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Shane Bieber strikes out 11 as Cleveland Indians sweep Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0
CLEVELAND, Ohio — When it comes to offense, the catching position for the Indians has been a wasteland in this coronavirus-shortened season.
The Indians’ three catchers through the first 24 games of the season were hitting a combined .081 (6-for-74) with one homer and one RBI.
Beau Taylor changed all those negative vibes Thursday night as the Indians beat the Pirates, 2-0, to complete a three-game sweep at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park.
The Indians have won six straight — all of them coming on this trip through Detroit and Pittsburgh — and 11 of their last 14 games.
Shane Bieber (5-0, 1.11) pitched six scoreless innings, striking out 11, for the win. In his only other start against the Pirates, Bieber allowed seven runs in 1 2/3 innings on July 24, 2018. Quite a different pitcher was on display Thursday night as he recorded his fourth game with 10 or more strikeouts and ran his MLB-leading strikeout total to 65 in his first six starts of the season.
All those strikeouts wouldn’t have meant much without Taylor. Making his first start since Aug. 8, Taylor ended an 0-for-16 start to the season with an RBI single in the second inning. Taylor delivered the second run in the eighth when he sent a weak grounder to Josh Bell at first base with the bases loaded. Franmil Reyes would have been out by 15 feet, but Bell made a bad throw to catcher Jacob Stallings as Reyes slid home for a 2-0 lead.
“I said gosh-dang it seems like it has been a year (since I had a hit),” said Taylor. “It felt good. The big thing was the RBI. I told (Mike) Freeman when I got to the dugout, ‘Dude, I just had so much weight come off my shoulders right now.‘ Then the shutout. . .thank you.”
Bieber’s record on the road improved to 20-5, but the Pirates made him work, especially in the sixth.
Kevin Newman opened with an infield hit to third base. Bell sent Newman to third with a run-and-hit single in the sixth to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Bieber pitched out of the jam as he struck out Adam Frazier and Jose Osuna and retired J.T. Riddle on a fly ball to right. But that was the end of the night for Bieber, who threw 99 pitches, 66 (67%) for strikes and didn’t walk a batter. Bieber has walked just six batters in 40 2/3 innings.
“He wanted to go back out there (for the seventh inning),” said Indians acting manager Sandy Alomar. “But he had to work very hard in the sixth inning. We felt like that was enough. He was at 99 pitches and we felt we had enough in the pen to cover that bridge. The guys did a good job.”
Taylor gave the Indians a 1-0 lead in the second with his first hit of the season. He singled to right with two out off Trevor Williams (1-4, 3.70). Reyes and Tyler Naquin started the rally with one-out singles. Reyes sent a slow roller down the third baseline that hit the bag instead of going foul. Naquin singled to left to move him to second.
Domingo Santana lined out to right, but Taylor put the Indians in front with his single to right. Williams ended the inning by getting Bradley Zimmer on a grounder to first.
“Beau came up huge for us at the plate and behind the dish as well,” said Bieber. “We were sitting and watching the game on Wednesday. He was taking notes as we were talking over the lineup. I can’t say enough about him and the preparation that goes into it. It’s a difficult to not play for a week-plus and then get in there and play as well as he did.”
It was another solid performance by the Indians’ bullpen. Oliver Perez, Nick Wittgren, James Karinchak and Brad Hand completed the seven-hit shutout with three scoreless innings. Hand retired the Pirates in order in the ninth for his seventh save in seven chances. The Pirates have lost four straight and 14 of their last 16 games.
The Indians have posted five shutouts this season.
The night was a study in frustration for the offense. They left the bases loaded twice, stranded 12 runners and went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
The Indians missed a chance to stretch the lead in the fourth. Naquin singled and Domingo Santana walked to start the inning. Taylor advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt and Zimmer walked to load the bases.
Williams came back to strike out Cesar Hernandez with a pitch that was below the strike zone. Then he retired Jose Ramirez on a weak fly ball to left on a high fastball. Hernandez struck out twice with the bases loaded.
The Indians missed another chance in the sixth when Domingo Santana and Taylor walked with one out. Lefty Brandon Waddell retired Zimmer on a grounder to second and Hernandez on a bouncer in front of the plate.
