Aguilar’s error leads to big inning in latest loss
CLEVELAND — How bad are things going for the Indians?
In the second inning last night, they received a gift from plate umpire Jerry Layne when Scott Kazmir, one of the hottest pitchers in baseball, was ejected after walking rookie Jesus Aguilar.
A break like that doesn’t happen often, but it still didn’t help the Indians. Oakland overcame an early deficit to pound the Indians for the second straight night, 6-2 at Progressive Field.
Josh Tomlin (2-1) allowed a two-run homer to Brandon Moss in the third, but still kept the Indians in the game. When Asdrubal Cabrera cut Oakland’s lead to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, the Indians were in contention until their defense bit them again.
“It certainly makes it harder to win,” manager Terry Francona said.
Left-hander Marc Rzepczynski started the seventh in place of Tomlin. Coco Crisp followed a Nick Punto single with a perfect double-play ball to Mike Aviles at second. Aviles threw to short for the force and Cabrera’s throw to first beat Crisp, but Aguilar, just promoted from the Clippers, dropped the ball.
Rzepczynski, who should have been out of the inning, walked pinchhitter Alberto Callaspo and was relieved by Bryan Shaw. Josh Donaldson greeted him with a long drive off the top of the wall in left-center as two runs scored.
“The thing that makes it perplexing,” Francona said, “is that it seems like it’s something different (every time). It’s not just a similar play. I mean like Aguilar dropping the ball at first. He just dropped it and it turned out to be a huge play in the game.”
Moss followed with a double to make it 6-2.