Well, that didn’t take long. Just seven games into the season and the parallels between 2015 and 1987, the last time the Indians were tabbed by Sports Illustrated as World Series cover boys, are popping up. Not only did the club lose star catcher Yan Gomes, easily one of the top backstops in the game, this year to a knee injury for six- to eight-weeks, but budding ace – or ace arrived – Carlos Carrasco suffered a gruesome injury in the opening inning as the Tribe dropped last night’s game.
It would mark the first time since 1987 that the Indians have lost four consecutive home games to open a season.
White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera, the #2-hole hitter, laced the eighth pitch of the game straight back up the middle, glancing off of Carrasco’s glove before striking the right-hander in the right-side of the jaw. Carrasco would lay motionless for what seemed like hours before getting helped to his feet. The broadcast team would later reveal that Carrasco escaped serious injury – at the time he was concussion free – other than a jaw contusion.
Manager Terry Francona, a hamstrung by an already struggling bullpen, called on Zach McAllister to chew up some innings.
McAllister, whose bandwagon I’ve long been hitched too but decided to pump belt high fastball after belt high fastball to the Tigers in his first start, allowed both Adam Eaton and Cabrera to score before settling down. Nick Hagadone coughed up a rocket to Jose Abreu fifth that, according to faux-announcer Harry Doyle, still hasn’t landed.
Right-handers Anthony Swarzak and Austin Adams tossed the remaining four innings, allowing just one hit and one free pass.
And then there’s the Tribe’s offense, which has looked like right offensive against southpaws this season.
Sox lefty Jose Quintana spewed a fringy 90 mph fastball with some spotty offspeed control, but was enough to keep Cleveland’s bats at bay. And the Tribe’s lone excitement came on a pair of plays involving platoon player Ryan Raburn and Brandon Moss.
After a curveball went through the wickets of Tyler Flowers, Jerry Sands moved to second and Raburn, who’s off to a bit of a disappointing start, doubled in the fourth. Then in the seventh inning, Adam Eaton, a former product of Miami of Ohio, was tossed out while trying to extend a double into a triple with the relay combination of Moss-to-Jason Kipnis-to Mike Aviles.
The Indians look to right the ship today, at noon, as Trevor Bauer toes the rubber against another southpaw, John Danks.