Cleveland-Oakland: Fausto Carmona Walks Eight in Loss to A's

Fausto Carmona, fresh off a contract signing, walked eight batters in three and a third innings, loading the bases, and walking in a run before being pulled.  His control was suspect the entire time he was on the mound. 

His eight batter free-pass hasn’t happened since Bob Ojeda did it for the Indians August 26^th, 1993.  It took him six innings to accomplish the feat.  The Indians lost 7-3 on another cold rainy night in Cleveland. 

The loss guaranteed the Tribe would not win the home series.  That broke a string of seven consecutive home series wins dating back to August 12^th of last year when Cleveland was swept by the Yankees.  Home has been good to the Tribe.  Let’s hope this is not an omen of things to come. 

While Carmona walked three in the first two innings, it didn’t bother him much until Oakland had two out in the third.  Lead off walks in the second and third both translated into double play one out grounders a batter later.  A walk with two outs came back to bite Carmona though.  After Buck walked on four pitches, Ellis doubled.  With runners on second and third, Barton singled in both runners, giving the A’s a 2-0 lead.

Cleveland struck back for one on a Gutierrez double, a Michaels ground out that Gutierrez did a nice job of advancing on, and a Casey Blake grounded out that scored Gutierrez.  Sizemore was hit by a pitch, then Cabrera grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

The fourth inning saw Carmona walk four in five batters.  With only three bases open, you can’t walk four guys without some damage.  Carmona left walking home a run, giving way to Jensen Lewis.  Lewis pitched out of the bases loaded jam, getting Buck to strike out, and inducing a bat-breaking pop out by Ellis to second baseman Cabrera, ending the threat. 

The Tribe loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth with the game still in reach at 3-1.  Travis Hafner led off the inning with a single.  Victor Martinez followed with a single of his own.  Devine replaced DiNardo at pitcher, walking Garko and loading the bases.  Gutierrez flied out, and nobody advanced.  David Dellucci pinch hit for Michaels, working the count full and taking the free pass, scoring Hafner.  Unfortunately, Casey Blake could not deliver the tying blow, grounding out on a fielder’s choice that erased Dellucci at second, ending the inning. 

Perez entered the game in the seventh, relieving a very nice two and two thirds inning pitched by Jensen Lewis.  Unfortunately this was the Indians undoing.  Perez walked Barton, Sweeney singled Barton to third.  With runners on the corners, Brown pinch hit for Cust, singling home Barton.  Crosby delivered the death blow, a three run homer on the first pitch.  All this happened with nobody out.  Three ground outs later, the Tribe headed to the bench down 7-2.

While the Indians added a run in the bottom of the ninth on a single and an error that left Dellucci on second.  Casey Black flied out, moving Dellucci to third.  He scored on a Grady Sizemore groundout, but the run was academic.  Cleveland loses 7-3.

The Tribe drop to 4-7 on the season, two and a half games out in the American League Central Division.  The White Sox lead the division at 6-4.  Kansas City is a half game back at 6-5 along with the Minnesota Twins.  The Tigers bring up the rear at 2-9.

First baseman Ryan Garko leads the regular Tribe starters with a .324 batting average.  Johnny Peralta leads Cleveland with three homers on the season.  The final game of the three game series is Sunday at 1:05.