Indians-White Sox: Grand Slam, Triple Steal Power Tribe

The Indians broke out of a five-game losing streak to the Chicago White Sox in a big way, getting a grand slam in the first inning and pulling off an “oops” triple steal in the bottom of the sixth, and beating Chicago 8-2. 

The triple steal last occurred in 1987 by the Atlanta Braves, although that one was on purpose.

Jamey Carroll unintentionally instigated the action by roaming too far off first base.  White Sox reliever Ehren Wasserman faked a throw to third, wheeled and threw to first.  Carroll advanced toward second, his only option at that point, and David Dellucci took off for home. 

Sox first baseman Paul Konerko threw in the dirt to catcher Toby Hall, and Dellucci was safe. 

Grady Sizemore swiped third, Carroll continued to second, and the “Damn that was close, excuse me” triple play was completed. 

Eric Wedge: base-stealing mastermind, or ready to yell at Dellucci for being a bonehead?  You decide.

While the swipe was pretty cool, the Indians didn’t need to go to the well.  They’d already taken a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first. 

With Mark Buehrle starting, the Indians opened their half of the inning in typical 2008 fashion with a Grady Sizemore ground out.   Carroll doubled to left and took third base on a Buehrle wild pitch. 

Ben Francisco scored Carroll on a sac fly, and Indians fans rejoiced, thanking the offensive Gods for an early lead.  The Gods rewarded the rejoicing with a Victor Martinez walk, a Jhonny Peralta single, and a Ryan Garko walk, loading the bases. 

Franklin Gutierrez smashed a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence, staking Cleveland to a 5-0 lead. 

The White Sox scored two of their own in the top of the third off Aaron Laffey.  Brian Anderson was safe at second on a Cabrera error. Toby Hall doubled to center, scoring Anderson.  Orlando Cabrera singled to center, scoring Hall. 

Pablo Ozuna bunted Cabrera to third and was safe himself, but Jermaine Dye hit into a double play, getting Laffey out of the inning with only two runs being the damage. 

That would be all Laffey and the Indians would surrender.  Laffey improved his record to 3-3, going six innings, allowing seven hits and two runs, only one of them earned, with no strikeouts. 

Masa Kobayashi pitched two scoreless innings, and newly called up Edward Mutica pitched the ninth to close out the game, giving up two hits but no runs.

Even with the five-run lead, the Tribe got another three in the sixth.  Prior to the triple steal, the Indians had already plated two. 

Back-to-back doubles by Peralta and Garko accounted for the first run, and Garko scored later after Gutierrez was hit by a pitch, Andy Marte sacrificed, Asdrubal Cabrera struck out, Sizemore walked, and Carroll was safe on a Konerko error, with Garko scoring. 

That set the plate for the triple-steal, with Dellucci scoring the third and final run of the inning. 

The Indians play the White Sox one more time on Wednesday. Chicago’s Gavin Floyd versus Cleveland’s Jake Wesbrook.  Game time is 12:05 pm CT