CLEVELAND, OH – The Indians had their backs against the wall on Friday night.
They trailed the Twins 2-1 going into the eighth inning. Minnesota was hoping to build on its’ 6½ game lead in the AL Central.
Oscar Mercado had other plans. The Indians’ rookie hit a leadoff triple and eventually scored the game tying run in the eighth, forcing the game to go into extra innings. Cleveland went on to win 6-2 in 11 innings.
Mercado came up clutch for the Indians for the second time in less than a week. He made a game saving catch against the White Sox in the ninth inning on Wednesday night, just to follow that up with three hits, including a 2-RBI single in the 11th inning.
"It's a lot of fun," Mercado said. "You get headaches because you get so riled up and just watching every single at-bat, it's almost like you're hitting, and it's nerve-wracking and it's awesome to be in that situation. It's exciting, and that's what we've worked for. Every game is a playoff game for us, and we have to treat it like that."
The Indians have struggled to adjust to life without José Ramírez and Tyler Naquin. This team knows its’ margin of error is razor thin and yet, they still believe in themselves.
"That's a tough game to win," manager Terry Francona said. "You're on the road, you're one pitch away from going home not happy, and we end up finding a way to win. So that's really good."
It was a complete team win. Francisco Lindor, Roberto Perez and Adam Plutko were just a few of the many players who stepped up in critical moments of Friday's game.
The Indians are now 5½ games behind the Twins in the AL Central. They trail Oakland by a half-game in the American League Wild Card race.
The Indians have been resilient all season long. Some think this team will falter down the stretch and miss the playoffs, but they continue to play their best when their backs are against the wall.
Cookie’s ‘High Leverage’ Situation
Remember when fans were up in arms earlier this week when Carlos Carrasco allowed four runs to the White Sox in the Indians’ 6-5 loss? Some considered it a high-leverage situation. Others believed it was unfair to Carrasco.
“Maybe I rushed into it a little bit, that’s what I was thinking about after the game,” Francona said on Thursday. “But I really think for us to get where we’re going we’re gonna need him, so we gotta get him, not that he’s going to pitch tonight [Wednesday], get him back out there and get his legs under him.”
The right-hander allowed one hit and finished with two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth inning on Friday night against the Twins. The game was tied 2-2.
If the Indians are going to make a playoff run, then Carrasco has to be a part of it. He showed how important he is to their chances on Friday night.
