News
Tribe facing historic string of lefties
Cleveland (40-58) at Seattle (51-46), 4:10 p.m. ET
By Bob Sherwin / Special to MLB.com
07/25/09 8:30 PM ET
SEATTLE -- Indians manager Eric Wedge is trying to get his lineup right, but things are leaning decidedly to the left. The Indians are going through a long left-handed gauntlet, perhaps the longest in their century-long history. They faced their seventh consecutive lefty starter Saturday in the Mariners' Erik Bedard. It's the longest such streak for the Tribe since Sept. 3-10, 1952. "It does alter your lineup a little bit," Wedge said. "It's just one of streaks we're on right now. I've never ever seen something quite that dramatic." The last time they faced a right-hander was July 17. And that was no bargain -- Mariners' Felix Hernandez, who hasn't lost since May 19. He earned a 6-2 victory against Cleveland. And it appears the streak isn't over. The Indians are set to face another lefty, Jason Vargas, on Sunday in the finale against the Mariners. On Monday, the Indians are scheduled to face Angels southpaw Joe Saunders. "It's tough, when you think about Grady [Sizemore], [Shin-soo] Choo and [Travis Hafner] being lefty -- three of your better hitters," Wedge said. "Then there's [Luis] Valbuena, a young kid you can't just not play. He's got to get in against lefties. "We wanted to come out break with more consistent lineup. It's tough to do that when you're facing lefty after lefty after lefty, because you have to have a little separation [in the lineup]." Pitching matchupCLE: LHP Cliff Lee (6-9, 3.17 ERA)
Record aside, Lee, the subject of many trade rumors in advance of the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, has been on top of his game much of this season and particularly in his past two starts. He's tossed consecutive complete-game victories. He became the first Tribe pitcher to throw consecutive complete games with no walks allowed since CC Sabathia did so in July 2006. Lee's ERA is the lowest among American League pitchers with a losing record. SEA: LHP Jason Vargas (3-3, 3.82 ERA)
There was talk that Brandon Morrow would be recalled to make this start, but it appears as if Vargas will get the ball instead. It would be his first outing since his July 8 start against the Orioles, in which he tossed five scoreless inning but received no decision. Vargas has yet to face the Indians in his career. Tidbits
The Indians remain a hot topic when it comes to trade rumors. Lee and catcher Victor Martinez are viable commodities on the market at this point. "I know conversations are being had," Wedge said. "There's no way to tell one way of the other right now. There's a ton [of rumors] out there. It's part of it this time of year. It's in-season Hot Stove." ... Friday marked the second time in the post-DH era (1973) that the Nos. 6-9 hitters homered for the Tribe. ... Hafner's home run Friday tied Joe Carter for 11th on the club's home run list with 156. ... Sizemore was a late scratch Saturday, as his left elbow has been bothering him. "It's still there. It's real," Wedge said. "He's fighting through it. He's doing the best he can.'' Tickets
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• Monday: Indians (Carl Pavano, 8-8, 5.48) at Angels (Joe Saunders, 8-6, 4.94), 10:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Indians (David Huff, 5-4, 6.39) at Angels (Jered Weaver, 10-3, 3.57), 10:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Indians (TBD) at Angels (John Lackey, 6-4, 4.22), 3:35 p.m. ET
Bob Sherwin is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
