(Very approiate logo for the Fourth of July)

Summary:

That team from the east coast hit .336 with five homers against the Tribe in June. Derek Jeter, six hits shy of 3,000, was just activated for the series. He strained his right calf against the Tribe. Let's go guys, lets not let them celebrate his 3,000th hit in Cleveland!

Pitching Matchups:

RHP A.J. Burnett (8-6, 4.05) vs. RHP Josh Tomlin (9-4, 3.86) tonight at 6:35 p.m.

LHP CC Sabathia (11-4, 3.05) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (8-4, 3.54) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.

RHP Phil Hughes (0-1, 13.94) vs. RHP Justin Masterson (6-6, 2.85) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

That team from the east coast's News/Notes:

• SS Derek Jeter played in his second rehab game at Class AA Trenton and then got on a plane to rejoin that team from the east coast in Cleveland for tonights game. Jeter, out since June 14 because of a strained right calf, tested his leg by bunting in his last at-bat Sunday.

• RHP Ivan Nova was sent down to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday because that team from the east coast want to continue to start regularly. The club needed to open a rotation spot for RHP Phil Hughes and didn't want Nova to be a long man in the bullpen.

• SS Eduardo Nunez, who has opened some eyes while filling in for Derek Jeter and was 7-for-8 in two Subway Series games against the Mets, sat out Sunday's game because of a tight right hamstring. That team from the east coast must not think it's serious because Nunez was not slated for any tests, manager Joe Girardi said.

• CF Curtis Granderson, SS Derek Jeter, 3B Alex Rodriguez and 2B Robinson Cano were all elected to start in the All-Star game, and RHP Mariano Rivera and C Russell Martin were added as reserves. There were several notable team from the east coast "snubs", too: RHP David Robertson, LHP CC Sabathia and 1B Mark Teixeira.

• 1B Mark Teixeira was invited to participate in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star game, but he declined because he was not picked for the All-Star team.

• RHP Mariano Rivera blew a save chance against the Mets on Sunday, snapping a streak of 26 straight saves against National League teams (including two in the 2009 World Series). It was tied for the second-longest streak in interleague history with Troy Percival, trailing Eric Gagne's streak of 29 in a row.

That team from the east coast's Injury Report:

• NF Eduardo Nunez (tight right hamstring) sat out the July 3 game, but the injury wasn't believed to be serious. He's day-to-day.

• SS Derek Jeter (mild right calf strain) went on the 15-day disabled list June 14. He began light baseball activities June 21. He took batting practice on the field, took grounders and began light running on June 27 at the teams' facility in Tampa. He went on a rehab assignment with Class AA Trenton on July 2 and 3 and rejoined the team for their game tonight.

• RHP Phil Hughes (right shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list April 15. He threw a bullpen session April 19, and was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 25. He played long-toss April 22, and he threw a bullpen session April 23. He cut short an April 25 bullpen session, and he had numerous medical tests performed in late April and early May, but all came back negative. He received a cortisone shot April 28, and he began a new throwing program by playing catch May 12. He threw a simulated game June 9, and then pitched in extended spring training June 14. He started a rehab assignment with short-season Staten Island on June 19, and he started for Class AA Trenton on June 24 and June 29. He is set to rejoin the Yankees on July 6.

• 3B Eric Chavez (fractured left foot) went on the 15-day disabled list May 6, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 8. He began running the bases June 23, but the Yankees had yet to set a schedule for when he might begin a rehab assignment. Chavez took batting practice on June 27 at the Yankees' facility in Tampa and was expected to go on rehab assignment soon.

• RHP Rafael Soriano (right elbow inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 14, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 15. He had to stop a throwing session May 23 due to discomfort, then had the same problem in mid-June. He resumed his throwing program June 21.

• LHP Pedro Feliciano (torn capsule in left shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 15. On April 18, Dr. James Andrews recommended a conservative treatment program. As of mid-June, Feliciano was playing catch.

• LHP Damaso Marte (left shoulder surgery in October 2010) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. He is unlikely to return before the All-Star break.

