Eleven was the number of the day.  Cliff Lee struck out eleven Giants and joined Joe Saunders and Brandon Webb as the league leaders in wins with eleven.  He paced Cleveland to a 4-1 win, avoiding the series sweep against the San Francisco Giants.

Brian Horwitz, the biggest contributor to Lee’s victory, struck out three times and was 0-3 on the night, with Rich Aurilia and Travis Denker picking up a pair each.  These three, the five, six and seven hitters highlighted Lee’s second inning strike out of the side.  Lee repeated the feat in the top of the seventh, getting three K’s on the same three gents after giving up a lead-off single to Molina.  On the night, he gave up one run on three hits.

Joe Borowski came on in the ninth and shut down the Giants, only allowing Rowand on base after a Casey Blake error.  He registered his sixth save of the season.

The Indians offense put up four runs on eight hits.  In the bottom of the third, they broke a 0-0 tie by putting up three runs.  Kelly Shoppach opened the third with a single.  After a Grady Sizemore fly-out, Jamey Carroll tripled to left, scoring Shoppach.  Ben Francisco earned a free pass on four pitches, and Jhonny Peralta cashed in the walk by hitting a double, scoring both Carroll and Francisco.  Shin-Soo Choo and Casey Blake both flied out, ending the inning.

The Giants got one of those three back in the fourth.  After an Aaron Rowand double to center, Aurilia singled with two out, scoring Rowand.

It was the only inning all night the Giants strung together a pair of hits against the lights-out Lee. 

Cleveland got their fourth run in the bottom of the fourth.  With two outs, Shoppach doubled, and Sizemore walked, bringing up Jamey Carrol.  He singled home Shoppach for the second time of the night, giving him two RBI’s total. The win, while keeping them in the basement, does move them into a tie for last with the idle Kansas City Royals and they are STILL only 7.5 games out of first place in a weak, tight AL Central.

The Minnesota Twins are the hottest team in the division, on a nine game tear and just a half game out of first place.

The Indians host the Cincinnati Reds in a three game set that opens Friday at 7:05.  They hope to get off on the right foot with lefty C.C. Sabathia, who’s 5-8 on the season with a 4.06 ERA.  He has a chance to break into the threes in ERA against Daryl Thompson.  Thomson is making his second big league start of his career.  He’s 0-0 with an ERA of 0.00.  In his first outing, he went five innings, giving up four hits and no runs against the New York Yankees. 

Can the Indians offense break out against the rookie? 

Cleveland will be looking for payback.  The Reds swept the Indians in their first series meeting this year and were the team that started a seven game losing streak for the Tribe. 

The weather wasn’t the only thing gloomy in Cleveland on Wednesday.  The Indians will have to rely on Cliff Lee Thursday evening to keep them from being swept in their own ballpark after a second straight loss to the San Francisco Giants. 

Down 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth, watching the Indians try to mount a comeback was similar to tuning into NASCAR and not witnessing a wreck.  Unlike NASCAR, where the possibility of a crash is always exists, you just knew the Tribe was not going to come back from a three run deficit.  Sadly, it would have been the same feeling if they were down by one.

With the loss, the Indians slip to last place in the AL Central.  Even worse?  The Kansas City Royals passed up the Tribe by sweeping the Colorado Rockies, the very same Colorado Rockies that beat Cleveland three straight just a week ago.  Even worse than that?  The Indians made a 6.72 2 win11 loss Barry Zito look like a Cy Young candidate.

One can only hope this is really rock-bottom.

Jeremy Sowers started rocky for the Tribe, giving up two runs in the first inning.  He gave up three total, the other coming in the top of the third, going seven inning, giving up nine hits and three runs, and dropping to 0-3 on the season with the loss.  All in all, it wasn’t that bad of a start.

Rafael Betancourt continued his run of hard luck pitching, allowing the fourth and final San Francisco score in the eighth on a John Bowker home-run.

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Joe Borowski didn’t look much better, coming on in the top of the ninth and allowing a pair of singles and an almost fifth run, except for a great home-plate blocking effort and tag by Kelly Shoppach that prevented Ray Durham from scoring and accounted for the third out.

Unfortunately, a Giant player was the only one that came close to the plate in the ninth; the Indians going quietly in the bottom half of the inning.

The Giant’s first two runs came after three of the first four batters loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk.  Aaron Rowand delivered a two RBI single to center, scoring Jose Castillo and Randy Winn.  Sowers then got Rick Aurilla to ground into a double play, getting out of the inning.

In the top of the third, Castillo homered, making it 3-0 Giants.

