Few fans witness Indians? dismal play
CLEVELAND ? It was a lousy day for baseball, and there was plenty of lousy baseball to match the depressing mood at Progressive Field yesterday afternoon.
The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 10-6, making fewer significant blunders and delivering six hits in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Temperature at first pitch was 45 degrees with a 36-degree wind-chill factor. Winds were out of the north at about 20 miles per hour, and occasionally it drizzled. Gray clouds continually passed overhead, giving way to more gray clouds until the eighth inning, when the skies brightened, but not for the Indians.
In the seventh inning, at least 24 sections of the ballpark were devoid of humanity. Another 14 sections were populated by fewer than 20 fans each. Official attendance (tickets sold) was 9,072, but there probably were no more than 2,000 people in the seats.
That was the good news for the Tribe. The fewer people who watch what the team is doing on the field now, the better.
In the first four games, hitting was the primary problem. Yesterday, it was pitching, both by the starter and the relievers.
Not even Justin Masterson could save the day, and Masterson has been the gold standard of the Indians? rotation. This time out, he had a hard time keeping the ball down and out of the middle of the plate.
When he did control his sinking fastball, White Sox batters bounced singles through the infield.
He struggled from the outset, unable to overcome a first-inning error by Jack Hannahan at third base that led to four runs, one unearned.
?Masterson was OK,? Indians manager Manny Acta said. ?He was a little inconsistent with his command, but we didn?t play good defense.?
Acta emphasized the importance of Hannahan?s misplay.
?That error in the first opened up the whole thing for him,? Acta said. ?Masterson was not as dominant (as usual), but he wasn?t bad at all.?
Masterson made it to the fifth without giving up another run, but an error by Casey Kotchman at first preceded three consecutive singles to hand the Sox their fifth run, also unearned.
?I didn?t totally know where the ball was going early on,? Masterson said. ?But I worked through it and settled down.?
Masterson didn?t blame the weather conditions.
?That had nothing to do with it,? he said. ?I was missing my spots at times. I got ground balls, but all the hits were ground balls. So I can?t complain when that happens.?
Dan Wheeler started the sixth, retired the first batter he faced, then gave up a double to Gordon Beckham and a home run to Alejandro De Aza. Before leaving, he walked Brent Morel.
Rafael Perez replaced Wheeler and gave up an intentional walk and a three-run homer to A.J. Pierzynski, letting in a third run for Wheeler and adding two for himself, in only two-thirds of an inning.
The Tribe offense, dormant for four games, came alive with home runs by Travis Hafner and Shelley Duncan, but timely hits were nowhere to be seen.
Altogether, the Indians stranded 11 runners and were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
?We didn?t pitch good enough or play good enough defense,? Acta said. ?Six runs should be enough.?
gotta love this headline
