Cavs 109 Pistons 107 2 OT

The Cleveland Cavaliers won a thriller in double overtime tonight at Detroit tonight in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs. Here are my thoughts on tonight's epic win:

1. Now I'm 30 years old, but I cannot remember a more exciting and memorable game in Cleveland sports history. I was not here for the Miracle at Richfield or the Browns championship in 1964.


2. This win cannot be overstated the momentum that comes from this win is huge. But also we still have to come out on Saturday with the same intensity and focus.


3. I think overall Mike Brown coached a great game. I know people will hammer him for the wasted timeout at the end of the first overtime. But it was clear he once again out coached Flip Saunders.


4. Another big factor in the win tonight was that we won the third quarter.


5. It was so evident tonight that Detroit came with every thing they had early and I think it really frustrated them that they could never put us away.


6. I looked back at the box score of this game and I really think the fatigue factor will hurt Detroit more because they had four players play over 45 minutes. The Cavs only had Lebron playing 50 minutes and Sasha with 42 minutes.


7. I thought Larry Hughes played excellent tonight when he was in.


8. I thought the officials really were heavy on the whistle tonight but I really think they were consistent and that is really all you can ask for.


9. Friday will be a great day I think the National Media should just call it Lebron Appreciation Day. Skip Bayliss I cant wait to see you eat crow tomorrow.


10. Saturday is a day I cant wait for and the city of Cleveland will be on a national stage and the city will be electric.


11. I would love to hear responses from everyone what they did as they were watching this classic Cleveland sports moment.

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comments welcomed

Tribe 8 Red Sox 4

The Cleveland Indians staved off a sweep by winning the finale of their three game series in Boston. Here are my thoughts on tonight's win:

1. Another solid start by Paul Byrd. He really kept the ball club in the game as they were struggling to get the big hit to put some runs on the board. He once against allowed no base on balls. Plus I don't think many of us thought he would be 6-1 at the end of March.


2. It was great to see Grady finally break out of his slump in Boston and get three big hits. Usually when Grady gets on base good things happen.


3. Also nice to see Pronk come through with three hits. He had started to scuffle again lately but his offense was really needed tonight because of Victor Martinez having the night off.


4. I loved seeing Shoppach get 4 hits and a homer against his old team. I really think he has the talent to be a starting catcher in the big leagues.


5. Nice job by Tom Mastny and Aaron Fultz in getting out of a no out bases loaded jam in the seventh inning. The game was clearly won in this big situation. Big props to Fultz for getting David Ortiz to pop out.


6. The win was even bigger tonight with Tampa Bay helping us out and beating the Tigers. The Tribe has their 2 1/2 game lead back heading into the big 4 game home series with Detroit.

The Indians will return to the Jake to play Detroit on Thursday with CC Sabathia facing Justin Verlander at 7:05.

Cavs 91 Pistons 87

The Cleveland Cavaliers evened up their Eastern Conference Finals series with the Detroit Pistons with a 91-87 victory at Quicken Loans Arena. Here are my thoughts on the win:

1. My first point is I thought the crowd had a huge impact and I think it got the Cavs to play better when they struggled in the third quarter and it made it tougher for Detroit to run their sets in the 4th quarter.


2. I also want to give big props to Drew Gooden for playing a great game after I ripped him for playing soft in Game 3. I was even ok with his technical foul tonight because it let Rasheed know he wasn't going to push this team around anymore.


3. Also, Daniel Gibson showed his talent at both ends of the floor. He also showed that he plays like a 10 year veteran out their. Also give credit to Mike Brown for finally taking the training wheels off him.


4. I think Larry Hughes deserves to be lauded for sucking it up for the team and you cant question his heart.


5. For two years in a row Mike Brown is out coaching Flip Saunders.


6. It is just great watching the TNT halftime crew eat crow after the Cavs win another one.


7. Seeing Rasheed throw a tantrum and also seeing Chauncy Billups have more turnovers than assists it is evident we have their attention and we are getting in their head.


8. Sorry for not mentioning sooner Lebron showed that he is a closer and a money player in the 4th quarter again. Hey Skip Bayliss were you watching tonight?


9. The two biggest reasons we won tonight were we got to the foul line 33 times and shot at a 82 percent clip from the line. The other reason is we held them to 38% from the field and 1 for 12 from three point land.

The series will continue on Thursday night at 8pm when the Cavs will travel back to Detroit.

Red Sox 5 Tribe 3

The Cleveland Indians lost the opener of their three game series with the Boston Red Sox tonight at Fenway Park by a score of 5-3. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Cliff Lee was a lot better tonight and pitch decently well against a potent Red Sox lineup that was without the services of David Ortiz. It was good to see him pitch much better than he did last week against Kansas City. Hopefully this is a positive step in getting him to pitch like he is capable of.


2. Curt Schilling had our lineup looking clueless at the plate tonight. I think this isn't anything to be alarmed about he is still a good pitcher and always is tough to beat at Fenway.


3. I thought Roberto Hernandez pitched better tonight, and the inside the park homer really should have been caught by Grady and if you asked Grady I'm sure he would say the same thing. But to Grady's credit playing center at Fenway is different than any other park in baseball.


4. I think I'm ready for the Koplove experiment to end, his run that he gave up really was a blow and when your trying to come back from a two run lead you cant afford to give up runs in the late innings to a good ball club.


