Urrrghh that was sickening, just about the worst finish to a baseball game you can imagine. I've just finished watching the fourth and final game of the Indians' series in Boston and I feel pretty ill now. After a less-than-100% Vinnie Pestano blew a save chance yesterday in a 7-4 loss, Chris Perez not only repeated that feat but went one step better, managing to infuriate and enrage Cleveland fans just a bit more.
God it was so bad I'm even sure I want to re-cap what happened, but here we go. Starting pitcher Corey Kluber had a great game and deserved the victory that eluded him yet again. Kluber's breaking ball was as good as I've ever seen it and he changed the speed on his pitches at the perfectly all day. There was a great moment in the 6th inning when Dustin Pedroia struck out on Kluber's sweeping curve, even though he knew it was coming because that was all Kluber was throwing to him. Kluber lasted a stellar 6 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts, a career high for him. He only gave up 3 hits and 1 run, and left the game in the 7th inning with a 4-1 lead, which the offense increased to 5-1 in the top of the 8th. The Indians were cruising and the Red Sox had shown very little chance of mounting any meaningful response.
That is until the bullpen took over. Rich Hill and Cody Allen combined to get the Tribe through the rest of the 7th and the 8th inning, only allowing a solitary Boston run, giving Cleveland a comfy 5-2 lead to protect in the 9th inning. But Chris Perez has been excelling himself of late at turning what is usually a routine save opportunity into a baseball nightmare.
The horror! THE HORROR! You just knew right away we were in for an uncomfortable ride. In the 31 agonising pitches Perez threw, he gave up 2 hits and walked 3 Red Sox for 4 runs to turn what was an easy win into a soul-destroying loss. Perez took the mound with zero confidence. Either he was pitching hurt from the start or his mind wasn't focused on the task at hand, but he did not look ready to get the Indians out of that game victorious. It looked destined to end the way it did.
It was just as well the Tribe offense had earned the 5-2 lead for Perez, because he quickly gave 2 runs back to Boston to cut it down to 5-4. Still, there was hope left because Perez had somehow managed to get 2 outs and just needed one more. But no, it was too much for him, and he proceeded to load the bases before facing Red Sox leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury. He then overextended himself and really hurt his arm on a 2-1 pitch to Ellsbury, forcing Francona to come out and check on Perez. The closer tried to dismiss any attempt the manager made to remove him but Tito insisted on Perez having a practice throw to the plate to see how hurt he was. The throw missed Santana by a mile and that was it, Perez was hooked by the skipper and the extent of his injury is yet to be determined. Poor Joe Smith came in with the most pressurised situation a relief pitcher can face and I don't blame him for what happened next: Ellsbury hit Smith's first pitch over Michael Bourn's head and off the base of the Green Monster to score two Boston runners and win it for them 6-5. Devastating.
It's so frustrating because we had this one in the bag and had earned the series split in a ballpark not many road teams get results from. Instead, Perez fluffs his lines again and we go home empty handed once more. The back-end of the bullpen was considered the strongest area of this team last year but they are easily the weakest in 2013 and some serious questions need to be asked from this stage onwards.
I don't have any more time tonight to analyse this situation but I will return to this topic some time this week to debate what steps the Indians can take to resolve these problems the bullpen are creating. It's probably best I stop here now, because if I keep going I'm likely to write something I regreat about Perez and the team, and I don't consider myself to be that kind of fan. Until next time...
Thanks for reading.
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