by Dennis Manoloff, Plain Dealer Reporter , Plain Dealer

Reporters were not the only ones who heard Lewis, demoted to Class AAA Columbus this weekend, speak of how he felt oh-so-close.

"He does this to everybody," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "I think it's something that works against him a little bit."

As days passed and the full turnaround did not happen, Lewis sounded as if he might be in denial.

"You have to look in the mirror," Wedge said. "He doesn't need to talk about it, he just needs to do it."

Lewis was optioned to make room for right-handed reliever Jose Veras, acquired from the Yankees in a trade earlier this week. The move was announced Friday night and made official Saturday when Veras was added to the major-league roster.

"There have been other opportunities to send Jensen out," Wedge said. "We chose to keep him here to give him a chance to work things through."

Lewis, the Tribe closer at the end of last season, is 2-3 with a 5.03 ERA in 28 appearances. He has given up 40 hits, including nine homers, in 39 1/3 innings. He has walked 16 and struck out 36.

Lewis' outing Friday was a microcosm of his season. He relieved starter Jeremy Sowers with two on and none out in the eighth and retired three straight. In the ninth, however, he walked two in a row and got yanked. Tony Sipp finished a 9-2 victory.

"Jensen showed flashes of what you'd like to see, but he hasn't shown the consistent control he needs to show to be effective up here, especially in a pivotal role," Wedge said. "He's got to get better at throwing the Baseball where he wants to throw it."

Wedge said it was possible Lewis could have staved off the trip to Columbus - at least for the time being - with a two-inning, six-strikeout performance Friday.

"If he really would have gone over the top, yeah, we could have always revisited," he said. "Rarely does something like that happen, though."

Wedge said Lewis absorbed the bad news as well as could be expected.

"He was quiet, humble, very respectful," Wedge said. "He listened."

Earlier in the day, Lewis had what Wedge termed a "good" film session with pitching coach Carl Willis.

Lewis went 0-4 with 13 saves and a 3.82 ERA in 51 appearances for the Tribe last year. He was 13-for-13 in save opportunities over the final two months. When the Indians signed closer Kerry Wood in the off-season, Lewis returned to a setup role.

The 102nd overall selection in 2005 out of Vanderbilt, Lewis was 1-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 26 appearances in 2007. He performed decently in spots in the division series and American League Championship Series.

"He's already pitched in pivotal games for us in his short career," Wedge said. "There's nothing wrong with him going back and working on the craft a little bit."

And then there was one: Wood is the only reliever on the active roster who broke camp with the major-league club and has remained with the club uninterrupted by injury or roster move.

DeRosa rests: Mark DeRosa, subject of trade rumors, did not start Saturday. Wedge said he planned to give DeRosa either Saturday or today off. Wedge figured Saturday was better because Travis Hafner likely will not play today, and Grady Sizemore will be the designated hitter.

Garko's wrist: Ryan Garko played first base and batted fifth Saturday. The previous night, he was removed for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning because his left wrist flared up during a swing. Garko suffered a bruised tendon while attempting to return to second after a three-run double June 17 against the Brewers.

Garko was concerned enough about the wrist to fly to Baltimore last Monday to meet with noted hand specialist Dr. Tom Graham. X-rays and an MRI scan showed no structural damage.

"He just said I'll have to deal with some pain and soreness for a while, but that it's not going to get any worse," Garko said. "That's all I needed to hear."

Garko entered Saturday with 30 RBI in 159 official at-bats. In 495 at-bats last year, he tied for the club lead with 90 RBI.

Hal's Hall: Hall of Fame sportswriter Hal McCoy, who covers the Reds for the Dayton Daily News, has said he will not cast a Hall of Fame vote for anyone strongly linked to performance-enhancing drugs. His dirty-laundry list includes Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Manny Ramirez.

"Before long, I won't be voting for anybody," he said.

McCoy said the infestation of PEDs in this era makes him appreciate Ken Griffey Jr.'s accomplishments that much more. Griffey, a former Red, entered Saturday with 619 homers and 1,795 RBI. He never has been linked to PEDs.

"He hasn't been playing on a level field," McCoy said. "Look what he's accomplished against the cheaters."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664

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