https://twitter.com/cycle_jim/status/597473133487136769

https://twitter.com/Coreyshoemaker7/status/597047885184815105

Side note, I dare you to search “indians suck” on Twitter.

What’s the Damage?

 

Facepalm.

The Royals are only 5-5 in their last ten and still have a game over the second-place Kitties. Tribe fans can take some solace in the fact that it isn’t just us that Mike Moustakas is crushing this year, it’s everyone (.319/.338/.448). The same goes for pretty much their entire lineup, as the baby blue bullies lead the majors in hitting by a whopping 13 points.

Everyone’s (least) favorite felines are right in the mix per usual, although they’re on a two-game slide after dropping the last two games in KC this past weekend. David Price tripped over a bat like an IDIOT and strained his hammy, so he’ll miss his next start, and catcher Alex Avila has “loose bodies” in his left knee which may require surgery. You just hate to see that. Gotta keep those bodies tight, Al.

The Twins are four games over .500. Who let that happen?

Right. Leave it to us to be assaulted by a 39-year-old and his band of misfits.

I can now accurately type Jeff Samardzija’s name without looking it up, since I own him in fantasy and his season has basically been a start followed by four days of me bitching. Struggling would be an understatement, for him and his new squad (although, go figure, they’re 3 for 5 against us this year). 2014 3rd overall pick Carlos Rodon (LHP) was brilliant in his first career start last week. He was born in 1992. In December. Lol.

In Other News

• Kip’s too hot (hot damn). Call the police and the fireman.

Since moving to the leadoff spot on April 26:

.356/.441/.627, 5 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 8 BB, 6 K

In the month of May, he’s third in the majors in average and OBP and leads everyone with a 1.1 offensive WAR. When he made the All-Star team in 2013,  his best month was June, in which he hit:

.419/.517/.699, 12 2B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 20 BB, 22 K

Dance, jump on it.

• The past couple weeks have seen two Tribe starters heading in opposite directions. After a sickeningly hot start, Trevor Bauer has posted consecutive clunkers. He was tagged for 6 earned runs in 4.1 innings against Toronto on the 3rd, then another 5 this past weekend by the Twins. For those who watched, even those early starts were plagued by walks and the ever-present threat of the big inning, but Bauer was able to extinguish those threats with strikeouts. He hasn’t been able to do that recently. with a total of 8 strikeouts in his last three starts combined. His pitch mixes are the same-ish, given the fact that those are bound to vary with someone who a) has as many pitches and b) is as big of a “feel” pitcher as Bauer is. I still really like him and am hoping his bout with food poising is to blame for knocking him off track.

Danny Salazar is trending in the opposite direction. Check this stat:

Is that good? Did he break it?

In his five starts this year, he’s struck out 10, 11, 7, 9 and 11 batters. That’s 48 total, which is good for 7th in the majors. He also leads the bigs in K/9 and K%. Relying a lot less on his fastball than he has in the past, he’s mixing in his curve and change a lot more this year and making hitters look silly when he goes from 95 at the nipples to 80 in the dirt.

• Just for shits and gigs, I thought I’d look at attendance numbers this season to see what impact the renovations (and, conversely, the product on the field) have had. So far in 2015 we’re averaging 15,928 fans at home games. That’s down from 18,428 last year and 19,661 in 2013. Obviously it’s still early, fans don’t go to 35 degree games in April and we haven’t been through a playoff push yet, so as I’m typing this now I realize this probably isn’t the most insightful paragraph I’ve ever written, but hey. This is Bottlegate folks.

https://twitter.com/TommySullivan24/status/597451933511753728

 

 

 

 

ps I have no words

https://twitter.com/Coreyshoemaker7/status/597449886301294592

 

 

KEEP THE CHIEF