Bullpen needs a Finley bailout
Without Rincon, Reed, Rodriguez, Shuey are nearly pushed to limit
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal staff writer
Bullpen alert: The Indians are short-handed for today's game with the Tigers. That puts the burden on starter Chuck Finley to go deep into the game.
Left-hander Rich Rodriguez threw in his fourth consecutive game (3 1/3 total innings) yesterday, as the Tribe lost to the Yankees 6-2 at Jacobs Field. Steve Reed made his fourth appearance (3 1/3 total innings) in the past five days.
These two guys are cooked.
``Rodriguez will not be available tomorrow for sure,'' Manager Charlie Manuel said. ``Reed probably won't either, and Paul Shuey needs a rest.''
Ricardo Rincon, the second lefty in the bullpen, is away attending to his 2-year-old son, who is suffering from a staph infection at the family's home in Veracruz, Mexico. Rincon is expected to rejoin the team in Detroit this afternoon but not in time to participate in the game.
That means the Tribe's relief corps will be comprised of Bob Wickman, Steve Karsay, and rookie Roy Smith, who has made only one major-league appearance. However, Shuey, who has pitched in two of the past three game (3 total innings), might be up for giving Manuel two or three batters.
``I've really been using Rodriguez a lot,'' Manuel said. ``It would be asking a lot for him to bounce back for tomorrow.
``We are just going to have to work through this until we get Rincon back and get the bullpen straightened out.''
Tribe relievers worked a total of 11 2/3 innings in the three-game series against New York.
ON THE VERGE -- Unless Charles Nagy grabs his elbow and shrieks with pain or gives up double-digit runs tonight for Buffalo, it's almost certain that the Indians will activate him from the DL this week. Nagy's rehab assignment is over tomorrow, and Tribe officials insist that they will not ask him to go on a second. That means he will be added to the staff (probably at the expense of Roy Smith) and given the role of long reliever, at least for awhile. Nagy has been learning to pitch with pain, a consequence of having no cartilage in his right elbow.
DATA -- In his past four starts, Bartolo Colon is 0-3 with a 5.53 earned-run average. . . . In losses to the Yankees on Saturday and yesterday, Tribe pitchers walked or hit 17 batters. Seven scored. . . . When Shuey threw four balls in a row to Alfonso Soriano in the seventh to force in a run, it was only the third time in 189 at-bats that he had walked. Tribe pitchers have issued two of those.
SILENT STEVE -- Steve Woodward still hasn't come to terms with the Indians' decision to option him to Buffalo after he recovered from a bruised arm, a memento left by Frank Thomas, who hit Woodard with a line drive. In five starts at Triple-A, Woodard is 3-2 with a 2.84 ERA but refuses to speak to reporters for fear that he will badmouth his bosses and become buried even deeper. In his most recent start, a 3-1 win over Columbus, Woodard didn't give up a hit until the leadoff batter in the sixth bounced a ball off the pitcher's glove. Woodard finished with a three-hitter, walking none and getting the job done in just 101 pitches. In his past three starts, Woodard has given up 15 hits, walked one and struck out 24 in 22 2/3 innings.
FRYMAN REPORT -- Travis Fryman was not scheduled to play yesterday, but Saturday, he went 1-for-4 with an RBI and will accompany the Bisons on their trip to Toledo and maybe Columbus. However, Fryman is expected to be activated before the end of the week after being out with a partially torn ligament in his right elbow. ``Fryman wants to play three games in a row in the field,'' Manuel said. ``He said he gets a little sore, body-wise and in both shoulders. That's just from playing after being out.''
MARCHING ONWARD -- Pitching matchups in Detroit: Chuck Finley (4-3, 4.97 ERA) vs. Steve Sparks (2-2, 4.11 ERA) this afternoon; Dave Burba (7-2, 5.15 ERA) vs. Victor Santos (1-1, 2.56 ERA) tomorrow night; Jaret Wright (0-0, 4.66 ERA) vs. Chris Holt (4-3, 5.30 ERA) Wednesday night.
