News
September spotlight on auditions, wins
Texas (78-60) at Cleveland (60-78), 12:05 p.m. ET
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
09/09/09 1:45 AM ET
CLEVELAND -- Sometimes September callups have a way of energizing a lost season. "I got energized a few months back," manager Eric Wedge joked. Yes, September is somewhat anticlimactic for a Tribe team that already began dipping into its Minor League ranks long ago. Still, the additions of Michael Brantley, Carlos Carrasco and Lou Marson, in particular, add some intrigue to the tail end of a long, strange year. Those three players are all vying for consideration for the 2010 club. As the Indians, who wrap up a three-game set against the Rangers on Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field, hit the home stretch, you could argue that they're more interesting to watch now than they were at any other point in this disappointing season. They've certainly been more competitive. "I love the fact that we're more athletic now," Wedge said. "You can just do so many things with that." After calling up infielder Niuman Romero on Tuesday, the Indians are done adding players to their active roster. What you see is what you get, and you've seen 51 players over the course of this season. Many of those here now find themselves in an open audition for next year. Brantley has made a strong case for himself with his impactful first week in the Majors, while Carrasco has had a rough first two starts at the Major League level. It's too early to tell what kind of impact Marson will have, but he has a legitimate chance to be this club's regular catcher next year if everything goes right. The Indians pulled the plug on their contention hopes long ago, and the second half has been geared toward development. For instance, Fausto Carmona, who gets the starting nod against the Rangers, is trying to apply lessons learned from his two-month banishment to the Minor Leagues. But Wedge, whose fate for next season is very much up in the air, said he still wants to see results. This month might have a Spring Training feel, but the games still mean something. "At the Major League level, it's always going to be about winning," Wedge said. "There's a certain degree of development, but there's never less emphasis on winning." Pitching matchupCLE: RHP Fausto Carmona (3-9, 6.08 ERA)
On the whole, Carmona pitched effectively in a no-decision against the Tigers on Thursday, but he's still having trouble with walks. He walked five batters in 6 1/3 innings, to go with the three runs he allowed on four hits with four strikeouts. Until Carmona, who has walked four or more batters in eight of his 19 starts this season, can limit those free passes, he'll never be the consistent force at the front of the rotation that he was in 2007. TEX: RHP Scott Feldman (15-4, 3.62 ERA)
Feldman has emerged as a standout starter this season, and a road warrior as well. He notched his 11th road victory of the season last week at Baltimore, and has won each of his past six decisions, covering seven starts. One of those victories was at Cleveland, where he allowed one run on seven hits in six innings Aug. 13. Feldman is 11-1 with a 2.80 ERA on the road; 4-3 with a 4.56 ERA at home. Tidbits
Indians media relations director Bart Swain points out that Grady Sizemore's stats after his June 23 activation from the DL were virtually identical to his numbers from 2007 and '08. From June 23-Sept. 3, Sizemore batted .270 with a .373 on-base percentage, .470 slugging percentage and an .843 OPS. In '08, it was .268/.374/.502/.876. In '07, it was .277/.390/.462/.852. ... The Indians have extended their player-development contract with Class A Lake County through '14. The Captains will move from the South Atlantic League to the Midwest League in '10. ... Double-A Akron opens the postseason with a best-of-five series against Reading. Game 1 is at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday at Canal Park. Right-hander Josh Tomlin (14-9, 4.16) will get the starting nod. ... For more info and analysis, visit the CastroTurf blog at http://castrovince.mlblogs.com. Tickets
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• Thursday: Off-day
• Friday: Royals (Zack Greinke, 13-8, 2.22) at Indians (Justin Masterson, 4-7, 4.40), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Royals (Luke Hochevar, 6-9, 6.10) at Indians (David Huff, 9-7, 6.23), 7:05 p.m. ET
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
