News
Rain can't save Lee, Tribe in loss
Lefty chased early by Sox; game called in seventh
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
07/01/09 12:25 AM ET
CLEVELAND -- Rain forced the Indians' game against the White Sox on Tuesday night at Progressive Field to be called early. Unfortunately for Cliff Lee and the Tribe, it was called after it had become official. The Indians could have used a postponement or a rewind button or anything to erase what transpired in the game's early innings. Their ace Lee was battered in a manner unseen the last two seasons, and they never recovered in an 11-4 loss to the Sox. The game was called in the top of the seventh in the midst of its third delay. After the start of the game was delayed 32 minutes because of the threat of inclement weather, Lee's Major League-leading streak of 47 starts with at least five innings pitched came to a stunning halt. He was roughed up for seven runs on 11 hits with a walk and three strikeouts in just three-plus innings of work. "It was a bad outing," said Lee, who turned in his shortest start since a 2 2/3-inning effort against the White Sox on May 29, 2006. "That's not what my job description is. I need to go deep into the game, give up less runs and give us a chance to win the game. It was not a good game. Period." The Sox put up a four-run first greased by Alexei Ramirez's one-out walk, ignited by Jermaine Dye's one-run double, highlighted by Paul Konerko's two-run homer into the Tribe bullpen and capped by Gordon Beckham's RBI single. "It seemed they knew what was coming every pitch," Lee said. "I did miss up a little bit, but they hit good pitches, too. It all seemed like it happened pretty fast." After Travis Hafner's solo shot off Clayton Richard in the second made it a 4-1 game, the Sox added to their lead with Chris Getz's two-run double off Lee in the third. And in the fourth, Lee gave up hits to the first three batters he faced, including Jermaine Dye's RBI single, before he was yanked. It was 7-1 by that point. And an Indians team that had come to expect greatness from the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner found itself in an unexpected position. "I think we get a little bit spoiled by Cliff, because he has been so consistent and so good," manager Eric Wedge said. "When he does have a night like this, it does surprise people. But he's such a great competitor, and he'll come back strong next time." But Lee won't be able to keep that impressive streak going. He was just the second Indians pitcher in the last 55 years to put together a streak that long. The other was Gaylord Perry, who turned in 71 straight starts of at least five innings from 1972-74. "It says I've been consistent," Lee said of the streak. "I didn't realize that [streak was intact], but it's over now." Lee didn't blame the pregame delay for throwing him off his routine. It was an odd delay in that it involved no rain whatsoever, but the Indians were being cautious. "Early on, you've got to work off the radar, and it looked like one was going to hit us pretty good there," Wedge said. "We've tried to start those before and, next thing you know, you play a half-inning then have to stop. You don't want to get your starters hot, then have to stop." The Indians might have been praying for the game to stop after Lee's rough start. And stop it did, but only for an additional 30 minutes in the middle of the fourth. When play resumed, the Sox added more insurance off Mike Gosling with solo shots from Gordon Beckham and Josh Fields in the fifth. The Indians made a game of it in the bottom of the fifth, as they loaded the bases off Richard to set up Asdrubal Cabrera's bases-clearing double that made it 9-4. But when the Sox scored twice more off the Tribe bullpen in the sixth, the Indians were well on their way to defeat. They had to lick their wounds while sitting through a 57-minute delay in the top of the seventh before the game was finally called. "Sometimes common sense has to prevail," Wedge said of the decision to end the game early. The Indians didn't prevail for the 13th time in their last 16 games. More rain is expected for Wednesday night's series finale. But that's par for the course for an Indians team surrounded by dark clouds all season.Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
