Indians-White Sox : 3-2 Sox in a Wild 10th.

Now even Cliff Lee can’t stop the madness.  The Indians ace went toe-to-toe with John Danks, both pitching through eight innings and giving up a run apiece in no-decisions. Then, Joe Borowski blew it in the bottom of the tenth for a 3-2 loss after the Indians scored the go-ahead run in the top of the inning.

Season over and its not even the All Star break.

This was one the Tribe had to win.  Had to.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.  Crunch time, ace on the hill, already down 1-0 in a three game series with the division leading Chicago White Sox—and they lost.

Now down 11.5 games in the division, only a miracle turnaround will get the Indians back into the thick of things in the AL Central. 

It wasn’t like they didn’t try to win it.  The passion that has been lacking most of the season appeared to be there.  They just didn’t get it done.

Cliff Lee gave up one run on six hits, striking out eight in another great performance.  John Danks was better.  He gave up one run on four hits, striking out eight.  It was an exciting pitchers matchup.  No doubt about it.

The White Sox got on the board first, scoring one in the bottom of the second.  Jim Thome, Indians slayer extraordinaire, singled to right with one out.  Joe Crede moved Thome to second with a single of his own.  Nick Swisher walked, loading the bases, and a sac-fly by Ramirez scored Thome from third. 

Cliff Lee registered a strikeout, bailing himself out of a huge jam, but the Indians were down 1-0.

It took a lot of zeros on the board and until the top of the sixth for the Indians to tie up the ball game on a Kelly Shoppach home run, and the zeroes just kept coming.

At the end of eight, both starting pitchers were over the 100 pitch count, and the relief came on, probably bad news for the Indians.

Then again, maybe not.  In the top of the tenth inning, Casey Blake pounded his eighth home run of the year, raising his batting average to .287 and giving the Indians the 2-1 lead.

Enter Joe Borowski.  One out away from the save, Alexei Ramirez, the same guy who’d scored Jim Thome from third, hit a long fly ball.  It was either the end of the game, or a home run.  It cleared the left field wall, tying the game.

Now enter Dewayne Wise.  He pinch hit, singled to right, and stole second just in time for Orlando Cabrera to deliver the game winning RBI single.  Game over.  

The White Sox are riding a six game winning streak.  The Indians are in the midst of a four game dry spell.  

The curtain call on the three game set is Wednesday evening.  Jose Contreras brings his 7-6 record and 3.99 ERA up against 6-8 3.78 lefty C.C. Sabathia.  Game time is 8:11 p.m. EST.