(Goodyear, AZ) - Spring is almost in the air in Goodyear, Arizona!
Goodyear has notified the Cleveland Indians that the Indians’ Development Complex/Clubhouse is substantially complete and ready for occupancy. The Indians began moving in staff members August 11 and will begin Instructional League for the younger ballplayers in early September.
The 10,000-seat ballpark stadium is targeted for “substantial completion” by January 15, 2009, in plenty of time for the Indians’ Cactus League spring training season the last week of February, 2009.
The Cincinnati Reds Development Complex is also on schedule, as design is well underway with construction planned for later this year. It will be move-in ready for the Reds by the end of August 2009.
Meanwhile, Goodyear has assumed responsibility for finishing construction of the infrastructure for the Goodyear Ballpark and Recreational Sports Complex.
The city of Goodyear is now assuming the responsibility for finishing the offsite infrastructure. This includes water and sewer lines, storm drains, roads, electric, gas, telephone, cable, traffic signals and right-of-way landscaping.
By taking these actions, Goodyear is able to ensure the offsite infrastructure will be completed in time for “opening pitch” for Spring Training 2009 at the Goodyear Ballpark.
Indians Spokesman Bob DiBiasio says Goodyear also plans to develop the town around the new stadium.
(Copyright © 2008 Clear Channel. All rights reserved.)
Schwaby’s notes:
Player of the game: Some hitters shined but I'm going Sowers.
Goat of the game: Justin Speier, that wasn't quality middle relief.
It was over when: Jensen Lewis got Aybar to pop up.
Nice to see: Jensen Lewis get a one run save.
Can’t wait to see: If Reyes can make it 3 straight good outings on Tuesday.
AUDIO: Eric WedgeAUDIO: Jeremy SowersAUDIO: Jensen Lewis
Associated Press
CLEVELAND -- Jeremy Sowers and two relievers cooled off Los Angeles' lineup and the Cleveland Indians handed the Angels a rare series loss, winning the deciding game of a three-game series 4-3 on Sunday.
It was the Angels' first series loss to an AL opponent since a three-game sweep in Tampa Bay from May 9-11. They hadn't lost any series since dropping two of three interleague games to the Los Angeles Dodgers from June 27-29.
Sowers (2-6) gave up eight hits but only two earned runs over 6 2-3 innings for his first win in five starts. He again struggled in the first inning, allowing two runs. In 15 starts, Sowers has given up 15 runs in the opening inning.
The left-hander earned his first home win in 13 starts at Progressive Field since beating Detroit on Aug. 25, 2006.
Rafael Perez struck out three over 1 1-3 perfect innings and Jensen Lewis gave up two hits in the ninth, but earned his third save.
Juan Rivera blooped a single to center to open the ninth. Gary Matthews ran for Rivera and was sacrificed to second by pinch-hitter Sean Rodriguez. Pinch-hitter Kendry Morales singled Matthews to third before Lewis got Chone Figgins on an infield popout and Erick Aybar to foul out to left field.
Cleveland took a 4-3 lead in the sixth against Justin Speier (1-6). Sal Fasano hit a leadoff double and was sacrificed to third. Grady Sizemore then fought off an inside fastball that jammed him, blooping an RBI single to right-center.
The Angels had scored 164 runs in their previous 26 games and quickly added to that total.
Singles by Figgins, Aybar and Mark Teixeira to open the game gave them a 1-0 lead. When Teixeira's soft single to center hopped past Sizemore for an error, the runners went to second and third. Aybar then scored on a grounder by Vladimir Guerrero, though Teixeira was out trying for third.
Cleveland's Franklin Gutierrez had three singles for his first three-hit game since April 29. His two-run single off Angels starter Joe Saunders with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the first tied it at 2.
The Indians scored once in the third. With Jamey Carroll on third base and two outs, Ryan Garko checked his swing and hit a high bouncer over Saunders' head for an RBI single. Carroll scored easily as Saunders stumbled while going for the ball and collided with second baseman Howie Kendrick.
Figgins led off the fifth with a single and eventually scored an unearned run on a passed ball by Fasano to tie it at 3.
Saunders wasn't as sharp as he's been in leading the Angels with 14 wins. The lefty left after five innings with a 3-3 tie, though he remained unbeaten in his last six starts. He gave up three runs and eight hits -- the 11th consecutive start in which has not allowed more than three earned runs.
Game notes
The Angels fell to 53-9 when scoring first. ... Indians DH Travis Hafner (weak right shoulder) and 2B Josh Barfield (middle finger surgery, left hand) will start injury rehab assignments at Triple-A Buffalo on Monday. ... C Victor Martinez (right elbow surgery) hit a home run as the DH at Double-A Akron on Sunday and will transfer his rehab work to Buffalo on Tuesday. ... Angels OF Garret Anderson, riding a 20-game hitting streak, was rested by manager Mike Scioscia. ... Indians OF Ben Francisco went 2-for-4 for his eighth two-hit game in his last nine starts.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Schwaby’s notes:
Player of the game: I guess John Lackey but he was nothing special.
