On Monday night, the Tribe dropped a 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Mariners at Safeco Field, suffering a sixth straight loss on this West Coast swing. It was only a couple of weeks ago that Cleveland wrapped up a discouraging 11-game losing streak.
The Indians do not want to remember that slide — or repeat it.
“We don’t even want to think about that,” Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez said. “We have to go out there every day, trying to execute, trying to hopefully get a win. You definitely don’t want to put that in your mind that, ‘Here we go again.'”
In the latest setback within a season that began with high hopes, Jimenez provided the Tribe with a solid start, but it proved insufficient. Cleveland’s offense fell short and Michael Saunders powered Seattle’s attack with a pair of home runs, sending the Indians to their 19th loss in their past 23 games.
Over that span, Cleveland (54-68) has tumbled out of the postseason picture and into fourth place in the American League Central. On this current trek through Anaheim, Oakland and Seattle, the Indians have gone 1-6 with a 6.00 team ERA.
Prior to Monday’s game, the Indians held a players-only meeting, but the details of the gathering will “stay in the meeting,” according to second baseman Jason Kipnis. What is clear is that Cleveland’s players are sick and tired of losing and searching for ways to right a ship that began taking in water last month.
Kipnis was asked what needs to happen to stop this latest slump.
“Play better baseball,” Kipnis said. “All aspects of the game. We’ve got to play better baseball. Offense, defense, pitching, everything. We’ve got to play better. It’s not a lack of effort. It’s not a lack of concentration. The team’s out there trying, fighting.
“Things are just not falling in place right now.”
Such was the case in the ninth inning, when Mariners closer Tom Wilhelmsen hung a curveball to Kipnis but still induced a game-ending double-play grounder with the bases loaded. Two batters earlier, Wilhelmsen fired a wild pitch with runners on second and third base and one out.
The baseball bounced off the backstop and flew back to catcher Miguel Olivo, swiftly ending any thought of having Cleveland’s runners advance 90 feet apiece.
Click here to read more of this story.
About Marion Online Sports
