Game #131- Tribe Battle but Lose in 11…
The Indians lost to the Chicago White Sox tonight 10-6. It sounds pretty simple, but this four hour and eleven minute, twelve inning marathon was everything but simple. There were a combined three home runs, a hit batter, thirty-five hits, sixteen runs, and an error.
Tribe starter Mitch Talbot (8-11, 4.61 ERA) went five innings giving up five runs on ten hits and struck out two. He did not figure in the decision. The Sox got to him early when with two men on base in the first, Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko hit a 2 RBI double that set the tone for most of the game. Chicago scored three more in the second off Talbot to put the tribe down 5-0. When asked about his outing tonight Talbot said, “Today was kind of a frustrating day, you know. I didn’t feel that they hit a lot of balls hard. I think they found some holes and hit them where the defense wasn’t.”
Tribe reliever Justin Germano gave up an Alex Rios solo home run in the sixth to make it 6-0. Rios had an outstanding night going 5-6, with a home run, a walk and 4 RBI.
The Indians started their comeback in the fourth inning on a Jayson Nix two-run home run off of Sox ace Mark Buehrle (12-10, 3.95 ERA) to make it 6-2. Nix would be tossed from the game in the seventh for a disagreement with home plate umpire Bill Welke. Buehrle went six innings giving up three runs on six hits and struck out five. He also had a no-decision. Cleveland made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth scoring three runs off of Chicago closer Bobby Jenks to tie it at six and push the game into extra innings.
Both teams had a scoreless tenth, then the wheels came off as Tribe pitcher Rafael Perez gave up four runs in the top of the eleventh to put the Sox up for good and take the loss. Scott Linebrink had a scoreless outing for the win.
What got lost in the game was a good outing by designated hitter Travis Hafner who went 4-5 with three doubles. As a side note, Chicago second baseman Gordon Bekham was hit in the seventh and left the game with a bruised right hand. X-rays came out negative, and he is listed as day-to-day.
Righty Justin Masterson will toe the rubber for the Tribe against Chicago’s Edwin Jackson in game two of the three game series on Tuesday.






Matt has covered Major League Baseball and the "other two" Pro teams in Cleveland since 1994. He has been on the beat of the Indians in full-time mode since 1996, working for various raido and print networks around the country.