MVN - Most Valuable Network

Reds complete series domination with 9-5 win over hapless Indians; trade rumors abound

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Cincinnati	0	0	0	0	5	0	3	0	1		9	14	2
CLEVELAND	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	2		5	11	0
W: Bronson Arroyo (5-7), L: Aaron Laffey (4-5) HR: CIN–Edwin Encarnacion (13), Adam Dunn (20); CLE–Grady Sizemore (19), Ben Francisco (6)

Aren’t the Indians supposed to be better than the Cincinnati Reds?

Aaron Laffey gave up a five-run fifth inning on Sunday afternoon, breaking open a scoreless game, as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Tribe 9-5, and took the season series 5 games to 1 in winning the Ohio Cup. Talk about embarrassing.

Laffey started off as solid as he’s been all season. He retired his first five batters before hitting Adam Dunn with a pitch in the second. Javier Valentin followed with a double, but a nice relay throw from Jhonny Peralta to Kelly Shoppach was in time to tag out Dunn at the plate.

After a 1-2-3 third inning, things started getting dicey for Laffey. Back-to-back, lead-off singles by Jeff Keppinger and Ken Griffey Jr. put runners on first and second. A double play ball seemed to get Laffey out of the jam, but a walk by Edwin Encarnacion and another Adam Dunn beaning loaded the bases. Javier Valentin’s fielder’s choice ended the inning, and it looked like the balls were bouncing right for Laffey…until the fifth inning.

Laffey gave up two one-out hits to lead off the fifth inning, only this time a single to Dan Ross and a double to Jerry Hairston Jr., putting two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Laffey, really struggling with control earlier in the game, threw a wild pitch, scoring Ross and advancing Hairston. Keppinger then doubled home Hairston Jr. Ken Griffey nearly broke the game open with a deep fly out to the track, but Brandon Phillips made sure the blood-letting wasn’t over with a run-scoring single. Edwin Encarnacion then hit a two-run homer, putting an exclamation point on the inning for the Reds.

Laffey’s day was over, and a three-run, Adam Dunn home run (say that three times fast) off of Tribe reliever Rick Bauer would essentially end the game in the seventh inning for the struggling Indians.

Cleveland begins an eight-game stretch with the A.L. Central on Monday, when they play at the Chicago White Sox. This should decide the Indians course of action as the July freight train heads to the trade deadline at the end of the month. Cleveland, who we all thought would be buyers this season, are on the verge of a firesale, starting with ace C.C. Sabathia. Once that dam is broken, who knows who else could be heading to greener pastures. It’s possible the Indians could turn things around against their own division, but without stars Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona, it’s doubtful. It’s not like those guys were making all that big a difference anyways. The guys not injured aren’t exactly putting a scare in anyone right now. The all-star break more than likely will bring a bunch of changes to the reservation.

In case you weren’t watching, Grady Sizemore hit his 19th home run, and stole his 19th base yesterday. He seems to be heading towards the 30-30 club this season, but you have to wonder if the power increase isn’t Sizemore having to swing for the fences with VMart and Hafner out. I’m still a firm believer that he’s better suited to the three-hole, but until the Indians get a more viable candidate for the lead-off slot, it’s not going to happen. I would love to see the Indians go out and actually get one, but of course, we don’t want Mark Shapiro to sell away our future. Seriously, we need to make sure we keep these alternating good-bad seasons going for the foreseeable future.

Tomorrow, I’m going to do a big piece on Sabathia, and my thoughts on him leaving. I think it’s a mistake to think we have to deal off our big guns. It’s a mistake that Shapiro has really built into our thinking, and I think it’s ridiculous. But more on that tomorrow. With that said, the Rays are considering renting some players. I know there has been a glut of fans from other cities essentially saying that it’s ridiculous to think that Sabathia is worth three great prospects. I can’t help but laugh at that. Here’s what I know about Sabathia: he’s going to win wherever he goes. Aside from last year’s playoffs, I’ve never seen him wound tight. He has the perfect mentality as a starter. He’s a team player, wants to win, and always takes credit for mistakes, but gives credit for his wins to his teammates. This guy is gold in the clubhouse. He would be a steal for a team like the Rays, and teach them how not only to continue to win, but take it to the next level.

You have to love the irony! Not only are the Rays said to be the front-runners for Sabathia, but also for Pirates’ outfielder Jason Bay. I’m an old school Indians’ fan, and have felt the pain of the 70’s and 80’s. I know this should only be a bump in the road for me, these losses, but seeing a club like the Rays, who are in the same boat as the Indians, going after OUR guy, and a guy that WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN, makes me sick.

On to Chicago. I really hope that the Indians turn it around this week, and force that jackass Shapiro to actually have to go out and spend. Sorry…but being sellers in what should have been OUR MARKET makes me sick.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 30th, 2008 at 8:57 am and is filed under Ben Francisco, Mark Shapiro, Aaron Laffey, Fausto Carmona, Ken Griffey Jr., Jake Westbrook, Tampa Bay Rays, VMart, Javier Valentin, Jeff Keppinger, Jerry Hairston Jr., Rick Bauer, Tribe Loss, Kelly Shoppach, Travis Hafner, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Bronson Arroyo, Jason Bay, A.L. Central, Cincinnati Reds, Jhonny Peralta, Edwin Encarnacion, Victor Martinez, James Pete, Grady Sizemore, Adam Dunn, C.C. Sabathia, Tribe Report. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.