Smyly Shuts Down Indians, Tribe Drops Finale

Jul 19, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes (10) high fives teammates after scoring a run during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Offense Sputters As Indians Lose 1-6

The Cleveland Indians couldn’t manage a sweep of the division-leading Detroit Tigers on Sunday, as they managed to struggle yet again against a lefty pitcher.  Drew Smyly was excellent for the motor city kitties, mowing down the Cleveland lineup for seven innings while allowing just 4 hits and 2 walks.  The 2 through 6 hitters went a combined 0-for-16 during the game.  The Tribe only got 4 chances to hit with runners in scoring position, and were unable to take advantage of any of them.

The Positives

Yan Gomes remains hot at the plate. The Brazilian Chin is hitting .273, which ranks 6th among qualified catchers in all of baseball, and his .458 slugging percentage trails only All-Star Jonathan Lucroy for first place on that list.  His 6 total bases in 3 at-bats today certainly helped push those numbers to where they are right now.  Kyle Crockett inherited a 1-out, bases-loaded situation and escaped with no damage, lowering his ERA to a sparkling 1.93.  And the Tribe played errorless baseball! Other than that, there wasn’t too much to be excited about.

The Negatives

Swisher, Santana and Murphy all went hitless again.  Austin Adams looked good for an inning but gave up another run in the 9th.  And Josh Tomlin was just awful, giving up at least four runs for the third straight start. He’s looked like garbage ever since his one-hitter.

Check It Out
–Michael Brantley has more homers than Miguel Cabrera. Who saw that coming?
-Speaking of homers, Yan Gomes’ 13 dingers are tied for the most by any catcher in the AL
-The Tribe is in second place in the AL and trails Detroit by only 5.5 games. They have 64 games left to play, and 43 of those games are against teams that currently have sub-.500 records.