So what have we learned from the first six games of the Indians' nine-game interleague road trip? This: Not only aren't they as good as the Phillies, one of the elite teams in the majors, but they may not even be as good as the Pirates, one of the worst teams in the majors.

Next comes three games with the Reds. Bet you can hardly wait, huh? On a brighter note, the Indians claimed Laynce Nix off waivers from the White Sox. To this point in his career Nix is most known for the unconventional way he spells his first name. What he hasn't done much of this year is hit.

Sent to Columbus to make room for Nix was Luis Valbuena. You wouldn't think the Indians could add a guy to replace Valbuena who was actually hitting LESS than Valbuena, but the Indians managed to do it. Nix was hitting .163 for the White Sox. That makes Valbuena's .166 average with the Indians look positively Maueresque.

The other roster move was to demote Jensen Lewis in order to make room on the roster for Aaron Laffey, who will be recalled from Columbus today and will start tonight in Cincinnati. The demotion of Lewis was surprise. It seemed more likely that Tony Sipp had earned a demotion, in order to get himself straightened out. Sipp has been a mess for the last three weeks. Apparently, though, Manager Manny Acta prefers to have a second lefty in the bullpen to pair with Rafael Perez, and is willing to live with Sipp's ongoing struggles.

The Indians are 1-5 on the nine-game trip that will end with the three games in Cincinnati. For the trid, the All-Star break can't get here fast enough.