5. I loved the way we battled in the late innings and made a dominant closer look somewhat ordinary. Were not going to sweep Boston but as fans we still have to feel good on a night that we didn't play our best we still had a chance to win the ballgame.


6. So that's two games we have gotten the shaft from Rick Reed and his crew. But the good news the Tigers bullpen blew up again in Tampa, so we still maintain a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL Central.

The Indians continue their series in Boston as Jeremy Sowers will face off against Josh Beckett.

Cavs 88 Pistons 82

The Cleveland Cavaliers got back in the winning column tonight with a big win at Quicken Loans Arena against the Detroit Pistons. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Lebron was the leader that we all want him to be and he played with an attitude that he wasn't going to be denied. He played 46 minutes and never showed any signs of fatigue throughout the whole game.


2. I thought as a team we didn't play that well with the rebounds being even and only getting one more shot at the line. I still think we can play better and fully expect we will.


3. It was really nice to finally hear an analyst give the Cavs credit for their defense and not just say its Detroit playing badly.


4. Z had a great game tonight. I thought he battled and hit big shots and was a force out their tonight.


5. I thought Sasha hit some big shots tonight and it was nice to see him come back with a big game after he had a sub par effort in Game 2.


6. I love seeing Boobie Gibson out their and I know when he is out their we don't really have a point guard but I love how he plays with no fear and he played excellent defense tonight.


7. The one thing that irritated me tonight was the amount of idiot Pistons fans in the crowd. I hope the fans who were down their made their night a living hell. Also TNT who cares if Kid Rock is their, this guy hasn't done anything in five years.


8. I thought tonight would have been the easier game to get but I think we will have to play even better on Tuesday night.

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Tribe 5 Tigers 3

The Cleveland Indians finished off the sweep of the Detroit Tigers tonight at CoAmerica Park in downtown Detroit by the score of 5-3. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Another outstanding start by Fausto Carmona. I thought he had great stuff and worked out of some jams. He really was only threatened in the third inning and did a good job of escaping without giving up the lead.



2. The big blow was the Garko three run homer. It is very important to get out to a big lead against the Tigers like we did on Friday also because they have a potent offense and you always feel like the Tigers are one big shot away from tying the game.



3. Casey Blake's homer was also a big blow and gave us some breathing room after the Tigers got the lead back to within 1.



4. Was very nice to see Joe Borowski pick up another save and I thought the whole weekend he pitched as well as he has all year. Also another excellent job by Betancourt pitching a strong 8th inning as well.



5. This series sweep is big in instilling confidence in the team that we are better than Detroit. Also, it sends a message to the rest of the AL that the Indians are for real. We finally have some breathing room atop the division. But it only gets tougher now with playing the Red Sox at Fenway. But I think we will play fine since this team really gets up for playing big series against good teams.

The Indians will now head to Boston to play the Red Sox on Monday night at 7:05 with Jeremy Sowers aiming to go for two wins in a row against Curt Schilling.

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Tribe 6 Tigers 3

The Cleveland Indians won the second game of their weekend series with the Detroit Tigers this afternoon at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. Here are my thoughts on today's win:

1. I thought a pretty solid start by CC Sabathia this afternoon he wasn't dominating like he usually is but kept the Indians in the game and gave the club a chance to win the game.


2. A big thing in today's game was not letting the Tigers score more than one run in any inning and all the pitchers for the Indians did an excellent job of working out of jams and limiting the damage. Because numerous times the Tigers had runners in scoring position with less than 2 out.


3. Was really nice to see David Dellucci come through with a big homer in the 8th inning. I still think he is going to play better and even though he hasn't hit like he will hit I don't think he has been a liability in any facet of the game.


4. Casey Blake also deserves praise for settling into the two hole in the lineup and playing his usual great defense that we have come to expect from him.


5. The Tigers lost Polanco and Grilli today and I think they are really starting to get killed by the injury bug. They seem to be the type of team this year who might not ever get back to full strength cause of the injury bug. This is why getting out to a bigger lead could be important while Detroit is so shorthanded.


6. With Dellucci delivering the big hit today I really have started to notice that this team has gotten big hits from numerous people it just isn't the Pronk and Grady show up their.

The Tribe will go for the sweep tomorrow night on ESPN at 8 as Fausto Carmona goes up against Mike Maroth.

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Tribe 7 Tigers 4

The Cleveland Indians were victorious tonight in the first game of their three game weekend series with the Detroit Tigers 7-4. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Solid start tonight again by Paul Byrd. I don't think he had great command tonight. A lot of his pitches were getting up his zone and really started to catch up to him later in the game. But still he threw strikes and really gave the Indians a chance to win.


2. The defensive play by Jason Michaels was huge in many ways. Had he not caught the ball and it did go over the fence the Tigers would of had a 4-2 lead and right after this catch the Indians would go on to stretch the lead an inning later in the 4th.


3. Every player had a hit tonight in the starting lineup and like I have said in the past when this team gets balance they are extremely difficult to beat.


4. The Pronk triple was huge in that it gave some breathing room and really salted the game away. Hopefully this will help him get out of the mini slump he has been in.


5. For all the experts who say how Detroit has such a better bullpen than us, well the Tribe pen outperformed the Tigers pen tonight.


6. Tonight's win was huge to get off to a good start against the Tigers and grab the division lead back again.

The Indians and Tigers will continue the series tomorrow afternoon at 4 with CC Sabathia taking the mound against Justin Verlander.

