CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The only cans that got kicked this weekend at Progressive Field were the Indians and their season could be soon headed for the recycle bin if they don’t get on track soon.
Once again fundamentals – or lack of – doomed the Tribe with the game on the line.
Reliever Emmanuel Clase’s inability to field a throw at first on a relay attempt on a would-be double play allowed Yuri Gurriel to score the winning run the top of the 10th, giving Houston the 4-3 victory.
Cleveland has now lost a season-high six straight and nine of 12.
In the bottom of the 10th another fundamental flub cost Cleveland any chance of rallying.
Catcher Roberto Perez, fresh off the 60-day injured list, failed to get a bunt down and it turned into two outs when Astros reliever Brooks Raley caught the bunt and threw to second to erase Harold Ramirez, who was the automatic runner to begin the inning. Replay showed Carlos Correa’s foot was not on the bag but the replay center allowed the "neighborhood call” to stand.
“We were gonna bunt probably for one strike to try to bring the infield in,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “If he gets it down, good, if he doesn’t, we probably would’ve let him hit.”
Astros starter Zack Greinke kept Indians hitters off balance for most of the afternoon with his off-speed pitches, including curveball that dropped into the upper 60s in speed regularly.
“Changing speeds and commands everything he throws,” Francona said. “He just has command of everything, and even though he’s not lighting up the radar gun like he used to, he still changes speeds. It’s very impressive.”
Houston got to Indians starter Cal Quantril, who lasted 5 1/3 innings, in the fourth.
Myles Straw led off with a single, moved to second following a two-out walk to Jason Castro and McCormick brought Straw home with a single to center for a 1-0 Astros lead.
Houston put a pair aboard in the fifth inning thanks to a double from Robel Garcia and single by Jose Altuve but Quantril got Straw and Yuli Gurriel to fly out, escaping further damage.
Bobby Bradley walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth, ending a streak of 11 straight Indians retired by Greinkie. Harold Ramirez followed with a single to third. He beat Toro’s throw with a feet first slide into the bag. Roberto Perez moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt. Bradley Zimmer grounded out to Greinke, scoring Bradley from third to tie the game at 1.
The Astros came right back to regain the lead in the top of the sixth thanks to McCormick’s two-run homerun to right giving them a 3-1 advantage and ending Quantril’s day after 5 1/3 innings.
“I thought he was terrific,” Francona said of Quantril. “He pitched really, really well, and he kind of had to because their guy was putting on a clinic on how to pitch.”
Eddie Rosario popped a solo homer to right in the sixth to pull the Indians within 3-2 but prior to Rosario’s seventh round tripper of the season the lone two hits off the former Cy Young winner were by Amed Rosario and Harold Ramirez, who both beat out throws from third baseman Abraham Toro in the first and fifth innings.
Cesar Hernandez tied the game at 3 with a one-out solo homer to right off Greinke in the eighth and Clase helped to force extras by throwing a scoreless ninth.
