GOODYEAR, Arizona (92.3 The Fan) - The Cleveland Indians jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in Friday's spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The final three innings - and the game - belonged to L.A., as the Dodgers scored nine runs off Cleveland's bullpen in a 9-2 finish in the seven-inning exhibition.
Things started off well for the Indians, as their first (and only) scores came in the bottom of the third on a 2-run RBI single for Eddie Rosario off L.A. starter Walker Buehler.
The Tribe's first three pitchers were almost untouched in their outings, as starter Sam Hentges (2.0 IP, BB, 2 K's) and relievers Adam Plutko (1.0 IP, 2 K's) and Anthony Gose (1.0 IP, K) held the Dodgers hitless through the first four frames.
It was in the fifth inning that Cleveland's pitching bottomed out.
The Dodgers tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth, starting with a Max Muncy solo home run and a Zach McKinstry RBI single off Trevor Stephan (1.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER). In the sixth, L.A. jumped on James Karinchak and Kirkland Mccarty for a combined three hits and four runs, supplied by Chris Taylor's 2-run single off Karinchak and a 3-run home run by Austin Barnes off Mccarty later in the frame.
He's falling behind hitters," Indians manager Terry Francona said after the game on Karinchak. "He's just making it harder himself, and he knows that. He understands. I'm glad it's spring training because we're going to be relying on him, but as it clicks, there's gonna be a lot of good innings...He'll figure it out."
In the top half of the seventh, the Dodgers piled on with three more hits, and three more runs, off DJ Johnson. By the end, L.A. compiled 11 total hits after starting the game with zero over the first four innings.
When asked if Karinchak may have been trying too hard in what's expected to be his new role as the Indians' closer, Francona added, "There's always going to be a reason for somebody to try to hard. I just think he's fighting the strike zone right now. He'll be okay. He'll figure it out."
As for the Dodgers' relief, David Price followed Buehler with three shutout innings, in which he allowed only one hit and walk apiece, while striking out two.
The Indians have now lost three in a row (including five of their last seven) and see their camp record fall to 6-7. They will be back to play on Saturday against the San Francisco Giants, with the first pitch set for 3:05 p.m. E.T. from Scottsdale Stadium.