The Indians got on the board in the bottom of the seventh.  Zito was pulled after Shoppach drilled a double to deep center field.  Shin-Soo Choo came on as a pinch hitter and singled Shoppach home, accounting for the Indians only run of the night.

All told, the Indians scattered six hits, plating just one.  The Giants tagged the Tribe for twelve hits.

These two wrap up their series at Progressive Field in Cleveland Ohio on Thursday.  The good news for Cleveland fans is the forecast is a high probability of thunderstorms.  The better news is Cleveland ace Cliff Lee will be on the mound seeking his eleventh win.  He takes his 10-1 win-loss record and 2.45 ERA up against San Francisco’s Matt Cain.  Cain is 4-5 on the year with a 4.31 ERA.  After watching Zito break out of his season-long funk against the Indians, Cain is probably thinking Thursday is Christmas.  Game time is 7:05.

Thanks for coming back Omar.  Thanks a lot.  It was great seeing you.  Well, kind of.

The Indians lost 3-2 Tuesday, and it was at the hands of ex-Indian Omar Vizquel.  After a completely boneheaded play by the Tribe that gave the Giants a 2-1 lead, Omar laid down the perfect squeeze bunt, giving San Fran a 3-1 cushion; that extra run was one they would end up needing.

Aaron Laffey was a victim yet again, pitching great and not getting the win due to no run support.  While Johnathan Sanchez of the Giants had a lot to do with that, the Indians just cannot seem to hit.

The entire contest was a microcosm of the success and failure of the Indians this season.  The starting pitching was great.  The offense was non-existent.  The relief pitching was shaky.  Game summary – 2008 season summary in a nutshell.

Grady Sizemore led off the game with a single and gave the NL a taste of its own medicine.  After stealing second, he moved to third on a wild pitch.  After a Jhonny Peralta walk, Ryan Garko singled Sizemore home.  1-0 Tribe in NL style.  Peralta made it to third, but the Indians couldn’t plate him in usual offensive lack of production.

In the second, San Fran would answer back.  Bengie Molina singled and Aaron Rowand was hit by a pitch, moving Molina over.  Rich Aurilla grounded into a double play, but Jose Casillo came through with a big two-out single, scoring Molina.  Brian Horwitz walked, but Vizquel grounded out to end the inning. 

That was when Laffey and Sanchez took over the game, making it a pitchers duel.  Laffey went six and two thirds, giving up four hits and one run.  Sanchez lasted seven and two-thirds, giving up five hits and one run as well.

Laffey was pulled in the bottom of the sixth after getting in a spot of trouble.  Betancourt came on and got the third out, bailing Laffey from a bases-loaded jam.

He’d paint himself into a corner in the eighth.  After walking Ray Durham with one out, Randy Winn singled, sending Durham to third.  Betancourt struck out Molina, giving himself a way out of the inning unscathed.

Then, "it" happened. 

Winn stole second, and for some reason, Shoppach tried to throw him out.  He got the throwing error, and Durham scored, breaking the 1-1 tie.  Why with two out the Indians didn’t just concede second was inexplicable.  One pitch later Rowand popped out ending the inning.  Can’t blame this one on Betancourt.

Masa Kobayashi came on in the top of the ninth and could not find the strike zone, unusual for Kobayashi.  He ended up with runners on second and third and one out, when Vizquel delivered a beautiful squeeze play bunt, scoring Aurilla.  This run proved to be the difference in the game.

The Indians threatened to tie things up in the bottom of the ninth.  Fransico and Peralta had consecutive singles.  After a Garko strike-out, Dellucci came on as a pinch hitter and hit a grounder that got Peralta at second, although it did score Francisco.  With two out, Shin-Soo Choo walked, but Shoppach struck out to end the game.

Wednesday is the second of the three meetings between these two teams.  Game-time is 7:05.  Barry Zito versus Jeremy Sowers.  Zito is 2-11 on the year with a 6.32 ERA.  Sowers is 0-2 with a 6.57 ERA. 

Seeing the ERA’s, you’d expect this one to be a high scoring affair, but seeing the Indians offense, probably not.

Grady Sizemore is the only Indians player with a likely shot at the All Star game.  Online voting is free and you can voe up to 25 times prior to 11:59 PM on Wednesday, July 2nd, so don't delay, vote today!  Yes, that did sound like a commercial and somewhat Dr. Suess-ish. 

Typically hitting a milestone is something that is tough.  Paul Byrd has a different issue.  He can’t get off the milestone.  Since recording his 100^th win, Byrd is 0-3. 

On Sunday, he gave up four runs in the first, then retired 12 of the next 13 batters and went seven inning, but ended up with a 4-3 loss as the Indians offense could not come back from a four run deficit.  The Dodgers avoided the sweep with the win.

