#166---CLE @ DET, 4/15/2006

Fausto Carmona (actually Roberto Hernandez) made his major league debut a success, allowing one run over six innings while walking two and fanning four. The Indians five run fourth off of Jeremy Bonderman removed all doubt; Bonderman was relieved by Jordan Tata, who I do not remember at all (eleven career appearances for Detroit over 2006-07).

#165---CLE @ SEA, 4/22/2005

The Indians jumped on Gil Meche for five runs in the first inning and coasted home from there behind seven strong innings from CC Sabathia (1 run, 5 K, 2 W). I’d mostly forgotten about Jose Hernandez’ turn as a Tribe third baseman, probably because in 84 games he hit .231/.277/.338. Casey Blake, who played right field in this game, would eventually take over third.

#164---CIN @ CHN, 4/16/2004

This game was wild, so wild that I’m not going to try to recap it all (there were 30 hits, 12 walks, and 21 runs) and instead hit the most wild elements:

* I had no recollection of three of the Reds pitchers. John Rielding made 70 appearances in 2004 and 229 for his career. Phil Norton made 69 appearances in 2004, but only 23 previous to that year and none after it. Brian Reith made 22, the last of 73 in his career.

* Barry Larkin got two PA as a pinch-hitter in the sixth (led it off with a single and ended with a K)

* There were three multi-homer innings, including Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou on consecutive pitches from Danny Graves to walk it off in the ninth. It was the second time Alou was involved in back-to-back homers, as part of a monster day that included a single and a double as well.

* Both managers were ejected. Dave Miley of the Reds for arguing balls and strikes after Sean Casey was called out looking by CB Bucknor to end the fourth. Dusty Baker for…

* The Cubs batted out of order in the seventh in what was apparently a failed attempt at a double switch. Ramon Martinez replaced Alex Gonzalez at short but was supposed to bat ninth instead of Gonzalez’ eighth spot. He doubled to the wall in left to lead off the inning, but was called out when the Reds pointed it out, leading to Baker’s ejection.

#163---LA @ CLE, 6/15/2003

The more I looked at this scoresheet, the more little things I found that made it one of my favorites that I had posted. There was a lot of silly stuff going on this game, and some silly connections that one can make looking at the names:

* Dave Roberts leading off for his former team for the team he would later manage to two pennants

* Adrian Beltre batting seventh behind Mike Kinkade and Ron Coomer

* Both teams were running the bases with some reckless abandon. In the sixth, with one out and runners at the corners, the Dodgers tried a double steal that ended with Paul LoDuca getting thrown out 2-4. This is a place where the scoring leaves out a little detail – how did Brandon Phillips get involved? Was he covering third for some reason as LoDuca tried to go back, maybe in a rundown? Or something crazier?

The Indians trumped this failed play, though. The bases were loaded with one out in the bottom of the eighth with LA leading 4-2. Future Dodger Milton Bradley, facing former Indian Tom Martin, singled through former Indian Jolbert Cabrera at second. Jhonny Peralta scored, and Matt Lawton tried to, but was gunned out at the plate 6-5-2. For some reason Coco Crisp tried to get to third, and LoDuca threw back to Beltre at third to tag him out. Instead of ending up with a 4-3 game, bases loaded 1 out,  or with runners at first and second 2 out, the Indians ran into a double play to end the inning and take their chances in the ninth against Eric Gagne at the height of his dominance. After yielding a leadoff hit to Ben Broussard, and a one-out walk to Josh Bard, he fanned Brandon Phillips and pinch-hitter Shane Spencer to end it.