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Pistons 79 Cavs 76

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Detroit Pistons tonight in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. I was very pleased with the energy the Cavs played with tonight and showed once again they don't fear the Pistons.


2. Lebron needs to be more aggressive than he was tonight. 10 shots is unacceptable. Like Charles Barkley said in the post game show when Lebron drives to the whole he gets the opposition in foul trouble.


3. I know the Pistons have improved but so to have the Cavs.


4. Sasha needs to be better than he was tonight. I think he is starting to show the inexperience of playing in his first playoffs. I also think if we want to be an elite team Sasha is a nice player but I don't know if he is a starting shooting guard.


5. I would have liked to see more of that lineup with Donyell and Daniel Gibson especially when we had the lead in the second quarter and maybe if they had knocked down some shots they really could have built an even bigger lead.


6. I think after tonight this has the makings of a very long series. It is very evident we are the only team in the east besides Miami that gives Detroit fits.


7. The loss was very frustrating but folks lets look at what we thought after game 1 last year and we have grown leaps and bounds as a team.


8. Also Z had a great game tonight and if he continues to play this well this will really help us out as the series unfolds.

The Cavs will resume their series with the Pistons on Thursday night at 8.

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Tribe 5 Mariners 2

The Cleveland Indians won their makeup game from the snowstorm of April tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. I thought CC pitched well tonight with not having his good stuff on the mound tonight.


2. The bullpen pitched very effectively except for Roberto Hernandez who reverted back to his sub par self. I must give credit to Tom Mastny he has been the most pleasant surprise in the bullpen this year. Borowski got his 14th save tonight. Now I don't think there are many fans who thought he would have 14 saves by March 19.


3. Turning point in the game was clearly Blake's home run and really seemed to get everyone relaxed at the plate.


4. Like I have said before this lineup is really starting to show balance with 7 of 9 batters getting a hit tonight.


5. Josh Barfield really opened up the game tonight with his big two run double in the 7th inning.


6. With the win tonight the Indians are back where they belong on top of the AL Central by a half game.

The Indians will now embark on a three city road trip that will start in Kansas City where the Tribe will play an improving Royals squad. Fausto Carmona will try to continue his brilliance on the mound against Odalis Perez.

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Tribe 5 Reds 3

The Cleveland Indians won the series over the Cincinnati Reds today with a 5-3 win at Jacobs Field this afternoon. Here are my thoughts on today's win:

1. Paul Byrd gave another solid start today. He didn't have great stuff but he still kept the ball club in the game. Any team will live with 7 innings and 3 runs allowed from their supposed #5 starter.


2. It was refreshing again to see the Tribe come right back after falling behind. Also, they did score five runs against a pretty good starting pitcher in Aaron Harang.


3. Jhonny Peralta continues his hot hitting and he seems to be over the sophomore slump he had last year. The homer he had today gives him ten for the year.


4. Once again the Indians had 8 of their starting 9 hitters get hits today. Keep doing this and the wins will pile up.


5. Was also nice to see Joe Borowski work a 1,2,3 9th inning to get the save.


6. Today was the tenth series win of the season for the Tribe. The Indians didn't accomplish this feat last year till mid August.

The Indians return back to the field on Monday to play the Mariners in one of the makeup games from the snowed out home opening weekend. CC Sabathia will face Cha Seung Beak at 7:05.

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Reds 10 Tribe 5

The Cleveland Indians lost the middle game of their three game series with the Cincinnati Reds this evening at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the loss:

1. Another troubling start by Jeremy Sowers tonight. I thought at times he pitched better but again was susceptible to the long ball and the big inning. I think the writing is on the wall that as soon as Jake Westbrook comes back Sowers will be going back to Buffalo.


2. Fernando Cabrera was again shaky and seems to have reverted back to his form of last year. The thing about this guy is he has great stuff but something is obviously preventing him from being the pitcher we think he can be.


3. The one really good thing I take from this game is that we had hits from 8 of the 9 guys in the starting lineup. This lineup is really starting to give us balanced hitting.


4. Also was good to see Pronk go yard and when we see him take off from the plate this team will continue to improve.


5. Andy Marte was activated off the DL and Franklin Gutierrez was sent back to Buffalo today. I think Marte will get a chance to earn back his third base job but folks lets be honest here there will not be a long leash and if he doesn't pick up his play Casey Blake will move back to third full time. I hope we work him gradually back in the lineup maybe playing him 3 or 4 times a week.

The Tribe returns to the field tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 as Paul Byrd opposes Aaron Harang.

Tribe 9 Reds 4

The Cleveland Indians took the first game in the battle of Ohio tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on tonight's victory:

1. Cliff Lee pitched well after a shaky second inning in which he gave up four runs. But he regained form and pitched well the rest of the game. Also I have never seen a pitcher who constantly gets such run support that Lee has gotten in the last three years as a starter for the Tribe.


2. When watching this team play at home I get the vibe from them that they just expect to win every game they play at home. This is a welcomed site after the last few years watching Indians team struggle playing at Jacobs Field.


3. Nice to see another quality effort out of the bullpen by Roberto Hernandez and Aaron Fultz finishing the game out.


4. Grady really seems to be locked in at the plate now and with Garko and Pronk picking up the pace I think this team is about to really start to catch fire.


