While We’re Waiting… Frank Ryan is smarter than you
July 4, 2013MLB News: Jim Thome joins White Sox as special assistant
July 4, 2013Rain delay. Electricity delay. Alex Gordon crashing into the outfield wall, leading to an inside the park home run. Yep. Just a typical game on this road trip…
The Indians and Royals were delayed before the start of this one by about an hour and forty-five minutes. Once they got started, the pitchers had their way early. The Royals did strike for a run in the first, but Kazmir pitched well into the sixth inning. Guthrie was also very tough on the Indians.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Indians caught a break which could be costly for the Royals. After singles by Bourn and Cabrera, Jason Kipnis hit a ball the other way deep to left. Royals’ OF Alex Gordon went back on the ball, but turned awkwardly and crashed backwards into the chain link wall in front of Kansas City’s bullpen. Gordon was down for the count while Kipnis circled the bases for a 3 run, inside the park home run.
Gordon would lay on the ground while the trainers attended to him. Replay would show that Gordon hit is head and neck hard against the fence. He was removed from the game and it was reported that he had a possible concussion and a hip contusion.
The play would give the Indians a 3-1 lead, but it would be short lived.
In the bottom of the sixth, Scott Kazmir would give up a pair of singles to start the inning, prompting a pitching change. Enter Rich Hill. Exit lead.
Hill would give up three straight RBI singles. He followed that up with a botched pick-off attempt at first giving the Royals their fourth run of the inning. Royals 4, Indians 3.
Give the Indians credit for coming right back, with a slight assist to Kaufman Stadium.
After Guthrie struck out Mark Reynolds, the lights went out around the stadium. There was another delay, this time around 10 minutes. When the game resumed, Guthrie walked a pair of Indians. He was chased from the game, to the benefit of the Indians.
Michael Bourn would single in a run and Asdrubal Cabrera hit a sac fly to pull the game even at 5, but an Eric Hosmer home run put Kansas City on top 6-5.
In the eighth, the Royals could have put it away. Cleveland committed their third error of the game, turning a sacrifice bunt into a bases loaded situation with no outs, but the Indians and Albers got out of the jam without giving up a run.
The big problem for the Indians’ offense was the lack of production outside of the top of the order. Bourn, Cabrera and Kipnis all had decent nights, but the four through six hitters laid an egg. Swisher, Brantley and Santana were all 0-4 without even a walk. In fact, the only hit not by the top three in the Indians’ order was a single by Raburn in the 7th.
Final score: Royals 6, Indians 5.
Ubaldo Jimenez (6-4, 4.63ERA) closes out the road trip for the Indians against James Shields (3-6, 2.99 ERA). The Indians entered the game 7-2 on the road trip.
2 Comments
I think Shaw gave up the 3 singles, not Hill.
It was shaw. Hill actually came in and pitched well retiring the two batters he faced.