Indians Vs. Blue Jays Final: Tribe Falls Behind Early, Sleepwalks To 7-1 Loss

A disturbing pattern has presented itself in Carlos Carrasco’s last two starts. To be frank, it is beginning to look like Fausto Carmona has never gone away.

That pattern, of course, is for an implosion whenever an inning starts to get out of hand. It happened today for Carrasco (8-6, 4.28 ERA) for the second straight start, when a two-run homer by Toronto’s Eric Thames in the third inning seemed to rattle Carrasco, who went on to allow three more runs in the frame to put the Tribe in a daunting 5-0 hole, on their way to a lackluster 7-1 loss, the Indians’ third straight.

And it sent Carrasco into an early All-Star break, having given up 11 runs in his last seven innings of work.

Another pattern of the past few days reared its ugly head today: The Indians left 13 men on base.

The inability of the Indians’ offense to come through from the get-go in today’s game might have had something to do with Carrasco’s performance. That of course is just speculation, but as someone who used to play ball, I am here to tell you that seeing your teammates consistently put pressure on you to achieve by failing to achieve themselves can wear on you after a while, although a professional will never say that out loud.

Rather you can see little signs and make such an inference yourself, as we saw Carrasco erupt in temper after an error cost him runs in a game recently, and again today when he threw a fastball to first to retire the side in the third.

Maybe he mistook Carlos Santana for a catcher instead of a first-baseman at the time?

The Indians immediately began putting pressure on Blue Jays’ starter Brett Cecil today. Michael Brantley led off the Tribe first with a walk, and after Orlando Cabrera popped out on a bunt try, Travis Hafner walked and Santana singled to left on a deflection off of the shortstop.

But Grady Sizemore popped out to third with the infield fly rule in effect, leaving the bases loaded opportunity to Austin Kearns.

Kearns grounded out, and whamo, in the very first inning the bugaboo of the Tribe for the past several weeks had reared its head: struggling with men in scoring position.

Was the tone set for the game? The answer to that has to be "no", as the Indians used up all their bullets in the first frame, and soon, the game was out of hand and it really didn’t matter.

In the third, after Thames’ homer, Carrasco allowed a single to Jose Bautista but then got the next two hitters on grounders.

And yes, Bautista advanced to third, but with two outs, and only a 2-0 deficit, minimizing the damage right there would have left this very much a ballgame.

Instead, this was the progression with two outs and a man at third: walk, RBI single, wild pitch, two-run ground rule double.

And a 5-0 Blue Jays lead. Again, an implosion once things got dicey.

Not to belabor the point, but the pitching coach needs to have a little chat with Carrasco (and with Carmona when he comes back) about how to bear down when the going gets tough. Yesterday Josh Tomlin did not have his best stuff, but never gave up more than one run in an inning.

Once the entire staff can pitch like that, we will have true contention to talk about.

Frank Herrmann came on for the Tribe in the fourth and — as he has so often done — shut the door in long relief to at least give the Indians a chance. Herrmann worked two scoreless innings, but the Cleveland offense could not take advantage and chip into the deficit against Cecil.

However, the Tribe teased in the fourth when Lou Marson doubled with one out, and Luis Valbuena singled, putting runners at the corners.

Where, of course, they were stranded when Jack Hannahan struck out and Brantley lined out.

Then in the sixth, the Jays basically put this game to rest when they added two runs off of Rafael Perez.

In the bottom half however, the first two Indians reached on an error and a Kearns single.

You can guess what happened next — Marson popped out and Valbuena flied out.

But finally someone came through with men in scoring position, when Hannahan’s single broke the ice for the Tribe and got Cleveland to "within" six.

But Brantley grounded out, and another promising inning was defused — by a pitcher who pitched within himself when the going got tough, and minimized the damage.

Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano and Tony Sipp all got in to the game and pitched a scoreless inning. Meanwhile Cecil (2-4, 5.44 ERA) was followed by two relievers who combined for three scoreless frames.

And so we head for a break, and just in time it would seem. You look at this Blue Jays team and you wonder how they can be under .500, until you realize that they play in a division with the Red Sox, the Yankees and the Rays. Yet even so, Toronto took a punch on Thursday when the Indians pulled off their remarkable five-run ninth, and the Blue Jays took the momentum from that win and made it seem like ancient history.

Oh and one more bit of joyous news: The Tigers defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1, and so the Indians head to the break in second place in the AL Central.

Indians May Need A Win On Sunday To Keep Division Lead At All-Star Break

The Indians need a win badly on Sunday.

