Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[osugrad21]

CPD

With pitcher Jake Westbrook on the DL, the Cleveland Indians call up Ben Francisco


Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Kansas City, Mo.
- Don't get used to Ben Francisco in an Indians uniform. It doesn't sound like he'll be around long.
The Indians promoted Francisco from Class AAA Buffalo on Tuesday to take right-hander Jake Westbrook's spot on the roster. Westbrook was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left intercostal muscle. He strained a muscle below the last rib on the left side of his lower back during the seventh inning against the Twins on Saturday at the Metrodome.
An MRI in Cleveland on Sunday revealed the injury. Westbrook, whose four quality starts lead the Indians, is expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks. The Indians will re-examine the injury in about five days. If Westbrook is still having pain, he'll receive a cortisone shot to hasten the healing process.
Westbrook was scheduled to start Friday against the Yankees, but Paul Byrd will make that start. One of two-lefthanders, Aaron Laffey (3-1, 3.13 ERA) or Jeremy Sowers (0-2, 3.18), will be promoted from Buffalo to make Saturday's start. Manager Eric Wedge said Francisco is likely to be sent back to Buffalo to make room.
"But this is a funny game," said Wedge. "You never know what will happen. I told him to stay ready."




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[osugrad21]

Canton

Tribe offense, C.C. Sabathia come bouncing back vs. Royals
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

KANSAS CITY, MO. The Indians on Tuesday looked like a married couple that had just kissed and made up. As they strolled down the street with wide smiles on their faces, no one would guess anything had ever been amiss.

C.C. Sabathia returned to his Cy Young form of a year ago and Casey Blake led a 17-hit barrage with a grand slam and six RBIs as Cleveland bashed Kansas City, 15-1, at Kauffman Stadium.

"I hate to sound like Wedgie," Blake said, referring to Manager Eric Wedge. "But, individually and collectively, everybody needed a night like this. It does wonders for your confidence."

The Indians had dropped eight of their last 11 to fall within a half-game of last place in the Central Division. Sabathia (1-3) had a 13.50 ERA and the .235 team batting average was dead last in the American League.

A revival took place Tuesday, however, at the expense of the equally struggling Royals. Kansas City has lost five in a row and nine of 12.


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[osugrad21]

Canton

Indians Notebook: Westbrook is on DL
Strain sidelines pitcher for 2-to-4 weeks
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

KANSAS CITY, MO. The Indians, struggling to stay out of last place in the Central Division, took another broadside hit Tuesday.

Veteran right-hander Jake Westbrook was placed on the disabled list with a strained left intercostal and is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks. Westbrook, 30, was injured while throwing a pitch to Mike Lamb during the seventh inning of his most recent start Saturday in Minnesota. Westbrook had an MRI examination Monday in Cleveland.

"Jake tried to throw down-and-in to Lamb," head trainer Lonnie Soloff said. "He gave it a little extra and felt a tug."

The intercostal muscles run between the ribs and help make up the chest wall. An MRI examination revealed the injury was between his 11th and 12th ribs. Westbrook was on the DL for more than a month last season with a strained left oblique, higher up in the ribcage.

"We're cautiously optimistic this will be a shorter time frame," Soloff said.

The Indians called up outfielder Ben Francisco from Triple-A Buffalo to replace Westbrook, at least temporarily.


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[osugrad21]

Canton

Tribe routs Royals 15-1; Sabathia gets first win
UPDATE: 11:59 PM, Tuesday, April 22, 2008
BY DOUG TUCKER
AP SPORTS WRITER

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Casey Blake had a grand slam and six RBIs and C.C. Sabathia struck out 11 in his first victory, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 15-1 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Blake, the No. 9 hitter, was 4-for-4 with a single and a grand slam and two RBI doubles in the Indians' 17-hit attack. David Dellucci and Jhonny Peralta also homered and Franklin Gutierrez had a three-run double for Cleveland, which came in with the 10th-worst run total and lowest slugging percentage in the league.

Sabathia (1-3) went six innings and gave up only four hits and two walks. Mark Teahen and Jose Guillen each struck out three times against the reigning Cy Young Award winner.

Gil Meche (1-3) lasted just 3 1-3 innings as his ERA ballooned to 8.00 and the Royals lost their fifth straight. The right-hander gave up eight runs on nine hits, had one walk and two strikeouts in his shortest outing of the year.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Yahoo!

ace gets mechanical, mental tune-up

By Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports 9 hours, 48 minutes ago

KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? The text message arrived Tuesday morning. C.C. Sabathia glanced at his phone and saw it was from Roy Oswalt.
?Just throw how you throw,? it read.
Since his last start, when he gave up nine earned runs for the second consecutive game, Sabathia had received words of encouragement from around the country, ranging from his former teammate Eduardo Perez to his mother. Oswalt?s, as much as anyone?s, stuck with him. He, too, had struggled in his first three starts for the Houston Astros, only to catch form. Now it was Sabathia?s turn, the weather turning, the arm loosening and a flaccid Kansas City lineup awaiting his Cleveland Indians.
For six innings, Sabathia looked every bit his Cy Young self, shutting out the Royals and striking out 11 in a 15-1 thrashing at Kauffman Stadium. He yielded four singles, a couple loopers and a bleeder among them, his dominance a product of a 94-mph fastball mixed with an 82-mph slider, both of which he located up and down, in and out, the strike zone his canvas.
?Maybe I should?ve been more worried than I was,? Sabathia said. ?But I really wasn?t. I just knew it was all upstairs, all in my head.?

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