Roster Update: Since the Indians waited until the last moment to adjust their roster for the regular season, we haven’t yet covered their most recent moves. In order to add Ross Detwiler and Marlon Byrd to the 40 man roster, Zach Walters and Giovanni Soto were each designated for assignment on Sunday. James Ramsey was DFA’d on Monday to make room for Joba Chamberlain. Michael Brantley, Lonnie Chisenhall and Tommy Hunter were all placed on the 15 day DL.
Player of the Game
In lieu of my personal ‘Player of the Game’ stat that I’ve used for the past five seasons, we will now be using Fangraph’s WPA to determine the Player of the Game. Today, both numbers agree as Yan Gomes came in with a .110 WPA. Gomes moved a runner with a fly out his first at bat, then knocked in one with a single in his second. Defensively, Gomes threw out the only attempted base stealer of the game easily.
Feathers Up
The Indians knew they would have a tough time today, facing the former Cy Young winner David Price in the freezing weather, but more than anyone else, Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana made him work and eventually were able to get the Indians on the board. In their first two at bats, the pair combined to see 28 pitches, walk twice and hit a single. While they both reached the first time around, it was in the fourth inning when they rattled Price with an 11 pitch strike out and six pitch single. After Santana singled with Francisco Lindor on first, Yan Gomes hit a ball up the middle to score Lindor from second and move Santana to third. He scored the tying run on a Marlon Byrd sacrifice fly to left and, while neither Napoli or Santana knocked in a run, they most likely would not have been scored without the two wearing down Price to start. He would ultimately throw 103 pitches through his six innings.
Feathers Down
Corey Kluber looked great over the first few innings, as he did during all of Spring Training, but Boston put up two on a Mookie Betts home run in the third and two more when he began to have issues with his command in the sixth. Hanley Ramirez started the inning off with a single up the middle, then went to third when Travis Shaw singled to right. Brock Holt knocked in one with a single, then the second run scored on a wild pitch. After a walk, Kluber was pulled from the game after just 5.1 innings in his 2016 debut. He walked two total and struck out five, allowing nine hits.
Quite a few players made their Cleveland debuts today, but it didn’t go particularly well for any of them. Tyler Naquin made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter and struck out, Napoli struck out three times, Rajai Davis went 0/4 with three K’s, Byrd and Collin Cowgill went 0/2 with two K’s and Uribe went 1/4 with two K’s. On the pitching side, Joba Chamberlain and Ross Detwiler pitched for the Indians for the first time and had a considerably better time, going 1.2 shut out innings, stranding three runners and striking out one.
Trevor Bauer also pitched for the first time out of the bullpen this year and the results weren’t very exciting. After walking a batter, he struck out Xander Bogaerts looking on a pitch that looked well off the plate, then gave up a monster home run to David Ortiz. Hanley Ramirez hit one that almost went out to right, but Byrd quickly threw it in to second to keep him at first. The two run inning was the final straw for the Indians who had to face Craig Kimbrell in the ninth.
Final Score: Boston Red Sox 6 – Cleveland Indians 2
On Deck: The cold taking away their off day, the Indians and Red Sox will be back on Wednesday at 6:10 PM. Clay Buchholz will start against Carlos Carrasco for the Indians.
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