Cleveland Indians: Tribe Falls in 16 Innings

9 - 8 - 10     at Los Angeles Angels     L, 4 - 3 (16 innings)     57 - 83

     Prior to this marathon in L.A., the last time the Indians played a game as long as 16 innings was on July 30, 1998.  The Tribe won that one, but they could not repeat the trick against the Angels, who escaped the series with a win.
     Thanks to a Trevor Crowe RBI single, Josh Tomlin took a lead and a no - hitter into the bottom of the 5th. 
     Neither one lasted very long.
     Mike Napoli's two - run homer broke up Tomlin's no - no, and it also gave the Halos a lead of 2 - 1.
     That lead grew in the 6th when Peter Bourjos cranked a solo bomb, and Cleveland was in trouble.
     The Indians began their comeback in the 7th on an Andy Marte solo home run, but the Tribe was still down a run heading to the 9th.
     Given a chance to close things out for the Angels, Jose Valverde allowed the Indians to tie the game, although they did not even have one hard - hit ball in the inning.  Matt Laporta flaired a single to right - center field, Jason Donald chopped an infield hit off of home plate, and Jayson Nix blooped a RBI single into left.
     Lou Marson's defense was the reason this contest went overtime.  In the bottom of the 9th, Joe Smith uncorked a wild pitch with the winning run standing on third base.  However, Marson retrieved the ball and threw a perfect strike to Smith, who slapped the tag on Alberto Callaspo.
     Michael Brantley extended the game even further with his leaping catch at the wall in center in the 10th that took a walk - off homer away from Juan Rivera.
     The Indians, though, eventually ran out of defensive gems, and they lost the game in the 16th on Jeff Mathis's sacrifice fly.