• INF Reegie Corona (broken right elbow) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. He is unlikely to return before midseason.

• OF Colin Curtis (dislocated right shoulder) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. He had surgery April 15, and he is likely out for the season.

• RHP Joba Chamberlain (torn ligament in right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 6, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 10. He had season-ending Tommy John surgery June 16.

Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera were each announced as American League All-Stars this morning. There is no question that both of these players are extremely deserving of the honor, however, that is not necessarily true of the rest of the team.

Asdrubal Cabrera currently leads all American League short stops in at bats (337), hits (98), runs (53), doubles (21), home runs (14 tied), RBI (49). He is second in triples (3 tied), batting average (.291) and slugging percent (.496), third in OBP (.341) and fourth in steals (12). In fact there is only one other short stop even playing in the same league as Asdrubal and that is Jhonny Peralta. The former Indians SS/3B is leading in almost every catergory that Asdrubal is not. The only other shortstop on the American League team is starter Derek Jeter who was voted in by the fans. By my account he is at best the 8th best shortstop in the American League this season, but when you ask the fans to vote, the team with the most fans will get the most players in. Jeter is just one of the four Yankee starters, most of whom do not even belong in the game at all. Including bench players, the Yankees have 6 total players on the team and yet the number one snub named by the TBS team that announced the rosters was C.C. Sabathia. Hopefully AL manager Ron Washington will realize this mistake and play Asdrubal for most of the game.

Chris Perez is currently third in saves with 19 and only has one blown save, which is two less than the two closers ahead of him. His ERA of 2.37 is third among regular closers, behind only Mariano Rivera and Kyle Farnsworth. His 8 runs allowed are less than all other closers except Rivera and his 2 wins are more than any other closer outside of Farnsworth and Joakim Soria. All four closers with 19 or more saves made the All-Star team this year, including Perez, Rivera, Brandon League and Jose Valverde. The bullpen as a whole is very strong and well picked. While Tony Sipp and Vinnie Pestano deserved consideration, you can't go wrong Aaron Crow and the closers already mentioned. Crow is the only Royal on the team so he needed to go.

The only player on the Indians that could possibly be considered snubbed is Justin Masterson, who has a 2.85 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 113.2 innings pitched. Masterson was hurt by the large amount of great starters this season and the fact that he was unable to amass a large win total due to poor run support. Overall, Indians fans should be very happy with two players in the All-Star game as it has been two years since they have had that many. The next step is getting a starter voted in for the first time since Juan Gonzalez in 2001, but if the Indians keep playing well and making a name for themselves, this will eventually happen. 

Roster Update

Before today's game the Indians placed starting pitcher Fausto Carmona on the 15 day disabled list for the injury he sustained while running the bases yesterday. Because of this move, the Indians were able to keep Josh Judy on the roster when Chris Perez returned from the bereavement list. There has been no official mention of who the Indians will bring up to replace Carmona or if they will try to make it to the All-Star break with a 4 man rotation.

Player of the Game

Shelley Duncan won today's 'Player of the Game' in a loss to the Reds, going 3 for 4 and accounting for 3 of the Indians 5 runs. It is his 4th of the season and he didn't have much competition as the entire team combined had a 'POG' score of 3.13. Duncan scored 5.97 of that by himself.

Right when it looked like the entire active roster would have a positive 'POG' score for the season, Mitch Talbot went and got blown up. Since Chad Durbin has been able to put together a few solid outings, Talbot (-8.2 total season 'POG' score) is the only player on the active roster that has hurt the team more than he has helped. Other players no longer on the roster that are in the same position are Fausto Carmona (-17.3), Jeanmar Gomez (-2.4) and Justin Germano (-4.0).

Feathers Up

Lou Marson threw out two base runners during game play today, one at third on a sacrifice fly, the other at second on a bunt attempt. Marson has played well since the injury to Matt LaPorta. Before the injury, Marson was playing about once every three games, but since then he has played in 12 of the last 14 games.

Shelley Duncan came through for the Tribe with his first home run since April. This two run home run accounted for the first two Indians runs and his single later in the game lead to the Indians 5th run.

