First the bad news

Indians beat writer Anthony Castrovince has a wonderful wrap of two interview/press conference the Indians held over the last two days. The two major things to note are that the Indians are looking to lose $16 million this year and over the last four years the Indians have only one playoff apprearance and that is probably as good as our front office thinks it can do with what it has been given.

Yeah, these aren't very cheery revelations. We could have come to this conclusion on our own but having to be told it is a lot like learning there is no Santa Claus. Looking back on it, competing on a regular basis seemed a little farfetched but cheering for a sports team is often about blind belief that your team is just as good as any team and has every right to win every night.

But enough doom and gloom - the Indians won another series today!

Tuesday's series opener against the Twins was David Huff betraying everything I had said in my last series preview. Huff only went 4.2, giving up 11 hits and being tagged for seven earned runs. You might be asking about that offense of ours. Don't even worry about it since we didn't break up the shutout until the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back doubles (the only ones the Indians had in the game) in the ninth by Jhonny Peralta and Travis Hafner with one out was the sole scoring this team could muster. Jhonny and Travis also represent the only two players with multiple hits. Jensen Lewis pitched in relief of Huff and proceeded to give up a first-pitch three-run homer to Chris Gomez. So Jensen Lewis is back! Chris Perez and Tony Sipp both pitched hitless one strikeout innings. Tribe (44-62) lose big time 10-1.

Wednesday's game was easier to watch, or listen to, believe me. First of all, we had Aaron Laffey on the mound. You might remember Aaron as that pitcher with a winning record that we can expect to pitch for this team next year. The offense tonight was provided by the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 9 spots in the lineup. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Trevor "not Matt LaPorta" Crowe had two hits and scored two runs and added an RBI. Asdrubal Cabrera was three for three with a pair of RBI's. Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo also had two RBI apiece. Laffey on the other end of things had things locked down. Laffey pitched a career-best eight innings, scattering six hits, allowing one run, and striking out, what I believe might be a career high too, five. Mark DeRosa's player to be named later Jess Todd made his Indians debut, pitching a scoreless one hit, one strikeout ninth. Tribe (45-62) win, kind of big time, 1-8.

Well if those games didn't have enough tension for you then today's game should have been more to your liking. Fausto Carmona, making his second start since being recalled from a stint in the minors, allowed a base runner in every inning he worked, often the leadoff hitter too. Carmona, however, worked out of those situations, just as you expected him to implode. Fausto finished the day with six innings, six hits, and three walks, holding the Twins to just one run. Tony Sipp turned in a solid 1.1 innings of relief before allowing a base runner and being replaced by Joe Smith who got out of the eigth unmolested. The Indians' offense wasn't having much success agaisnt Nick Blackburn who has pretty much owned the Indians to the tune of a 4-0 record coming into today. Peralta's sac fly in the fourth might help explain to you how he went oh for three with an RBI but Trevor "Michael Brantley" Crowe's seventh inning double scoring Hafner is what put the Indians up 1-2. Kerry Wood, who hasn't pitched in five days, comes in and gets his club leading 15th save. Indians (46-62) win 1-2.

The Indians won another series and are winners of 10 of their last 15. I want to say I like the energy the new guys like Crowe, Chris Gimenez, and Wyatt Toregas bring, but it could be that the Indians winning is what I'm attracted to right now.

Game 1: Jeremy Sowers, LHP (3-7, 4.97) vs. Mark Buehrle, LHP (11-5, 3.79)
Game 2: Carl Pavano, RHP (9-8, 5.37) vs. To be announced
Game 3: David Huff, LHP (5-6, 6.81) vs. Jose Contreras, RHP (4-10, 4.95)

Who runs these teams with records like 56-53 but can't set a rotation? I guess when you're possibly in contention picking who you want to pitch takes a little more thought. Or maybe when you have more than one option it could be difficult too. Now I'm not a betting man, but who do you like in game one?

Our fine Indians radio announcers pointed out that the Tribe have this three game series, get Monday off, return to Cleveland to face the Rangers for three, only to leave town again and head to Minnesota for three games, and get Monday off again to return home for a proper homestand.

Go Tribe!

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)