Goats of the game: Every Indian not named Fausto Carmona.
It was over when: The Indians left 'em loaded in the 7th.
Nice to see: Fausto pitch well.
Can’t wait to see: Anything that makes me forget this disgusting game.
Associated Press
CLEVELAND -- The Los Angeles Angels are relentless, especially when handed extra opportunities.
John Lackey earned his fourth straight win, Francisco Rodriguez tied his team record of 47 saves and the Angels took advantage of four Cleveland errors to defeat the Indians 4-3 Saturday.
Lackey (10-2) pitched six innings to remain unbeaten in his last six starts. The Angels added to baseball's best record and avoided their first three-game losing streak since June.
Lackey gave the Angels five starters with 10 or more wins for the first time in team history. He joined Joe Saunders (14), Ervin Santana (13), Jon Garland (11) and Jered Weaver (10) in double figures.
"It's definitely pretty cool," Lackey said. "It means you have a chance to win a lot of games."
Rodriguez yielded a single to Jhonny Peralta to open the ninth, then got three quick outs -- two on strikeouts -- to match his saves mark set in 2006. The All-Star closer narrowly escaped a second consecutive blown save when Ryan Garko lined a 2-2 pitch inches foul with pinch-runner Franklin Gutierrez on second and two outs. Garko fanned on a 3-2 offering in the dirt.
"That was close, but that's the way it goes sometimes, an inch here or there," Garko said. "He's a good pitcher, but I've got to do a better job with first base open and a 3-2 pitch. I have to figure he's not going to challenge me. He threw a changeup or split. I went after it. I shouldn't have."
Rodriguez bounced back from his fifth blown save on Wednesday, when he yielded three runs to Seattle and drew his first career ejection.
Garret Anderson extended his hitting streak to 20 games with two singles to help Los Angeles improve to 19-7 since the All-Star break.
Lackey allowed three runs and six hits, including a solo homer by David Dellucci in the first and a two-run shot by Garko in the fourth.
"I was only upset about the second (homer)," Lackey said. "It was a dumb pitch."
Angels reliever Darren Oliver gave up two singles and a walk to load the bases with no outs in the seventh, then stranded all three runners to maintain a 4-3 lead. He fanned Kelly Shoppach, got Garko when shortstop Erick Aybar made a leaping catch of his blooper in short left, and retired pinch-hitter Jamey Carroll on a one-hopper back to the mound.
"He always does something out there the normal person can't do," Oliver said about Aybar's acrobatic catch.
Indians manager Eric Wedge said that despite the fine play, his hitters should have capitalized.
"That was some kind of play he made, but you've got to get at least one run across there," Wedge said. "As bad as we played, we still had opportunities and didn't take advantage."
Scot Shields pitched a scoreless eighth to set up Rodriguez.
The Angels manufactured a first-inning run off Fausto Carmona (5-5). Chone Figgins beat out an infield hit off Carmona's glove, went to second on an error by Peralta at shortstop, third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Vladimir Guerrero.
Carmona had not allowed an earned run to the Angels in 11 2-3 career innings.
Two more Indians errors and another wild pitch helped give the Angels a 4-1 lead in the third.
"It was pretty ugly out there," Wedge said. "I don't think you can play worse than we did early on."
Aybar drew a one-out walk and went to third on a single by Mark Teixeira. Right fielder Ben Francisco's throw trying to get Aybar skipped past third baseman Andy Marte for an error, scoring Aybar and putting Teixeira on third.
Marte then threw away a grounder by Guerrero as Teixeira scored. Guerrero went to second on the error, stole third and scored on Carmona's second wild pitch.
Teixeira, acquired July 30 from Atlanta, went 1-for-2 with two walks and is hitting .429 (18-for-42) with four homers and 13 RBIs over his last 11 games.
Carmona, a 19-game winner in 2007 who missed two months this year with a strained left hip, dropped to 1-3 in five starts since being activated July 26. He didn't get a strikeout for the second time in 54 career starts. He had zero strikeouts against Kansas City on May 22, 2007.
The right-hander said the errors didn't rattle him.
"They are part of the game," Carmona said. "There are days guys catch the ball and help you. It didn't affect my concentration. I could not let that happen."
Game notes
Mike Hargrove and the late Joe Gordon, who each played and managed for Cleveland, were inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame in pregame ceremonies. ... The Indians wore replica uniforms from 1948, when Gordon helped them to their last World Series title. ... The game was telecast at the ballpark in black and white and the scoreboard gave minimal information as it would have 60 years ago at old Cleveland Stadium. ... Anderson has hit .386 (32-for-83) during his streak. He hit safely in 28 straight games in 1998. ... Shoppach fanned three times and has 18 strikeouts in his last 34 at-bats. He's in a 3-for-31 (.097) slump. ... Francisco has hit .354 (23-for-65) in his last 16 games.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
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