CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – A name change may be on the way next year, but right now the Indians could use some relief.
From the Tampa Bay Rays.
For the second straight night Cleveland’s bullpen faltered in the ninth inning, and it led to a loss.
It took 10 innings Thursday. Friday night was a full-on implosion of epic proportions from which there was no return.
The Rays struck for six in the ninth highlighted by a three-run homer by Ji-Man Choi off Cleveland reliever Nick Wittgren on their way to a 10-4 victory to move 20 games above .500 at 59-39 while the Tribe slipped to 48-47.
“It just got away in a hurry,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “A hit and hit batsman, a hit to left and all of the sudden the floodgates open and we couldn’t stop it.”
It was the Rays 10th consecutive win over the Indians.
Wittgren allowed five of six batters to reach in the ninth and all of them scored.
He was charged with five earned runs on three hits with a walk and hit batter in 1/3 of an inning, which will do serious damage to his ERA.
Zach Plesac, who was victimized by a pair of errors on third baseman Jose Ramirez resulting in three runs scoring on a simple RBI single in the second inning, regrouped nicely and lasted 6 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts but did not factor in the decision.
“Us throwing the ball around the field, that put him in a tough spot early,” Francona said. “After about the third, fourth inning, his stuff got better. He reeled it in and stayed out there where we had a chance to win. That was gutsy on his part because that’s a hard way to start the game. He settled in and got us pretty deep into the game.”
Nelson Cruz, acquired by the Rays from the Twins Thursday, homered in his debut off Plesac, his 20th of the season.
Ramirez made amends for the blunder that was straight out of the Bad News Bears by slugging his 20th homer of the season – a three-run blast – in the third inning and later tying the game at 4 with an RBI triple to right touching off a lengthy chorus of fans singing “Jo-se, Jose, Jose, Jose.
Jo-se. Jo-se.”
“He’s still human sometimes, but when they have to pitch to him he’s pretty dangerous,” Francona said.
Daniel Johnson lead off the bottom of the ninth with a pinch hit solo homer to right center, his second of the season, to provide the final score.