It only took four batters and L.A. was up 4-0.  Pierre opened the game with a single.  Kemp double to left, Loney doubled to right scoring both Pierre and Kemp.  Martin homered. 4-0. 

Too bad there are no mulligans in baseball.  Byrd allowed one more hit in the bottom of the first, but the game was already over.

In the top of the third, the Indians got all three of their runs, with the top of the order providing the fireworks.  Grady Sizemore led off with a single.  Carroll singled, making it first and third, nobody out.  Choo grounded into a fielder’s choice, with Carroll out at second and Sizemore scoring. Jhonny Peralta walked, then Ryan Garko singled Choo home and Peralta to second.  Billingsley threw a wild pitch, moving both runners into scoring position.  Blake grounded out, but score Peralta, giving the Indians two outs.  David Dellucci then got plunked, making it runners on the corners.  Kelly Shoppach struck out.  Game over.

Sure there were other moments in the game, but that was it for the scoring. 

The most notable opportunity for the Tribe was the top of the fifth.  Peralta singled, and after a Garko strike-out, and a Blake Fly-out, Dellucci sent one to the corner in right.  Right fielder Ethier cut the ball off, relayed to second baseman Maza, who threw to Martin, pegging Peralta a home and preserving the lead.  While Peralta was out by a mile, the play made a lot of sense.  The Dodgers could have easily walked the next hitter Shoppach, and pitched to Byrd, putting the onus on Manager Eric Wedge to pull him after he’d been on a roll.  With the out at home, it didn’t matter.

Four Dodger pitchers held the Indians scoreless.  Beimel, Sweeney, and Broxton all registered holds.  Salto got the save. 

Byrd was saddled with the loss.  Perez relieved Byrd in the Eighth and pitched one inning of shaky two-hit ball even though he didn’t allow a run.

The Indians return to Cleveland on Tuesday, taking on the San Francisco Giants.  Omar Visquel, long-time Indians shortstop and fan-favorite, returns to Cleveland as the Giant’s shortstop.

Gametime is 7:05.  Sanchez against Laffey.

Up bfour in the bottom, the Indians give up two pair in the eighth and ninth, sending the contest into extra frames, but win 6-4.

On a night when Cliff Lee when seven and a third strong, gave up one run on six hits, and had a 4-1 lead, almost everyone in the Cleveland bullpen let him down and he ends up with his second no decision in a row after win possibilities late into both his last starts.

Masa Kobayashi saved the Tribe, but not Lee, by closing down the Dodgers in the bottom of the tenth after Cleveland scored a pair to go back on top 6-4.  Joe Borowski gets the default win after a blown save.

Clayton Kershaw gave up four runs on four hits through five, and the trio of Proctor, Troncoso and Wade shut the Indians offense down, while the Dodger offense mounted a comeback.  Takashi Saito gave up the winning two in the top of the tenth, taking the loss.

Kelly Shoppach put the Indians on the board with a home-run to left in the third after Casey Blake reached first on an infield single and went to second on a throwing error.  That made it 2-0. 

Cleveland irked out another run in the top of the fourth.  Shin-Soo Choo walked on four pitches and Casey Blake doubled, but was out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.  In the meantime, Choo came around to score prior to the out, making it 3-0 Tribe.

They added another in the top of the sixth, a run scored on lead-off walk. Jamey Carroll was the recipient this time, as was Francisco.  Proctor almost got the Dodgers out of the two-on no-out jam by striking out Garko and Choo, but Jhonny Peralta delivered a big two-out single, scoring Carroll and putting the Indians up 4-0.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers finally got to Lee, well sort of.  After getting Pierre to ground-out, Lee gave up a single to Kemp.  Rafael Betancourt came on in relief of Lee, giving up a double to Jeff Kent and scoring Kemp.  That was the one lone run charged to Lee on the evening.  Perez relieved Betancourt, and he gave up a single to Loney, scoring Kent, but struck out LaRoche and Ethier, making it 4-2 Tribe.

In the ninth, the Dodgers would tie it up.  Job Borowski came on, giving up a single to Berroa and a double to Martin.  With runners on second and third and nobody out, Browoski struck out a pinch-hitting DeWitt.  Peirre then pulled off an infield single that scored Berroa, and he promptly stole second.  With the potential winning run in scoring position, Borowski got Kent to ground out to short, but that scored Martin and blew Lee’s win.  Worse, the Indians were on the cusp of losing.  Loney was intentionally walked, loading the bases for LaRoche.  He flied out to end the inning.