They need it not so much for the overall record as they do for the psychological incentive of being in first place at the All-Star break. The Tribe is a half-game ahead of the Detroit Tigers going into today’s action, and with Justin Verlander going for the Tigers against the Royals, it is quite likely that a Cleveland loss would drop the Indians into second place.

Carlos Carrasco will go for the Tribe, hoping to bounce back from a poor showing in his last start, on Tuesday against the Yankees.

In that game, Carrasco (8-5, 3.95 ERA) allowed ten hits and six runs in only four innings in a 9-2 New York win. That was the first time since June 2 that Carrasco gave up more than two runs in any start, so let’s hope that it was just an aberration (perhaps due to trying to beat the Bronx Bombers in front of the home folks) and Carrasco will bounce back today.

Carrasco has never faced Toronto, but it is safe to say that he should already know to be careful with Jose Bautista, who proved on Saturday that he is in The Zone, after his two homers led to a 5-4 Blue Jays’ win in 10 innings.

Toronto will send Brett Cecil (1-4, 6.37 ERA). Cecil has not won since April 15, and in his last start fared pretty well, allowing only three runs in eight innings against Boston, but still took the loss in a 3-2 Boston win.

Cecil has started four times in his career against Cleveland, and has a 1-0 record and a brilliant 1.00 ERA in 27 innings vs. The Good Guys.

Cecil did not appear in the Tribe’s three-game series in Toronto earlier this season.

After today’s game, everyone will get three days off except for Asdrubal Cabrera and Chris Perez, who will be headed for Arizona for the All-Star Game.

The second “half” (not really half a season, as after today’s game the Tribe will have played 89 games and have only 73 left) will begin on Thursday, when Cleveland opens a four-game series in Baltimore.

Indians Vs. Blue Jays Final: Tribe Finally Runs Out Of Rallies As Toronto Wins In 10, 5-4

Recap via SB Nation and Sports Network *

Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) – Jose Bautista belted a pair of home runs, including the go-ahead shot in the top of the tenth inning, to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Bautista now has 31 home runs on the season, which is tops in all of baseball. His 31 home runs makes him the Blue Jays’ franchise leader in home runs before the All-Star break, topping the 29-home run effort of George Bell in 1987. Bautista also is the first AL player to have at least 30 homers at the All-Star break since Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees had 30 in 2007.

Adam Lind added three hits and one RBI for the Blue Jays, who have won the last two contests of this four-game series.

Jon Rauch (3-3) suffered his third blown save of the year, but was bailed out by Bautista. Shawn Camp retired the side in order in the bottom of the 10th for his first save of 2011.

Travis Buck ripped an RBI double to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth while Grady Sizemore clubbed a two-run homer for the Indians. Matt LaPorta added an RBI in defeat.

Chris Perez (2-4) gave up the deciding home run.

UPDATE -- The Indians kept their hold on first place even with their loss tonight when the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 13-6. Cleveland will take a half-game lead into the last game before the All-Star break when they face the Blue Jays at 1:05 on Sunday afternoon.

Josh Tomlin Goes For Win No. 11 On Saturday Night

The Indians’ Josh Tomlin, winner of his last three decisions as well as his last start, against the New York Yankees on Monday, tries for his 11th win of 2011 on Saturday evening at 7:05 at Progressive Field.

Tomlin (10-4, 3.78 ERA) has not lost since June 12, also against the Yankees in New York. Since then, in four starts, Tomlin has worked 27 innings and allowed only eight earned runs, picking up wins over Pittsburgh, Colorado and the aforementioned win over The Bronx Bombers.

Tomlin beat Toronto in Canada earlier this season, going six innings and surrendering six runs after the Indians jumped well ahead on their way to a 13-9 win. For his career, Tomlin has faced Toronto twice, with an overall mark of 1-0 and a 5.56 ERA in 11.1 innings.

The Blue Jays will counter tonight with Brandon Morrow, who has yet to lose this season in the United States. Morrow (5-4, 4.73 ERA) is 4-0 in seven road appearances with a nice 2.79 ERA away from home.

Morrow was the losing pitcher on May 31 in Toronto, when he went five innings and gave up nine hits and six runs in a 6-3 Cleveland win.

For his career, Morrow has started three times against the Tribe among nine appearances vs. The Good Guys, and is 1-3 with a 5.96 ERA overall in 22.2 frames against the Indians.

After tonight’s game, the Tribe, whose lead over the Detroit Tigers was sliced to a half-game last night, will take on the Blue Jays tomorrow at 1:05 in the last game before the All-Star break.

