NewsMasterson outdueled in nightcap loss
Right-hander takes tough-luck loss vs. Buehrle, White Sox
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
09/30/09 10:48 PM ET
CLEVELAND -- The Indians' home season opened on April 10 to a packed house and dreams of postseason contention. It closed Wednesday in a doubleheader against the White Sox with empty seats, contention hopes long out the window and a lame-duck skipper at the helm. It also closed in defeat, as Justin Masterson's solid complete-game effort went to waste in a 1-0 loss to the Sox in the nightcap at Progressive Field. That capped a doubleheader split between the two American League Central foes. The Indians won the first game of the twin bill by a 5-1 count. The entire doubleheader was played in five hours, three minutes -- and that included the 30-minute break between games. It was getaway day for both clubs, and it looked like it. Soon, it will be getaway day for Tribe manager Eric Wedge, who will be relieved of his duties at season's end. He held his final postgame press conference in this building and was as focused on the task at hand as ever. "I'm trying not to get caught up in it," Wedge said. "My focus right now is these last four games, and making sure some good things happen. Like tonight with Masterson. What a great night for him." Indeed, if the theme of the night was "Win one for Wedgie" -- or, better yet, "Win two for Wedgie" -- then the starters certainly did their part. Fausto Carmona gave the Indians seven strong innings in Game 1, and Masterson was masterful in Game 2. Given that this second half was geared more toward player development than the wins and losses, Masterson's final outing of 2009 can be deemed a successful one, regardless of the outcome. He gave the Tribe nine innings in which he allowed just the one run on four hits with two walks and 12 strikeouts -- the most by an Indians pitcher since CC Sabathia struck out a dozen Royals on Sept. 14, 2007. "It was just nice to be able to control the strike zone better than I had my last couple outings," Masterson said. "Fausto gave us a tremendous performance in the first game, and it was nice to back it up." Masterson, converted from the bullpen upon his arrival in the Victor Martinez trade with the Red Sox, is trying to back up the Indians' belief in him as a starter. It's been an awkward transition, to this point, especially considering Masterson's struggle against left-handed hitters. But with two lefties starting for the Sox, Masterson (4-10, 4.52 ERA) motored through the lineup in his final start of the season. "You see him pitch a game like today, and I think it answers a lot of questions of why we think he can start. He really put it all together. He pounded the zone all day, he was putting the ball on the ground, working the fastball to both sides, had a great slider and really commanded the ballgame. When a guy goes nine innings like that in a tight ballgame, it makes it all the more impressive." White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was particularly impressed. "The kid out there, wow, this kid has a great future," Guillen said. "I wonder why he got traded for Victor Martinez. He was outstanding." But Masterson didn't get any support from his teammates on the offensive end. Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle was at his best, holding the Tribe scoreless on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts in his six innings of work. "He did a great job tonight," center fielder Trevor Crowe said of Buehrle. "He was commanding the strike zone. He pounded the zone early. When he'd get ahead, he'd take a little bit off." The Sox went ahead in the sixth when Dewayne Wise ripped a leadoff double and, two outs later, Paul Konerko grounded an RBI single up the middle. That was it. And that was enough to send the Indians to a loss. They wrapped up their home slate with a 34-46 record. As for Wedge leaving that home, he did offer a final goodbye. "We've had a lot of great players come through here," Wedge said. "They'll keep going, and I'll keep going. ... This is where my home is right now. This stadium and city mean a great deal to me."
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
