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September 23, 2014Will Ben Tate be the Browns top choice when healthy?
September 23, 2014Follow me back to a year ago next week. Your Cleveland Indians played the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card game. I sat in my regular spot inside of Progressive Field and watched as the offense could do next to nothing against Rays starter Alex Cobb. When they did actually put runners on base, each Tribe hitter seemed to tense up and either get too over-anxious, or swung like they were trying to hit the ball to the Terminal Tower. In about the fifth inning, I said to my cousin who sat next to me “this feels like a slow death march.”
Monday night around the fifth inning of “Game 2” against the Kansas City Royals, that same feeling came over me.
This game feels exactly like the wild card game last year. It’s like a slow death march.
— TD Dery (@WFNYTD) September 23, 2014
I cannot remember being as frustrated for an entire regular season game as I was watching the Indians leave runner after runner on base. But let me go back to the beginning of this strange Monday night.
Coming into the night, the Tribe had a chance to gain two games on the Royals, who they trailed by three-and-a-half games. All they needed was three outs with a 4-2 lead, thanks to the continuation of the suspended game from August 31 in KC. Lefty Kyle Crockett was announced to face Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas. But Manager Terry Francona decided to go to veteran Scott Atchison for the save chance with both Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen already used. Old Man Atch gave up a leadoff single to Moustakas, but came back to strike out pinch hitter Eric Hosmer. Alcides Escobar grounded out to third for the second out, but Nori Aoki kept the Royals alive with an RBI single, bringing the winning run to the plate.
Atchison, however, was able to get Omar Infante on a pop out to end the game. The entire thing was one of the more odd scenes I have ever been a part of at Progressive Field. The Indians came out for handshakes, fireworks went off, Cleveland Rocks blared through the speakers—it was bizarre. Both teams went back into the clubhouse for about 40 minutes before emerging for the scheduled game, which was a biggie for the Tribe. Win and you are a game and a half back of the Royals with two more to play. Lose and it is probably lights out.
Knowing the magnitude of the game, one would think Terry Francona would go with the lineup that gives his team the best chance to win. Instead, facing lefty Danny Duffy, Tito went off the reservation. In a season full of bizarre lineup construction, the Tribe skipper went with journeyman backup catcher Chris Gimenez as his first baseman. To say I was shocked to see this move was an understatement. While his options aren’t great, going to Gimenez defied logic. Not only is he not a quality stick, but he ISN’T A FIRST BASEMAN. Francona choosing Gimenez should tell you all you need to know about what he thinks of Jesus Aguilar, the power hitting first baseman who had a terrific year in Columbus but has never looked comfortable in his brief stints with the big club. What about using Yan Gomes as your DH, Carlos Santana as your first baseman, and Roberto Perez as your catcher? What about eschewing the usual righty/lefty matchups and going with veteran David Murphy as your DH? There had to have been a better option than Gimenez.
That move took a whole half inning to be a costly mistake. With two out and a man on second in the top of the first, Hosmer sent a hot shot liner towards Gimenez at first. He was there to make the play, but the ball glanced off of his glove and a run scored. Hosmer was given a single but any average first baseman makes this play. Once again, why was a career backup catcher playing first base with your season on the line?
“I’m so upset with myself,” said Gimenez. “Even if you’ve never played first base before, you should make that play.”
It seemed like it wouldn’t be that big of a deal when the Indians loaded the bases against Duffy with nobody out in the bottom of the frame. Michael Bourn walked in front of singles from Jose Ramirez and Michael Brantley. But then the Indians reverted back into that AL Wild Card game mode. Santana swung at the first pitch and popped out to second. Gomes got behind in the count and the struck out swinging. It was up to Mike Aviles, playing for the injured Jason Kipnis, but he flew out to right.
“It was upsetting,” Aviles said. “We’ve got a guy bases loaded who hasn’t pitched in awhile. We’ve got him on the ropes, and if we can get some runs early, rattle his cage. We were able to let him settle in, and he was able to go [six] innings on a limited pitch count.”
You just knew right then and there this would come back to haunt the Tribe. The first inning failure was a microcosm of the entire game. Chance after chance went by the wayside. Meanwhile, Gimenez popped out twice in the infield and grounded out to the shortstop against a rookie left-handed reliever in the seventh.
Poor Carlos Carrasco pitched his butt off again, but got no help from the offense or his defense. He trailed 1-0 in the sixth when Infante doubled and was moved to third on a Moustakas groundout. Francona brought the infield in and Escobar sent a groundball towards Ramirez at short. He didn’t get in front of it, tried to backhand the ball and it bounced off his forearm for what was called an infield RBI single. Again, it is a play that has to be made in a game of this importance.
For the first time all year, I actually have seen a pitcher say out loud what we have all been thinking; the Indians defense has killed them.
“We should’ve made those plays right there. That cost me two runs,” Carrasco said. “I thought they had a pretty good chance of making them, but sometimes we don’t make those plays. That can cost us.”
The 2-0 Royals lead seemed insurmountable with the sad state of the Indians offense and the stud arms in the KC pen. Carrasco did all he could, departing after seven and a third. He allowed just those two runs even hits, striking out nine and walking none. Once again, the offense wasted another solid outing from a Tribe starter.
