Indians-Royals: Kansas City Snaps 12-Game Losing Streak with 4-2 Win

Just when it appeared the Indians couldn’t sink any lower, they did.  In losing to the Kansas City Royals 4-2, the Tribe’s woes just got worse.

For starters, Cleveland’s ace C.C. Sabathia lost to a pitcher that was called up three hours prior.  Then, even with eight hits, the Indians only mustered two runs, stranding twelve runners on base. 

Average that out over nine innings, and that is a a runner and a third an inning.  Bad, bad, bad.  Finally throw in the fact that you’ve just allowed the opposition to break out of a twelve game losing streak, and CONGRATULATIONS!!  You’ve won the “Sink-to-New-Depths” award.  Unfortunately, it comes with no parting gifts.

The only real positive for the Indians was there WERE actually twelve runners to strand.

Knotted in a one-all tie the fifth inning proved to be the back-breaker.  That was the inning that Sabathia became the loser, and the Royals call up Kyle Davies became a winner.

A Teahen single, a Buck double, and a Gathright groundout brought in the first of three Royals runs.  Sabathia, one out away from getting out of the inning, yielded a double to DeJesus, scoring Buck, and a single to Grudzielanek before striking out Gordon.  That put the Royals up 4-1.

 Before that, the Indians and Royals each scored a run in the third.  Franklin Gutierrez opened the inning with a triple. Grady Sizemore, the hero from the night before, struck out.   Jamey Carroll immediately singled, driving in Gutierrez.  Ben Francisco walked. 

Victor Martinez moved up both runners with a groundout, and Jhonny Peralta walked, loading the bases with two outs.  Shin-so Choo, just activated from the DL yesterday, grounded out to second base, ending the inning and giving the average fan a microcosm of the entire game in one inning.

The Indians left two stranded in the second, three in the third, one in the fourth, one in the fifth, left the bases loaded in the seventh on three walks and no hits.

They loaded the bases again in the eighth on a Peralta single, a Blake double that somehow didn’t score Peralta from second after he moved up on a past ball, an Aubrey walk, a Dellucci groundout that scored Peralta, and a Sizemore pop up, ending the inning. 

The ninth left Martinez standing on second after his single and a wild pitch, an appropriate ending.

The Indians and Royals play the rubber match Sunday.  Paul Byrd takes his 4.1 ERA and 2-4 record up against the 4.97 ERA 4-6 Brian Bannister.  Game time is 2:10.