Roberto Hernández (starting pitcher)

Fausto Carmona
Carmona pitches in his MLB debut.
Cleveland Indians – No. 55
Starting pitcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
April 15, 2006, for the Cleveland Indians
Career statistics (through 2007)
Win-Loss	20-18
Earned run average	3.67
Strikeouts	195
Teams
Cleveland Indians (2006–present)

Fausto J. Carmona (born December 7, 1983 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a right-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. Carmona made his major league debut with the Indians on April 15, 2006. He was initially used as a starting pitcher but later in the season was turned into a reliever, and now is a starting pitcher again.

He is known for his hard sinker and exhibiting good control of his pitches. He did not throw exceptionally hard when he first debuted in the minor leagues at age 18, but has since developed a fastball that can reach 97 mph. He also throws a slider and a changeup, but he only occasionally uses those pitches because he chooses to rely on his sinker to get quick ground ball outs.

Carmona was the first non-rehab start player and full-time roster member of the Lake County Captains to play a game in the big leagues.

2006 season

On April 15, 2006, Carmona made his debut when he started the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. He pitched 6 innings giving up one earned run and striking out four. He would go on to win the game, his only win of the season.

On July 20, 2006, the Indians all-time saves leader Bob Wickman was traded to the Atlanta Braves and Carmona was forced into the role of the team closer despite never recording a major league save.

In the span of seven days (from July 30 through August 5), Carmona recorded four losses and three blown saves for the Indians, including walk-off home runs surrendered to Boston's David Ortiz and Detroit's Iván Rodríguez. Carmona lost the closer's role to Tom Mastny soon thereafter.

After the disastrous closer experiment, Carmona was demoted to the Buffalo Bisons, the Indians' Class AAA affiliate, where he was placed back in a starter's role. He was promoted to Cleveland again in September, and finished the season as a starter. Carmona ended the 2006 season with a record of 1-10 and a 5.42 ERA.

2007 season

In 2007, Carmona was originally slated to be the Indians' spot starter and to start the season at the team's minor league affiliate, AAA Buffalo. However, after Cliff Lee went down with an abdominal strain injury in Spring Training that would force him to miss at least the first three weeks of the season, the Indians gave Carmona the opportunity to start in Lee's place. In his first start of the season on April 13, the Chicago White Sox battered him for six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.

However, Carmona quickly rebounded, holding the New York Yankees' potent offense to just 2 ER in 6 IP in his next start, but he received a no decision. Carmona settled into a groove and won his next five starts, allowing just 5 ER over 39 IP. In the streak, Carmona beat two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins twice and in one of his starts against the Twins, center fielder Torii Hunter was quoted saying, "I can't wait until we face normal pitchers. This guy's sinker is practically unhittable." The first victory came on April 24 in Minnesota, when Carmona allowed just 2 ER over 7 2/3 IP. The second start came at home on May 17, when Carmona tossed his first career complete game shutout, scattering just four hits along the way.

On July 25, Carmona tossed eight shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox in a 1-0 Indians win. The victory capped a a 5-0 July for Carmona as he moved into a three-way tie with teammate C. C. Sabathia and Boston's Josh Beckett for the American League lead in wins with 13.

Carmona received serious consideration for the AL Cy Young award, along with teammate C.C. Sabathia, Boston's Josh Beckett and Anaheim's John Lackey. True to his dominant 2007 regular season form, Carmona, in his 1st career postseason game in Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS against the New York Yankees and Andy Pettitte, allowed 1 earned run on 3 hits over 9 innings in an extra-inning win for Cleveland. He went on to finish fourth in the 2007 Cy Young vote.

On October 20, Carmona was battered by the Boston Red Sox in Game 6 of the 2007 ALCS, surrendering seven runs in two plus innings. He was knocked out of the game in the third inning of the Indians' 12-2 loss to the Sox at Fenway Park, forcing a seventh game at Fenway the following day. The Red Sox would later go on to win that decisive game en route to their seventh World Series title.

Career Statistics

Stats
Season	Team	League	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	W	L	SV	ERA	AVG
2006	Cleveland	MLB	38	7	0	0	74.2	88	46	45	31	58	1	10	0	5.42	.298
2007	Cleveland	MLB	32	32	2	1	215.0	199	78	73	61	137	19	8	0	3.06	.248
Major League Totals			70	39	2	1	289.2	287	124	118	92	195	20	18	0	3.67	.262

References

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
• MLB.com player info page