Meet the Pitchers

We'll wrap up the Meet the Indians (part I has been updated now that the rosters are finalized), by going over the starting pitching and bullpen.

The Big Guy
CC Sabathia
The 6'7", 290 lb. Cy Young contender went 19-7, with a 3.21 ERA this season, and walked just 37 hitters in 241 innings pitched. He was money in September, going 4-0, 2.37. Sabathia is 1-7 lifetime against the Yankees, but he hasn't faced them in 3 years. Just as the Yanks have a much different lineup, Sabathia is not the same pitcher. He's now a force to be reckoned with. We're not even going to give the pitcher vs. batter break down since it's totally meaningless.

The Sinker
Fausto Carmona
The soon to be 24-year old suffered through a miserable '06 as both a starter and closer. His 1-10 record didn't carry over to this season, however, and he dominated, going 19-8, 3.06. He allowed just 199 hits in 215 innings pitched, giving the Indians a formidable 1-2 punch. Like Chien-Ming Wang, the sinker is Carmona's weapon of choice.

vs. Yankee hitters

Damon: 2-5
Jeter: 3-7, 1 RBI
Abreu: 2-6, 2 RBI
A-Rod: 1-7, 1 HR
Matsui: 1-3
Posada: 0-2
Cano: 2-7
Mientky: 0-2
Cabrera: 3-6
Giambi: 1-5

The ex-Yankee
Jake Westbrook
The Yankees acquired him as part of the deal that sent Hideki Irabu to Montreal in '99, and then dealt him the following season in the pennant clinching deal that brought David Justice to NY.

After winning 14 games 3 years ago, and 15 each of the last 2, the right-hander struggled to a 6-9 mark this season. His 4.32 ERA was on par of his career. He hasn't done well against his former team, going 2-4, 5.29, including a loss this season.

vs. Yankee hitters

Damon: 2-9
Jeter: 8-25 (.320)
Abreu: 1-5
A-Rod: 9-24 (.375), 1 HR, 4 RBI
Matsui: 5-11, 1 RBI, 3 2B
Posada: 5-13, 2 HR 9 RBI
Cano: 4-8
Mientky: 5-21, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Cabrera: 1-11
Giambi: 6-14, 2 HR, 6 RBI

Frasier
Paul Byrd
The Kelsey Grammer look alike threw the 4th highest innings total of his career (192.1), and matched his 2nd best wins total (15). He doesn't have a good fastball and that was his undoing when he met the Yankees earlier this season. He's just 1-4, 4.44 in 8 career appearance against the Pinstripes.

vs. Yankee hitters

Damon: 3-19, 2 RBI
Jeter: 11-27 (.407), 3 RBI
Abreu: 2-5
A-Rod: 4-15, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Matsui: 1-5
Posada: 3-18, 2 RBI
Cano: 2-8, 1 HR
Mientky: 6-19, 5 RBI
Cabrera: 3-5, 1 HR, 6 RBI
Giambi: 3-14, 1 HR

The Closer
Joe Borowski
No one will forget A-Rod's walk-off against him in April. The Bayonne, NJ native had a fine season with 45 saves, but did put up a 5.07 ERA. Has been hammered for 12 runs in 7 career innings against the Yankees.

vs Yankee hitters

Jeter: 2-2, 1 HR, 5 RBI
A-Rod: 2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Posada: 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Giambi: 2-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Abreu, Damon, Matsui a combined 2-7


The Set up Man
Rafael Betancourt
Was the key to the Indians pen, posting 5-1 record with a 1.47 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 79.1 innings pitched. Held hitters to a .183 average while only allowing 3 of 33 inherited runners to score. Was suspended in 2005 for using a performance enhancing substance.

vs. Yankee hitters

Damon: 3-4
Jeter: 2-6
A-Rod, Mientky, and Giambi are a combined 0-10

The Southpaw
Rafael Perez
His emergence as a lefty in the pen was a huge lift to the Tribe. The 25-year old posted 1-2, 1.78 numbers with 62 strikeouts in 60.2 innings pitched. Lefties hit just .145 against him. He's not allowed a run in 3 IP against the Yankees over 2 seasons.

