16214
by TFIR
Cleveland Indians suffer particularly disappointing loss to Chicago White Sox: DMan's Report, Game 4
Saturday, April 9, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Reliever Bryan Shaw gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning as the Cleveland Indians lost to the Chicago White Sox, 7-3, Saturday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia homered and lefty Chris Sale gave up the three runs in seven innings for the White Sox.
First-pitch temperature was 32 degrees. But it was sunny, so there's that.
Here is a capsule look at the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Time Ohio:
Streak stopped: The Indians (2-2) have opened L-W-W-L.
Back on track: The White Sox (4-2) rebounded from a loss to the Indians on Friday.
Sour pill: From two perspectives, the Indians did not deserve to win.
*They were sloppy in the field throughout. They committed three errors and narrowly missed being charged with several others.
*The offense missed opportunities to score in the first and second innings and finished with "only'' three runs.
Regardless, this a game that the Indians absolutely could have won. It might haunt them if they are scratching for victories in pursuit of a playoff berth in September.
The Indians trailed, 1-0, after three innings and 2-0 after four against Sale, who happens to be one of MLB's best pitchers. Sale was perfect from the third through the fifth and retired the first two in the sixth. It did not appear to be the visitors' day.
But the Indians rallied. In a two at-bats covering three pitches in the sixth, Francisco Lindor singled and Mike Napoli homered to tie the score, 2-2.
Then Yan Gomes led off the seventh with a terrific at-bat, which resulted in a full-count homer. Suddenly, Sale was on the hook for a defeat.
When a team rallies from two down against Sale to take the lead late, especially on the road and in the cold, it needs to close the deal.
Making a mess: While one player or pitcher doesn't lose a game, Shaw's implosion brought maximum culpability. He relieved right-hander Cody Anderson to begin the seventh; Anderson had been gritty and gutty in allowing two runs on six hits.
Shaw faced seven batters:
1. Austin Jackson singled to left.
Skinny: Shaw created a problem for himself by falling behind, 2-1. After a foul and a ball, Jackson pounced on a cutter. Jackson must be forced to hit how way on base, but the pitch got too much of the plate on the inner half.
2. Jimmy Rollins doubled to left, Jackson to third.
Skinny: Lefty Rollins cued a first-pitch cutter comfortably inside the third-base line. Juan Uribe, who was on the grass and well off the line, had no chance.
3. Abreu intentionally walked to load the bases.
Skinny: No-brainer.
4. Todd Frazier grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice. Jackson scored.
Skinny: Shaw fell behind, 3-1. After a foul, Frazier hit a roller to Lindor, whose footwork was not pristine as he threw to second. Jason Kipnis, who reached to receive the throw, was unable to get off a relay. Given that Frazier was the runner, it is a double play that Lindor and Kipnis needed to turn.
5. Melky Cabrera singled to right. Rollins scored, Frazier to second.
Skinny: Shaw fell behind, 2-1. After a swinging strike and a ball, lefty Melky fouled three straight. Shaw's next pitch, a breaking ball (81), ballooned over the plate, and Melky is too good of a hitter to miss those too often. Topspin helped the ball sink just in front of Collin Cowgill.
6. Brett Lawrie flied to center.
7. Garcia homered to right, also driving in Frazier and Melky.
Skinny: Shaw opened with a cutter (93 mph) that Garcia fouled. Shaw tempted fate with a cutter (91) over the plate but got away with it when Garcia fouled.
Fox Sports Time Ohio play-by-play voice Matt Underwood said: "Keep it a one-run game, anything can happen. You make a mistake, though, and this could be lights-out in a hurry.''
Garcia, a right-handed batter in jail at 0-2, should not have seen anything on the plate. Instead, Shaw left a cutter (92) on the outer half at the belt and Garcia socked it. Shaw had become a one-pitch pitcher, and the one pitch wasn't very good.
Zach McAllister relieved and struck out Alex Avila.
Interesting scene: White Sox reliever Matt Albers, who pitched for the Indians in 2013, struck out three in two perfect innings.
That wasn't necessarily the story.
Albers entered with a runner on first and none out in the eighth. Lindor lined out, Napoli struck out swinging and Carlos Santana struck out looking. After the Santana third strike, Albers kept his right hand in the air and, as he walked to the dugout, pounded his chest, screamed and fired his gum to the ground.
Upon reaching the dugout, Albers was seriously fired up as he received congrats from teammates.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