5. To all my readers who were down at the game or just downtown in the Gateway District let me know how crazy was it. I honestly can say I wish I was in Cleveland on nights like this.

The Indians will continue their series with the Reds tomorrow night at the Jake with Jeremy Sowers facing off against Matt Belisle at 7:05.

Cavs 88 Nets 72

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New Jersey Nets tonight to win their Eastern Conference playoff series 4 games to 2. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

1. I ripped Mike Brown for not having this team ready to play on Wednesday night. But it was very clear he had this team's attention at the task and hand.


2. Also much credit goes to Lebron for setting the tone in the first quarter and then again setting the tone in the fourth quarter.


3. It was so much easier to watch this game with a quality announcing team of Tirico and Hubie Brown.


4. With being a resident of Reading, PA I am the biggest Donyell fan. He has had his struggles this year but he showed the moxie and character he has as a player after going 0 for 7 in Game 6 to come back with a great performance with the six 3 pointers tonight.


5. I must give big props to Mike Brown for going with the lineup of three point shooters to start the fourth quarter. I caught myself saying "what the hell is he doing" when i saw Damon Jones in the game. But I give him all the credit in the world for doing so, it was a very gutsy coaching decision. I think he should get credit for the fact that his team didn't panic and lose its cool. Also I think in the next series going on it will help the bench's confidence in seeing that they really helped the Cavs get the win tonight.


6. The only player I thought had a disappointing performance tonight was Sasha, but he still played great defense on Vince Carter. He has grown leaps and bounds as a player this year.


7. The Nets are the prime example of why jump shooting teams will never win an NBA title.


8. I know Larry Hughes only had 5 points and 1 field goal but he was much more effective tonight and he deserves credit for not letting the last game linger.


9. I know we go into the next round as an underdog but I feel like unlike Chicago and Orlando we have respect for the Pistons and the team that they are but we don't fear them. Also the last two games we played against them in the regular season were games that could have been won by both teams.

The Cavaliers will start their Eastern Conference Finals series with the Pistons on Monday at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Tribe 2 Twins 0

The Cleveland Indians completed a three game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Fausto Carmona was simply dominant today. The Twins had no chance at the plate today against him. Listening to their post game comments I find it amazing they even got four hits off him. Hopefully he continues this great pitching and gives the Tribe two ace starting pitchers.


2. I also wanted to salute the defense that the Tribe have been playing. What once was considered a weakness is now getting a lot better. Nice play by Josh Barfield on the grounder up the middle.


3. It was really nice to see this great pitching match up live up to its billing.


4. The day got even better yesterday with Detroit losing a twin bill yesterday.

The Indians start the Battle for Ohio on Friday at Jacobs Field with the Reds as Cliff Lee opposes Kyle Lohse.

Nets 83 Cavs 72

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal to the New Jersey Nets tonight at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs still maintain a 3-2 series lead. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

1. The lack of intensity was unacceptable tonight point blank. Where was the fire to close the Nets out. I think Mike Brown is a good young coach who continues to improve as a head coach. But, clearly the Cavs were not ready to play and he should take the blame for not having his team ready to play.


2. With Z the only starter really playing good last night where was the part of the game plan to get him the ball.


3. Now I'm Lebron's biggest fan but he definitely did not have a good game last night. But with his pregnant girlfriend falling ill and leaving the arena in the third quarter it is definitely understandable of why he didn't seem as in to the game as usual. I think its almost a sure thing you will get a great performance from Lebron on Friday night.


4. I must give credit to Eric Snow for one of two players playing hard tonight.(Z being the other one) He really seemed to be the only one who wanted it as much as the fans did tonight.


5. Attention Mike Brown is it possible to get Lebron the ball closer to the basket than the 30 feet away from the basket he has been getting the ball.


6. I feel very confident going into Game 6. A stinker like Game 5 is usually one that is easy to get out of a team's mind. I have this feeling as long as the game is close on Friday we will prevail since Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson will play small like they usually have in close games in this series.


7. Another reason I feel confident is that this team will not shoot 30 percent from the field again and the Nets wont shoot 55 percent for two more games.

The Cavs will play Game 6 in East Rutherford, NJ on Friday night at 7.

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Tribe 7 Twins 1

The Cleveland Indians won their second straight game in as many nights with a 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Jacobs Field on Wednesday night. Here are my thoughts on tonight's victory:

1. Another typical start by CC tonight. 8 innings of one run ball with 5 strikeouts and gives the bullpen a good night of rest as we have a day game tomorrow. It is plain to see how much Sabathia as grown as a pitcher this year.


2. Another quick start with the bats and when the Tribe scores early in a ballgame they have been very dominant.


3. The lineup is really starting to hit well. Tonight only Josh Barfield didn't reach base. Also, we scored five runs against a quality pitcher in Carlos Silva.


4. Big props to Grady for continuing to pick up the average and giving a spark to the lineup early in the game. Also, Trot Nixon should be lauded for a great game tonight.


5. Tonight was another win against an AL Central club. We are now 8-2 in the Central, and yes I know we haven't played Detroit yet but this is the formula the White Sox used two years ago to win the division by feasting on AL Central competition. Detroit was rained out so we gained a half game on the Tigers and we stand 1/2 game back of them in the AL Central.


6. If I was in the Cleveland area I would take off work to see this pitching match up which is worth the price of admission.

