a team-leading five on the year. The two-homer games for Garcia and Burks were the first of the season for Cleveland.