Feathers Down

The only negative thing we ever heard about Lonnie Chisenhall in the minors was that his glove was not Major League ready. Today he made his first big defensive gaff, an error on a ball between his legs in the first inning. While that ball should have been caught, he has otherwise played well on defense and has a hit in every game this season, more than making up for this error.

Chris Perez has been though a roller coaster of emotions the past few weeks. Against Colorado he was put in in a non save situation and took his third loss of the year, then he converted 2 one run save opportunities. Right after that his grandmother died and he celebrated his birthday within a couple of days of each other. He has now rejoined the team and was just selected as one of the Indians representatives to the All-Star game. Hopefully after all this he can remain the cool, calm and collected ball of pure rage that we all know and trust in save situations.

Final Score: Cleveland Indians 5 - Cincinnati Reds 7

July 2, at midnight, marked the first day a Major League Baseball team could sign an internation free agent. The Indians left their mark.

The Indians announced the signing of Francisco Miguel, an athletic, righthanded-hitting outfielder with a 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame, from La Academia in the Dominican Republic and signed with the club for $200,000. I could not find much information on Miguel, so feel lucky you at least know how tall he is.

The Indians also announced that they have signed Dominican shortstop Dorssys Paulino for $1.1 million. Paulino is the son of Jesus Sanchez, a lefthander who pitched for the Marlins, Cubs, Rockies and Reds from 1998-2004. A 16-year-old from Bani who trains at La Academia and plays in the Dominican International League. Paulino will likely move off shortstop but has one of the better bats among Dominican infielders, according to Baseball America. I talked to a scout I know from the Reds system, and he mentioned that "he has good bat speed, his hands work well at the plate and he's a quality game hitter who can use the whole field. He's strong and projects to have average power, becoming more of a doubles hitter than a consistent home run threat. He runs well and has a good arm, but his range and body type will likely make him a better fit at second or third base."

In recent years the Indians have stayed out of the July 2 race, preferring to sign players who were passed over in previous years or waiting until later in the year for players' asking prices to drop to more reasonable levels. So it is nice to see the organization be a little agressive in signing Paulino, who was rumored to be on the Red Sox hot list.

Dorssys Paulino

Photo Courtesy of Academia Beisbol

Player of the Game

Michael Brantley won his 4th 'Player of the Game' of 2011 for his 3 run home run that accounted for all the Indians offense during the game. It is his first since May and his final score was 5.42.

Feathers Up

Michael Brantley hit a three-run homerun in the top of the third in an high-leverage situation to put the Tribe on top 3-0. His homerun made an otherwise frustrating inning better. Hopefully, this homerun will get his bat going again.

Frank Herrmann, making his first appearance since June 20, started the third in place of an injured Fausto Carmona (see below). Herrmann retired seven straight before Reds SS Paul Janish singled with one out in the fifth. He retired the next two batters to end the inning. It was the third time in 15 appearances that Herrmann made a three-inning appearance. They've all been scoreless. He struck out two and allowed one hit on 45 pitches.

Vinnie Pestano picked up the second save of his major league career! However, he is not new to the closer role. He recoreded 71 saves in his minor league career. Overall, the Indians worked seven innings striking out 10 and only giving up one earned run.

Feathers Down

Carmona left the game with an injury after stumbling while running down the first baseline in the third. Carmona injured his quad when he bunted to third base following a leadoff single by Lou Marson. Marson was safe at second when shortstop Paul Janish didn't step on the bag. Carmona, sprinting down the line, was safe at first as well. Unfortunately, he lost his balance a couple of steps from the bag and tumbler over it. Lonnie Soloff, Indians head athletic trainer, spent several minutes talking to Carmona. He was apparently checking his right hand. Carmona took a hard shot off the hand knocking down Homer Bailey's comeback to end the second inning. As he was walking back to the dugout, Carmona was shaking the hand. After watching him take a header running to first base - its time for MLB and the Players Association to make a uniform decision if we're going to keep interleague play. Either get rid of the DH, so pitchers spend more time hitting and running the bases or implement it in both leagues.

