Lee Hot & Weather Cold

If you're anything like me, you dread reading about another Tribe loss at this point. Well, imagine having to write about them. Due to laziness and a few assorted commitments I have to date avoided that whole issue. So luckily the Tribe won one today, 7-1 over the A's, and hence another post is written.

As my previous post mentioned, it is still early in the season, so while we shouldn't quite panic yet I guess we can't yet annoint Cliff Lee our savior or even say he's completely back on track. What we can discuss is that his performance today was outstanding. Lee (2-0, 0.61) went 8 innings, walked 0, struck out 8, and retired 14 straight at one point, while giving up just 1 run on 2 hits. This is the type of outing the Tribe needed to snap a three-game losing streak. This against a team that dumped like 40 million in payroll in the off-season.

As far as the offense is concerned there were signs of life in the eighth as the Tribe put up 4 runs but I wouldn't declare them out of the woods yet. I will give the offense a pass due to the crap-tacular Cleveland weather today, with temperatures in the 30's and the occasional snow flurry.

I won't devote too much time for the foreseeable future (i.e. April) on the Tribe's early woes, but the comments of C.C. feeling great but pitching horribly aren't encouraging. If he was hurt I could understand it, but I'm glad he isn't. Maybe C.C.'s realization that this is a contract year and he needs to perform well has got the crooked cap worried. That and my previously expressed theory that the Indians performance drops off considerably when they're expected to compete.

Well say goodbye to Oakland for at least another month, and get ready for a 2 game series with Boston. Yeah, a 2 game series, who the hell makes these schedules? Anyway with the Red Sox comes the glare of the national media, so ESPN has decided to bring up last year's playoff collapse by televising tomorrow's 7:05 start at Progressive Field (believe me it's all they're going to talk about). Jake Westbrook (1-1, 2.76), the Tribe's other good starter so far, is expected to face LHP Jon Lester (1-2, 4.50).

Go Tribe!