Cleveland Indians: 2020 Season Recap and Awards

An instant classic ends in heartbreak and elimination

In a game that will go down as one of the most dramatic postseason games’ in MLB history, the Cleveland Indians saw their 2020 season end in heartbreak.

After dropping Game 1 of a best-of-three Wild Card series to the New York Yankees, the Tribe entered Game 2 of the series with their backs against the wall.

The game got off to a wild start as after a rain delay pushed first pitch back from 7:00 to 7:50 p.m., Cleveland began to rally in the bottom of the first as Ramirez hit an RBI-double off Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka to give the Tribe an early 1-0 lead. Then the rain began to fall again, leading to a 45-minute rain delay.

After the delay, the Indians picked up right where they left off as Naylor hit a two-run double and Perez hit an RBI single to give the Tribe a 4-0 lead.

The Yankees would get one back off Carlos Carrasco in the top of the second with a solo home run from Giancarlo Stanton, but the Indians kept the lead at 4-1 until the top of the fourth.

In the top of the fourth, the Bombers knocked Carrasco out of the game, leaving James Karinchak with a bases-loaded no-out jam. This would not end well for the young right-hander as former Indian Gio Urshela lifted a grand slam to left-center to put the Yankees in front 5-4.

New York would extend the lead to 6-4 in the top of the fifth, but the Tribe showed no signs of quitting. Ramirez answered back with a two-run double off Yankee reliever Chad Green in the bottom of the fifth to even the game at six.

The Yankees would regain the lead in the top of the sixth, however, as Gary Sanchez hit a two-run home run off Indians rookie Triston McKenzie but again Cleveland would not go away.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jordan Luplow delivered a clutch two-out, pinch-hit two-run double to tie the game and in the bottom of the eighth, the Tribe pulled ahead with an RBI single from Hernandez.

With a one-run lead, the Indians called on closer Brad Hand who was the only reliever in baseball during the 2020 regular season not to blow a save. That streak would come to a crushing end, as the Yankees loaded the bases with nobody out. Hand would strikeout Brett Gardner but with one-out, Sanchez tied the game with a sac-fly.

It appeared Hand was set to escape the inning with the game tied but with two strikes, DJ LeMahieu delivered an RBI single to put the Yankees ahead 10-9. This time, there would be no comeback from the Indians as Aroldis Chapman struck out three in the ninth to end the Indians’ season.

With a game that lasted nearly five hours (4:50) and featured four lead changes being the end of the Indians season, there’s no competition in naming this the worst loss of the year.

Honorable Mention: Cubs walk-off Tribe handing Indians eighth straight loss