Tyler Naquin and the Indians came up just short in their latest attempted rally.
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Last night, with his team tied with the Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth, Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin launched a ball deep to right field.
Cleveland Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin has been activated from the family medical emergency list and will start Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I wanted to face the same guys”, Osuna said after recording his 28th save. “I left a few pitches in the zone and made a few mistakes, that was it”. “If you want to catch me today, catch me with my best pitch”.
Osuna, who has blown only three saves in 31 chances, was happy to get back on the mound as quickly as possible.
“It’s not easy to forget about it, but it’s part of the game”, he said. Osuna also gave up a tying homer to Jose Ramirez on Friday, but pitched a ideal ninth Saturday for his 28th save. The right-hander struck out Lonnie Chisenhall before getting Naquin. “Everybody blows a game every now and then, if you’ve been watching baseball at all. That game was over with”. Naquin kept running. and running. and running, until he’d pulled off a wild inside-the-park walkoff homer.
Joe Biagini (4-2, 1.97 ERA), Joaquin Benoit, Jason Grilli and Roberto Osuna allowed only two hits in the final five innings. Tomlin received a no-decision despite pitching well in Toronto on July 1, allowing one run and striking out a season high-tying eight in six innings. “For me to go out there after that big inning and give up a home run to the first batter of the inning to erase that five-run inning stinks”. First, Russell Martin hit his second home run of the series, a solo shot. Mike Napoli hit a sacrifice fly and Jose Ramirez knocked an RBI single to center before Chisenhall homered on the 10th pitch of his at-bat.
The Indians still had a chance in the ninth against closer Roberto Osuna, who gave up a game-tying home run to Jose Ramirez before Naquin raced around the bases for his inside-the-park victor the night before.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Melvin Upton watches the ball leave the park for a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, in Cleveland.
“Lonnie’s at-bat was tremendous”, Tribe manager Terry Francona said. “They’re a very good hitting team”. The right-hander is 11-6 with a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts. The 31-year-old answered a pair of disastrous seven-run outings by yielding just three in 7 2/3 innings in a hard-luck 3-2 loss to Boston on Monday. Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday after missing two games with a jammed thumb.2. Toronto SS Troy Tulowitzki was back in the lineup Saturday, but as the designated hitter, not at shortstop.
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Toronto hit Tomlin early and hard on the way to a 5-0 lead.