Remainder of the staff:
Jensen Lewis, Aaron Fultz, Tom Mastny, and Aaron Laffey

Meet the Pitchers

We'll wrap up the Meet the Indians (part I has been updated now that the rosters are finalized), by going over the starting pitching and bullpen.

The Big Guy
CC Sabathia
The 6'7", 290 lb. Cy Young contender went 19-7, with a 3.21 ERA this season, and walked just 37 hitters in 241 innings pitched. He was money in September, going 4-0, 2.37. Sabathia is 1-7 lifetime against the Yankees, but he hasn't faced them in 3 years. Just as the Yanks have a much different lineup, Sabathia is not the same pitcher. He's now a force to be reckoned with. We're not even going to give the pitcher vs. batter break down since it's totally meaningless.

The Sinker
Fausto Carmona
The soon to be 24-year old suffered through a miserable '06 as both a starter and closer. His 1-10 record didn't carry over to this season, however, and he dominated, going 19-8, 3.06. He allowed just 199 hits in 215 innings pitched, giving the Indians a formidable 1-2 punch. Like Chien-Ming Wang, the sinker is Carmona's weapon of choice.

vs. Yankee hitters

Damon: 2-5
Jeter: 3-7, 1 RBI
Abreu: 2-6, 2 RBI
A-Rod: 1-7, 1 HR
Matsui: 1-3
Posada: 0-2
Cano: 2-7
Mientky: 0-2
Cabrera: 3-6
Giambi: 1-5

The ex-Yankee
Jake Westbrook
The Yankees acquired him as part of the deal that sent Hideki Irabu to Montreal in '99, and then dealt him the following season in the pennant clinching deal that brought David Justice to NY.

After winning 14 games 3 years ago, and 15 each of the last 2, the right-hander struggled to a 6-9 mark this season. His 4.32 ERA was on par of his career. He hasn't done well against his former team, going 2-4, 5.29, including a loss this season.

vs. Yankee hitters

Damon: 2-9
Jeter: 8-25 (.320)
Abreu: 1-5
A-Rod: 9-24 (.375), 1 HR, 4 RBI
Matsui: 5-11, 1 RBI, 3 2B
Posada: 5-13, 2 HR 9 RBI
Cano: 4-8
Mientky: 5-21, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Cabrera: 1-11
Giambi: 6-14, 2 HR, 6 RBI

Frasier
Paul Byrd
The Kelsey Grammer look alike threw the 4th highest innings total of his career (192.1), and matched his 2nd best wins total (15). He doesn't have a good fastball and that was his undoing when he met the Yankees earlier this season. He's just 1-4, 4.44 in 8 career appearance against the Pinstripes.

vs. Yankee hitters

Damon: 3-19, 2 RBI
Jeter: 11-27 (.407), 3 RBI
Abreu: 2-5
A-Rod: 4-15, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Matsui: 1-5
Posada: 3-18, 2 RBI
Cano: 2-8, 1 HR
Mientky: 6-19, 5 RBI
Cabrera: 3-5, 1 HR, 6 RBI
Giambi: 3-14, 1 HR

The Closer
Joe Borowski
No one will forget A-Rod's walk-off against him in April. The Bayonne, NJ native had a fine season with 45 saves, but did put up a 5.07 ERA. Has been hammered for 12 runs in 7 career innings against the Yankees.

vs Yankee hitters

Jeter: 2-2, 1 HR, 5 RBI
A-Rod: 2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Posada: 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Giambi: 2-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Abreu, Damon, Matsui a combined 2-7


The Set up Man
Rafael Betancourt
Was the key to the Indians pen, posting 5-1 record with a 1.47 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 79.1 innings pitched. Held hitters to a .183 average while only allowing 3 of 33 inherited runners to score. Was suspended in 2005 for using a performance enhancing substance.

vs. Yankee hitters

Damon: 3-4
Jeter: 2-6
A-Rod, Mientky, and Giambi are a combined 0-10

The Southpaw
Rafael Perez
His emergence as a lefty in the pen was a huge lift to the Tribe. The 25-year old posted 1-2, 1.78 numbers with 62 strikeouts in 60.2 innings pitched. Lefties hit just .145 against him. He's not allowed a run in 3 IP against the Yankees over 2 seasons.

