Month in review: April

It wasn’t an 18-win April like the Indians enjoyed last season, but the end result was the same when the calendar flipped to May. The Tribe is in first place atop the American League Central, and the team believes it can remain in the mix for the division crown throughout the summer.

With the regular season’s first month in the books, it’s time to dish out some April honors for both the Indians and their Minor League affiliates. Let’s take a look at the month that was for Cleveland.

Overall: 11-9
At home: 4-7
On road: 7-2

Offense (AL rank):

.244 average (8)
.342 on-base (3)
.371 slugging (12)
.713 OPS (8)
16 homers (13)
34 doubles (13)
85 RBIs (8)
90 runs (9)
101 walks (1)
144 strikeouts (11)
14 stolen bases (4)
169 hits (13)
.246 avg. RISP (10)
.265 avg. 2-outs (2)

Pitching (AL rank)

4.10 ERA (8)
7 saves (3)
189 innings (13)
179 hits allowed (2)
91 runs (4)
86 earned runs (5)
73 walks (8)
128 strikeouts (13)
.247 opp. average (6)
1.33 WHIP (8)
236 groundouts (3)
1.24 GO/AO ratio (2)
.708 opp. OPS (7)

Fielding (AL rank):

.986 fielding % (5)
.733 caught-stealing % (10)
.713 def. efficiency rating (3)

Player of the Month: DH Travis Hafner
Stats: .295/.450/.459/.909, 2 HR, 4 2B, 10 RBI, 17 BB, 18 H, 7 R, 18 games

Pitcher of the Month: RHP Derek Lowe
Stats: 4-1, 2.27 ERA, 31.2 innings, 9 K’s, 10 BB, 1.42 WHIP, 5 starts

Reliever of the Month: RHP Vinnie Pestano
Stats: 2.79 ERA, 9.2 innings, 14 K’s, 2 BB, 1.03 WHIP, .216 avg, 11 games

Performance of the Month (hitting): C Carlos Santana
Line: 2-for-4, 2 home runs, 3 RBIs in 4-3 win over Blue Jays on April 8

Comment: Happy birthday! Santana celebrated his big day with a multi-homer performance. The catcher loves hitting on his bi-day. Santana has hit .556 (10-for-18) with five home runs and 13 RBIs combined on his last four birthdays, including two standout showings in the Minor Leagues.

Performance of the Month (pitching): RHP Josh Tomlin
Line: 8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K in 2-1 win over Seattle on April 19

Comment: It’s hard to pick against Justin Masterson’s eight-inning effort on Opening Day (10 K’s, 1 BB, 2 H), but Tomlin went toe-to-toe with King Felix (Hernandez) on the road and helped the Tribe pull out a one-run victory. Hernandez was overpowering with 12 strikeouts in 8 shutout innings, but Tomlin kept pace for the Tribe.

Line of the Month: 1-2, 1 home run, 3 walks, 3 runs, 3 RBIs
Who? LF Shelley Duncan in 13-7 win over Royals on April 15

MINOR LEAGUE HONORS

Triple-A Columbus

Player of the Month: 1B Matt LaPorta
Stats: .380 avg, 8 HR, 6 2B, 17 RBIs, 17 R, 1.210 OPS, 21 games

Pitcher of the Month: RHP Corey Kluber
Stats: 3-1, 2.67 ERA, 27 innings, 35 K’s, 12 BB, 1.48 WHIP, 5 starts

Double-A Akron

Player of the Month: INF Jared Goedert
Stats: .385 avg, 2 HR, 5 2B, 7 RBIs, 7 R, 1.048 OPS, 19 games

Pitcher of the Month: LHP T.J. McFarland
Stats: 4-1, 2.22 ERA, 28.1 innings, 16 K’s, 9 BB, 1.16 WHIP, 5 starts

Class A (high) Carolina

Player of the Month: DH Jeremie Tice
Stats: .328 avg, 4 HR, 8 2B, 18 RBIs, 15 R, 1.080 OPS, 18 games

Pitcher of the Month: LHP T.J. House
Stats: 2-0, 1.44 ERA, 25 innings, 26 K’s, 6 BB, 0.92 WHIP, 4 starts

Class A (low) Lake County

Player of the Month: OF Luigi Rodriguez
Stats: .349 avg, 2 HR, 4 2B, 3 3B, 13 RBIs, 17 R, 7 SB, .944 OPS, 20 games

Pitcher of the Month: RHP Cody Anderson
Stats: 2-0, 2.70 ERA, 20 innings, 20 K’s, 4 BB, 1.20 WHIP, 4 games (3 starts)

–JB