CLEVELAND, Ohio – Entering Friday night’s Battle of Ohio with the Cincinnati Reds, Indians reliever Emmanuel Clase hadn’t allowed an earned run in 14 1/3 innings pitched, a span that lasted 15 games.
That hot streak was extinguished in an 18-pitch outing at Progressive Field, in which the Tribe's flamethrower spontaneously combusted in the ninth inning of the Indians 3-0, no-hit loss to the Reds.
The final line for Clase: 3 runs surrendered, two of them earned on three hits and one balk. Clase didn’t record an out and only reached 100 MPH on the radar gun twice.
Wade Miley took a perfect game into the sixth inning and held the Indians without a hit for the duration, walking one and striking out eight.
“He kept us off balance, I think he touched 90 once tonight, but he put on a clinic,” Tribe manager Terry Francona said. “He cut the ball in on the righties, threw a changeup. Threw a four-seamer in. He just went back and forth. That was pretty impressive.”
Indians starter Zach Plesac had an impressive night of his own, tossing eight scoreless innings, striking out eight and not issuing a free pass.
“I thought he pitched his heart out. Early in the game he had a couple innings where had a runner on third with less than two outs, got out of both of them,” Francona said. “After that I don’t think there was a baserunner. He pitched great.
Plesac left the game in the top of the ninth, handing the ball over to Clase in a scoreless game.
“I’m locked, I think every day I just come to the field having a game plan knowing what I need to work on,” Plesac said. I think I made some good adjustments, building Confidence every day. Each pitch is starting to tick up a little bit.”
Plesac has been experimenting with a new pitch in his arsenal, building more and more confidence in his spiked curve.
“I just really have a good feel for what I’m trying to do with it. I’m starting to find a good spot on the ball, I’m gripping,” Plesac said. “I think I have a good approach. I think I know how to land it now. I just have a good idea of what I’m trying to do with it.
Clase entered Friday night’s allowing just three runs all year, but quickly found himself in trouble.
Cincinnati’s Nick Senzel hit a ball that deflected off of Clase to Jose Ramirez, who couldn’t retire Senzel at first. Jesse Winkler followed up with a single to left to put runners at first and second.
Nick Castellanos then hit a weak come backer to the mound. Clase tried to throw to second, but Amed Rosario was behind the bag. The throw got away from Rosario allowing Senzel to score.
“That play is kind of based on judgement. I was playing far away from the base so I didn’t have time to come to the base on time,” Rosario said through an interpreter. “That’s where he caught me with the throw.”
Winker scored one pitch later when Clase balked as Castellanos took second. Mike Moustakas singled in Castellanos to make it 3-0 Reds, but Cincinnati already had the run they needed with Miley putting up zero after zero on the scoreboard.
“It looked to me like Amed was late covering, and Naylor’s yelling ‘two two two’ as he should,” Francona said. “I don’t know if Emmanuel knew that Amed was in no-man’s land and kind of let it go. It just started a bad inning for us.”
For the Indians, it marked the second time this season they’ve been the on the wrong end of a no-hitter. The loss put an end to a five-game win streak that saw the Tribe rise to the top of the American League Central Division standings.
With the Indians loss and a White Sox win over the Royals, the Tribe is now a half-game back of Chicago for the top spot in the division.
“That’s just baseball. I think it’s a great group of players and What I notice is that everybody comes with the same intensity and energy to play,” Rosario said. “But we have to remember that the other team comes with that intensity and desire to win, that’s just baseball.”
Five-game win streak halted by Wade Miley's no-hitter
