Game 72: Rockies 4, Indians 3

The Indians clawed their way back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game late, but Chris Perez allowed a game-winning home run in the top of the ninth.

A lot of emphasis has been placed on Manny Acta sending Adam Everett in to pinch-run for Travis Hafner with nobody out in the eighth inning. At the time, the Indians were down 3-2, and Hafner represented the go-ahead run. The Indians would tie the game when Travis Buck broke an 0-for-24 slump with a single. Asdrubal Cabrera scored from second, and Everett went to third. Everett would be stranded on base, as Jack Hannahan lined out to end the threat. I thought pinch-running for Hafner with nobody out made sense at the time, for a couple reasons. First, the less time Hafner spends on the bases, the better. And second, if either Choo or Santana singles, Everett gets to third with less than two outs, when it would have taken two hits to score Hafner.

The risk of taking Hafner out in the eighth inning was that his spot in the order would come up again before the game was over. And it did, with a runner on third and two outs in the ninth against Colorado closer Huston Street. Acta had to pinch-hit for Everett, but didn't have a great choice. Grady Sizemore had pinch-hit for Lou Marson to start the inning, so Acta had to pick between Austin Kearns and Orlando Cabrera, both of whom had a sub-.600 OPS. Acta chose Kearns, who struck out in five pitches to end the game.

via www.fangraphs.com