C-Town vs K.C. Aug-1, 2004

[Alex]

Just some notes from the game. C.C. versus Darrell May.

2nd inning, Merloni hit the ball hard but right at the third baseman. Hafner worked the count for a walk after being down in the count.

Hafner laid off some low balls after swinging at missing at a low sinker. Hafner has done a fine job adjusting within the same at bat.

Laker just got a hit to left and Hafner, running on contact and sure the ball would drop, makes it to third!

Coco has been steady the past two months, averaging around .280 for both months. Coco just hit a ball to the left field warning track, not too far from being a home run.

Hafner scores from third!

1-1 tie.

Grady takes the first three pitches for balls. Grady mashes the 3-1 count for a hard hit to right field, Laker goes to third.

Belliard has been popping up a bit more than I would like, although he did have three straight doubles yesterday.

Belliard hits a floater to right center for a single! Laker scores and Sizemore goes to third. 47th RBI for Belliard!

Here comes Omar the Barbarian! Omar has a 13 game hitting streak on the line. Omar working the count and fouling off a two strike pitch. Omar flys out to right field.

2-1 tribe in the middle of the second inning.

[Alex]

Adventures in base stealing. K.C. stole a base and the throw from Vic bounced to the shortstop side of the base as Belliard couldn't hold the throw.

Grady backed it up well enough to keep the runner at second. Then a single to right scores the runner from second and Matt doesn't make a throw home.

The runner from first then tries to steal second and Vic AGAIN throws the ball on a hop but Omar applies the tag in time.

2-2 tie after 3 innings.

Actually, the runner may have been safe because Omar tagged him on the inside thigh but I think because Omar was waiting to tag the runner the ump called him out, no one argued the call.

Matt was wise to not throw home which would have allowed base runner to go to second uncontested. Instead the runner was on first and was gunned down at second.

Vic needs to work on his throw, over half of Vic's throws to second that I have seen bounce before they reach second.

[Alex]

Coco drills a pitch to left field for a double!

Coco gets a decent amount of extra base hits. Truly a poor mans Kenny Lofton.

Grady seems to know his strike zone real well. 3-1 again. Grady hits a fly ball to right but Coco cannot advance.

Belliard up again with a runner in scoring position and two outs, Belliard delivered last time, this time Belliard hits it hard to the second baseman, who bobbles the ball but recovers in time to get Belliard.

end of 3&1/2 innings, 2-2.

If Belliard had been safe I wonder if Coco tries to go home from second, Coco did it the other day.

[Alex]

To recap the rest of the game, CC gave up 7 runs in five innings pitched. CC gave up a three run homer to the Royals catcher, Buck, after CC got a visit from Carl Willis, the Indians pitching coach, yeesh.

The Indians kept creeping back and if not for an eighth inning run given up by David Riske, we would have tied the game in the ninth at 7, instead we lost 8-7. Grady Sizemore made a great catch in center to prevent an additional run from scoring. The Indians scored one run in each of the final four innings, but that one run in the eighth that Riske gave up proved to be the difference.

A couple of observations. Matt Lawton is better in right field than he is in left, but he is no Jody Gerut. I think Jody Gerut makes the catch in the 8th inning and no runs would have scored.

Matt hitting .315-.320 benefits the team, Matt hitting .230 with Manny Ramirez type of fielding is a bad thing, especially late in the game.

I don't know why Jody has been on the bench the past few games but Jody should definitely be coming in for defensive purposes in the later part of the game. Heck, Matt has an awful batting average in close and late games anyway, so I'd much rather have Jody's defense out there instead of Matts.

Too bad we couldn't shift Matt to the DH late in the game but I don't think that is allowed.

Crisp, Sizemore and Gerut would cover a lot of ground in the outfield, especially when Mr. Riske is pitching late in a game.

I love Crisps game! Coco made the last out on a ball that the centerfielder made a great diving catch on, boy you wonder how far Coco would have gone if that ball had slipped by the diving outfielder. Perhaps the left-fielder was backing up the play, but if not that's at least a double and perhaps a triple. But throughout the game, every Coco at bat was entertaining to say the least, even his sac fly was close to being a home run.

I value Coco's at bats more than Jody's at this point in the season, and even more than Matt Lawtons! I rate our outfield strength as Grady and Coco tied for best, Jody in second, Matt in third.

Matt walked the fewest times last month AND hit for one of the lowest Batting Averages among the regulars. I think Matt is undervaluing the walk for some reason. Perhaps the bottom of the line up is playing so well that Matt is trying to drive in runners on base even if the pitchers are only going to give him a walk.

It might be time to put Hafner behind Matt so that Matt gets some better pitches to hit. Casey Blake in the four spot is messing up Matt Lawton in the three spot, yet Casey seems to hit about the same no matter where he is put.

K.C. scored more runs in this 3 game series than they have in any other three game series all year.
Yeeesh.

Toronto today, no TV however.