The Indians couldn't get much going against Reds starter Homer Bailey after the third. Lonnie Chisenhall and Austin Kearns opened the fourth with singles, Marson struck out. Herrmann, batting in the spot for Carmona, advanced Chisenhall to third, but forced Kearns at second on his bunt attempt. Bailey retired Brantley to end the inning. Carlos Santana reached on a two-out bloop double in the fifth, but was stranded.

Tony Sipp had a rough bottom half of the eighth inning. He gave up a lead off homerun to Joey Votto, followed by a double by Scott "Rock N'" Rolen, was able to strike out Jay Bruce but walked Jonny Gomes. It's been a rough road trip for Sipp.

Final Score: Cleveland Indians 3 - Cincinnati Reds 1

Roster Update

Chris Perez was placed on the bereavement list for today's game so he could deal with a death in the family. Josh Judy was called up in his absence and no interim closer has been named, so we can assume it will be a closer by committee. The best we can hope for is that Chris Antonetti will forget who he brought up for Perez and will release Chad Durbin to open up a roster spot when he returns.

Player of the Game

Justin Masterson won his 7th 'Player of the Game' of the year and his 4th in his last 5 games. His 'POG' score of 7.67 continues a trend of Indians starters getting back on track to where they were early in the season. Excluding Mitch Talbot and Fausto Carmona who have continued to struggle, the other three pitchers have had a score over one in each of their last 4 appearances (the last 3 for Josh Tomlin) and have averaged 4.81 points per game during that time. Masterson earned his score today by pitching 8 innings and only allowing 4 hits, while picking up a single for himself. The only run he allowed was a solo home run and he struck out 5 batters.

Feathers Up

Justin Masterson finally got some run support as the Indians offense saw a bit of a resurgence tonight. Most impressive was the fact that the offense was able to add on to an early lead and was able to hit more than one home run in a road game. Time will tell whether this was just because they are playing in a hitter friendly park in the Great American Ballpark and because they faced Bronson Arroyo, or if it is a real improvement in power hitting.

Not only did Masterson get himself a lead, he got a win as well, and it wasn't just because of the hitting. He only allowed a single run in 8 innings, and it was on a fantastic pitch that Brandon Phillips was somehow able to turn on. It is Masterson's first win since April and his sixth on the season. His 8 innings pitched and the large lead allowed the Indians to give the bullpen some much needed rest.

Feathers Down

Travis Buck pulled his hamstring on a 2 RBI single. Since I'm a doctor, I can tell you that he probably won't miss much time, but it will really hurt an already thin outfield. While he may not need to go on the DL, even going one game with another player who is unable to play in the field will be difficult for the Indians and it could necessitate another move of Buck down to AAA.

This will be the first bad thing I've ever said about Travis Hafner. It is completely ridiculous that he cannot play a single game at first in an entire season. With Matt LaPorta injured and 9 straight games in National League parks now would be the first time for him to take over a couple starts. Instead, Carlos Santana has been forced to play first almost every game and Lou Marson has had to catch. Marson has now played in 10 of the last 12 games and Santana hasn't had a game off since May 25th. There is no way it would be harder for Hafner to play first once than it is for Santana and Marson to play that often. It doesn't matter how his elbow feels as a first baseman rarely has to make more than one or two hard throws a game. If Prince Fielder can play an entire career at first, Pronk can play one game a season. Stop being lazy and get back on the field.

Final Score: Cleveland Indians 8 - Cincinnati Reds 2

Interleague Nightmare:

Interleague play mercifully ends for the Reds with the three-game series that begins Friday with the Tribe at Great American Ball Park. "We want to salvage this interleague before we think about leaving it," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "If you think about leaving it, that's kind of conceding what you've got left." The Reds can't salvage their record in interleague play. They are 5-10, and that's after taking two of three games from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Reds are 5-7 against the American League East. The Reds were swept in three games by the Indians on May 20-22. The series with the Indians leads into a crucial seven-game stretch leading to the All-Star Break. The Reds go to St. Louis for the first of three on July 4. After St. Louis, the Reds play a four-game series against the Milwaukee, which leads into the break. "We have 10 days to go," Baker said. "We'll try to win as many games as we can before the break. I always tell my guys: This is like basketball right before the first half ends. You can get a quick 3-pointer, steal in-bounds pass, have the layup." The Reds have played well against Milwaukee and St. Louis. They are 5-1 against Milwaukee and 4-2 versus St. Louis.

