Sunday, July 15, 2001
What's wrong with Rocker?
Indians Notebook
By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer
AP Sports Writer
What's wrong with Rocker? The Cleveland Indians were wondering r after he gave his wildest performance yet on Saturday. The left-hander helped the Reds win 6-5 in 13 innings because he couldn't throw the ball straight.
Manager Charlie Manuel admitted he was concerned. He's not entirely sure what's gone wrong.
“The only thing I see different is that even when he gets ahead of a hitter, he has trouble throwing enough strikes to finish him off,” Manuel said. “He's having trouble with his control.”
On Saturday, he had trouble with his fastball, his breaking ball and his throw to first as well.
Rocker sprinted in to a cascade of boos in the 12th inning with the score tied at 5. It was his first appearance since last Sunday, when he returned from a Black Sabbath concert in Atlanta and took a loss in Cleveland.
He struggled from the outset, giving up a single to Pokey Reese, an intentional walk to Ken Griffey Jr., then a full-count walk to Sean Casey. Right fielder Juan Gonzalez threw Reese out at home as he tried to score on Aaron Boone's shallow fly, ending the threat.
As soon as Rocker took the mound again, he was in trouble again.
He hit Jason LaRue with a pitch to open the 13th, then threw wide of first on Kelly Stinnett's bunt for an error that left both runners safe. After a four-pitch walk to light-hitting Juan Castro, Ruben Rivera hit a sacrifice fly to end it.
Rocker didn't talk to the media afterward.
In eight games spanning 8 1-3 innings since the June 22 trade with Atlanta, Rocker has given up four runs, six hits and six walks along with 11 strikeouts. He has complained of a tired shoulder and has lost several miles per hour off his fastball.
“On the radar gun, maybe he's not throwing as hard, but his ball still jumps,” catcher Tim Laker said. “He's got that deceiving motion.”
Once Rocker threw wildly to first on the bunt, he compounded his problems by losing his control.
“In a close game like that, the little things get magnified,” Laker said. “There's the error at first and you've just got to throw strikes.”
INDIANS STARTERS BETTER: The Indians came away from the three-game series feeling upbeat about their rotation.
Bartolo Colon pitched seven shutout innings in a 7-0 opening win, C.C. Sabathia struck out a career-high 11 in a 5-1 victory on Friday, and Dave Burba showed signs of pulling out of his rut in the final game.
Burba hasn't won since June 9, when he beat the Reds in Cleveland. In his next four starts, Burba took four losses and gave up 20 earned runs in 19 1-3 innings.
He worked on his delivery during the All-Star break and gave his best performance in a long time, allowing only five singles and a solo homer in 6 2-3 innings Saturday.
He left after walking two in the seventh, and the Reds rallied for four more runs to tie it.
“I used my fastball more,” Burba said. “I mixed up my pitches during the course of the game. I'm not disappointed with the way I pitched. I'm disappointed in that last inning, but a lot of factors were involved with that, so I can't beat myself up too much. Overall, I'm pleased with the way I threw the ball.”
The rotation has been the Indians' main weakness this season. Its performance in the series — four runs in three games — was encouraging.
“They did great,” shortstop Omar Vizquel said. “They've been focused in the second half. That's nice to see. We're pretty sure they can regroup for the second half.”
———
OH SO CLOSE: Vizquel, who homered twice in a game at Cinergy last year, nearly won Saturday's game in the ninth with a drive to right field. Ruben Rivera made a running leap, stretched his glove above the wall and took a homer away.
Vizquel said it hurt to lose the homer.
“Especially when you're a little guy and they make you pay like that,” he said, laughing.
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What's wrong with Rocker? 
