Casey Blake Watch
The Indians third baseman (who has been OK defensively) is hitting .040 with runners in scoring position. He's projected to finish the season with 13 homers and 47 RBIs. Of course, that's assuming he:
A) Plays 161 games and gets 597 at-bats, and
B) Doesn't improve on his .202 batting average.
Hey, I expect Casey to hit between .250 and .260, and hit 20 homers. But that's only because he will get enough playing time to reach those numbers. I don't expect him to hit well with runner in scoring position, since he never has (a .260 batting average with RISP is not all that great; I don't care what Matt Underwood says. That's what Blake hit a year ago).
Here's the problem: With Andy Marte hurt and Mike Rouse the Indians only other option (a smoking 2 for 20 at the plate this year), Blake has to play. I would have liked to have seen the Indians bring back Hector Luna, because at least he has some pop.
I can see some of you rolling your eyes now:
"But Zach, the Indians are red hot. You single out Blake, and you always focus on the bad stuff when things are going well."
My answer: So what? The Indians have always been streaky under Eric Wedge. The thing that worries me during this stretch is the Indians haven't played all that well during it. That might come as a comfort to the Indians brass, and I suppose I can see their point.
But I think if Cleveland doesn't make some tweaks (move runners, take advantage of opportunities), they could be in trouble. In this division, one bad stretch can put a team in third.