Jeremy

Sowers

“I would like to do both,” Sowers said, referring to completing work on his degree and showing up for work. “But my professors would have to accept me not being around for five weeks (of the instructional league).”

Both runs scored in the fifth. Sowers nearly gave up a run in the second, but with Coco Crisp on first, Doug Mirabelli’s two-out double to right skipped over the wall, preventing Crisp from scoring. Sowers then struck out Alex Gonzalez. He fanned David Ortiz three times in the game, so even though it was a short outing, it was another solid performance from the lefty.

Sowers allowed five hits and walked one while throwing 94 pitches. Brown replaced him to start the seventh and threw two innings in his major league debut. Carmona then finally protected a Cleveland lead in the ninth, with the 13-run buffer giving manager Eric Wedge just enough confidence to use him at the end. Sowers is 4-3 with a 3.53 ERA in nine starts. Mixed leaguers will want to keep him active for his upcoming outing against the Rays.

After going 9-1 with a 1.39 ERA at Triple-A, Sowers will step into Jason Johnson’s spot in the Indians’ rotation. Don’t expect a sub-2.00 ERA in the big leagues, but Sowers is among the best, most polished pitching prospects around.

Sowers, who is 8-1 with a 1.27 ERA at Triple-A Buffalo, should be an asset in AL-only leagues right away. He could win eight games with an ERA right around 4.00 and a quality WHIP the rest of the way.

Sowers threw just 76 pitches, so he would have good for another inning or two. The Indians are hurting their chances of making it to the postseason every time they give Jason Johnson another start at Sowers’ expense. Sowers is 8-1 with a 1.27 ERA in 14 starts in Triple-A.

“It’s not one area, it’s not one player,” Shapiro said. “If it was one player, one area, we could easily address a change. That is not the case.” Meanwhile, Sowers’ ERA is just a tick over 1.00 at Triple-A.

Hee-Seop Choi had the only hit for Pawtucket in the first game of a doubleheader. Sowers is 6-1 with a 1.07 ERA. The Indians aren’t going to send anyone to the bullpen to make room for him, but they might be better off if Jason Johnson or Paul Byrd had to go on the DL for a couple of weeks.

Sowers threw 159 innings last year. The plan appears to be to limit him to about 180, meaning he might make just two more starts. Fausto Carmona is returning to Triple-A to work as a starter, and he’ll take Sowers’ place in the rotation next month.

The bullpen cost him a win in one of those two no-decisions. In tonight’s game, Fausto Carmona and Tom Mastny combined to allow one run in three innings of relief, giving the Indians a 5-3 win.