Vinnie Pestano wore the look of a pitcher who had just experienced a critical loss in a postseason race. The Indians have long been out of that discussion, but that did not make what took place against the White Sox on Monday night hurt any less.
Little has gone right for Cleveland over the past few months, but there has been one strength within the ballclub’s pile of problems. The Tribe’s late-inning arms — Pestano being the primary occupant of the eighth — have consistently locked down the sporadic trips to the win column.
Things looked lined up in Cleveland’s favor at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday night. The Indians got to tough lefty Chris Sale just enough, rookie starter Zach McAllister quieted Chicago’s laboring lineup and the Tribe handed a slim lead over to its bullpen. In a 5-4 loss to the White Sox, it was Pestano’s turn to have an off night.
“I go in there and I blow it,” Pestano said.
The Indians (63-91) entered the evening ready to assume the role of spoiler, considering Chicago holds a one-game lead over the rival Tigers in the American League Central. Things were going fine in that regard until Adam Dunn used a pair of home runs to propel the White Sox to their first win in six games.
Pestano’s problems against the White Sox (82-71) in the eighth began with a one-out walk to Dan Johnson and a two-out base hit to Kevin Youkilis. The breaking point, however, came on an 0-2 fastball to Dunn. Pestano’s pitch was not in the same area code as his target and the powerful Dunn made the reliever pay.
“I missed all the way on the opposite side of the plate,” Pestano said. “I wanted to come in and move his feet. I just pushed it up and out, right into his barrel.”
The baseball rocketed off the barrel and carried into the seats beyond right-center field, setting off raucous cheers from the South Side crowd. Detroit won earlier in the evening, so Dunn’s blast — his 41st shot of the season — saved the White Sox from slipping into a first-place tie.
The Indians added a run in the ninth, but the damage had been done.
It was a rare lapse for Cleveland’s late-inning arms. The trio of Joe Smith, Pestano and closer Chris Perez in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings has helped the Indians go 21-2 when leading after six innings on the road this season. The loss knocked the Tribe’s record to 25-1 when leading after seven on the road this year.
Overall, the Indians are 53-4 when leading after seven innings this season.
Pestano, who has a 2.44 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings, has played a large role in that slice of success.
“He’s been terrific,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “That’s why we can’t complain about him at all. He’s done an outstanding job. A lot of the times, he comes in to set up the game and he gets the heart of the order and he goes through it like nothing.
“Today, just the walk to Johnson hurt him. And that 0-2 pitch to Dunn, we could’ve executed better there.”
McAllister did his part for the Tribe, offering six solid innings against a White Sox club that has five games left against the Tribe this season. The rookie right-hander snapped off seven strikeouts and held Chicago to just two runs on four hits.
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