NewsSowers looks to make his case for 2010
Cleveland (65-94) at Boston (92-67), 7:10 p.m. ET
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
10/01/09 11:01 PM EST
BOSTON -- Though he won't be around to manage it, Eric Wedge believes the Indians can piece together an effective rotation next season. "I think, talking about collectively, we can find five guys who give you a chance to win the ballgame," Wedge said. Jeremy Sowers, who makes his final start of 2009 on Friday night at Fenway Park, hopes to be one of those five. He'll be out of Minor League options next year, so the Indians will have to keep him on the active roster or expose him to waivers. It's possible he could be moved to long relief. Sowers will be one of three left-handers competing for a spot, though Aaron Laffey (7-8, 3.91 ERA) and David Huff (11-8, 5.61) are probably ahead of him in the pecking order at this point. Also in the mix will be Fausto Carmona and Justin Masterson, both of whom went out on a high note in Wednesday's doubleheader against the White Sox. Carmona improved to 5-12 with a 6.32 ERA, while Masterson went 4-10 with a 4.52 ERA this season, including a 3-9 record and 4.72 ERA as a starter. Carlos Carrasco, who left Thursday's start with a bruised left leg and an 8.87 ERA in five starts, will compete for a job, as will hot prospect Hector Rondon, who is likely to begin the year at Triple-A Columbus. Last but not least -- actually, first -- will be veteran right-hander Jake Westbrook, who made the trip to Boston to continue his long-toss program as part of his recovery from Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. He figures to get the ball on Opening Day for the Tribe next year, and if that's the case, it would be his first start since May 28, 2008. Unless the Indians add somebody else to the mix over the winter, this is not exactly the most promising rotation in the world, on paper. It's an unproven bunch, by and large, and the lack of a true No. 1 is a glaring one. "Hopefully, you can count on [Westbrook]," Wedge said, "but there's not a clear-cut [No. 1]." Does that matter? "Not if you have five guys who can give you quality starts," Wedge said. "What a No. 1 does is just give you the confidence that he's going to come around in the rotation. There are some intangibles with that." Pitching matchupCLE: LHP Jeremy Sowers (6-10, 5.09 ERA)
Sowers is trending backward in these waning days of the '09 season. After the shortest outing of his career on Sept. 19 in Oakland, when he was tagged for six runs in just one-plus inning, he got roughed up for five runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts in five innings against the Orioles on Saturday. All five runs came in the fifth as Sowers reverted to his old path of struggling the third time through an opponent's lineup. He'll look to finish his season on a high note in Fenway. BOS: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-6, 6.08 ERA)
Though Matsuzaka lost his last start to the Yankees, he continues to provide nothing but encouraging signs since his return from the disabled list. Matsuzaka was outdueled by CC Sabathia, but gave up just one run over seven innings, walking five and striking out three. This will be Matsuzaka's sixth start of the season at Fenway, where he is 1-4 with a 6.58 ERA. Matsuzaka has pitched two regular-season games against the Indians in his career, going 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA. He also pitched twice against Cleveland in the 2007 American League Championship Series, going 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA. Tidbits
Asdrubal Cabrera remained out of the lineup Thursday with a sore right hamstring. It's still not considered a serious injury. ... According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Wedge is one of just seven Major League managers to guide a single team to at least two 90-win seasons and at least two 90-loss seasons. The others are Bruce Bochy (Padres), Bill Carrigan (Red Sox), Bobby Cox (Braves), Bucky Harris (Senators), Tom Kelly (Twins) and Connie Mack (Athletics). ... More from Elias: Masterson on Wednesday became the first Major Leaguer to lose a complete game by a 1-0 score while pitching at least nine innings and striking out a dozen or more batters since May 6, 2000, when Pedro Martinez was beaten by the Rays at Fenway Park in a game in which he struck out 17. The last Tribe pitcher to lose a game in this manner was Sam McDowell in 1968. ... The Indians' newest Community Outreach endeavor "Fill the House for Charity" raised more than $600,000 in donations for 13 Northeast Ohio non-profit organizations. Tickets
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• Saturday: Indians (Aaron Laffey, 7-8, 3.91) at Red Sox (Josh Beckett, 16-6, 3.78), 7:10 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Indians (Tomo Ohka, 1-4, 5.45) at Red Sox (Clay Buchholz, 7-4, 3.74), 1:35 p.m. ET
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