The saddest part came in the ninth when the bottom third was due up to face All-Star closer Greg Holland. Lonnie Chisenhall grounded out and up came Gimenez’s spot. Francona lifted him for pinch hitter (wait for it…) J.B. Shuck. That’s right, a guy who was essentially handed to the Tribe for nothing and has one hit in 16 ABs since the move, was getting the call with the Indians down to their last two outs with their season hanging in the balance. Shuck struck out and looked awful doing so. Murphy was the final hope, batting for Tyler Holt and he weakly grounded out to second as the Tribe’s hopes of making a final-week run took a severe blow.
This tweet sums it all up:
Shuck, Gimenez and Holt get at bats in a must have game for a team on life support. — Tony Lastoria (@TonyIBI) September 23, 2014
As I said before, this game was just like that Wild Card game a year ago. You knew the loss was coming after that first inning, yet I still sat there watching the slow march to the shutout for the next three hours. There is not much more to say.
The shame is that the Seattle Mariners are imploding, losing yet again, this time to the Toronto Blue Jays 14-4. The door was open for the Indians, but they failed to bust through. The offense just never recovered from that first inning disaster.
“There’s not a lot of season left,” Francona said. “Every time you lose a game, you’re disappointed. We’ll show up tomorrow and keep it simple. We’ll just show up tomorrow and try to win.”
125 Comments
Hmm, I’m looking at it from how much the Indians make per head. I don’t see how there’s any way the Indians would rather have fans watch on TV than at the park.
Really, I have to click that link couldn’t you have saved me valuable time and simply answered the question? 😉
$12.25 per adult isn’t bad but what about the beer, popcorn, cotton candy and hot dogs?
Seems like the new amenities for the field are meant to address that.
Don’t pay attention to the product on the field look at our brand new areas including a bar where you can overpay us instead of that schmuck across the street before the game!!
What I’m saying is that it’s unfair of you to counter my point about Wedge’s success, a point I’m making in a discussion about the caliber of our previous managers (a discussion you started, by the way), with a non sequitur attack on the front office, even if that attack is correct.
Manziel is better than Hoyer.
But Hoyer has played so well!
What did the Indians FO do in the winter of ’07?
HAVE A GOOD DAY!
So you didn’t buy into Francona’s post game comments about not scoring any runs and earning a split of two games? 😉
They’ve got to spend that free money from the county somehow and you know it isn’t going to players.
I didn’t want you to call me a liar.
Right, that’s what I’m trying to get at. People don’t show up for the Tribe when the price moves, only when the fireworks happen. I don’t see how dropping the price can help. I’m on board with fireworks as often as necessary though.
And price drops frequently have an unexpected negative consequence when they need to be raised again. The customer feels that the lowest price he ever gets is what the product is worth, and short term gains in ticket sales are undone by long term customer frustration. Though the Indians are experiencing that at any ticket price or success level of the team.
non sequitor – stop trying to confuse the mighty $hamrok – assault commencing in 5…4…3…2…1…
..you cannot stop my assault on this front office you can only hope to contain it. I never liked Wedge but will conceded making it to the ALCS was an achievement. How’d it end btw? I just wanted you to tell me what the front office did to help it’s team take the next step from an appearance in the ALCS to winning it and making it into the WS.
You are many things but a liar isn’t one. Point of fact…$hamrok has never called anyone a liar here once. He may have been thinking it but never typed it. Stick that in your craw and smoke it!
Haha didn’t hear him say that…
“what the front office did to help it’s team take the next step from an appearance in the ALCS to winning it and making it into the WS”
Paid what was necessary to keep together a young core that was improving. Payroll went up over 25% from 2007 to 2008.
Either way, no amount of money would have made up for Hafner, Martinez, and Westbrook injuries and whatever happened to Carmona/Hernandez and the bullpen.
Haven’t seen one movie worth full price I am a Netflixer. How’s the Science Museum, never been, is it worth whatever it costs?
My kids really enjoy (girls 8-6-2). I also am a Netflix guy.
Best part of GLSC is they have reciprocity in lots of places, like Pittsburgh at the Science Center AND the kids’ museum (which is great).
Paying to keep a team together does not count as an improvement it’s a cost of business. Btw, what year was that and who beat them in that ALCS?
Who is excusing anyone? What is with your propensity to put all the blame at the feet of someone or another? It’s almost as off target as your 20-20 hindsight ranting is useless.
What did you expect him to get for Masterson or Cabrera?
The Indians were prepared to re-sign Masterson for 2/24 and an option. Another year at $12M wouldn’t be fun, but not team-breaking.
So 25% increases in payroll don’t count because you don’t want them to. Another pleasant conversation.
It’s a cost of business you’ve tried this line of rationale before so it’s no wonder you find my denial as being unpleasant. Good thing it wasn’t 26% huh?
How do you feel about inflation btw? Depreciation?
Every expense is a cost of business, built in raises, FAs, draft picks, adding a hot dog vendor.
Again, it doesn’t matter. No amount of realistic spending could have prevented what undid that 2008 team.
Thanks.
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto!!!!
A whole new subject that could be discussed. Mr. Roboto that’s your cue!
I just bought a new Corvette but the cost to maintain it is to much – woe is me – someone help – $hamrok will transport you to Indians games to help defer the cost!!!!!
LoL oh okay so now $12M for a season for a guy who isn’t really a SP and for a shoe string small market team is ok? My oh my. I’m gone, have a nice day Mr. Roboto!!!