The Cleveland Indians offense the last few games has had quite the stretch, scoring 23 runs in the team’s past four games, and early in Tuesday’s tilt with the Oakland Athletics, it looked as if they were going to continue that stretch, scoring three runs in the first two innings off of A’s starter Sean Manaea.
Once Manaea was taken out of the ballgame, the Tribe’s bats went cold. Ice cold...
A’s reliever Burch Smith threw 3⅓ innings out of the bullpen, only allowing one hit in the fourth inning to Indians centerfielder Myles Straw. That would be the last hit the Indians would have in the entire ballgame.
The Tribe held the lead until the eighth inning when A’s infielder Jed Lowrie grounded out to Amed Rosario, allowing outfielder Starling Marte to score, tying the ballgame up at three in the top of the 8th inning.
The main story of this season has been the offense’s inconsistency at times. Has the bullpen been overused at times due to lack of healthy starting pitching, yes, but that doesn’t excuse the offensive woes for the final 7⅔ innings. Indians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie had a phenomenal start that will go down as a no-decision.
Got the right stuff
For McKenzie, it has been a roller-coaster of a season…
From being sent down and called up in May and June, to overcoming hurdles in his game, he has been through the wringer this season.
Despite giving up a home run to A’s outfielder Seth Brown in the fourth inning, McKenzie was able to control the damage well on Tuesday night, only allowing two earned runs on four hits and one walk while fanning five Oakland hitters.
Indians interim skipper DeMarlo Hale said that McKenzie gave a “very good effort” and was in the zone” after surrendering the home run.
McKenzie has done really well limiting the extra baserunners, only issuing more than one walk in one of his past six starts since the beginning of July. Despite getting a no-decision on Tuesday, McKenzie gave a valiant effort and has come a long way since his struggles in mid-May.
Starts at the top
When the Indians moved second baseman and leadoff hitter Cesar Hernandez to the Chicago White Sox on July 29th, many were wondering who would fill the hole of Hernandez’s shoes at the top of the order.
Following his acquisition from the Astros, new Cleveland centerfielder Myles Straw has fit in quite nicely in that leadoff spot.
His presence was certainly felt on Tuesday night, notching an RBI double in the bottom of the second to give Cleveland a 2-1 lead.
In addition to Straw, shortstop Amed Rosario continued his scorching hot August, where he’s been batting .410 and has an on-base percentage of .429. He also added an RBI single as well in the bottom of the second.
The duo has combined to bat .362 at the top of the lineup and has helped set the table and tone for the rest of the Cleveland hitters.
What’s next?
The Cleveland Indians will have starting pitcher Cal Quantrill (3-2, 3.14 ERA) take the mound against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday at 7:10 pm. The A’s will counter with right-hander Frankie Montas (9-8, 4.10 ERA) starting for Oakland, who are looking for their sixth straight win on Wednesday night.
The Athletics extend their winning streak to five games as the Tribe falls below .500
