Indians give themselves a Wedge - Lose 8-6 on a game-winning homer.
Posted July 9th, 2008 by Dave Wiley
Whoever forgot to pay homage to the Baseball Gods, PLEASE head to the altar now! The Indians, leading 6-1 after six, lost in the bottom of the ninth 8-6 on a walk-off home run by Miguel Cabrera. This isn’t even funny anymore.
They didn’t even lose the way you’d expect. Paul Byrd, who’s just been limburger cheese awful over the last month, actually deserved to win. He went into the seventh and could not get an out after a shaky sixth. When he walked back out for the seventh, I thought to myself, WHAT IS ERIC WEDGE THINKING?
Recall, this is a guy who’s been terrible over a month, the Indians are riding a nine game losing streak – and Byrd just gave up two hits and a run in the sixth. Yet out he walked. I choked on my Doritos.
After a pair of singles, Byrd was gone. Now I’m hoping for Masa Kobayashi. Sure he’s the newly anointed closer, but we’ve lost nine in a row and the bullpen is bad news. Out walks Rafael Betancourt. I swear I could smell defeat – not my feet, defeat. Betancourt walked the first batter. Maybe it’s a good time to send HIM to the showers? Nah, not yet.
How about after a Carlos Guillen double that made it 6-3 with guys on second and third. Should the Wedge-meister take Betancourt out now? Nah…. Not yet….
Miguel Cabrera grounded to third, and another run scored… NOW????
How about after a two run, game tying home run by Matt Joyce. Apparently THAT is the time to change pitchers. Eric Wedge, congratulations on single-handedly extending the losing streak to ten games.
Edwardo Mujica entered the game and got a double play ending the inning, but you just KNEW this one was over.
Oh sure, the Tribe made it interesting. Still six-up in the ninth, Casey Blake doubled to open the inning. He moved to third on a Shin-Soo Choo ground-out. That’s when the non-praying payment to the Baseball Gods kicked in. Ryan Garko rocketed a grounder toward third that was stopped by Carlos Guillen. Blake, heading home on contact, was a dead duck in the rundown. Marte grounded out on another nice stop by third baseman Guillen, and the Indians half of the inning was over.
Jensen Lewis relieved Rafael Perez. Hey great idea to change out pitchers when they AREN”T in trouble!! Lewis gave up a single, registered one out, getting Guillen on a foul pop-out behind home plate, then surrendered the game winning home-run. Cabrera was the vessel for the hit. Frankly I was surprised the Baseball Gods didn’t award the walk-off to Guillen, since he’d just stole the winning Indians run a few minutes earlier with his defense.
The longest losing streak ever for the Cleveland Indians is twelve games. Twelve. Aaron Laffey and Cliff Lee will have to get back-to-back no decisions or losses for the tie of the streak. Start praying now - the first place Tampa Bay Rays are coming to town.
The four game series with the Rays will be the last for Cleveland prior to the All-Star break. Grady Sizemore is named as a participant in the home-run derby.
The Indians had fourteen hits in the loss, as did Detroit. In the top of the sixth, the Tribe had a shot to break the game open but only pushed across one run. They had runners on the corners, nobody out, and a run across and got nothing. A ground-out and a pair of strike-outs really signaled the beginning of the end.
Ten losses in a row. Ten.
July 10th, 2008 at 12:49 am
two things. first, i saw some change in attitude (a better one). second, let´s sweep the rays and it´s a whole new season!
July 10th, 2008 at 1:13 am
For bobbyk - you must be the biggest idiot on the planet. Somehow the 10th loss in a row signified a better attitude? And you see sweeping the rays as possible? Oh yeah, and don't forget that would make it a whole new season. Sure, they only need to win about 75% of their games to get to the playoffs. We can only hope you aren't allowed to vote or have children.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:17 am
great story…it says it all!
July 10th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Please don't say "walk-off home run." It's an incredibly stupid media-created moronic term. Which has since led to even more moronic phrases … like "game-winning single," for example. ESPN's dumbing down of sports and ESPN's dumbing down of everything else is dragging you around by the short hairs. It was a game-winning homer. End of story. Pet peeve here.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Alan - Fair enough statement. I think I agree with you and changed the article. Thanks for the tip.
Dave Wiley
July 10th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Dave,
I sure seems like the Indians should start looking at next season. They need to make some major changes if they want to play good.
Great article!
July 10th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
When is the owner going to realize that the manager is a stubborn buffoon? Why has he been in the majors for this long when he has gave Indians maybe 2 playoff years? The owner should tell Shapiro to either fire Wedge or get fired. As long as Wedge is the manager, Indians are not going to do anything. They are just going to get worse and worse and trade talent away for players to be named later because the managers doesn't like someone's personality, see Brandon Phillips.
July 10th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
It's pretty sad when fans can sit at home and actually anticipate exactly what misguided moves Wedge is going to make, as well as the disastrous loss ahead (when we lead by five runs, no less)….all before it occurs. Yes, it's sad. But, oh, how true.
And if we can predict Wedge's every move, don't ya think the opposing managers are about 10 times more clued in? We're at a severe disadvantage with this guy in the dugout, yet you have to feel sorry for him as he gazes down his bench. Hooboy, whatta group of pushovers.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Actually, I misspoke in my post, a typo … I didn't mean "game-winning single," I meant ESPN is even using things like "walk-off single," stupid things like that to go with that stupid "walk-off home run," and the media everywhere has been running with it. STOP!!! I'm waiting for the eventual day when some ESPN blowhard calls a Joe Borowski bases loaded game-winning walk a "walk-off walk."
July 12th, 2008 at 10:12 am
What was Wedge thinking sending Byrd out there for the 7th? Probably "My bullpen stinks… hopefully Byrd (who has not been in trouble) can give us one more inning."
And then…
"Jensen Lewis relieved Rafael Perez. Hey great idea to change out pitchers when they AREN”T in trouble!!"
Yep…. that's what he did with Byrd that you condemmed him for.
You can like Wedge, or hate him…. I really don't care. But this cheap shot second guessing is for 2nd graders. Of course you are smarter than Wedge… that's why you sell shoes for a living….
July 13th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Byrd was in trouble the entire game and had his worst inning in the sixth. Yes, the bullpen stinks, but Byrd was done. I thought it watching the game, not second guessing. Byrd should not have been sent back out. I don't think this a cheap shot. I also do not like or dislike Wedge, I think he's an ok manager. Not great, not bad. On the heels of a this losing streak, I would have pulled all the stops out to end the skid. Never said I was smarter than Wedge, but it was a bad decision period.
P.S. Let me know what size shoes you wear and I'll get them from the back.