Indians Vs. Blue Jays Final: Mitch Talbot Rocked Again As Indians Fall 11-7

Mitch Talbot had his second straight poor outing tonight, giving up eight earned runs in only 5.1 innings, allowing 11 hits and walking two while striking out a pair, and the Toronto Blue Jays were able to keep the Indians from coming all the way back this time, going on to an 11-7 victory over the Tribe that evened this four-game series at a game apiece.

Jo-Jo Reyes was the beneficiary of Talbot’s charity, moving to 4-7 with a 4.57 ERA on the season, while Talbot dropped to 2-6,with his ERA rising to 6.33. The Indians helped Reyes and the Toronto bullpen, leaving 13 on base and going 6-for-22 with runners in scoring position.

But truly, when you score seven runs, you should win, and usually will. Talbot needs to snap out of his funk soon, or the Indians will have only three reliable starters.

Toronto struck for three runs in the second inning, with the first run scoring on a grounder off the bat of Travis Snider, and with two outs, Rajai Davis plated two more with a single to left.

The Indians got right back in the game in the home half of the second When Jack Hannahan scored Matt Laporta with a single and Michael Brantley made it 3-2 with an RBI ground out, scoring Austin Kearns.

But the Blue Jays began to take firm control in the fourth when Davis drove in his second run of the night with a single, and Yunel Escobar doubled, scoring Davis and making it 5-2.

Toronto knocked Talbot from the game in the sixth. Travis Snider blasted his 2nd homer of the season to right-center, scoring Edwin Encarnacion.

Chad Durbin relieved with one out and one on and Toronto expanded their lead to 8-2 on a throwing error from Hannahan.

Cleveland got a run back in the bottom of the sixth when, with two on and two out, Travis Hafner reached on an error, scoring Brantley.

Octavio Dotel relieved Reyes and retired pinch-hitter Travis Buck to end the sixth, then cruised through the seventh.

Durbin did a decent job for an inning and two-thirds, before Frank Herrmann came on for the Indians in the eighth. With one out, Davis collected his third RBI on the night with a double that scored Snider. Herrmann got out of the inning without any further damage, but a 9-3 deficit looked glum, even for a team that had rallied so late and so mightily the night before.

Shawn Camp came on for the Blue Jays to begin the Tribe eighth, and Hannahan greeted Camp with his third hit of the night, followed by a single from Lou Marson, putting two on with nobody down.

Brantley singled, and suddenly the Indians had the bases loaded and nobody out, and were one big swing away from getting right back in the game.

Then Asrubal Cabrera singled to right for the Tribe’s fourth straight hit in the inning, and Cleveland was within 9-4, and with Hafner due, Progressive Field was coming alive.

Jason Frasor replaced the ineffective Camp and this time Hafner lost the bases-loaded battle, striking out.

But then the other Travis — Travis Buck — doubled to left, driving in Marson and Brantley, and the tying run came to the plate in the person of Orlando Cabrera.

O. Cabrera flied out to foul territory in short right, with A. Cabrera forced to hold at third, and Frasor was one out from getting out of the inning.

With a chance to tie the game, Matt LaPorta grounded out to short, and Toronto had dodged a bullet and still led, 9-6, going to the ninth.

Vinnie Pestano came on for the Tribe in the ninth, hoping to shake off his bad outing on Wednesday against the Yankees.

Unfortunately he didn’t.

With two outs, Snider doubled to right, scoring two with Toronto’s 16th hit and extending the Blue Jays’ lead to 11-6. Pestano fanned J.P. Arencibia to end the frame, but this time, surely, The Good Guys could not come all the way back.

Jon Rauch relieved Frasor to start the Cleveland ninth. Rauch has seven saves, and was coming into a non-save situation — the same way that Frank Francisco came in last night and was chased from the game during the Indians’ winning rally.

Rauch gave up a two-out single to Marson, who went to second on defensive indifference and scored on a base hit from Brantley to make it 11-7, but Asdrubal Cabrera fanned to end it, and the Indians’ two-game winning streak was history.

The Detroit Tigers led at the time of this writing in Kansas City, and if that lead holds up against the Royals, Detroit will once again crawl to within a half-game of the first place Tribe.

Game three of this series will be on Saturday at 7:05, when Josh Tomlin will go for his 11th win of the season against Toronto’s Brandon Morrow (5-4, 4.73 ERA).

Tribe Goes For 2 Straight Over Toronto Behind Mitch Talbot On Friday

(Sports Network) – The Cleveland Indians try to continue the momentum tonight following an amazing win in the opener, as they resume their four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field.

Cleveland trailed by four runs heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, but Travis Hafner’s game-winning grand slam capped a five-run comeback, propelling the Indians to a 5-4 win.

“Throughout the game, we did struggle,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “We left a lot of guys on base, but we’re still leading the league in batting average with runners in scoring position, so I’m not going to complain about it. We got the big one when it counted.”

