Could the Indians' Bats Be Coming Alive?

The Indians exploded for 17 hits to outlast Texas, 15-9, in a wild one in Arlington Wednesday night. Manager Eric Wedge announced the other day that the Tribe's hitting slump was over, but that it wasn't obvious because the hits just weren't falling in, and the team wasn't winning. Well, they left no doubt last night.

Call it beginner's luck, call it the scouts not having had enough time to watch him, call it what you want, but Ben Francisco is on a tear. He was 5-for-6 Wednesday to raise his average to .343 on the season. Wherever the ball has been thrown, he's hit it, and usually hit it hard. Francisco has been a fixture in the lineup and will remain so as long as he's hitting. Amazing stat check: He already leads the Indians in doubles (13) despite having played in only half of the team's games.

Nice to see as well: Ryan Garko's 4-for-5, 6 RBI performance. He's bumped his average up to .260. Garko needs to continue his strong hitting for the Indians' offense to shift into high gear. And give David Dellucci credit. He had two more hits Wednesday, including his sixth home run, and he now has more RBIs this season (22) than Victor Martinez (20).

Speaking of RBIs, Casey Blake has managed to knock in 37 runs to lead the team, despite his low batting average. He's on a pace to drive in 100 runs, something he's never done in his career.

And what to make of Cliff Lee? The lefthander raised his season record to 9-1, while his ERA rose right with it, to 2.45. To be fair, Rangers Ballpark is a hitter's paradise, and Lee got knocked around for six runs before exiting after six, but still got the win. Over time, hitters adjust, too, so scouts are no doubt getting a line on Lee and forwarding it to their coaching staffs. It was nice to see Lee get the run support he needed Wednesday night after all the times he's bailed his teammates out this season. Here's hoping C.C. Sabathia gets the same tonight in the final game of the series.

Red Wings do it again...

A tip of the cap to the Detroit Red Wings, who defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 Wednesday night to capture their fourth Stanley Cup title in 11 seasons, and their first since 2002. They jumped out to an early lead and held off a furious Pittsburgh rally as time ran out.

But what a rally it was. Marion Hossa's power play goal with 1:27 remaining pulled the Penguins within one. Pittsburgh had already pulled Game 5 hero Marc-Andre Fleury from the net to create a 6-4 skating advantage, and they put on one last, furious attack to try to tie the game up as the seconds ticked away. Sidney Crosby's last second backhand attempt was deflected wide by Detroit goalie Chris Osgood, and Hossa's desperation attempt to tip it in trickled harmlessly across the crease as the horn sounded.

It was great theater, and a fitting end to a hard-fought, well-played series. The Penguins are young and likely to compete for the crown again next year. In the meantime, congratulations to the Red Wings, winners of the Stanley Cup for the eleventh time in franchise history.

Hockey's Appeal On Display Monday Night

"Don't know much about his-to-ry, don't know much bi-ol-o-gy..."

And -- I'll admit it -- hockey, either.

Let's face it, I can't go around claiming to be a hockey guy. I never played the sport, except for the old Bobby Hull tabletop version, with all the steel rods and plastic guys and the overhead scoreboard/puck drop feature. I can't even stand up on skates, much less swing a stick while doing it.

But even I know there are few things more exciting than the Stanley Cup Finals. Last night's epic game between Pittsburgh and Detroit provided ample evidence.

Petr Sykora's goal in the third overtime (left photo) gave the Penguins a dramatic 4-3 win to keep their hopes alive and send the series back to Pittsburgh for Game 6 Wednesday night. Third overtime! Almost 110 minutes of clock time. And none of it boring.

This after Pittsburgh’s Max Talbot punched in the tying goal with 34.3 seconds left in regulation. Detroit had taken a 3-2 lead in the third with two quick goals and looked poised to claim their fourth Stanley Cup title in 11 years before Talbot’s stunner extended the Penguin’s season for a few minutes -- and, as it turned out, for at least one more game.

Apart from all the remarkable, edge-of-your-seat action that took place between the nets, even a novice like me knows that Marc-Andre Fleury (right photo) played one of the most memorable games in goal in Stanley Cup history, stopping 55 of the 58 shots the Red Wings fired at him. “That was the game of his life,” said teammate Ryan Whitney. Good timing, that.

It occurred to me as I watched Game 5, and as I have watched the other games in this series, that hockey -- despite its status as the “fourth” of the major sports in the U.S. (note that I did not say “in North America”) -- is perhaps the one of those four that is the most true to its origins, the least spoiled by marketing and big money and pampered players.

Pro basketball is populated by better athletes than in generations past, no doubt. But players routinely travel. They foul at alarming rates. Few players are great outside shooters anymore. The college game is more interesting, and usually more exciting.

Baseball has been soiled by steroids. The strike zone is the size of a postage stamp. Pitchers are forced to serve up grapefruits for hitters to feast on. Banjo hitters and journeymen pitchers routinely earn millions.

Football is close to what it once was, but we seem to hear the antics of a Terrell Owens or a Pac-Man Jones more than anything else. And you never saw Johnny Unitas slide.

But you watch a hockey game, and you get the sense that it’s still very much the game that was played in years past. I realize that the NHL has discussed rule changes that would encourage more offense. But a check’s a check. A pass is a pass, a deflection’s a deflection, a save is a save. Face-offs are wonderfully chaotic and rough. Benches are separated by mere feet, and teams still line up to shake hands when it’s over.

Have any hockey players used steroids? Probably. Do they have run-ins with the law? I’m sure some do. Do stars get preferential treatment? I wouldn’t know it if I saw it, but my guess is, yes, they sometimes do.

But the beauty, speed and skill of the game remain constant. Like I said, I’m no expert, and I can’t promise that you’ll see a steady stream of hockey posts on this blog. But Monday’s game was one for the ages. And, for all the excitement of the moment, you could imagine Howe, Hull, Orr, Gretzky or Lemieux out there with the Penguins and the Red Wings (perhaps minus the helmets, in some cases), going toe to toe, loving every minute of it.

I may not be the hockey fan that some people are, but even I can appreciate the genuine nature of the game. And I’m definitely looking forward to Game 6 Wednesday night