Why I'm Not Panicking Yet

Yes, perhaps the Tribe should consider bringing in the priest from "The Natural." Although maybe it's not losing that's he disease, so much as bad pitching.

So we're 0-4 and we've given up more than forty runs in just four games. Our best starter has an ERA of 8.31 and didn't even go five innings. Shouldn't I be really concerned?

Well, I am, mostly because I enjoy watching baseball and I'd actually like to watch games that matter come last summer/early fall. But I'm not going over board just yet, and here's why:

Our pitching can't really be this bad. No, really. I mean, Rafael Perez gave up five runs tonight -- Rafael Perez, people! The man never gives up runs! It's unnatural for him, and it's been unnatural for over two years now. This isn't like Cliff Lee or Fausto Carmona -- good one year, bad the next and vice versa -- this is a guy who was pretty much the only reliever we could count on for much of last year (we even had to send Jensen Lewis down to AAA at one point, remember). So there's obviously something going on here.

As I said, bad pitching seems to be contagious.

The other thing that keeps me from freaking out entirely is our division. The Central doesn't really have any one team that stands out from the rest. Ideally, this means we'll have something of a log jam. If the Tribe can just stay with the pack to mid-season, we're still in it. For one, there's the possibility of a deal, which is something that really could happen given how much young talent we have and how many teams will be looking to deal away experienced pitching when they realize they have no chance at making the post-season (just let me have my little Jake Peavy dream, thank you). Almost as good as a trade is the fact that we'll get Jake Westbrook back. While not flashy, Westbrook has generally defined "solid," which is exactly what the Tribe needs. We need someone reliable, because what we have no is a bunch of guys who are erratic. Westbrook's made great progress in his rehab, so hopefully the Tribe can hold him back longer than they really need to just to make sure he's up to speed.

In the meantime, what are the chances that all four of our youngsters (Lewis, Huff, Laffey, and Sowers) bomb? At least one of them is going to step up. Even Cleveland luck isn't that bad.

Our bullpen IS good. The numbers don't lie. We'll get there.

And let's not forget about the good we've seen tonight -- namely, Travis Hafner. He's now hitting .313 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. Hey, he's on a pace to hit 81 home runs! And drive in 162! Our offense should be fine, assuming we can get the on-base guys going (DeRosa, Cabrera, and the rather painful Francisco).

So I'm not panicking just yet.

But I will say this: tomorrow is a big game for Cliff Lee. Not only does he need to prove that his first start was a fluke, he needs to be a stopper. The Tribe needs a starter to end this downward spiral and if Cliff wants to be our ace, he needs to step up and do it. It actually might be more important for Cliff to pitch well tomorrow than it is for us to win.

Couple that with a good start from the only "clean" starter on Sunday, and we might have something.

Let's hope.