CLEVELAND: Indians manager Terry Francona has often talked about how momentum in baseball is only up to the next day’s opposing pitcher.
After four consecutive divisional wins, the Indians’ momentum hit a wall in the form of Ian Kennedy in a quiet 7-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
The Indians spent most of the day unable to get anything going. When scoring threats were built in the first and sixth innings, Kennedy worked his way out of both, getting Carlos Santana to end the threats with a fly out and a ground out, respectively. In the first, two singles put runners on the corners and in the sixth, a single and two walks loaded the bases. The needed hit, though, never came.
Between the first- and sixth-inning chances, Kennedy (4-2, 2.13 ERA) at one point retired 14 consecutive batters.
“He really pitched,” Francona said of Kennedy. “I mean, he threw a lot of strikes, didn’t throw the ball in the middle of the plate very much and he changed speeds. … We didn’t have a ton of chances. He just really pitched well.”
For the Indians, it appears that Cody Anderson’s start at Triple-A Columbus wasn’t enough to fix his home-run issue just yet. Anderson was optioned to Columbus after allowing six home runs in his first four starts this season, and the issue followed him back to Cleveland.
In the first inning, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer each singled. Anderson then left an 0-2 cutter over the plate to Kendrys Morales, who crushed it to right field. The three-run home run traveled an estimated 432 feet and cleared the seating in right field to land on the concourse. The pitch was supposed to cut off the plate but never did.
“I was just trying to go in, in off the plate, with a cutter,” Anderson said. “And he got to it before it cut.”
Anderson (0-2, 7.56 ERA) threw five innings, gave up four runs on six hits, walked one and struck out two. He was eventually taken out in part because his left leg began cramping. Anderson often goes through multiple jerseys each game and began to experience hydration issues.
“It’s just I sweat a lot,” Anderson said. “I go through a couple of jerseys a game. As the weather changes, I guess I need to drink more water.”
The Royals added on in the eighth against Jeff Manship. Two singles and a ground-rule double by Eric Hosmer scored a run. Morales brought home a second run on a hard-hit single off the glove of Santana, making it 6-0.
Dan Otero entered and, after two strikeouts, allowed a single to Chelsor Curthbert, bringing home a third run in the inning. Those runs were the first Manship had allowed since Aug. 22 of last season, spanning 23⅔ innings.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