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Do IT this week: Layering
Outfielder's two homers, seven RBI lead victory
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Saturday, Jul 04, 2009
CLEVELAND: The Indians needed that. Did they ever. And, no, it wasn't a slap to their own face but a smack to the kisser of the Oakland Athletics.
You would think that two last-place teams would have more respect for one another, but in the Tribe's case, the priority was relieving the pressure built up from losing 14 of the previous 17.
The 15-3 rout doesn't in any way erase the past, but it was the first Indians' win in six games and the most runs they had scored since April 18, when they whacked the Yankees 22-4.
Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo had a career night, outscoring Oakland by himself. He singled home a run in the third inning, doubled to score two more in the fourth, hit his 11th home run of the season in the fifth to drive in three runs and lined his 12th homer over the fence leading off the seventh inning.
The crowd of 26,557 roared its approval after the last home run, coaxing him out of the dugout to take a bow.
''I had one last year, and I was more nervous then,'' Choo said.
But Choo's day was filled with more sorrow than joy.
''My high school coach in Korea died, and I was sad the whole day,'' he said. ''This game was for him.''
Choo has been the Tribe's most consistent hitter all year, probably in part because he attended a baseball academy (high school) where the game was treated less as a sport than a serious occupational pursuit.
''Choo is a good all-around player,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ''He's hungry to learn. He takes a lot of pride in his game, in addition to having a lot of ability. He hangs in there against right-handers and left-handers, and he's still getting better.''
As an example of Choo's dedication, he spent Thursday studying his swing.
''I looked at a DVD for three hours,'' he said. ''I came in early today and widened my stance to see the ball better. Tonight, I didn't swing at a bad pitch.''
The seven RBI rank as his all-time best for a single game and the most for any Tribe player this season. Choo also scored four runs and stole third base, his 13th steal of the season. He has yet to be thrown out.
Asdrubal Cabrera had produced only two hits in 12 at-bats since coming off the disabled list earlier in the week, but Friday night he doubled twice, drove in three runs, scored two and walked.
One way or another, Ben Francisco, who had been in an extended slump, reached base five times, scoring four runs. In the third, he got to first because of an error; he walked in the fourth, singled in the fifth, doubled in the sixth and singled in the eighth.
Travis Hafner gets credit for putting the Indians on the scoreboard with his ninth homer of the year with one out in the second inning.
The 15-hit barrage almost obscured a rebound pitching performance by David Huff, who limited the A's to three runs, eight hits and one walk in six innings.
It wasn't his best outing since being summoned to the big leagues for the first time in mid-May, but it neutralized the bitter feelings engendered by his last start, Sunday, when he gave up seven runs (six earned) in five innings during an 8-1 loss to the Reds.
''You can't look back,'' Huff said. ''You just have to learn from it and move on. You can't think, 'I had a bad outing last time, so I have to have a good one tonight.' ''
Huff (4-3, 6.06 ERA) got in some valuable damage-control practice. Five times, the Oakland leadoff hitter reached base (once on an error by Jhonny Peralta at third). The A's scored in three of those innings, but only were able to push across single runs each time.
Maybe the most impressive inning for Huff was the second, when he gave up a leadoff double to Kurt Suzuki and an RBI double by Nomar Garciaparra before striking out the side.
Wedge preferred the fifth inning, when two errors put Oakland runners on base with no outs, and Huff worked out of the jam without allowing a run.
''That was a great indicator,'' the manager said. ''We made a couple of errors, and he didn't give in to it.''
With the newest Tribe bullpen hopeful, Winston Abreu, scheduled to join the team today, the club made a move, lopping veteran reliever Matt Herges from the roster.
''This is a good place to be,'' he said. ''I will never say anything except that this is a quality organization, even if I'm never back here. But this is baseball, and I get it.''
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters. Follow the Indians on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Indians.
CLEVELAND: The Indians needed that. Did they ever. And, no, it wasn't a slap to their own face but a smack to the kisser of the Oakland Athletics.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Canton, OH
Posted 06:35 AM, 07/04/2009
Did The Browns beat the Raiders ????
, OH
Posted 09:25 AM, 07/04/2009
Choo is developing into a star player. Congrats to him on a great night. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it was actually FUN to watch for a change.
Posted 10:19 AM, 07/04/2009
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut, occasionally.
Another streaky batter makes an inconsistant dough.
Clinton, Oh
Posted 10:30 AM, 07/04/2009
The A's do a fabulous Indians impression!
Posted 12:28 AM, 07/05/2009
Nice to see a win! Spare us the meaningless Wedge quotes; reading them is a waste of time.
