Cubs 6, Indians 2: Sweep!

Filed:June 21st, 2009

(Source: Cubbie Nation)

No late-inning drama Sunday as the Cubs jumped on the Indians early, and cruised to a 6-2 win over Cleveland. The win was the Cubs fourth in a row, giving Randy Wells his first major league victory in the process, and the ball club a three-game sweep over the Tribe.

This one you could see coming.

I watched Jeremy Sowers's side session Friday, and after about 10 minutes, it was pretty obvious that this kid is a mess. He's got a really inconsistent delivery, and it looked like he and pitching coach Carl Willis were trying out different release points on his curveball, never a good sign.

Evidently, they never did figure it out. The Cubs jumped on his stuff early today, and never really let up. Geovany Soto set it off with his fifth homer of the year, a solo blast in the second. They'd score again in the fourth when Ryan Theriot would come home on a Jake Fox sac fly. And then in the fifth inning, it all just came apart for Sowers.

Wells would actually help himself, singling to right to start the inning. The Cubs would eventually load the bases with one out, after Derrek Lee singled in Wells. Soto would drive in another when Sowers walked him. And then comes Jake Fox.

Now, here's the part I don't get. Sowers is the very definition of a five-inning pitcher. He's getting knocked around, can't spot the curveball, and you've got a guy in the 'pen. Jake Fox has all sorts of issues with the breaking ball; massive, massive holes in his swing that you can exploit with a good curve. Why in the world would you leave Sowers in?

Well, manager Eric Wedge did. And Fox, who hasn't found a ball yet that he can't drive when he can get to it, drives a bad fastball deep into center to drive home two, and pretty much put the ballgame away. Just dumb.

The Indians would try to rally in the ninth when Jose Ascanio went wild, but Kevin Gregg would come in and retire the final two Indians for the save, his 11th of the season. Gregg has now gone 9 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, and is quickly taking himself out of the fans' doghouse in the process.

I know they're beating the weak sisters of the AL, but anything that boosts the confidence of this team right now is a good thing. The pitching is good, some guys are starting to hit, and the bench -- Fox, Hoffpauir, and especially Andres Blanco -- is playing really, really well. For tonight, enjoy the sweep.