In the top of the tenth, the Dodgers put Saito on the mound and he promptly walked Carroll..  Francisco singled, as did Garko, loading up the bases for the Indians.  Gutierrez hit a grounder that the Dodgers brought home, getting Carrroll out at the plate, and picking off Francisco from third on a bad base-running blunder.  Peralta delivered a two out double, scoring Garko and Gutierrez, and staking the Indians to a 6-4 lead.  That would be it for the Indians.

Masa Kobayash game in for the Tribe, getting two quick groundouts before surrendering a single to Martin.  He went to second after being ignored at first, but DeWitt grounded out to short, ending the game.

This was the Indians first win in four chances after being swept by Colorado.  The Minnesota Twins also won, with the rest of the AL Central losing.

These two repeat the 10:05 start, C.C. Sabathia goes up against Chan Ho Park. 

The last three days have been like a broken record.  Colorado wins, the record skips, Colorado wins, the record skips, and Colorado wins 6-3. 

The only different on Thursday was the Indians jumped out to the early lead, something the Rockies accomplished in the first two games.  Unlike the Indians though, Colorado overcame the early deficit and won.

Jeremy Sowers pitched six innings, scattering ten hits and giving up four runs, three of them earned.  Jose De La Rosa also went six, gave up four hits and three runs, but had a whopping ten strikeouts.  He goes to 2-3 on the year.  Sowers remained winless with an 0-2 mark. 

The win got the Rockies out of the cellar in the NL West.  The Indians moved one step closer to the cellar, holding a slim lead over the Kansas City Royals.

It was a bad day to lose in the AL Central.  Everybody won, with the exception of the Detroit Tigers.  They had the night off.

The Indians opened the game with Grady Sizemore beating out a grounder to first for a single.  Colorado misplayed covering the base, and it could have went as a hit or an error.  After stealing second and Carroll grounding out, Ben Francisco homered and made it 2-0 Tribe.

Colorado, as they did all series, got one of the runs back in the bottom of the first.  Quintanilla hit an infield single and took second on a past ball badly misplayed by Indians catcher Kelly Shoppach.  Holliday immediately singled to center, scoring Quintanilla.  2-1 Tribe.

In the fourth, the Rockies strung together three hits, tying the game at two apiece.  Atkins hit an infield single, Hawbe doubled, and Torrealba had the second infield single of the inning to score Atkins.

In the bottom of the fifth, Colorado moved into the lead NL style.  Taveras bunted his way on and ended up on second on a Casey Blake error.  Quintanilla sac-bunted Taveras to third, and Holliday singled him home.

The Indians tied it up in the top of the sixth on a home run by Blake.  That would be as close as the Indians would come to whiffing victory this whole series.

Baker homered in the bottom half the sixth, and the Rockies pulled away.

Masa Kobayashi came on for the Tribe in the seventh, and surrendered three hits and two runs. 

Joe Borowski worked the bottom of the eighth since he hasn’t pitched in a while, giving up a double and striking out Quintanilla to end the inning.

The Indians finished the game with three runs on five hits.  Colorado had six runs on fourteen hits.

Corpas and Buchholz each earned a hold, both pitching a hitless and scoreless inning.  Fuentas earned his thirteenth save of the season.

Cleveland takes on the L.A. Dodgers at 10:40 PM; Lee against Kershaw.

Colorado remains at home for a 9:05 start against the New York Mets; Maine versus Cook.

The legend of Coors field and the ability to generate tons of offense in the high altitude is definitely lost on Cleveland and its fans.  In more of a pitchers duel, if Indians fans stayed up late, it wasn’t to watch Cleveland’s offense.

Jeff Francis pitched six strong innings against a weak Indians hitting corps, giving up five hits, one run and striking out two, besting lefty counter-part Aaron Laffey, who also went six, giving up eight hits, three earned runs, three walks and a strikeout.  Both starters were the pitchers of record, Francis with the win, Laffey with the loss as Colorado can sweep the series Thursday evening with a win. 

Colorado opened up a 2-0 lead through five, then matched the Indians runs each inning, holding their margin of victory through the rest of the game. 

Jason Grilli and Taylor Buchholz each earned a hold, and Brian Fuentez rang up his twelfth save of the year for Colorado. 

Rafael Betancourt pitched two innings in relief for the Indians, surrendering the insurance run when the game was 3-2 Colorado.

The Rockies first run came on a pair of doubles.  The first two-bagger came off the bat of Jeff Baker.  After Chris Iannetta was hit by a pitch, Omar Quintanilla scored Baker with a double of his own.

In the forth, Baker crossed the plate again, this time on his own accord, homering to left on a 2-2 count.

