Cleveland Indians Scribbles about a lost opener, 15 strikeouts and Trevor Bauer in bullpen -- Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my notebook after watching the Tribe lose 6-2 to Boston Tuesday:

1. There's something about the Indians and home openers. It's not just the weather. I'll just write it: After their loss to Boston, the Tribe has lost eight home openers in the last nine years. That's right, 8-of-9.

2. This is only 1-of-162 games, and nothing is settled in April. But Cleveland is an opening day town for baseball. And other than 2014 (a 7-2 victory over Minnesota), the Tribe often doesn't give the fans much to cheer about in their first personal look at the team -- and in front of what will be one of their largest crowds of the season.

3. The Indians needed a big game from Corey Kluber, and he didn't deliver. Kluber gave up a two-run homer to Mookie Betts in the third. Kluber said he wanted the pitch to be "low and and away." Instead, it was right down the middle.


4. The Tribe tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth. But Kluber seemed to tire in the top of the sixth, giving up two more runs. One of them was on a wild pitch. Kluber allowed 11 base runners in 5 1/3 innings -- nine hits, two walks. That's a tough way to pitch because he spent so much time throwing out of the stretch. And he was pitching against David Price.

5. The moment Price stepped on the mound, the Tribe was in trouble. He had a career 9-2 record with a 2.19 ERA against the Tribe. It's now 10-2. And he's 5-0 at Progressive Field. Of course, he's simply a big-time pitcher with a career record of 105-56.

6. Ten of the 18 outs recorded by Price were strikeouts. And 71-of-103 of his pitches were strikes. He is so impressive to watch because of how he owns the strike zone. With a $30 million salary this season, Price also is baseball's third-highest paid player. Only Clayton Kershaw ($33 million) and Zack Greinke ($32 million) have heftier paychecks.

7. When the Indians tied the game at 2-2, there was a sense of hope in the crowd. But Price stopped the Tribe in his next two innings. Boston scored two more runs. Price regained control of the game, and the Tribe was done.

8. Manager Terry Francona thought Kluber did enough "to keep us in the game," but Trevor Bauer gave up two runs in the ninth to firmly settle the issue for Boston.

9. I keep hearing the Indians want to trade Bauer. If that is the case, putting him in the bullpen is the wrong approach -- especially after he had a 2.25 ERA in the spring. The move to the bullpen sends the message that the Tribe has some concerns about Bauer. That is not how to bring much in the way of a trade.

10. Bauer has been working on his velocity -- wanting to throw harder. He hit 95 mph on the radar gun. But he also walked a batter and threw a fat cut-fastball down the middle to David Ortiz, who slammed it into the right field seats. Francona called it a "backdoor cutter." Whatever it was supposed to be, the result was the 504th career home for Ortiz. That took a 4-2 lead and made it 6-2. The Indians probably don't win this game even if Bauer threw a scoreless ninth. But allowing the two runs really buried the Tribe.

11. I have real doubts about Bauer in the bullpen, unless the Indians can convince him to stick with his best three pitches and throw strikes. That is not how he pitched as a starter and it's against his instincts.

12. The temperature at the first pitch was 34 degrees, 26 degrees wind chill. It was the coldest opener in Tribe history. To the credit of Kluber and Francona, they made no excuses about the cold. "It was cold for everybody," said Francona.

13. Marlon Byrd had an excellent at bat against to drive in a run with sacrifice fly. He also had a nice catch in left field. The only Tribe batter who was truly comfortable at the plate in this game was Francisco Lindor, who had two hits.

14. Congrats to Kent State product Travis Shaw who beat out Pablo Sandoval for the starting third base job with Boston. He was the ninth-round pick by Boston in 2011. He was 2-for-5 in the opener. He came up to Boston in 2015. He is 12-for-28 lifetime against the Tribe. He is the son of former Tribe pitcher Jeff Shaw.

15. Boston would love to trade Sandoval, who signed a $70 million and four years left on his contract. Shaw looks like a better, young and cheaper player.

16. The Indians struck out 15 times in this game ... that's right, 15!!! The biggest victims were Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis with three each. Tyler Naquin made his big league debut as a pinch hitter, and he struck out. The Indians had only five hits, none in the last four innings of the game.

17. Juan Uribe bounded two of his throws to first base. The third baseman was charged with an error on one of them.

18. I thought Joba Chamberlain threw very well in his scoreless eighth inning. He walked one.

19. I was glad to see the Indians added a larger, longer net behind the plate and down the base lines to protect the fans. So many bats and screaming line drives go into the stands each game -- it can dangerous. The nets should help.

20. The Indians announced a sellout crowd of 34,493. My guess is there were about 25,000 in the stands.

I didnt pay any attention to this game what with the big CAVS game in Wisconsin on the horizon a few hours later but it sounds like Pluto is getting the white flag ready. I am looking at the tribe getting off to their standard 2 and 7 start and the prospect of a dead ball park by May.

Reggie Jackson once said the Indians have no pop. That was in the 1970s. They have no pop.

No pop.......I hope not a lot of poop.

He is the son of former Tribe pitcher Jeff Shaw

Yet another way to convince me I'm getting old: Jeff Shaw came along when I was already a veteran fan.

Just saw a shot of the ballpark. Looks like a "crowd" of four or five thousand tonight!

Carlos Santana is a black magic hitter! 3 run shot.

4-0 Tribe end of 1

Bottom of five and Tribe 5-2.

What a finish!

..............WE WIN!!!

Chief Wahoo caps again tonight, btw.

Who chooses the uniform for each game? Thought I read somewhere that the starting pitcher had his choice?

Why would anyone go to the game. The CAVS were playing a big exhibition game and displaying all their talent by resting Lequit in Indiana and the NFL draft is coming up in maybe 3 weeks. The Browns might draft a QB. I also hear that a big Cleveland sports talker was indicted on money laundering. These are all reasons not to go to the game.

So it looks like we were all wrong and the starting pitching this year will be only so so but the power bats will drive us to victory.

On the other hand, I can't remember how this usually plays out, but pitchers often have trouble with command in these early frigid days, don't they? So maybe Carrasco stays in the running for the Cy Young which I predicted for him despite one not so great night.

Absolutely miserable weather in Cleveland today! Cold, rainy, probably snow later this evening.
You'd think that with computer programs, the schedule makers could avoid all games in climates such as ours early in the season. But the Jays, who have a domed stadium, are opening in the dome of the Rays.