The Indians finished their three game series with the Twins at 12:05 as Fausto Carmona opposes Johan Santana.

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Tribe 15 Twins 7

The Cleveland Indians returned to Jacobs Field in a big way tonight with a 15-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Here are my thoughts on tonight's victory:

1. Nice job tonight by Paul Byrd in that he pitched well enough to win. I don't think Byrd had his best stuff but he understood the situation and after giving up the 2 run homer in the first really helped the club by getting out of the first with only giving up the two runs on the homer.


2. When the bottom of the lineup hits like it did tonight this offense runs like a well oiled machine and really puts the pressure on the pitcher and gets the top of the lineup better pitches to hit.


3. Best thing to happen in the game tonight was that Grady got back on track with the four hits and a home run. I never felt like he was slumping just had not had a dominant game at the plate like he did tonight.


4. The one distressing thing that happened tonight was the ineffectiveness for a second straight day from Fernando Cabrera. I think it is obvious he has talent but I just get the feeling he is going to become a reliever who is very streaky. But I think it is important to keep giving him opportunities so we can get his confidence back. But it was nice to see Roberto Hernandez come in and pitch and 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief.


5. I saw a stat tonight that the club is 21-5 when we score 5 runs or more. That turns out to be a percentage of 81 percent, which is very impressive. I think a big reason why the record when we score 5 or more runs has to do with the excellent starting pitching we have gotten.

The Tribe get back on the field tomorrow night at 7:05 against the Twins with CC Sabathia opposing Carlos Silva.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Cavs 87 Nets 85

The Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series with the New Jersey Nets 87-85 tonight in East Rutherford, NJ. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

1. This by far was the most exciting Cavs playoff game this year. If you want to be an elite team you have to win games like this.


2. I thought an excellent game plan by Mike Brown and the players executed it very well. In this series the uglier the game is the more it benefits the Cavs.


3. I love the toughness the Cavs showed tonight and they didn't back down from the Nets tonight, and I thought the flagrant foul on Sasha tonight woke the team up and really raised our level of play.


4. The Cavs definitely deserved to win this game because they got stops in the 4th quarter. This is the one thing that Mike Brown preaches. The Nets didn't have a field goal the last 6:58 of the game.


5. People will say how that punk Mikki Moore had a great game, but he did nothing the last six minutes of the game. And he also awoke the opponent when we were struggling along with that punk ass flagrant foul.


6. I was happy with the game that Lebron had tonight I thought he played like the superstar that he is and he played a complete ballgame tonight.


7. I thought Z had a solid game tonight even though countless times he was slow getting back when defending the pick and roll.


8. I know Sasha didn't have a great game point wise but at least he brought the toughness and he and Eric Snow really frustrated Vince Carter.


9. I know Carter had 25 tonight but he did it on 23 shots and he showed once again why he is not an elite superstar and not a big time player in the clutch. Also before this series started I heard all the national media analysts say how great of an addition Nachbar was to the Nets but he has showed me nothing in this series and has shrinked more and more every game.


10. All right Eric Snow haters even you have to admit the Cavs don't win this game without his defense and toughness. Sometimes I marvel at the disdain some people have for him. He honestly isn't the most talented guy in the world but he is a good veteran presence on the team and his toughness wear off on his teammates.

The Cavs will try and close out the series on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena and I expect a rocking house to greet the Nets.

A's 10 Indians 7

The Cleveland Indians ended their 10 game road trip with a disappointing loss today in Oakland. Here are my thoughts on today's game:

1. Cliff Lee was not sharp today and was obvious he didn't have really good stuff today on the mound.


2. Joe Borowski blew his second save with the Indians today. I must say when he blows them he blows them in a big way. But I'm not ready to give up on the guy he has been pretty consistent.


3. Another excellent game by Ryan Garko today. He just really looks locked in at the plate.


4. Pronk looked more comfortable than he did on Friday, hopefully this will help him get out of his slump.


5. The rest of the bullpen was pretty effective again. I get the sense that Wedge is becoming much more comfortable with Mastny than he is with Hernandez.


6. As I'm typing this now the Tigers are losing so hopefully the Twins can beat them tonight so were still only 1.5 games behind. But if we would have managed to hold on for the win we would have only been a half game behind. The Tribe rebounded in a big way the last time Borowski blew a save so hopefully the same thing will happen.


7. Big home stand coming up with a Minnesota team that is leaking oil, a sub par Cincinatti Reds team and a payback game with the Mariners. So hopefully we can get back on a nice winning streak during this home stand.

The Indians will play Minnesota on Tuesday with Paul Byrd facing Ramon Ortiz.

Nets 96 Cavs 85

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal Series to the New Jersey Nets. Cleveland still maintains a 2-1 series lead over the Nets. Here are my thoughts on Game 3:

1. The Nets clearly deserved to win the game, there was no sense of urgency from the Cavs in the game.


2. Did Sasha make the trip to New Jersey cause it sure felt like he wasn't there.


3. The Nets did a better job on the glass in this game but as this series goes on I still like we will wear them down in this area.


4. Now I must say I am a big Lebron supporter but I think in the next game he must take the bull by the horns and show the Nets they have no hope in winning the series.


5. Attention Mike Brown can you please but Scot Pollard into the game to put that punk Mikki Moore on his ass. I'm tired of seeing this jackass talk after every play he makes.