The Indians opened up the top of the sixth with the automatic out to pitcher Aaron Laffey.  Grady Sizemore was hit by a pitch, and Jamey Carroll doubled scoring Sizemore all the way from first, drawing the Tribe to within one.  Ben Francisco flied out, moving Carroll to third.  Ryan Garko, the second batter to get hit in the inning, went to first.  With a golden opportunity to tie it up, Jhonny Peralta flied out, ending the inning.

That darn Baker guy ended up crossing the plate for a third time after he was safe at first on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and was singled home by Quintanilla.

The Indians brought it back to a one run affair in the top of the seventh.  Casey Blake led off the inning with a single.  Dellucci came on to pinch hit for Gutierrez and struck out.  Kelly Shoppach walked, and Shin-Soo Choo pinch-hit for Laffey.  On a past ball, Blake and Shoppach moved up a base, so with one out, the Indians were poised again for a big hit to tie up the game.  Coo did sac-fly Blake home, and Sizemore was intentionally walked.  Carroll struck out, yet another opportunity blown.

The Rockies took the lead right back to two on a Taveras infield single, a stolen base, a throwing error on the play that moved Taveras to third, and a sac-fly by Spilborghs.  Although Betancourt gave up a run, he pitch well and the run should not have plated.

That ended the scoring on the night.  Rockies win the second of three.

The finale is Thursday night.  Jeremy Sowers versus Jorge De La Rosa.  Game time is 9:05. 

De La Rosa is coming off his best start of the year but still sports a 6.89 ERA on the season and a 1-3 record.  Sowers is 0-1 with a 7.23 ERA.  For the second night in a row, it will be Lefty against Lefty.

With Andy Marte out of options and sitting the bench, does it appear the Tribe is on the verge of a trade or release?  They pick up Morgan Ensberg, an MLB veteran, on a minor league contract with the Buffalo Bisons.  Check out the full story here

It will take two games in a row for the Indians to continue their series winning streak.   Losing 10-2 opening a three game set will do that to you.

Coors Field did not live up to its scoring-friendly reputation for the Indians, although they did manage nine hits during the contest.  Pit that against seventeen hits and ten runs for Colorado though, and you can kiss the baby.  Man these Indians are frustrating.

With the Boston Celtics winning the NBA title in a dramatic blowout, now the only major sport to really concentrate on is baseball.  I suppose you could count golf in there.  Nah, not really.  Tennis?  Another nope.  Nascar?  Oh, all right, I’ll give you Nascar.  If my choice is cars driving around in a circle waiting for a collision or a grand slam walk-off homerun, I’ll take the homer, assuming of course its not against the Tribe, a feat seen way to many times this year.

Paul Byrd stunk for the second outing in a row, giving up nine hits and five runs in just four innings of work.  This on the heels of the announcement Fausto Carmona is still feeling some pain in his hip after a three inning rehab assignment and he’ll be shelved again does not make the Indians once bullet-proof starting rotation any more comfortable.

Colorado’s Greg Reynolds looked like a lock to be sent back to the minors, until he mystified Indians hitting during his best outing of the year, going six innings and surrendering only one run. 

The Rockies led off the scoring in this one, and never looked back.  A pair of two run home-runs in the third and fourth innings gave them a 4-0 lead before the Indians got on the board in the top of the fifth.

Jhonny Peralta, the leader of the offense on this particular evening with three hits, led off the inning with a triple to right.  RBI road-man extraordinaire Casey Blake sac-flied him home.

The Rockies got the run right back in the bottom of the inning.  A single by Baker and a Holliday double scored Baker and earned pitcher Byrd a trip to the bench.  Elarton came on and got out of the inning but could not escape the sixth.

Colorado added two more in the sixth on a Reynolds single, a Holliday single, a Helton walk, and an Atkins single that scored Reynolds and Holliday.  Scott Elarton has been a bright spot since being called up in mid-relief, but didn’t have it on this particular evening.

The Rockies would add another three spot in the bottom of the seventh, this time with Bauer on the hill.  Iannetta singled, Quintanilla double, and Taveras tripled, plating the two on base.  Holliday single Taveras home, accounting for the three scores. 

The Indians added a run on two hits in the top of the eighth.  Jamey Carroll led off the inning with a triple.  Ryan Garko sac-flied him home.  After Shin-Soo Choo was hit by a pitch and Peralta singled, it looked like the Indians might string something together, especially with Blake coming up.  He flied out to center to end the inning.

The Tribe lost ground on both the White Sox and the Twins in the AL Central.  Inter-league play resumes Wednesday night with the lefty match-up of Aaron Laffey versus Jeff Francis.  Game time is 9:05.