Poor pitching plagues the Tribe

GM Mark Shapiro will likely address the bullpen's woes.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Indians general manager Mark Shapiro is just as frustrated as Cleveland fans are with his team's poor pitching -- and intends to do something about it.
"There will be changes," Shapiro said Thursday without being specific as to who is in jeopardy.
But after giving up 24 runs over three consecutive losses in Kansas City to the lowly Royals, the pitching staff -- particularly the bullpen -- likely will get a shake-up.
"I'm both disappointed and concerned, not just in light of the last three games," Shapiro said. "We are considering changes to roles and personnel in the bullpen. The mix we have there is not working."
Injuries to right-handers Rafael Betancourt and Matt Miller in the same inning April 19 put the bullpen in disarray three days after young reliever Fernando Cabrera went on the disabled list.
Short and ineffective outings by starters Jason Johnson, Paul Byrd and Jake Westbrook then added stress to the overworked relief corps.
"Other than [closer] Bob Wickman and [starters] C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee, we're not getting it done," Shapiro said. "The other nine slots have to be better."
Contrast
While the Indians' .302 team average and 219 runs lead the majors, their 5.49 ERA is 12th in the AL. That's nearly two runs a game more than Cleveland's league-leading 3.61 mark last season.
Shapiro met with manager Eric Wedge and his coaches to discuss possible moves before the Indians open a 10-game homestand tonight with a three-game series against Central Division rival Detroit.
Cleveland is 41/2 games behind the second-place Tigers and seven behind the Chicago White Sox.
"We don't want to let things slide further," Shapiro said. "We don't want to dig too big of a hole and have to have a second half like last year."
In 2005, Cleveland went 37-12 to make up 131/2 games in the standings and pull within 11/2 of the White Sox on Sept. 24 before fading in the final week.
Several key relievers left during the offseason through trades or free agency and Shapiro expressed concern about having to rebuild the bullpen.
"I feared the unknown and the unknown has been bad," Shapiro said. "It has been exacerbated by the starters, so it's a shared burden from top to bottom."
Starters to remain
Shapiro emphasized that pitching coach Carl Willis and the starters have a track record of success and will remain in place.
"We'll ride it out with the starters and work to get them back in form," he said.
Veterans Danny Graves and Guillermo Mota have been hit hard and could lose their roles to Cabrera, Jeremy Guthrie and Jason Davis.
"Experience is not the answer," Shapiro said. "Strike-throwing and getting outs are."
While Miller is out for the season after having elbow surgery, Betancourt is due to start a rehab assignment in the minors this weekend. If his strained back is not an issue, he could rejoin the club next week.
"Getting Raffy back will have an impact, but that's not the only move we're considering," said Shapiro, noting that a promotion from the minors would be more likely than a trade.
"Most of the guys available in trade are those who are failing anyway," he said.