The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
BASEBALL IS BACK!
All-Star Game MVP fans 14, most by a Tribe pitcher on opening day
While fans were not allowed into Progressive Field for the Indians’ season opener against Kansas City on July 24, this couple made the best of the situation by watching the game through the gates. The Indians won, 2-0.
The first clue it wasn’t a normal opening day was the game-time temperature.
Instead of 35 degrees, as it often is for the Indians’ first home game of the season, the thermometer inside Progressive Field read 79 degrees when Shane Bieber’s pitch at 7:11 p.m. on July 24 to Royals lead-off hitter Whit Merrifield meant the 2020 season was under way.
The second clue things are not normal was the empty stadium. In that regard it closely resembled the second home game.
About 30 cardboard cutouts were placed down the first baseline so the Indians could see them from their third base dugout. About six living, breathing people followed social distancing guidelines and stood just beyond the gates of the left field Home Run Porch to get closer to the game. It was easy to hear them cheering over the fake noise.
Yet cutting through all the barriers the novel coronavirus is causing, in the end it is normal baseball — if you exclude no high-fives, no spitting, no fans and accept masks and starting extra innings with a runner on second is the new norm.
“It’s definitely a little different,” Indians manager Terry Francona said in his pregame Zoom conference.
“I think that’s stating the obvious, but we have a real game, and that is exciting.
“I tried to explain to the guys, it’s an honor to put on a Major League uniform. Let’s see how good we could be. We’re going to run into things along the way that could potentially get in the way. But whatever comes up, let’s see if we could be good enough. That’s really fun to do.”
Bieber was more than good enough in the 2-0 victory. The Indians’ starting pitcher hit Merrifield with a pitch, walked Jorge Soler and gave up a single to cleanup hitter Salvador Perez in the first inning.
Indians catcher Roberto
Perez cut down Adalberto Mondesi stealing second after Mondesi reached first on a fielder’s choice, and then after that Bieber was masterful. He had a dozen strikeouts through five innings and made the first 11 look easy. He got Mondesi fishing for a knuckle curve for his 12th with Royals on second and third and two out in the top of the fifth for his biggest out of the night, because at that point the game was still scoreless.
Bieber, the MVP of the 2019 All-Star Game, struck out two more Royals in the sixth. The 14 Ks are the most by an Indians opening day pitcher in franchise history. That’s 120 openers.
Meanwhile, Royals’ starting pitcher Danny Duffy left the Indians’ hitters equally frustrated through four innings. But then, in the top of the fifth, he plunked Jordan Luplow on the shoulder with a fastball to start the inning. Luplow took third on a single to center by
Roberto Perez and scored on a single by Oscar Mercado, the Tribe’s ninth hitter.
Mercado is good enough to hit early in the lineup (he had 118 hits in 115 games last season), but Francona slotted him ninth to set the table for the top of the order.
“I like having a guy who can turn the line-up over to the top guys,” Francona said. “He can run. He hit second a lot last year. He’s like a second leadoff hitter. I think there’s a lot of value to that.”
This is how it’s supposed to work for the Indians — dominant pitching and timely hitting. Too bad fans can’t be here to watch.
“We’re going to run into things along the way that could potentially get in the way. But whatever comes up, let’s see if we could be good enough. That’s really fun to do.” — Indians manager Terry Francona
Reach Schudel at JSchudel@News-Herald. com. On Twitter: @jsproinsider