Toronto reliever Luis Perez (1-2) came into the game with the bases loaded but served up Hafner’s towering shot to blow his second save and hand the Blue Jays a third straight loss.

“It’s awesome. There’s nothing like it,” Hafner said of his blast. “It’s the most fun you can have on the baseball field. It’s great.”

The blast made Tony Sipp (4-1) a winner even after he gave up Jose Bautista’s major league-leading 29th homer run of the season in the ninth. Bautista’s home run tied a club first-half record with George Bell’s 29 homers before the All-Star break.

Cleveland has now won five of its last seven.

Getting the call for the Indians tonight will be right-hander Mitch Talbot, who is 2-5 and has lost his last four decisions. Talbot lost in Cincinnati on Sunday, as he allowed six runs in four innings to raise his earned run average to 5.60 on the year.

One of Talbot’s two wins came against the Blue Jays, who managed just a run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings back on May 31. For his career against the Jays Talbot is 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in two starts.

Toronto, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Jo-Jo Reyes, who is 3-7 with a 4.85 ERA. Reyes did not get a decision on Sunday against Philadelphia, as he surrendered four runs and eight hits in six innings of his team’s 7-4 win.

Reyes snapped his 29-start winless streak against the Indians back on May 30 in his only other start against the club.

Cleveland took two of three from the Blue Jays earlier in the year and have won nine of its last 11 against them.

Indians Vs. Blue Jays Final: Hafner's Slam In The 9th Wins It For The Tribe 5-4

The Indians looked dead in the water for eight innings and it looked as if Zach McAllister would lose his Major League debut. But with one swing of Travis Hafner’s bat, the Indians completed a startling five-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the crushed Toronto Blue Jays at energized Progressive Field, 5-4.

McAllister navigated the first inning, issuing a two-out walk to Jose Bautista, but striking out Adam Lind for his second K to get out of any trouble. It took 25 pitches, but a scoreless first career inning is something to remember.

Michael Brantley led off the Tribe first with a single, and stole second with two outs. Carlos Santana walked to put two on. Toronto starter Carlos Villanueva then walked Grady Sizemore to load the bases, but Orlando Cabrera flied out to end the inning.

The Indians, who left 13 on base in Wednesday’s win over the Yankees, were already sitting on three LOB as the game headed for the second.

In the Toronto second, Aaron Hill walked leading off, and with one out stole second and went to third on a throwing error by Asdrubal Cabrera. Travis Snider then singled to center to score Hill, and the Blue Jays led 1-0. McAllister then struck out J.P. Arencibia for the second out, but Rajai Davis reached on a throwing error on McAllister, with Snider going to third and Davis to second.

But Yunel Escobar flied out, so — although Toronto had broken the ice, it could have been much worse than a 1-0 Indians deficit.

The run charged to McAllister in the frame was unearned.

With two outs in the Tribe second, Lonnie Chisenhall was injured when he was beaned in the helmet by a pitch which seemed to then bounce off his nose. Jack Hannahan came on to run for Chisenhall after Chisenhall had been down for nearly a minute, and Michael Brantley collected his second straight hit, moving Hannahan to third. But Asdrubal Cabrera flied out, and the Indians had stranded two more runners, giving them five for the game already.

In the bottom of the third, Travis Hafner singled leading off. But after working the count to 3-0, Santana struck out. Villanueva uncorked a wild pitch against Sizemore to move Hafner to second, but Sizemore fanned and Orlando Cabrera grounded out, and the game moved to the fourth with the Blue Jays still up by a run.

Toronto added two runs in the fourth on RBI singles from Arencibia and Davis, but McAllister, to his credit, was able to work his way out of a bases loaded and one out jam to keep the count at 3-0, and Cleveland still in the game.

With two outs in the Indians’ half of the fourth, Hannahan tripled to right. But Brantley flied out, and the Tribe’s frustrating offensive night continued.

Rafael Perez came on for Cleveland in the fifth, ending McAllister’s night after 94 pitches. Zach (4.50 ERA) allowed three runs — two earned — on five hits, walking three and striking out four. For a first Major League effort, it could have been better, yes…but it could also have been worse. And not to be cruel, but it was about as good as any start we have seen lately from Fausto Carmona, whom McAllister replaced in the rotation at least for now.

Perez allowed two hits in the fifth, but was helped by a caught stealing to keep Toronto from adding to their lead.

Asdrubal Cabrera struck out to start the Indians’ fifth, then Hafner and Santana both singled to put runners at first and second with one out. But Sizemore took a called third strike. For the third time Orlando Cabrera batted with two outs and men on, and for the third time he was retired, as Villanueva got OCab on a foul out to the catcher, running the Indians’ left on base total to nine.

