Here are 16 Walk-Off Thoughts on the Indians’ 13-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins Wednesday night.
1. For the Indians, this series has been NSFW (Not Safe For Work). Their starting pitchers have given up at least six runs in all three games. The Twins have scored at least 10 runs and totaled at least 14 hits. It’s the first time Indians starting pitchers have failed to get to the fifth inning in three straight starts since 2012 (Jeanmar Gomez, Zach McAllister, Corey Kluber).
2. It’s been an ugly series for Indians pitching.
3. Said Trevor Bauer, who was hit hard Wednesday night, “It’s their series. They are hot as can be. They are covering every pitch and you try to make adjustments and limit the damage. I tried to pitch carefully early and not get the heart of the play. I walked a couple guys in the first inning but limited the damage there. I walked five guys tonight, I didn’t miss by much a couple inches here or there. Pretty much everything I tried didn’t work. It’s just one of those nights where it wasn’t for a lack of trying, wasn’t for a lack of competing, wasn’t for lack of preparation. The game plan and everything was good. It was their night.”
4. The Indians are now 4-8 against the last-place Twins and 26-8 against the other three American League Central teams. The Indians have struggled with the Twins all season, but this week, it’s been intensified.
5. Said manager Terry Francona, “Well you hear what we say, hitting can be contagious and you get guys on and the holes open and guys are moving and you’re playing with a lead. They’ve done that now three days in a row and done it well. They’ve really had their way with us. It’s not a fluke, they’ve just beat us around.”
6. The Indians’ position has been on a decline since the moment the trade deadline passed. Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer have been beaten up and Salazar has landed on the 15-day disabled list with elbow inflammation.
7. It’s also been tough on the bullpen. The Indians needed Carrasco to go deeper into the game, and they really needed Bauer to at least throw six innings tonight. Because of it, the Indians after the game sent down Cody Anderson and Shawn Armstrong. Michael Clevinger will be called up tomorrow to start, and a second pitcher will make the trip to Cleveland as well.
8. Said Francona, “This has been a tough little stretch here this last three games. What we don't want to do is allow this to multiply and get into our bullpen. It’s why we had to make two roster moves tonight. I feel bad for that because I hate sending kids down when things don’t go right, but we have to protect our arms. Losses hurt, but if you couple that with then guys pitching on fumes, that’s never going to help so we tried desperately to find ways not to do that. To your question, yeah I think we’ll be fine. You have to play through tough times. It’s inevitable, it happens, you don’t want to go through it, it’s no fun, but it happens to everybody and I’m confident we’ll bounce back and we’ll be fine.”
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9. Meanwhile the Detroit Tigers are making it a race. While the Indians have been treading water since the All-Star break, the Tigers have been on a tear and have cut the lead to two games in the division. Now, the Indians have to fight through Thursday and get to New York for the weekend series.
10. Said Mike Napoil, “We’ve still got two months to go. We went through a really hot stretch, too. They’re playing good baseball. But we’ve got to take care of ourselves and get out there and try to win tomorrow. We’re not looking behind us. We’ve just got to go out there and play the game the right way.”
11. Frustrations boiled over Wednesday night. In the third, Lonnie Chisenhall nearly made a diving play that would have taken away a two-run single. The Indians challenged it and while seeing the replay on the video board, the Indians thought it showed that Chisenahall had caught it. When it was signaled that the play would stand as a single, pushing the Twins’ lead to 8-2, Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway each charged out of the dugout and argued the call. Bauer flipped the ball up and over his head. Jason Kipnis put his hands on his head in disbelief.
12. Francona and Callaway were ejected. In the fifth, after Abraham Almonte was involved in a close play, Corey Kluber was ejected from the dugout.
13. Said Francona, “I knew I was going to get thrown out because you can’t go out there and argue those. And I also know what he told me, I already knew, too. Once they make the call, it goes to New York and then they just listen. And I knew that. I just needed to express my frustration.”
14. Frustration has been the key word for the Indians this week.
15. Said Napoli, “Through 162 games, you’re going to have stretches like this; it’s about minimizing them, going what we have to do to make it go the other way. Nobody’s going to hang their heads in here. We’re going to go out there, have our game plan and try to execute and win a ballgame.”
16. Mike Napoli hit a home run for the fifth straight game, tying his career-best mark (2012, Texas). It also ties the longest streak in the majors this season with Chris Davis and Jay Bruce. He has 27 home runs this season and has continued to be one of the best free-agent values from this past offseason.