The Indians lost a game, a starting pitcher and a home run Sunday at Target Field. But at least the sun came out.
The loss was their third straight as the Twins completed an abbreviated two-game sweep with a 4-3 victory on Jason Kubel's two-run double in the seventh inning and the all-seeing eye of instant replay that turned Michael Brantley's three-run homer in the fourth inning into a two-run double.
As you may have noticed, that one run played a big part in deciding Sunday's winner and loser.
Of greater concern is Carlos Carrasco's right elbow. He left after three innings with tightness and will be examined Monday in Cleveland. Fellow starter Jeanmar Gomez, whose next start had been pushed back to Saturday, made his first big-league relief appearance in place of Carrasco. If Carrasco has to go on the disabled list, Gomez will take his spot in the rotation and the Indians will have to call up a another starter from Class AAA Columbus.
"In my last start in Kansas City, I was throwing between 94 and 96 [mph]," said Carrasco. "Today I was between 88 and 91. It felt a little tight in the bullpen warming up.
"I felt it most when I threw my fastball. I started feeling it more in the third inning and that's when I said something."
Carrasco said he had the same kind of injury last year at Columbus. He said he missed one game.
After working three scoreless innings, Gomez started the seventh by giving up a single to Alexi Casilla. Rafael Perez (2-1) relieved and induced a grounder by Denard Span, but second baseman Orlando Cabrera made an error to put runners on first and second. Kubel won the lefty-on-left matchup by ripping a long double off the right-field wall.
The Indians finished this six-game trip -- Friday's game was rained out -- at 2-4.
"We gave them an extra out ... and their big hitters came through," said manager Manny Acta. "We just have to go home, do some home cooking, and get it back together."
In the fourth, Brantley hit what was originally ruled a three-run homer to right. The umpires reviewed the play following a protest by manager Ron Gardenhire and changed it to a two-run double, trimming the Tribe's 4-2 lead to 3-2.
Brantley's drive off Carl Pavano (2-2, 5.12) hit the limestone border of an overhanging flower bed. It bounced up and bounced back on the field where Kubel grabbed it. If it had landed in the flower bed, it would have been a three-run homer.
Acta didn't question the fact that the homer was really a double. He did question why Brantley was awarded a double instead of a triple.
"It was a good ruling," he said. "That's why they have that replay. But every ruling has its loophole. Is it a double? Is it a triple?
"You could rule it a triple with Michael running, but Michael couldn't run hard because as soon as he touched first base he had three umpires in front of him signaling a home run.
"We wanted replay. We have it. You get the correct call 99 out of 100 times. But this loophole still keeps the human element into it because the umpires had to make a judgment."
The umpires were not available for comment.
If Brantley had been awarded third, could he have scored on Jack Hannahan's fly ball to shallow center field following Lou Marson's walk? Hannahan didn't think so. Brantley said Pavano probably would have pitched Hannahan differently if he was on third.
"I watched the replay two innings later and they made the right call," said Brantley. "It definitely wasn't a home run. We were arguing that it should have been a triple, but the umpires said that since Kubel fielded cleanly off the wall, it was only a double."
Brantley's solution?
"I should have done more weights on this road trip," he said.
Justin Morneau doubled home two runs to give the Twins a 2-0 lead in the third. The inning could have been much bigger for the Twins, but right fielder Shin-Soo Choo threw out two runners at the plate.
Casilla and Denard Span opened the third with singles against Carrasco. Jason Repko went down on a fly ball, but Kubel singled to right. Casilla ran through third-base coach Steve Liddle's stop sign and Choo threw him out with a strike to Marson.
Morneau followed with a two-run double over Grady Sizemore's head in center. When Morneau tried to score on Michael Cuddyer's single to right, Choo threw him out as well. Choo led the AL in assists last year.
The loss was their third straight as the Twins completed an abbreviated two-game sweep with a 4-3 victory on Jason Kubel's two-run double in the seventh inning and the all-seeing eye of instant replay that turned Michael Brantley's three-run homer in the fourth inning into a two-run double.
As you may have noticed, that one run played a big part in deciding Sunday's winner and loser.
Of greater concern is Carlos Carrasco's right elbow. He left after three innings with tightness and will be examined Monday in Cleveland. Fellow starter Jeanmar Gomez, whose next start had been pushed back to Saturday, made his first big-league relief appearance in place of Carrasco. If Carrasco has to go on the disabled list, Gomez will take his spot in the rotation and the Indians will have to call up a another starter from Class AAA Columbus.
"In my last start in Kansas City, I was throwing between 94 and 96 [mph]," said Carrasco. "Today I was between 88 and 91. It felt a little tight in the bullpen warming up.
"I felt it most when I threw my fastball. I started feeling it more in the third inning and that's when I said something."
Carrasco said he had the same kind of injury last year at Columbus. He said he missed one game.
After working three scoreless innings, Gomez started the seventh by giving up a single to Alexi Casilla. Rafael Perez (2-1) relieved and induced a grounder by Denard Span, but second baseman Orlando Cabrera made an error to put runners on first and second. Kubel won the lefty-on-left matchup by ripping a long double off the right-field wall.
The Indians finished this six-game trip -- Friday's game was rained out -- at 2-4.
"We gave them an extra out ... and their big hitters came through," said manager Manny Acta. "We just have to go home, do some home cooking, and get it back together."
In the fourth, Brantley hit what was originally ruled a three-run homer to right. The umpires reviewed the play following a protest by manager Ron Gardenhire and changed it to a two-run double, trimming the Tribe's 4-2 lead to 3-2.
Brantley's drive off Carl Pavano (2-2, 5.12) hit the limestone border of an overhanging flower bed. It bounced up and bounced back on the field where Kubel grabbed it. If it had landed in the flower bed, it would have been a three-run homer.
Acta didn't question the fact that the homer was really a double. He did question why Brantley was awarded a double instead of a triple.
"It was a good ruling," he said. "That's why they have that replay. But every ruling has its loophole. Is it a double? Is it a triple?
"You could rule it a triple with Michael running, but Michael couldn't run hard because as soon as he touched first base he had three umpires in front of him signaling a home run.
"We wanted replay. We have it. You get the correct call 99 out of 100 times. But this loophole still keeps the human element into it because the umpires had to make a judgment."
The umpires were not available for comment.
If Brantley had been awarded third, could he have scored on Jack Hannahan's fly ball to shallow center field following Lou Marson's walk? Hannahan didn't think so. Brantley said Pavano probably would have pitched Hannahan differently if he was on third.
"I watched the replay two innings later and they made the right call," said Brantley. "It definitely wasn't a home run. We were arguing that it should have been a triple, but the umpires said that since Kubel fielded cleanly off the wall, it was only a double."
Brantley's solution?
"I should have done more weights on this road trip," he said.
Justin Morneau doubled home two runs to give the Twins a 2-0 lead in the third. The inning could have been much bigger for the Twins, but right fielder Shin-Soo Choo threw out two runners at the plate.
Casilla and Denard Span opened the third with singles against Carrasco. Jason Repko went down on a fly ball, but Kubel singled to right. Casilla ran through third-base coach Steve Liddle's stop sign and Choo threw him out with a strike to Marson.
Morneau followed with a two-run double over Grady Sizemore's head in center. When Morneau tried to score on Michael Cuddyer's single to right, Choo threw him out as well. Choo led the AL in assists last year.