(All quotes courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer)

Pitching Matchups:

Fri. July 1 at Cincinnati (7:10PM ET, WTAM, STO)

RHP Justin Masterson (5-6, 2.98) vs. RHP Bronson Arroyo (7-6, 5.01)

Sat. July 2 at Cincinnati (4:11PM ET, WTAM, FOX)

RHP Fausto Carmona (4-10, 5.89) vs. RHP Homer Bailey (3-2, 3.86)

Sun. July 3 at Cincinnati (1:10PM ET, WTAM STO)

RHP Mitch Talbot (2-4, 4.96) vs. RHP Mike Leake (7-4, 3.89)

Reds News/Notes:

• RHP Bronson Arroyo goes after his fourth consecutive victory Friday. He hasn't pitched lights out, compiling a 4.09 ERA in his past three starts. But he was 4-1 with a 3.67 ERA in June.

• RHP Brian Boxberger retired the only two batters he faced in the his debut at Class AAA Louisville. Boxberger, the Reds' supplemental first-round pick in 2009, had a 1.31 ERA over 30 appearances at Class AA Carolina.

• RHP Johnny Cueto will face RHP Chris Carpenter in the series opener in St. Louis on Monday. Cueto and Carpenter were principles in the brawl in August of last year.

• SS Zack Cozart, C Devin Mesoraco, OF Jeremy Hermida and OF/1B Yonder Alonso all made the International League All-Star team for Class AAA Louisville.

• RF Jay Bruce struck out in all four at-bats Wednesday. Bruce, the NL player of the month in May, finished June in a 2-for-17 skid with nine strikeouts.

Reds Injury Watch:

• C Ryan Hanigan (strained lat muscle) did not play June 26-28. He was back in the lineup June 29.

• LHP Matt Maloney (cracked rib) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 24. He hurt himself while sneezing.

• RHP Jared Burton (right shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 29. He suffered a setback in early April, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 18. He underwent arthroscopic surgery April 22, and hoped to return by July.

An insightful and hopefully humorous look at the upcoming trade deadline. For information on the current Indians contract situation, look here.

Joe: One of the most common talking points with Indians fans right now is how active the Indians will be before the trade deadline. You wrote an overview on where the Indians stand, but were vague as far as specific players or teams were concerned. What do you think is the most important hole to fill on the Indians roster?

Mike: Now that the team won't have any need for Albert Pujols now that Matt LaPorta will be coming off the DL soon, I think we need an everyday right fielder with some power, preferably a right-handed hitter. One name I keep hearing is Hunter Pence in Houston. But also look at Mitch Mooreland from the Texas Rangers. They have a bad bullpen who might want to overpay for a set-up guy. What players from outside the organization are you looking at?

Joe: It really depends on how much the Indians want to spend. I agree that the Indians biggest hole is right field and could see any number of players being more capable to fill it than internal options. A return of Ryan Ludwick from San Diego or taking any of the Oakland outfielders that will be free agents at the end of the season (David DeJesus, Coco Crisp or Josh Willingham). If the Indians don't want to spend, they could take a flier on Mike Cameron who was just released by the Red Sox. Replacing the defense that is now lacking with [Shin-Soo] Choo's absence is just as important as replacing his offense.

Mike: No way the Indians would pick up Mike Cameron. He will still be owed nearly $3.5 million the rest of the season for a guy who had two stints on the DL last year and earned a -6 VORP this season. The problem with the names you mentioned is what exactly are the Indians going to have to give up to get a mediocre Ludwick or any of those A's hitters?

