CLEVELAND, OH (92.3 The Fan) - The 2-hour, 29-minute rain delay didn't seem to hamper the Indians bats at first. The Tribe cracked four solo home runs off Detroit Tigers' pitcher Jose Urena on Wednesday. Bobby Bradley (twice), Jose Ramirez and Cesar Hernandez all took Urena deep in the first four innings and it looked like Cleveland might thrash its way to a victory.
But the Tribe managed just one hit the rest of the way - a Bradley Zimmer fourth inning double - and they fell to the Tigers 9-4 in the first game of a doubleheader. In the second game, Zimmer's RBI triple brought home Cleveland's only run in a 7-1 loss.
The Indians drop the series to the Tigers and will open a 4-game set this weekend against the Houston Astros, beginning Thursday night.
Perhaps their early offensive explosion was also fueled by a more than 300 RPM drop in spin rate on Urena's slider. Spin rates are down all across the league while MLB cracks down on pitchers using foreign substances to increase their spin rates. Whether that helped Cleveland swat four homers or not can't be said for certain. But Urena did not get through four innings and he allowed more homers (4) than he recorded ground outs (3). He received a no-decision in his effort.
Meanwhile, Detroit had one of its best offensive games of the season, fueled by a 15-hit barrage in a 7-inning game. They scored nine runs on five doubles and 10 singles. Harold Castro drove home three runs out of the 8-hole in the lineup and every Tiger at least either scored or had an RBI.
In a game that was already fairly intense, there was a moment in the bottom of the fifth inning that had Cleveland fans holding their collective breath.
On a 3-1 count, Jose Ramirez fouled a 97 mph 4-seam fastball off his left cheek. The Indians MVP candidate wears a protective flap off his right ear, which protects the right side of his face when he's batting left-handed. But in one of the strangest foul tips I've seen in a long time, Ramirez went down like he took a right hook from Stipe Miocic.
Remarkably, he finished his at bat and appeared to be alright. He remained in the game at third base the next inning, but was eventually taken out of the game after his face began to swell up. Terry Francona said after the game that everyone thinks Ramirez is fine, but that taking a hit to the face like that is nothing to mess around with and Ramirez was sent to the hospital for further evaluation.
Thankfully, he came back to the ballpark during the second game after he was medically cleared from the incident and he told Terry Francona he wanted to get in the second game. Francona acknowledged during the postgame press conference that they were going to let him him for Yu Chang in the fourth inning had Rene Rivera not struck out to end the inning one batter earlier.
Unfortunately, the nightcap of Wednesday's twinbill didn't go much better. Detroit jumped on the Indians in the second inning with a sacrifice fly and a RBI double. After the Indians responded with their only run, the Tigers scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to rack up a 7-run performance.
Eric Haase hit his ninth homer of the season, which knocked Indians starter Logan Allen out of the game in the fourth inning. Allen lasted 3.2 innings and gave up three runs on three hits in his first outing since April 28.
Notably, Miguel Cabrera hit his 50th career home run against the Indians in the top of the fifth inning, including his 26th at Progressive Field. It was his second homer of the series and third against the Tribe this year.