Cleveland Indians: Tribe Breaks Through Late to Top Tampa Bay

5-10-11     vs. Tampa Bay     W, 5-4     23-11

     On Tuesday night at Progressive Field, an Indians victory was ultimately inevitable.  The Tampa Bay pitching staff combined to issue 11 walks, and the Tribe, after squandering numerous scoring opportunities, finally walked off in the bottom of the 9th.

     Had the game been stopped following the 1st 4 innings, the headline would have been "Cleveland Prevails in Home Run Parade."  Grady Sizemore and Michael Brantley hit solo homers in the 1st and 4th, respectively, and Matt Joyce's solo blast accounted for the lone Tampa run during those 1st 4 frames.

     The Rays evened the score at 2 in the 6th, and they did it in a more conventional manner.  Joyce doubled up the left-center field alley, plating Ben Zobrist who had previously walked.

     The Indians seemingly grabbed control of the contest as they tallied twice in the last of the 6th.  A single and 2 walks loaded the bases with 1 out.  Sizemore then grounded sharply into a force out at the dish, and it looked like Tampa Bay would escape the jam unscathed.  However, Asdrubal Cabrera bounced an infield single between the shortstop and 2nd baseman that scored 1 and reloaded the bases.  A passed ball enabled the 2nd run of the inning to cross home plate.

     A Kelly Shoppach RBI single and an Evan Longoria solo bomb deadlocked the 2 1st place clubs at 4 runs apiece.  The Rays' rally cost Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin (6 IP, 3 ER) his 5th win of the season.

     Entering the home half of the 9th, the Tribe had stranded 10 runners on base, including 3 who were at 3rd with less than 2 outs.  The Rays, though, gave the Indians 1 too many chances.  Shin-Soo Choo's walk, Carlos Santana's single, and an intentional walk put all the ducks on the pond before a single out was recorded.  Orlando Cabrera, reminiscent of Sizemore's 6th inning at-bat, grounded into a force out at the plate.  The Rays' closer, Kyle Farnsworth, now needed only a double play to work out of the jam, but he simply could not throw strikes.  His complete lack of command turned an 0-2 count into a full count, and his payoff pitch to Brantley was in the dirt.  Brantley gladly accepted the game-winning free pass that wrapped up the Tribe's 14th consecutive home triumph.

Despite batting .071 with men in scoring position, the Indians walked off