6. In the next game we must get back to pounding the ball inside I really felt that this was a big downfall in the game on Saturday afternoon.

comments welcomed

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 6 A's 3

I first want to apologize to all my readers. I had a cable modem connection problem last night and couldn't get online to blog about last night's game. OK on to today's game, the Indians beat the A's 6-3 today in the second game of a three game series. Here are my thoughts on today's victory:

1. Fausto Carmona really picked the ball club up today with another solid start. It was good too see Fausto pitch well after getting into trouble in the first inning. I think we found out more about how good Fausto is today.


2. I thought Eric Wedge did a good thing in giving Pronk a day off, he really looked bad last night and hopefully this will help him get back on the right track.


3. Nice game today from Josh Barfield with two triples and two RBI's. He seems to finding his stride and even while he was slumping his defense has always been solid the whole year.


4. I want to give props to a pitcher who doesn't bet much accolades but I think Aaron Fultz has been the most consistent pitcher in the bullpen and has been a great signing by Mark Shapiro. You can bet Charlie Manuel and the Phillies sure do miss him.


5. Also Casey Blake and Jason Michaels had solid games today. I even criticized Blake for his lack of clutch hitting but he now seems to have found his stride and really looks comfortable at third.


6. Tomorrow's game is big in the fact that with a win the Tribe finishes their road trip at .500.

The Indians finished up their road trip with the rubber game of the three game series with Oakland at 4:05 with Cliff Lee facing Chad Gaudin.

comments welcomed

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Angels 8 Tribe 0

The Cleveland Indians lost their second straight game this afternoon today to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Another disappointing start from Jeremy Sowers again today. The sad thing is that in the third inning he was one pitch away from getting out of the inning without yielding a run. But that didn't happen and he put the team behind the eight ball again today just like he did last week in Baltimore.


2. Inexcusable base running blunder by Mike Rouse cost the team a quality scoring chance in the top of the third inning. When the offense is struggling against a good pitcher these mistakes are simply inexcusable.


3. I'm searching for positives on today's game and the only thing that I could come up with is that Pronk got back on track and had two hits.


4. The Angels are a team that really exposes the Indians weaknesses of defense and throwing out baserunners. But, it is imperative to play from in front against this team. That way you can take them out of their running game.


5. The Tribe relinquished the division lead but lets not get bent out of shape about that we still have a 3.5 games lead in the wild card and if we get back on track and keep winning series we will be fine.

The Tribe now will head to Northern California for a three game weekend series in Oakland. CC Sabathia will take to the hill against Joe Blanton tomorrow night at 10:05.

comments welcomed

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 5 Angels 1

The Cleveland Indians started their three game series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with a 5-1 victory tonight. Here are my thoughts on tonight's win:

1. Outstanding performance tonight from Cliff Lee. Complete game effort and only 3 hits and 1 run allowed. Lee pitched no hit ball until the sixth inning.


2. Great game by Victor Martinez with an RBI single in the first to get things going and a home run later on. I thought Victor's single in the first helped Cliff Lee get settled in and pitch in a comfort zone. Victor also held the Angels potent running game at bay tonight.


3. I felt like Grady made some catches tonight that prevented big innings. Nice to see him play well with the news of him being on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated.


4. The complete game really could pay benefits in the games to come with letting the bullpen get acclimated to the western time zone.


5. The Tigers won tonight but the Tribe is still in first place by a half game. These two teams seem to be trying to run away from the rest of the division.


6. I wanted to apologize to everyone for posting the wrong starting pitcher for the Angels tonight. I assumed it would be Weaver but it was Ervin Santana who got the call tonight.

The Indians continue their series with the Angels tomorrow night at 10:05 with Paul Byrd facing Jered Weaver.

Cavs 102 Nets 92

The Cleveland Cavaliers took Game 2 of their playoff series with the New Jersey Nets this evening. The following are my thoughts on tonight's win:

1. Big props to the Cleveland fans for making it a hostile environment like usual. I felt like the fans made a huge impact on tonight's game.


2. This team is so much fun to watch when it gets great performance from numerous players.


3. Lebron had is best game of the playoffs tonight. I felt like through the whole game he wasn't going to let the Cavs lose tonight.


4. The game was won the boards and on defense tonight. I think it was very evident to see how we wanted this game a lot more than the Nets did.


5. I thought the game was well officiated tonight but NBA how does Bennett Salvatore get to ref big game after big game.


6. Great job by Sasha tonight defending Vince Carter and as the game went on he seemed to be getting Carter more and more frustrated. Sasha also played well on offense and I love when he is more aggressive because he becomes a complete player.


7. Larry Hughes has been criticized for most of his tenure in Cleveland but when Lebron draws defenders and gets Larry Hughes wide open jumpers he seems to have the knack to knock them down.


8. It was a nice surprise going to the TNT halftime crew and hearing them say good things about the Cavs. I thought Doug Collins and Kevin Harlan were outstanding on the commentary tonight.


9. Great game by Varejao tonight getting the hustle points and taking the will of the Nets away on the boards.


10. I'm really beginning to get a hatred for Mikki Moore. Does he have to open up his big fat mouth every time he does something.

The Cavs now will travel to New Jersey for the next two games at Continental Airlines Arena. Game 3 is on Saturday at 5 pm.

