The Aftermath: Three Takeaways from the Indians’ 11-4 Loss to Chicago

The Cleveland Indians lost the first game of the series to the White Sox in an ugly game in Chicago on Monday night.

In the course of a 162-game season, every team is going to have nights where nothing seems to go right, and the Cleveland Indians experienced that on Monday night. In an 11-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox, the Tribe was sloppy and appeared slightly less than focused in all three phases of the game.

Carlos Carrasco battled command issues in a short outing, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits in just 3.2 innings. Carrasco’s night was made more difficult due to an error in right field by Lonnie Chisenhall and his own difficulties in leaving balls over the heart of the plate.

Unlike most games recently, though, the bullpen was unable to stop the bleeding. The White Sox scored at least one run in every inning in which they came to bat, a rare feat that the Indians had not been on the receiving end of since back in 1903. The club wasn’t even called the Indians yet the last time this happened.

Avisail Garcia went 4-for-5 with a home run, a run batted in, and three runs scored, and Tim Anderson was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Adam Eaton and Todd Frazier both hit homers and drove in two runs for Chicago, and noted Tribe killer Jose Abreu knocked in a pair as well.

Cleveland actually led the game 3-1 after a second inning that I’m guessing had Hawk Harrelson muttering about ducksnorts. Bloop doubles by Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall, a chopper over Frazier’s head for Rajai Davis, and a soft line-drive single by Roberto Perez enabled the Indians to hang a crooked number on Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez.

The Tribe wouldn’t muster any more offense until a Mike Napoli home run in the eighth, but it was far too little too late at that point. The team’s lead in the American League Central is down to six, and three more games on the south side remain in the series.

Partying in Defeat

Napoli’s homer in the eighth off Chicago reliever Blake Smith was another no-doubt, tape measure blast. It was the 34-year old’s 33rd longball of the season, a number with a bit of significance in the annals of team history.

With the home run, Napoli broke a tie with Ellis Burks for the second-most hit by an Indians’ right-handed hitter since 2001. Only Juan Gonzalez, who hit 35 in 2001, still stands in his way.

Napoli also tied Andre Thornton for the most homers by a player 34 years of age or older in team history. Thornton hit 33 in 1984 at 34 years old.

Kip Jabbing (and Sliding)

In the third inning, Jason Kipnis sent a ground ball to Anderson at short, and the rookies throw pulled Abreu off the bag at first. As the tag was applied just up the line, Kipnis flailed his arms in an attempt to avoid it, but instead punched Abreu right in the nose.

It was the best contact of the night for Kipnis, who took an 0-for-4 and has been sliding at the plate of late. Since August 22nd, which was the first game out in Oakland on the nightmare roadtrip the club had, the 29-year old second baseman is just 15-for-76 (.197) at the plate, and his wRC+ has been some 30 points below his season mark.

Kipnis has played in 138 of 143 games for Cleveland this season, and he’s enjoying the most consistent year of his career offensively. But he looks to be wearing down a bit, and as a result is starting to press. A day off or two, if possible, may work wonders.

Cookie’s Command

Carrasco didn’t have the type of command problems in this one where he was walking batters and unsure of where the ball was headed upon release. Instead, he was struggling to hit his intended locations, and missed over the middle of the plate a lot.

After a rough month of August in which his ERA was a bloated 5.20, Carrasco seemed back to his old self in his first two September starts. The right-hander had allowed just four runs in 14.2 innings, good for a 2.45 ERA, with 16 strikeouts against two walks.

Next: No Promotion for Top Prospects Zimmer, Diaz

With the news of Danny Salazar being shut down for the foreseeable future, the Tribe needs Carrasco to be locked in for the final three weeks of the regular season and into October for the playoff run. He’s capable of pitching like an ace. The question is if he will.