Montero has a 3rd degree ankle strain and could miss the entire GCL season. However he looked great in extended spring training according to Cashman.

A huge set back, hopefully he gets back and gets his ABs. He is still very young, but I was hoping he would have been challenged with A Ball after extended spring training.

Elvis Andrus_0-6, 5 SO!!!!, and his 18th Error...ouch.

E Baez_3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SO...

....am I the only one who cares about Flores and Baez...?

Cardenas_4-7, 2B, SO

Rowell_2-6, 2B, 3 SO

Drabek___started and pitched to 3 batters, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER...thats it.

Indians lost to the Braves 5-4, giving up 2 runs in the 9th.  In my opinion, a questionable move by Manager Eric Wedge to bring C.C. Sabathia out for the 9th for these reasons:

1. Sabathia didn't have the great command he has shown in his last few starts, as he left several balls up in the zone, even in 2-strike counts, leading to a bunch of bloop hits by the Braves.  That might have been due to #2.
2. Sabathia has pitched 2 CGs in his last two starts.
3. The Indians had just retaken the lead 4-3 after 8 innings as 3B Casey Blake hit his 10th HR of the season, a solo shot, off of Rafael Soriano in the bottom of the 8th, which also extended Blake's hitting streak to 24 games.
4. Sabathia had pitched over 100 pitches after 8 innings.
5. Not as important a reason, but Sabathia would have only been eligible for his 10th win, and at worst, would have gotten a ND.

On another note, Travis Hafner looked a little more confident at the plate tonight, taking "full" swings at the balls he swung at, which is why he drove the ball a little better tonight, though he only had an opposite-field single to show for it.

One final note:  The Indians have signed their first-round pick from the 2007 MLB Draft from Lewis-Clark State College, Beau Mills.  He was at Jacobs Field tonight and did an interview with the Sportstime Ohio crew.  He said that he will get a crash course on playing 1B at SS-A Mahoning Valley and be there about a week before he moves up to Low-A Lake County.  His first game with Mahoning Valley will be on Tuesday as the DH (he'll play a few games at DH to feel comfortable at the plate first before he begins playing at 1B.)

Onto the Minors:

AAA Buffalo - defeated Norfolk (BAL) 5-4:

DH Ben Francisco - 2-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 K (.338)
1B Ryan Mulhern - 1-5, 1 K (.317 - batted for the first time this year in the cleanup spot.)
RF Brad Snyder - 0-4, 2 K (.256 - BA is going the wrong direction, as he's batting .219, 7-32, over last 10 G; 21 BB/61 K in 168 ABs - a 36.3% strikeout/AB ratio.)
CF Jonathan Van Every - 2-3, 2 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K (.364)

RHP Jensen Lewis - BS (1) - 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (solo to Knott); 2 G/2 F; 18 S/18 B (5.40 - AAA debut.)
RHP Bubbie Buzachero - 0.0 IP, 1 BB; 2 S/4 B (3.81)
RHP Edward Mujica - 1.0 IP, 1 K; 1 G/1 F; 9 S/3 B (6.60 - command seems to be back in order again.)

Norfolk:
C J.R. House - 0-3, 2 BB (.298 - along with Moreno, did allow a steal of 2B to Jason Cooper, who had stolen 4 other bases before this one.)
LF Jon Knott - 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K (.176 - HR #7)

RHP Francis Beltran - L (1-6) - 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER; 2 G/1 F; 10 S/7 B (5.83 - former highly-regarded Cubs pitching prospect, now 27-YO, has given up 39 H/18 ER/2 HR/7 BB/23 K, 1.14 GO/AO, .331 BAA in 28.1 IP.)

AA Akron - lost to Portland (BOS) 9-3:

2B Argenis Reyes - 1-4, 1 R, 1 SB (17-2nd) (.268)
DH Michael Aubrey - 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K (.133 - OUCH!)
LF-RF Ryan Goleski - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K, 1 SB (6-2nd) (.252)
CF Trevor Crowe - 0-2, 2 K (.187 - was ejected by the HP umpire in the 5th, leading to Brown moving from 1B to LF, Goleski moving from LF to RF, Barton moving from RF to CF, and Osborn coming into the game to play at 1B - quite a chain reaction, huh?  :-)

RHP Cliff Politte (rehab) - 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K (3.38 - getting sharper.)
RHP Joe Ness - L (4-1) - 5.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 3 HR (solo, 2, and 3-run shots,) 1 WP; 3 G/7 F (5.88 - good control, as evidenced by the BB/K ratio, but the command was way off, making him far too hittable.)

Portland:

RHP Michael Bowden - W (3-2) - 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 1 HB, 1 BK; 9 G/2 F (4.55)

High-A Kinston - lost to Myrtle Beach (ATL) 7-6 in 12 innings:

CF Jose Constanza - 2-7, 2 R, 1 3B, 4 K, 1 SB (15-2nd,) 1 GIDP (.244 - OUCH night b/c of the Ks, but he did throw out a runner at home.)
C Chris Gimenez - 0-2, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 CS (2-2nd,) 1 E (3-missed catch,) 1 PB (5) (.285)
3B Wes Hodges - 2-6, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K (.316)
SS Josh Rodriguez - 2-4, 1 3B, 2 BB, 1 SB (11-2nd) (.237)

RHP Frank Herrmann - 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K; 6 G/7 F (3.13 - another QS for the undrafted FA out of Harvard; at this rate, could see AA Akron in the second half.)
RHP Erik Stiller - L (2-1) - 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; 3 G/3 F (0.64 - first run given up in 2007 in 14.0 IP.)

Myrtle Beach:
SS Elvis Andrus - 0-6, 5 K, 1 E (18-fielding) (.225 - BIG OUCH night!)
3B Eric Campbell - 3-6, 1 R, 1 2B (.186)
1B Kala Kaaihue - 2-5, 1 R, 1 BB (.276)

RHP Moises Hernandez - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 HR (2 solos, one to Drennen, one to Jerad Head,) 1 HB; 7 G/5 F (3.35 - is not having anywhere near the success of his younger brother Felix:  at High-A at age 23 - 75.2 IP/75 H/26 ER/7 HR/19 BB/41 K, 1.15 GO/AO, .254 BAA.)

Low-A Lake County - lost to West Virginia (MIL) 8-3:

2B David Uribes - 2-5, 1 2B, 1 CS (3-2nd) (.224)
SS Carlos Rivero - 1-5, 1 2B, 2 K, 1 CS (1-3rd)
1B Matt Whitney - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB (.300 - could be moving up to High-A soon, as 2007 1st-Rd. pick Beau Mills is expected to be playing 1B for LC in about 10 days or so.)
DH Roman Pena - 0-3, 1 RBI, 3 K (.269 - has struck out 19 times in last 44 ABs over last 11 G.)
RF Cirilo Cumberbatch - 2-4, 1 R, 1 E (1-throw) (.355)
LF Nick Weglarz - 2-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI (.245)

RHP Hector Rondon - L (4-4) - 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (3-run,) 1 HB; 5 G/2 F (4.22 - shortest outing for him in at least the last 11 starts, going at least 5+ innings in 8 of those 11.)
RHP Austin Creps - 3.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 K; 6 G/2 F (4.50)
RHP Matthew Robinson - 1.0 IP, 1 K; 2 G (0.00 - first action of 2007 and Low-A debut; in 17 G w/ the GCL Indians in 2006:  32.1 IP/30 H/13 ER/1 HR/13 BB/28 K, 1.63 GO/AO, .238 BAA.)

Take care and have a great day!