Tribe 10 Orioles 1

The Cleveland Indians today won the final game of their four game series with the Baltimore Orioles. Here are my thoughts on today's win:

1. Another outstanding performance by Fausto Carmona today. The kid has electric stuff and its a very good thing that he was almost unhittable against the same team two games in a row. I personally think Carmona is in the starting rotation for good now.


2. Trot Nixon continued his hot hitting today with two hits and Pronk added a grand slam. Pronk had started to struggle on this road trip and it was good to see him get back on track. Beware that Pronk has routinely hit well in Anaheim so this is a very good thing.


3. The Indians made two roster moves today with putting Jake Westbrook on the DL and declaring Jason Davis for assignment. In turn they recalled Fausto Carmona and Edward Mujica from AAA Buffalo. It was a little sad to see Davis lose his gig with the Tribe and I for one always found him to be a very nice person and wish him nothing but the best on his next stop in the big leagues.


4. A lot of fans have knocked Jhonny Peralta for his lack of range and defense but he deserves a lot of praise for his great defensive play at short in the game today. It should be noted that this play totally changed the game because right after that the Indians took the lead and never looked back.


5. With today's win the Tribe goes right back into the top position in the AL Central with a half game lead of the Tigers. The Tigers also suffered a big blow with phenom reliever Joel Zumaya tearing a tendon in a finger on his pitching hand. Zumaya will be out for about three months. This is a huge blow to the Tigers bullpen.

The Tribe will now fly west to Anaheim to play the Angels in a three game series with the first game being tomorrows night at 10:05 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Cliff Lee will face Jered Weaver.

Tribe 9 Orioles 6

The Cleveland Indians halted their mini 2 game losing streak today with a win against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday by the score of 9-6. Here are my thoughts on today's game:

1. Good job by CC today pitching like the ace that he is and stopping a losing streak. I think CC has put himself into the lead for the AL Cy Young award. Also I would point out that the Tribe is 7-0 in games CC has pitched.


2. Great day for Trot Nixon. I think Mark Shapiro should be lauded for his signing. He has brought an attitude to the team of doing things the right way and I love the toughness he plays with. A player the ilk of Nixon is something that was missing the last two years. With all that being said 5 for 5 with 4 RBI's is a great day and big props to the Trotter.


3. Attention ESPN please open your eyes the next time that you say Jose Reyes is the most exciting player in baseball. I and a group of ladies in the Northeastern Ohio (Grady's ladies) would beg to differ vehemently. Another web gem to add to his arsenal today.


4. Also ESPN I would like to laud one of your analysts today. John Kruk told it like it is today. Roger Clemens will only pitch one game every five and their bullpen still blows.


5. I know Detroit beat KC today but I think were in great shape being tied with them for the division lead. Also the Tribe and the Tigers seem to be getting some breathing room from the rest of the division. Also look at Detroit's schedule they have played KC nine times to our zero and they have not played really any tough teams outside of the division with the exception of the Angels.

The Tribe hope to gain a split in the four game series with Baltimore with a 12:35 matinee with the Orioles tomorrow. Fausto Carmona will take to the hill against the human rain delay Steve Trachsel.

Cavs 81 Nets 77

The Cleveland Cavaliers started their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New Jersey Nets with a win in Game 1 on Sunday afternoon. The following are my thoughts on today's win:

1. I thought during today's game the long layoff had very little effect. The only thing I could notice was that we weren't very crisp in running our offensive sets in the first quarter.


2. It was very clear today that Mike Brown out coached that midget of a coach for the Nets Larry Frank. It was very clear to see his strategy, make the big 3 for the Nets jump shooters and let our big men do their job against the mediocre front line of the Nets.


3. I see during a timeout Jason Kidd had a ring tattooed on his left ring finger. Was just wondering how that's working out for ya J Kidd?


4. OK Eric Snow haters get ready, E Snow is going to play a big role in this series. He has historically been a great defender on Vince Carter. If you don't believe me look back at when Snow was with the Sixers and they played the Raptors in the playoffs. Carter would go off on Philadelphia when Snow wasn't in the lineup.


5. Great game by Sasha today, when he starts off taking the ball to the basket he is much more of an effective player and then it opens up his outside shot.


6. Larry Hughes played another solid game at the point and hit some big jumpers down the stretch.


7. Big props to Lebron for playing while being sick today. 21 points 11 boards and 7 assists while being under the weather is pretty damn good.


8. Hey New Jersey please get rid of the red jerseys you are ruining the color of my television set. The first game this year that I had to wear Oakley's to watch the game.


9. Big props to the Cavs for recognizing the three top picks of the Browns today. It was nice to let these athletes see how amped up this city gets for a big game.


10. Just a hunch here but Mikki Moore never graduated from college.

The Cavs take on the Nets on Tuesday in game 2. Ill be back to blog about it after the game on Tuesday.

Orioles 8 Tribe 2

The Cleveland Indians lost their second straight game tonight. Here are my thoughts on the loss:

1. Troubling start by Jeremy Sowers tonight. Never looked effective and I think the hitters have caught up to him. It is up to him to make some adjustments and pitch better.


2. This loss really troubles me more than any other this year cause we were never in the game. Also, the Baltimore lineup isn't exactly the Yankees. Giving up 8 runs to them is totally unacceptable.