Player of the Game

Orlando Cabrera took the 'Player of the Game' against the Diamondbacks today, going 4-6 with a double and 2 runs scored. Cabrera also knocked in a run for a final 'POG' score of 4.45. This was Cabrera's 5th 'Player of the Game' of the season. Carlos Carrasco was a close second to Cabrera, earning 4.31 points for his 7 innings pitched. Over his last 5 starts Carrasco has averaged 6.73 points per game, more than twice his season average. On a completely uninteresting note, players whose last names start with "Ca" earned 45% of the total team score in today's game.

The first pitch, Zach Duke against Michael Brantley.

Feathers Up

The Tribe had a lead at some point in every game this series and won two out of three. This is a far cry from what happened in San Francisco and may show the difference between the Giants and the Diamondbacks more than any improvements the Indians may have made over that time span.

The Indians were forced to use a very bad defensive outfield today due to the injury to Shin-Soo Choo and an off day for Grady Sizemore. Carlos Carrasco pitched well to avoid that disadvantage, only allowing 2 balls to be hit to right field and 2 to center in 7 innings. Of those 4 hits to the outfield, three were caught on the fly for outs and the other was a double, one of only 4 hits allowed by Carrasco.

The player who shall not be named was unable to hurt

the Tribe, due to Carrasco's smart pitching.

Feathers Down

One of the other hits allowed by Carrasco today was a home run to right field by Stephen Drew that was higher than any other home run I've ever seen in person. It looked like the ball peaked just past the infield and it was coming straight down when it landed in the Indians bullpen. Luckily the 2 solo home runs he allowed were the only runs he allowed and the Indians were able to hold on and win.

Asdrubal Cabrera was caught stealing for the first time today, ruining his dream of the perfect season. 

Final Score: Cleveland Indians 6 - Arizona Diamondbacks 2

Player of the Game

Josh Tomlin wins tonight's 'Player of the Game' for being a real renaissance man. Not only can he pitch, but he can also hit. Tomlin is the first pitcher this season to have a positive 'POG' score from the plate, earning 1.92 points from hitting alone. That puts within 9 points of the season total for some other guy on the team who's been on the team all year. Tomlin's final score was 4.92 as he pitched 7 innings, striking out 4 and only allowing 3 more hits than he got himself. It is his 6th award of the season, tying him for 3rd most on the team.

Feathers Up

For the first time in the 5 interleague games played in NL parks, the pitchers showed up to hit. Josh Tomlin had the first hit for an Indians pitcher this season on a bunt single in the first and the second hit with a line drive up the middle to knock in a run. Daniel Hudson also hit well for the D-Backs, sacrificing twice and hitting an RBI double.

Josh Tomlin has now tied the Major League record for most consecutive starts over 5 innings pitched to begin a career. He has 28 in a row and is tied with Daisuke Matsuzaka, who came to the Majors as a veteran already, signing with the Red Sox from Japan. The only thing that can keep Tomlin from owning this record all for himself is Manny Acta, who should probably leave him in for 5 no matter how poorly he pitches in his next start.

Chad Durbin has not played in the last 7 games for the Tribe and has only made appearances in 2 of the last 15 games. Apparently this is how the Indians are choosing to deal with their players that are performing poorly. Adding Durbin to the list, the Indians now have two players they will never use, unless the game is already decided. Managing can be harder than it needs to be when you limit yourself to a 23 man roster.

Feathers Down

The bullpen faltered for the second night in a row, but it probably isn't too much to worry about. Rafael Perez allowed two runs today as did losing pitcher Tony Sipp. The hittability of the relievers pitches tonight could have stemmed from some over use, as Perez, Sipp and Joe Smith have each made appearances in 3 of the last 4 games. It would probably help everyone in the pen immensely if Manny Acta would either trust Frank Herrman and Chad Durbin, or find some one to replace them that he can trust. 

Lonnie Chisenhall is ruining his batting average and if he keeps having games like this, he will never hit .500 for the season. He's now hitting .375 after his one hit effort against Arizona.

The Tigers lost tonight so the Indians missed out on a chance to regain first place in the Central Division. Not that it really matters at this point in the season, but it is always nice to gain a game on the opposition.

Final Score: Cleveland Indians 4 - Arizona Diamondbacks 6