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Totaling up the damage took awhile.
In the sixth inning alone, Indians pitchers walked seven. After awhile, it looked
like Saturday afternoon at the mall, except these weren't senior citizens in
tennis shoes getting in their cardio workout.
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These guys were walking more slowly. There was no rush. Runs continued to pile up, whether the Tiger batters moved quickly or at a saunter. The final score: Detroit 17, Cleveland 3 on Friday night at Comerica Park.
In the fateful and shameful sixth, the Tigers scored 11 times. Moving at a snail's
pace was working so well, Eric Munson and Brandon Inge tried strolling around
the bases after whacking home runs, Inge hitting the first grand slam of his
career, Munson adding a two-run blast.
The horrid inning put in focus the Indians' No. 1 weakness: a bullpen that turns
problematic situations into volcanic eruptions. Friday night, Dave Lee, newcomer
Jason Anderson and Jack Cressend gave up 11 runs, six hits and nine walks in
2 2/3 innings.
So some relief pitchers will go, others will take their place, but youngsters
Kazuhito Tadano and Fernando Cabrera, making strides at Buffalo, probably are
not ready for the big leagues.
"There will be more changes," manager Eric Wedge said, grim faced.
"We have to talk about it. We're at the point now where we might have to
look outside the organization."
Fourteen Detroit batters came to the plate in the sixth, none was held to a
single. In addition to the walks and the homers, Inge tripled and Ivan Rodriguez
hammered a three-run double.
No, the Tigers were not facing the Cleveland coaching staff. Those were card-carrying
pitchers on the mound for the Tribe. All are enrolled in the major-league pension
fund, and some of them ought to be thinking about cashing in on their benefits
soon.
"We were looking to keep it a 6-3 game, and it got out of hand with the
bullpen," Wedge said. "The inning dominoed on us big-time. After it
got out of hand, we were just trying to get through it."
The sixth inning began with starter Jason Davis making his last-gasp attempt
to stay in the game. But after he walked the leadoff batter and gave up Munson's
homer, he was replaced by Lee, who faced four batters and retired none.
Anderson, called up Friday from Triple-A, was summoned. Undoubtedly, he was
aware of the location of the plate. It is buried in the same relative location
as the one in Buffalo and others throughout the International League.
But no matter how hard he tried, and he certainly gave it his best effort, he
could not throw strikes. Eventually, Anderson retired three batters after walking
four -- forcing in two runs -- and yielding five more runs.
In all, Indians pitchers needed 66 pitches to get through the inning. At one
juncture 11 of 12 batters reached base. And these were the Tigers, who have
taken three of five from the Tribe.
"Detroit is a better team this year, with more veterans," Wedge said.
"We're a better team, too, but we didn't show it tonight."
The rest of the game was no picnic for Cleveland, either. Davis (0-2, 5.56 ERA)
was charged with six runs in five-plus innings. It was his most disappointing
start of the young season, as he allowed 10 hits but only one walk.
"They were hitting good pitches," Davis said. "I made some mistakes
as well, and they hit those, too."
Added Wedge, "J.D. battled. He was more erratic than normal. But he was
still able to get us to the sixth. If he had been able to get us through the
next inning (without further damage), we might have been able to make a run."
Cressend was called in to stop the bloodletting, and even he gave up two runs
in 1 2/3 innings.
Tribe batsmen came out swinging against Jeremy Bonderman (2-1, 6.65 ERA), but
after the fifth inning, the Tiger starter left, and the Indians stopped hitting.
Detroit established a Comerica Park record for runs, wiping out the total of
16 scored against the Blue Jays on June 13, 2000.
Of Cleveland's 11 losses, four (36 percent) have been routs. In addition to
Friday night's debacle, the Kansas City Royals walloped the Tribe 15-5, the
Tigers won 10-4 and the Minnesota Twins earned a 10-6 decision.
And it's still early.