3. Nice job by Jason Davis and Rafael Perez tonight in eating some innings and saving the rest of the bullpen for tomorrow and the upcoming games. I especially liked Perez tonight and hope he can find a spot in the bullpen as the season continues because I really like the idea of having two lefties in the bullpen.


4. Detroit won tonight as well so we are tied in the division. The Tribe needs to start playing better, the last two nights have been very disappointing.

The Indians continue their series with Baltimore tomorrow afternoon as CC Sabathia opposes Brian Burris.

Orioles 3 Tribe 2

The Cleveland Indians started their road trip with a tough 3-2 loss tonight in Baltimore. The following are my thoughts on tonight's loss:

1. Excellent start by Paul Byrd tonight. I thought he really only made one bad pitch. I have heard people clamoring to trade Byrd, but I really think he is a professional and someone that the younger pitchers on the staff can learn from. His professionalism and competitiveness are two traits that should not be overlooked.


2. I know Betancourt let in the tying run tonight but I wasn't expecting him to be perfect for the rest of the season. I think I speak for a lot of people in saying he is the most consistent pitcher in the bullpen.


3. It seems that lately in my blog when I call out a player he then goes on to have a nice contribution in the very next game. i.e Roberto Hernandez and Casey Blake. Nice to see Casey get a big two run homer. Hopefully that can break him out of his funk in hitting with runners in scoring position.


4. Our defensive woes came back to the surface tonight hopefully this can be corrected but it played a big part in the loss tonight.

The Indians continue their four game series with Baltimore tomorrow night, as Jeremy Sowers takes the hill against Baltimore's young phenom Daniel Cabrera.

Tribe 6 Blue Jays 5

The Cleveland Indians completed a three game sweep with another one run victory tonight at Jacobs Field. The following are my thoughts on the game:

1. Cliff Lee started his first game tonight and I thought he showed some rust and gave up five runs. But, as the game went on he was very solid and gave the team 6 good innings.


2. The Tribe fell behind by four early in the game but put the nose to the grindstone and quickly erased the early Toronto lead. No deficit seems to faze this team lately.


3. Great job by David Dellucci tonight sticking up for a teammate. This could be the kind of thing that really endures himself to Indians fans. I don't know about you but I was hoping they would hit Jason Phillips in the ribs the next time he came up.


4. Great job of hitting by Victor Martinez tonight with a 4 for 4 effort tonight. I thought the Indians did a great job of manufacturing runs tonight. Also, great job of 2 out hitting. Seems funny we hit better with 2 outs tonight with Casey Blake out of the lineup.


5. I thought the fatigued bullpen pitched well tonight and even Roberto Horrendous gave us a good inning of relief tonight.


6. Were in good shape with a 2 game lead in the division going into a big 10 game three city road trip.

The Tribe starts its ten game road trip in the Charm city of Baltimore with a 7:05 game as Paul Byrd opposes Eric Bedard.

Tribe 7 Blue Jays 6 (11 innings)

The Indians beat the Blue Jays for the second straight night in a 11 inning affair that took over 4 hours to complete. The following are my thoughts after tonight's win:

1. Jake Westbrook went down with a lower abdominal injury. Sounds like something similar to what put Cliff Lee on the shelf. So it sounds like Fausto wont need to unpack in Buffalo.


2. I thought the bullpen kept things in tact tonight for the most part. Some of the relievers pitched great others not so great. But they never let the game get away from us.


3. I don't know about you? But I have been very impressed with the Masterpiece Tom Mastny. He comes in throws strikes, works quickly, and has been very effective. I think I speak for a lot of Tribe fans out there when I say we would welcome more of the Masterpiece and less of #39 Roberto Horrendous.


4. In the last week I have been really impressed with the play of David Dellucci. He is starting to heat up and getting some hits to start rallies as well as clutch hits to drive runs in. Same can be said for Trot Nixon. Also give credit to Eric Wedge for going with the hot bats even when lefties have come in the game.


5. Hopefully tonight's win has a carry over affect like the last two extra inning wins have had for us. We need Cliff Lee to give us some innings tomorrow. To say the bullpen is fatigued would be an understatement.

The series wraps up tomorrow when Cliff Lee makes his 2007 debut against Dustin McGowan at 7:05.

Tribe 12 Blue Jays 4

The Tribe was victorious again tonight in the first game of a three game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. The following are my thoughts on tonight's victory.

1. I thought CC was shaky at first with giving up the three solo bombs. But I think this was a result of the carry over from his last start. An interesting stat I came across today CC won loss record is 4-0 but the team is 6-0 in the games he has pitched. That is the sign of a true ace pitcher. I thought the rain delay helped CC get focused and re energized tonight.


2. A great point was made tonight on the STO broadcast of how the whole team really worked the Toronto pitching staff and just wore them down.


3. Jhonny Peralta is really starting to play like the Peralta of 2005. Also, good to see Pronk get back on track.


4. Is there a more overrated starting pitcher in baseball than AJ Burnett. I mean the guy has great stuff but something is missing there. Great job Toronto on signing a .500 pitcher to a 55 million dollar contract.


5. Tonight was the first time this year I thought the Tribe showed a total team effort. The bats seem to really be catching fire.


6. It is good that were starting to play really good ball with the upcoming schedule. We have series with good teams such as Anaheim, Oakland, Minnesota, Detroit, and Boston in May.

Tomorrow the Tribe takes on the Jays in the second game of the three game series as Jake Westbrook opposes Victor Zambrano.