Without Rincon, Reed, Rodriguez, Shuey are nearly pushed to limit
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal staff writer
Bullpen alert: The Indians are short-handed for today's game with the Tigers. That puts the burden on starter Chuck Finley to go deep into the game.
Left-hander Rich Rodriguez threw in his fourth consecutive game (3 1/3 total innings) yesterday, as the Tribe lost to the Yankees 6-2 at Jacobs Field. Steve Reed made his fourth appearance (3 1/3 total innings) in the past five days.
These two guys are cooked.
``Rodriguez will not be available tomorrow for sure,'' Manager Charlie Manuel said. ``Reed probably won't either, and Paul Shuey needs a rest.''
Ricardo Rincon, the second lefty in the bullpen, is away attending to his 2-year-old son, who is suffering from a staph infection at the family's home in Veracruz, Mexico. Rincon is expected to rejoin the team in Detroit this afternoon but not in time to participate in the game.
That means the Tribe's relief corps will be comprised of Bob Wickman, Steve Karsay, and rookie Roy Smith, who has made only one major-league appearance. However, Shuey, who has pitched in two of the past three game (3 total innings), might be up for giving Manuel two or three batters.
``I've really been using Rodriguez a lot,'' Manuel said. ``It would be asking a lot for him to bounce back for tomorrow.
``We are just going to have to work through this until we get Rincon back and get the bullpen straightened out.''
Tribe relievers worked a total of 11 2/3 innings in the three-game series against New York.
ON THE VERGE -- Unless Charles Nagy grabs his elbow and shrieks with pain or gives up double-digit runs tonight for Buffalo, it's almost certain that the Indians will activate him from the DL this week. Nagy's rehab assignment is over tomorrow, and Tribe officials insist that they will not ask him to go on a second. That means he will be added to the staff (probably at the expense of Roy Smith) and given the role of long reliever, at least for awhile. Nagy has been learning to pitch with pain, a consequence of having no cartilage in his right elbow.
DATA -- In his past four starts, Bartolo Colon is 0-3 with a 5.53 earned-run average. . . . In losses to the Yankees on Saturday and yesterday, Tribe pitchers walked or hit 17 batters. Seven scored. . . . When Shuey threw four balls in a row to Alfonso Soriano in the seventh to force in a run, it was only the third time in 189 at-bats that he had walked. Tribe pitchers have issued two of those.
SILENT STEVE -- Steve Woodward still hasn't come to terms with the Indians' decision to option him to Buffalo after he recovered from a bruised arm, a memento left by Frank Thomas, who hit Woodard with a line drive. In five starts at Triple-A, Woodard is 3-2 with a 2.84 ERA but refuses to speak to reporters for fear that he will badmouth his bosses and become buried even deeper. In his most recent start, a 3-1 win over Columbus, Woodard didn't give up a hit until the leadoff batter in the sixth bounced a ball off the pitcher's glove. Woodard finished with a three-hitter, walking none and getting the job done in just 101 pitches. In his past three starts, Woodard has given up 15 hits, walked one and struck out 24 in 22 2/3 innings.
FRYMAN REPORT -- Travis Fryman was not scheduled to play yesterday, but Saturday, he went 1-for-4 with an RBI and will accompany the Bisons on their trip to Toledo and maybe Columbus. However, Fryman is expected to be activated before the end of the week after being out with a partially torn ligament in his right elbow. ``Fryman wants to play three games in a row in the field,'' Manuel said. ``He said he gets a little sore, body-wise and in both shoulders. That's just from playing after being out.''
MARCHING ONWARD -- Pitching matchups in Detroit: Chuck Finley (4-3, 4.97 ERA) vs. Steve Sparks (2-2, 4.11 ERA) this afternoon; Dave Burba (7-2, 5.15 ERA) vs. Victor Santos (1-1, 2.56 ERA) tomorrow night; Jaret Wright (0-0, 4.66 ERA) vs. Chris Holt (4-3, 5.30 ERA) Wednesday night.