Perez worked a scoreless sixth, and Villanueva ( 2.99 ERA) worked a one-two-three frame of his own as his pitch count reached 111.

Chad Durbin came on in relief of Perez in the seventh and set the side down in order. Marc Rzepczynski then entered the game for Toronto, ending Villanueva’s night.

Asdrubal Cabrera drew a one-out walk, but Hafner grounded into a double play, and to the eighth we went, with time running out and The Good Guys still down by three.

Frank Herrmann took over for the Indians in the eighth, and allowed two hits while getting two outs. Joe Smith relieved Herrmann and struck out Escobar, as the Tribe’s bullpen kept doggedly giving the offense a chance to get back into the game.

Santana led off the eighth with a walk, but was forced at second by Sizemore. That was all for Rzepczynski, as Jason Frasor came on for the Blue Jays.

And not for the first, nor the second, nor the third, but for the fourth time tonight, Orlando Cabrera ended an inning with at least a man on base, although this time Cabrera did not actually leave anyone on. Translation: Cabrera grounded into a double play, and just like that, Frasor was out of the inning.

Tony Sipp continued the Indians’ bullpen parade when he came on for the ninth. After a strikeout, Bautista went deep to left for his 29th homer this year, to make it 4-0 Toronto. Sipp finished the inning without further damage, but this one, for all intents and purposes, was over.

Or so it seemed.

Frank Francisco — with ten saves — came on for the Blue Jays in the ninth to finish things. But Travis Buck greeted Francisco with a single, and on the next pitch, Matt LaPorta doubled, sending Buck to third.

That Bautista home run really hurt at this point, for otherwise the Tribe would have had the tying run coming to the plate with nobody out.

But wait. Hannahan walked, loading the bases, and the tying run did come to the plate in the person of Brantley, still with nobody down.

So Francisco, brought on to finish, departed, and on came left-hander Luis Perez — with no saves — to face a real mess.

But Brantley struck out swinging after running the count to 3-1.

Then Asdrubal Cabrera came through with a single, finally putting the Tribe on the board and cutting Toronto’s lead to 4-1, with the bases still loaded for Hafner in a lefty-vs.-lefty battle.

And you know what happened.

Hafner hit a grand slam to right, and the Indians, miraculously, had won 5-4.

The winning pitcher was Sipp, who moves to 4-1, while Perez took the loss for the Blue Jays, to fall to 1-2.

The series will continue on Friday when Mitch Talbot goes for the Tribe.

Zach McAllister Makes Big-League Debut Vs. Toronto On Thursday Night

As the Indians open a four-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday at 7:05, the Tribe will send Zach McAllister to make his major league debut.

McAllister is taking the spot which would have belonged to Fausto Carmona, before Carmona was shelved after injuring himself in Cincinnati on Saturday.

The right-handed McAllister was 8-3 in Columbus with a 2.97 ERA for the Clippers. He was acquired last year from the Yankees when Austin Kearns was sent to New York. McAllister was a third-round pick for the Yankees in 2006.

Toronto will send Carlos Villanueva to the mound. Villanueva has only appeared once against the Tribe, allowing two runs in two innings with no decision.

On the year, the Blue Jays' right-hander is 5-1 with a nice 3.24 ERA. In 72.1 innings, Villanueva has allowed only 56 hits, and has fanned 47 to go with 21 walks.

In his last appearance Villanueva got a no-decision in a 5-3 Toronto loss in Toronto, against Philadelphia. In that outing, Villanueva went 6.2 innings, allowing five hits and three runs, with four walks and three strikeouts.

Villanueva spent the first five years of his career in Milwaukee, where he went 20-24 for the Brewers in 230 games.

The Indians took two-of-three at the end of May/beginning of June in Toronto, and last year, swept the Blue Jays in a four-game series at Progressive File in late June/early July.

Jose Bautista leads Toronto in all three major offensive categories, with a .335 batting average, 28 homers and 60 RBI. As a team the Blue Jays are tied for 15th in baseball with a .254 average but are third in homers with 102.

The Indians are hitting .249 as a team and are led by Travis Hafner, at .338. Asdrubal Cabrera leads in homers with 14 -- one more than Carlos Santana -- and in RBI with 49.

Toronto comes in to this series in fourth place in the AL East at 42-46, 10.5 games behind the Yankees. Toronto has lost two straight and seven of their last ten.

After Thursday's game, night games will follow on Friday and Saturday, before a 1:05 game on Sunday that will be the last game before the All-Star break.