Player of the Game
Jose Abreu is today’s Player of the Game as he posted a .204 WPA. He went 2-2 with two walks (one intentional) and a solo home-run. This comes as no surprise as Abreu has been a “thorn in the side” of the Indians since his Major League debut in 2014. He has 12 home-runs and 26 RBI career vs. the Indians, the most against any opponent.
Feathers Up
The Indians scored their first runs of the game on a Mike Napoli 2-run home-run to left center off starter Chris Sale. Francisco Lindor started the rally with a two out infield single and Napoli. These two runs were significant because they tied the game at 2. It all started after Sale retired 12 batters in a row previous to the round-tripper.
The Indians took the lead in the sixth when Yan Gomes blasted a solo home run, his first of the season. It is good to finally see right-handed production that makes a difference in ballgames, especially off an ace like Sale.
Feathers Down
The Indians threatened to score off Sale in the first inning as Kipnis singled and Lindor walked. However, Sale bounced back despite having poor command of his fastball by forcing Napoli to foul out and Santana to strike out to end the threat. Sale also allowed two batters to reach base in the second but, once again, the Indians could not capitalize.
Jose Abreu broke the 0-0 tie with a mammoth home run to left center in the bottom of the third inning. It was his 12th home-run against the Indians in only two seasons and two games. Anderson threw a fastball right down the middle of the plate and Abreu made him pay. The Indians also had defensive miscues that inning after Abreu went deep: A throwing error by Uribe at third and foul pop up that landed between Napoli and Kipnis. Neither miscues led to any further runs.
The White Sox added to their early lead in the 4th. Avisail Garcia started the scoring when he singled on a sharp ground ball to left on an 0-2 pitch. He advanced to second on a on a wild pitch from Anderson. Alex Avila then singled sharply to center-field which Rajai Davis over ran resulting in a error. If Davis comes up with the ball cleanly, Garcia might not have scored as the ball was hit so hard.
It was a no-decision for Anderson as he was lifted in the bottom of the 7th and reliever Bryan Shaw gave up what was then a 3-2 lead. As a matter of fact, it was a complete meltdown. Shaw left all his pitches up in the zone and was punished for it. The scoring was capped by a three-run home run from Garcia to right-center. The inning started when Shaw let the first three hitters get aboard. Austin Jackson singled, Jimmy Rollins doubled and the club intentionally walked Abreu. Melky Cabrera tied the game with a single to center which allowed the White Sox to take the lead at the time, 4-3. The Garcia homerun ended up being the final nail in the coffin.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 3 – Chicago White Sox 7
On Deck: Josh Tomlin will get the start for the Indians; the 31-year-old right-hander is scheduled to make his 2016 season debut in the rubber match tomorrow against the White Sox. He was named the club’s fifth starter in the rotation on March 30 and will be pitching on 11 days of rest after making his final Cactus League appearance March 29 against Seattle. He finished the spring with a record of 1-0 and a 4.67 ERA (9ER/17.1IP) in six appearances (four starts) for the Tribe and his 19 strikeouts were tied for fifth-most on the staff during Cactus League play. Tomlin spent the first four months of the 2015 season rehabbing after undergoing right shoulder surgery in March.
After re-joining the Indians on August 15 of last season, Tomlin led all AL pitchers in opponent on-base percentage (.227), K-to-BB ratio (7.13), wins (T-1st, 7) and WHIP (.084).
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