NEXT
The Indians open a three-game series against the Tigers on Friday night at Progressive Field. RHP Adam Plutko (1-1, 3.95) will face Detroit RHP Michael Fulmer (0-0, 7.56) at 7:05 p.m. The game will be carried by SportsTime Ohio, Channel 3 and WTAM/1100.
Plutko and Fulmer faced each other Sunday at Comerica Park. They each registered a no decision, failing to get through three innings in an 8-5 win by the Indians.
New Indians face masks for sale: Here’s where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity.
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Benfica Chaves League Preview by Roger Schmidt
PREVIEW
ABOUT Benfica returns to competition, after a break from national team commitments, with the reception of Chaves this Friday, March 29, at 18:00 at the Estadio da Luz, in the game of the 27th round of the championship. Betkliche League.
Already preliminary press conferencewhich took place on the Benfica campus, Roger Schmidt emphasized that the team is in good shape meet with Chaveza rival who has nothing to lose when faced with the threat of relegation.
At the start of the decisive stage of the season, the coach remembered and praised that the Reds were still fighting for three trophies (Betklić League, Portuguese Taça and Europa League) and this was necessary. “We must use this opportunity and this moment to accelerate our highest level in everything.“, emphasized Roger Schmidt, distinguished Coach's Award at the ceremony dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the Club.
“We are in good shape, the first game is always demanding, but we are ready to play it.”
Roger Schmidt
What was it like preparing for this game against Chavez without any international players?
It was a typical international break, some players were with their teams, and I think it was a good opportunity for us to rest a bit and then get back to training. We did it very well and are excited to play again. Playing at home after the national team break is always a good start. All the national team players returned in good shape, a little tired, but without injuries. I'm happy with that, my biggest fear is always that they will get injured. We are in good shape, the first match is always demanding, but we are ready to play it. The decisive phase of the season begins and everything we have done over the last eight or nine months of this season had to be prepared for these weeks. We have six or seven weeks left to play, we still have three competitions to play and it really is a special season. When you can still win three trophies at the end of March, it's a very good season. Our task is to use this opportunity and this moment to accelerate to the highest level in everything. So, anything is possible. We have this expectation. For tomorrow [sexta-feira, 29 de março]Chavez and I know that this team is always difficult to play against. They are facing relegation, they have nothing to lose at our stadium. This is a good team, they have a good coach, and we have to solve this problem.
How did you feel when you left the Club’s 120th anniversary ceremony?
On Tuesday [26 de março], The gala was impressive. It always gives us a feeling of how great the Club is and how much love and passion there is in it. I'm always pleased to see that and how Benfica treats their history, former players and everything else. It's always something special and I'm so glad to be a part of it. We want to take this opportunity to please everyone around Benfica and within Benfica.
“Playing at home after the international break is always good”
Are you considering resting Otamendi and Di Maria for this game against Chavez before the two matches against Sporting? Is Ba suitable?
Of course they could rest. The question is: “Would it be beneficial for them to rest?” Both players like to play consistently and quickly. Sometimes they need a rest, like I gave Angel a few times. [Di María], when he played a lot of games in a row and there were big games ahead of us. Sometimes it makes sense to keep them out, but they are both key players for us and have performed at the highest level all season. I always have to make a decision about what is best for us and the players. Are they ready to play at this pace? They have shown this over the last 15 years. Are you ready to return to the club after the national team games and play again? They have also shown this over the past 15 years. I have no doubt that they are ready for tomorrow. [sexta-feira], play. Alex Ba is fine, we still have a little problem with load management, he had a problem and we want to be careful that it doesn't happen again. He's fine now, it was good not to play for the national team, he trained again and we tried to rest him at the right time. He's ready to play.
Di Maria has been going through a turbulent time for several days now: he and his family have received death threats. Is the player 100% physically and mentally ready for this game and the rest of the season?
What happened to him and his family shows how crazy the world is. It is catastrophic and catastrophic if something like this happens. It is clear that receiving such messages affects the player and the individual. We try to support him as best we can. He is professional and experienced enough to handle such situations, but such situations are completely difficult and rare, especially in a family. This is the worst thing that could happen, but we talked about it. He is trying to live a normal life. Of course, when something like this happens, some thoughts arise in your head, so we will try to support you as best we can.
