Roster Update: Joseph Colon was placed on the 15 Day DL prior to today’s game with right shoulder inflammation. With Zach McAllister not quite ready to return from the DL himself, Cody Anderson was brought back after just four days in AAA.
Player of the Game
Who knows how much longer he’ll be around, but at least Abraham Almonte will have a Player of the Game trophy to bring with him wherever he goes next. Tonight, he doubled and scored the Indians only run, then had a great at bat in the ninth to work a two out walk.
Feathers Up
The Orioles came into the game the second best team in the AL in OPS and they showed why against Trevor Bauer, but the Indians weakest part of the team, their low leverage relievers, were able to shut them down. Jeff Manship came in for Bauer with one on and retired three batters without and reaching. Anderson, fresh up from AAA, threw 1.1 scoreless although he did allow four hits. Dan Otero cleaned up for Anderson with a double play on his only batter faced and Austin Adams created and disposed of his own problem with a double play in a scoreless eighth.
Feathers Down
Trevor Bauer had control problems tonight and, as often happens in baseball, this lead to him throwing some pitches that were a little bit too good. After putting two on in the first, he tossed a curve that didn’t right into the middle of the strike zone and Mark Trumbo deposited well beyond the left field wall. He gave up a second home run to Manny Machado on a fastball in a similar location that ended up beyond the fence in straight center. Bauer pitched into the fifth, but didn’t retire a batter, walking Machado before being pulled for Jeff Manship. Bauer walked four in all and struck out five, allowing five hits on five runs.
Despite falling behind by five early the Indians still had multiple chances to come back, but were unable to take advantage. In particular, there were two promising innings that both stopped being so after a Carlos Santana at bat. In the fifth, Abraham Almonte doubled to start the inning, then moved to third on a passed ball. It looked like he would be tagged out on a ground ball hit by Chris Gimenez, but Almonte was able to run around Machado before he got the ball back from the catcher and slide safely into third. With runners at first and third and none out, Santana grounded into a double play to give the Indians their first run of the game. Santana came up with runners on first and third again in the seventh when Juan Uribe was hit with a pitch and his pinch runner, Rajai Davis, ran to third on a Gimenez single. For the second straight at bat, Santana grounded into a double play, but this time it ended the inning, stranding Davis at third.
Mike Napoli is fast approaching a milestone that he likely wants no part of. He has struck out at an extremely high rate all year, but it slowed after the All-Star break as he went four games after without a single K. In the two games prior to tonight’s he struck out four times total, but hit two home runs to off-set the negative. Tonight, he struck out in all four at bats, bringing his season total to 127, less than 60 away from the Indians record with more than two months to go in the season. Overall, Napoli has been a great asset to the offense thanks to his power, but on nights like tonight when the team can’t seem to score, those strike outs are certainly glaring.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 1 – Baltimore Orioles 5
On Deck: Another right hander, Kevin Gausman will start against the Tribe tomorrow night at 7:05 PM in Baltimore. Josh Tomlin will pitch for the Indians after allowing just one run in 7.2 innings last time out.
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