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Frustration can set in when the going's tough. Wedge says Hafner's key
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Tuesday, Apr 22, 2008
KANSAS CITY, MO.: There are all sorts of ways to quantify the Indians' problems at the plate. Here are two: average with runners in scoring position and runs per game.
But even though the Tribe ranks low in both categories, the statistics can be deceiving.
With 79 runs through Sunday, Cleveland and Texas are tied for 10th place in the American League. The numbers are skewed, however, because the Indians have scored six or more runs in five of 19 games, somewhat neutralizing the nine games when the offense has scored three or fewer runs, averaging 1.8 runs in those contests.
Same thing with the team's average with runners in scoring position. A .255 average isn't awful, but there is a wide disparity between the top five hitters and the bottom four.
Casey Blake (6-for-20), Ryan Garko (5-for-10), Victor Martinez (4-for-9), Grady Sizemore (4-for-10) and Jamey Carroll (2-for-4) have an aggregate batting average of .396 with runners in scoring position. Those numbers stand in sharp contrast to those put up by Travis Hafner (5-for-21), Asdrubal Cabrera (3-for-16), Jason Michaels (2-for-10) and Franklin Gutierrez (2-for-14), who are batting a combined .197 with a runner on second or third.
Moreover, the hitters who
are ''spinning their wheels,'' as manager Eric Wedge has described the players in a slump, have more at-bats (61) than the five hitters (53) who are performing capably with runners in scoring position.
Whichever way the Tribe's offensive skid is illustrated, something needs to be done about it.
''I felt like guys were pressing earlier,'' Wedge said. ''But not the last couple of days. Hafner is a big part of the lineup. If he's going good, he makes everybody else better.''
The topic of self-induced pressure arose because of the protracted slump Hafner found himself in last year. It appeared that after awhile, others tried so hard to make up for Hafner's deficiencies, they ended up in their own mini-skids.
If the Tribe's hitters are pressing now, Blake has a solution.
''We need to go the other way,'' he said. ''Be patient. See the pitch. Believe the offense is going to be good, and that good things are going to happen.''
Easier said than done.
Next test coming
C.C. Sabathia learns tonight whether his bullpen session between starts pays off, following three sub-par outings that have pushed his ERA to 13.50.
''It's about staying in his delivery and finishing off his pitches,'' Wedge said.
Asked whether Sabathia's failure to pinpoint his pitches is related to last year's postseason struggles, the manager said, ''C.C. was fine this spring. He had a problem in the playoffs, but I don't think there's a carryover.''
According to Wedge, the cure begins with controlling the fastball, which too often has been down the middle, waist high.
''If he commands his fastball down in the zone, his secondary stuff is going to be sharper, too,'' Wedge said. ''Everything works off the fastball.''
Other stuff
Indians starters have posted a 1.57 ERA the past four games but have only two wins. . . . The club has lost 12 of the past 17 and eight of the past 11. . . . The Royals have had more trouble scoring than the Indians and rank last in the AL with 63 runs. . . . Kansas City's 9-10 record already is the team's best April since 2003, when the Royals compiled a 17-7 record. The Royals didn't win their ninth game last year until May 2, in the 28th game of the season.
Farm facts
Aaron Herr homered twice and drove in four runs, and Josh Barfield hit a solo shot, but Buffalo lost 6-5 to Pawtucket. Jeremy Sowers yielded one run, four hits and one walk, striking out six in 42/3 innings. He did not take the loss and lowered his ERA to 3.18.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
KANSAS CITY, MO.: There are all sorts of ways to quantify the Indians' problems at the plate. Here are two: average with runners in scoring position and runs per game.
Get the full article here.
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