“It’s time for all of us to show a very good attitude and performance on the field.”
In the last game of the championship, he said that a player who does what Kökçu did cannot be in the team. So, have you spoken to him? Can we expect him to be in the team for this game against Chaves?
As I said during the challenge with Casa Pia [26.ª jornada], my concern was to focus on the game. It would have been better not to mention him in this interview. He returned today [quinta-feira], we talked about it and it was actually exactly what I expected. It was not his intention to create this noise and negativity around our team. I already said before and after the Casa Pia game that I have complete confidence in him as a player, in terms of quality and also in his character. You made a mistake, this interview did no good to anyone. It was not good for us, for him and for Benfica, that's very clear. Now we have to deal with this. Even when players make mistakes, they are still my players, and sometimes I have to support them in difficult times. This is what we have to do, we've talked about it and now it's time to talk about it on the pitch. It's time for all of us, not just him, to demonstrate a very good mentality and performance in field. Everything that is not good for us, that can distract our attention a little, should be excluded. We have resolved this situation domestically and it is time to look forward. I'll be back tomorrow with the team [sexta-feira].
Kökçu was in the Turkish national team. Do you feel that your role in the national team is different from your role in Benfica?
I think I've said everything about Orkun. [Kökcü]. National teams and clubs are always different. These are different players, different tactical approaches. I don't think much about the choice. National team coaches have their own ideas, their own goals, and they must use the players as they see fit. I'm focused on what's happening here on our team, not just with Orkun. [Kökcü], but in general. Players who make it to national teams love to do it because it's a great honor for everyone. The national teams are preparing for summer competitions… These are two different things, and I am completely focused on the Club.
“Everything we did over the last eight or nine months of this season had to be prepared for these weeks.”
As for Juan Bernat, who was seen in training, will he be fit enough to contribute by the end of the season?
All of us, including himself, expected a different season. He is a very experienced player. Unfortunately, he came in with a minor injury, but he recovered and played a few minutes for us in five or six matches. Not full games, but a few minutes. He has been injured since the end of October, for five months now. I think now is not the time to think too much about next season, we need to think about it. He's working hard to get back on the field. He returned to training with the team this week, the first time in five months he has returned and we hope that he stabilizes with the workload, the football load and, of course, that he makes an impact in the last six or seven years. weeks. This is his situation at the moment. We are on a good track and we hope it will have a good impact at the end of the season.
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″I couldn’t leave without winning this award″
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″Most competitive costume required, Pepe’s costume″
Statements by Sergio Conceiçao after receiving the Golden Coach of the Year award at the Golden Dragons Gala
Golden Dragon cost: “I represent many people in this Golden Dragon. The first time I went to Olival with the president in 2017, he named the four essential pillars of FC Porto: rigor, competence, ambition and passion. Looking at it and being with it every day. My players, who don’t usually wear a formal suit as they do today, but the most competitive suit that is required, which is Pepe’s suit, give me great joy when I get up and go to work.”
Technical team and others: “With a super competent technical team, a health department, where there is not only Dr. Nelson Puga and therapists, but also an optometrist, pedologist, a number of people who work daily so that the players do not miss anything. and so that year after year they can get better and win, which is what we want.”
Techniques: “Victory. Not forgetting the people in the kitchen, in the restaurant, the people involved in analysis and observation, the equipment technicians, because today everyone is a technician… [risos]🇧🇷 Lawn techniques too, because I am very picky about the height of the lawn. I think that every detail is important and matters. Finally, a number of people who contribute to making this possible. This is not mine, this belongs to the people of Olival, who are always led by our great, my friend and godfather, the president.”
A family: “Finally, to paraphrase our Gonzalinho [Borges], I want to dedicate it completely to my family, which is not easy, and parents, as always. Not being among us, they will certainly be very proud, not least because they have received two more extremely important people in the life of the club and that together they are up there watching us so that FC Porto becomes bigger , was getting better. , become stronger and win. And let’s keep it up. Is always. Because we deserve it. We are also honest, serious, dedicated and competent workers.”
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