Game 91: Indians 6, Orioles 5

by Ryan on Jul 16, 2011 7:02 AM EDT in Game Recaps

Grady Sizemore's two-run homer gave the Indians their third of four leads in this close game.

The first half of this game was an offensive see-saw battle; the last half a tense bullpen standoff. No runs were scored after the top of the sixth, and with just a one-run lead, the Tribe bullpen had to be perfect to preserve a victory.

Josh Tomlin lasted only five innings. He allowed just hits, but three of those were for home runs. Three times he pitched with a lead, and three times he gave up the lead. When the Indians pulled ahead in the sixth, he was taken out of the game, so he got the win despite the awful WPA.

Manny Acta first tried to squeeze some outs from Chad Durbin in the sixth, and he might have gotten a full inning from Durbin if not for an Asdrubal Cabrera error. Rafael Perez got the last out of the sixth by inducing Felix Pie to ground out; Pie was Perez's only batter of the game. Joe Smith retired right-handers Robert Andino, J.J. Hardy, walked left-hander Nick Markakis, and struck out right-hander Adam Jones to end the seventh. Vinnie Pestano retired the side in order in the eighth, and Chris Perez worked around a leadoff walk to get the save. That's four holds and a save with a one-run lead, a tough test for both the depth and quality of a bullpen.

20110715_indians_orioles_0_medium

via www.fangraphs.com

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Sizemore	.238	Tomlin	-.345
C. Perez	.201	Hafner	-.133
Pestano	.142	Buck	-.109

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I’m feeling a 30-15 run comin’ on!

by gte619n on Jul 16, 2011 10:16 AM EDT reply actions

Not a bad way to start with a series against the Os and a rare loss by Verlander this week.

"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter

by Denver Tribe Fan on Jul 16, 2011 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Watched the game from the upper reserves at Camden. What a cool park. I was (and remain) really confused by the whole John Denver “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” thing, though.

If you don't respect Aaron Laffey, I will fight you.

by Cap'n Snegiryov on Jul 16, 2011 11:36 AM EDT reply actions

It’s the last vestige of Earl Weaver.

by ken from alexandria on Jul 16, 2011 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Stellar work by the pen. I did not think there was any way that game would end 6-5.

by JamesPowell on Jul 16, 2011 2:17 PM EDT reply actions

So Josh really hasn’t been good since June 1st. There are about three good starts sprinkled in there, but even with them his ERA in that stretch is 5.56 and his earned runs match his strikeouts. The one good (I’ll even say great) thing he has going for him over that span is the five free passes he’s given out. Even with a lack of swing-and-miss stuff his season K/BB ratio is about 4.5 to 1. Paul Byrd never sniffed that as an Indian.

But he’s just getting hit too hard. For the season his ERA+ is now just below league average. Another month of this and Tomlin will be a problem, and we’ve already temporarily replaced Talbot and are waiting to see what Carmona does. At first I thought talk of trading for another starter was unnecessary; now I think it’s prescient.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Jul 16, 2011 3:25 PM EDT reply actions