Flameout

What just happened to the Indians?
For a week and a half, they had pitching to match their hitting. Then came the final two games of the Seattle series, and suddenly, the Indians couldn't pitch their way to water from a boat.
The past two games have been everything Indians fans feared coming into the season: Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson looked unworthy to carry the athletic supporters of Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton, and the bullpen needed a "caution: flammable" sign.
Byrd and Johnson, the two free-agent acquisitions from this offseason, provided a trip down memory lane to the all-hit, no-pitch Indians of the late '90s. But those teams could slug their way to the playoffs atop a lousy division.
This team needs pitching, or they are going to get buried in the middle of the pack.
It's just two losses. It's still too early to fret. But if the Tribe's stellar offense has to begin lugging the pitching staff around like a ball and chain, this is going to become a frustrating season.