Talbot gets his seventh win

I've written about Mitch Talbot enough in this space that I'm starting to feel like a broken record. Talbot came into the season with some major-league experience, but zero major-league wins. And now he has seven, after yesterday's 3-1 victory over the White Sox. The Indians are now a game and a half behind those same White Sox for fourth place in the AL Central, which isn't much, but it's something.

Talbot allowed just one run in seven innings of work, on six hits and three walks. He struck out five. For the second time this season, he out-pitched former Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy. He leads all major-league rookies in victories, and his 3.54 ERA puts him 18th in the American League, just one one-hundredth of a run behind teammate Fausto Carmona (about whom I haven't written much this season, but definitely should, because he's quite a comeback kid). It must feel pretty good to be Mitch Talbot these days.

The Indians will go for the three-game sweep this afternoon, as Jake Westbrook faces off against Mark Buehrle -- who, like Peavy, is having a very disappointing season so far. I like our chances.