The Indians switched up their lineup on Monday night in an effort to get Nick Swisher hot at the plate. For one night, the strategy worked. The only problem was that the rest of Cleveland’s batting order went cold.
In the opener of a three-game series with the Mariners, the Tribe could not solve right-hander Aaron Harang in a 2-1 loss at Safeco Field. Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez turned in an admirable effort and Swisher showed the kind of power he had been lacking of late, but that combination proved insufficient.
“It’s nice to kind of get back on track,” Swisher said. “But it’s frustrating not being able to score any runs. Ubaldo did a great job. The bullpen comes in and does a great job. For a team that’s been hot as a firecracker over there, for us to hold them at two runs, we’ve got to score more runs than that.
“We’ve got to pick up that win.”
With the defeat, Cleveland slipped to 1-3 with two games remaining on its swing through Minnesota and Seattle. The Indians broke out for seven runs in a win over the Twins on Sunday, but have scored just five runs combined in the three one-run losses on this road trip.
The Tribe’s rotation has combined to allow just three earned runs over the past four games and has fashioned an American League-leading 1.99 ERA dating back to July 7. For all that success, Cleveland’s starters have just one win and two no-decisions to show for their effort since the All-Star break.
“We’re not rolling,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of his lineup. “Our pitching, thankfully, is keeping us in games. If our pitching keeps pitching like this, we’re going to be just fine. We’ve just got to keep plugging away.”
After considering the change for weeks, Francona finally pulled Swisher out of the cleanup spot and moved him up to the second slot of the order for the Tribe. In his first at-bat as Cleveland’s new No. 2 hitter, Swisher made his manager look like a genius, slashing a pitch from Harang deep to left field for a home run that put the Indians up, 1-0.
The blast marked Swisher’s 10th long ball of the season and his first since July 6 for the Indians (52-47). He collected his first RBI since July 9 with the home run and later added a single to center field in the third inning. Call it a sign of progress for a key piece within Cleveland’s lineup, but the club needed much more on this night.
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