Remainder of the staff:
Jensen Lewis, Aaron Fultz, Tom Mastny, and Aaron Laffey

Game 163

Remarkably, the regular season continues tonight when the Padres and Rockies do battle for the final playoff spot, the NL Wild Card. And what a wild weekend it was.

While the Yankees were scoring 30 runs in taking 2 of 3 from the O's, the Mets were completely flushing (no pun intended) their season down the toilet. After losing Friday night, the Mets got another shot when John Maine pitched the game of his life, 7 2-3 innings of 1-hit ball, and 14 strikeouts. The Phillies split a pair with the Nats, setting up Sunday's big finish. Only someone forgot to tell Tommy Glavine.

The veteran left-hander and future Hall of Fame member, spit the bit...plain and simple. He gave up 7 runs and didn't make it out of the 1st inning, and the Mets were dead. Down in Philly, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins were laying the smackdown on the Nats, giving the Phillies their 1st playoff appearance in 14 years.

The Padres merely needed a win to snap up the Wild Card spot, but the Brewers weren't in a giving mood, even though they had already been eliminated. 4 Padres homers didn't matter as the Brewers won 11-6. The Padres could have wrapped things up on Saturday if not for Trevor Hoffman blowing yet another big game.

The Rockies finish was as improbable as the Mets. They took 2 of 3 from AZ to win 13 of their final 14 to force tonight's tie-breaker. Even better they get to play it at home.

Getting back to the Mets fiasco. A lot of fans are blasting Willie Randolph, and a manager certainly has to take a share of the blame, but this is on GM Omar Minaya. He constructed a poor ball club. He didn't do anything at the deadline to address the teams chief needs, and then brings in an idiot like Rickey Henderson to be a "positive" influence on Jose Reyes. WTF?!

Game 163

Remarkably, the regular season continues tonight when the Padres and Rockies do battle for the final playoff spot, the NL Wild Card. And what a wild weekend it was.

While the Yankees were scoring 30 runs in taking 2 of 3 from the O's, the Mets were completely flushing (no pun intended) their season down the toilet. After losing Friday night, the Mets got another shot when John Maine pitched the game of his life, 7 2-3 innings of 1-hit ball, and 14 strikeouts. The Phillies split a pair with the Nats, setting up Sunday's big finish. Only someone forgot to tell Tommy Glavine.

The veteran left-hander and future Hall of Fame member, spit the bit...plain and simple. He gave up 7 runs and didn't make it out of the 1st inning, and the Mets were dead. Down in Philly, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins were laying the smackdown on the Nats, giving the Phillies their 1st playoff appearance in 14 years.

The Padres merely needed a win to snap up the Wild Card spot, but the Brewers weren't in a giving mood, even though they had already been eliminated. 4 Padres homers didn't matter as the Brewers won 11-6. The Padres could have wrapped things up on Saturday if not for Trevor Hoffman blowing yet another big game.

The Rockies finish was as improbable as the Mets. They took 2 of 3 from AZ to win 13 of their final 14 to force tonight's tie-breaker. Even better they get to play it at home.

Getting back to the Mets fiasco. A lot of fans are blasting Willie Randolph, and a manager certainly has to take a share of the blame, but this is on GM Omar Minaya. He constructed a poor ball club. He didn't do anything at the deadline to address the teams chief needs, and then brings in an idiot like Rickey Henderson to be a "positive" influence on Jose Reyes. WTF?!