Bay Area bomb: Tribe goes 1-5 vs. A’s, Giants
SAN FRANCISCO — The book is closed on the Cleveland Indians' Bay Area tour. Manager Terry Francona should burn it as soon as possible.
The Indians were positioned to salvage a win on the last day of this trip against the last-place teams in the West divisions of the American and National leagues, but that wasn't to be. A pinch-hit, two-run double by Buster Posey, set in motion by another critical error, gave the San Francisco Giants a 5-4 victory Wednesday afternoon.
Posey hit a 3-and-2 pitch to the wall in left field with two outs in the eighth inning off Bryan Shaw (2-4) to drop the Indians to 1-5 on this trip that started with a three-game sweep by the Oakland Athletics. Boone Logan started the inning for Cleveland with a strikeout but left because of a strained back muscle after walking Brandon Belt.
Logan will have an MRI on Thursday and is probably headed for the disabled list.
The game ended with Jose Ramirez flying out to right field against Sam Dyson after the Indians loaded the bases in the ninth. The Indians went 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position on Wednesday and 8 for 57 (.140) on the trip.
Shaw relieved Logan and gave up a single to Brandon Crawford. Conor Gillaspie followed with a double-play grounder to Carlos Santana at first, but the ball got past Santana as Crawford scored to cut the Indians' lead to 4- 3. Shaw struck out Nick Hundley, but couldn't get past Posey.
The Indians lost 2- 1 in 10 innings on Tuesday. Brandon Guyer's error in right field led to the Giants' first run.
"We got just what we were looking for," Francona said of Gillaspie's double- play grounder. "But the ball ended up in right field. We've got to get at least one out on that play."
Santana said, "I feel bad because my team lost. But I'm going to stay strong. Friday, we start a new series."
Carlos Carrasco pitched well enough to win his 11th game, but it didn't happen. Carrasco allowed two runs on six hits in six innings.
He started this road nightmare on Friday at the Oakland Coliseum. He struck out 10 in 6 innings but lost 5-0 to set the tone for the next five games.
For much of Wednesday, Carrasco's timing was much better than it was Friday. On his 106th and final pitch of the game, he induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Kelby Tomlinson to end the sixth inning with the Tribe leading 3-2. The Giants had the tying run on third with one out.
The Indians took a 3-1 lead in the third.
Carrasco, with one out, worked Giants starter Matt Cain for a walk. Michael Brantley lined a single to right. Carrasco, with third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh waving him all the way, came chugging home from second.
"I saw Sarbie waving me," Carrasco said with a smile. "I went back and watched it on video. I looked slow."
Ramirez, 3 for 21 on the trip going into that at- bat, singled to score Bradley Zimmer, who had reached base on a walk, and Brantley for a 3- 1 lead.
Denard Span made it 3-2 with a homer into the bay behind the right field wall, and the Indians made it 4-2 on Santana's single in the eighth.