The Cleveland Indians are still in this thing.
Indians’ Jimenez Debuts Against Rangers’ “Whitewash” Holland
They’re three games out of first place, and their run differential is exactly the same as the first-place team.
Granted, they're both minus-7. But same is same, and the Indians have to feel like they haven't played, fundamentally speaking, any worse than the first-place Tigers.
Which is why they've actually traded prospects for outfielder Kosuke Fukudome and (more substantively) pitcher Ubaldo Jiménez.
The Indians had to give up some pretty talented youngsters for Jiménez, but the blow is softened by Jimenez’s contract, which keeps him under club control for relatively little money through 2014. Which might come in real handy at some point.
Right now, though, there's still 2011 to be gotten through. The Indians' starting pitching hasn't been terrible this season. Thanks largely to Justin Masterson, their 4.23 ERA ranks 10th in the American League. But 10th isn't really good enough, and anyway it isn't like there were bunch of great hitters available. Carlos Beltrán was the best hitter available, and Ubaldo Jiménez was the best pitcher available.
Jiménez's debut with his new club was delayed by the bizarre inning he pitched for the Rockies last Sunday, but Friday night he's pitching against the Rangers in Texas. A tough assignment, all the more so because a) the Rangers are involved in a tight pennant race of their own, and b) Jiménez's mound opponent is Derek Holland, who's thrown four shutouts already this season.
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