Most fans focus on the pitching and hitting of baseball teams, overlooking a key component of the game, defense. Certainly, the Cleveland Indians pitching staff has not done the job this season, ranking 13th (second last) in the American League in ERA. However, last night, the gloves definitely let the pitching staff down in a number of ways.
1st Inning. Craig Counsell, who killed the Tribe in the ’97 World Series, batted with one out, and hit one into the gap in left center that Trevor Crowe played into a triple. The ball could have been a double, but Crowe dove and didn’t come up with the ball and it rolled to the fence.
That mistake cost the team when the next batter, Ryan Braun, hit a bouncer to third. Jhonny Peralta, out of the world shortest term doghouse (one game) looked at the Counsell, who was heading home, looking back at the Tribe third baseman, apparently getting ready to get in a rundown. Peralta ignored this, and inexplicably threw to first to get Braun. He almost certainly would have had the runner at the plate. Chalk up another heads up play for Peralta.
By the way, Eric Wedge said he had to play Peralta because Hafner couldn’t play (even though he will have the next eight days off), and Ben Francisco is struggling. Has Josh Barfield been sent back to Columbus?
7th Inning. After Joe Smith, on the roster because he can get right-handed hitters out, gave up a home run to Billy Hall, who is hitting .172 against right-handed pitchers, walked Counsell, he induced Braun to hit a grounder to second base. SS Luis Valbuena couldn’t get the ball out of his glove on the relay to first, allowing Braun to reach safely.
The next hitter, Prince Fielder, hit a drive to the warning track in left center where Crowe got a glove on it, but didn’t catch it. The ball was short of the wall, it simply wasn’t caught. As a result, Braun scored, and so did Fielder when Corey Hart doubled of the wall in left. Three runs scored in the inning, but if the defense was good, only one would have crossed the plate.
11th Inning. With one out and runners on first and second, Greg Aquino threw a pitch seemingly right down the middle to Mike Cameron. One problem. Kelly Shoppach didn’t catch it. Whether or not the catcher was crossed up, the passed ball moved the runners to second and third, where the next hitter, J.J. Hardy hit a sacrifice fly to take a lead that Milwaukee would not relinquish.
That’s four of the runs the Brewers scored in a game they won in extra innings by one run.
By the way, since the Colorado Rockies fired manager Clint Hurdle, they have won 12 of 13 games. I’m just saying…
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 