CLEVELAND, Ohio – Brad Hand wanted to put a zero on the Progressive Field scoreboard. He put four in his place.
After eight innings of excellence by Zach Plesac, that was not what the Indians were looking for from their closer.
Sometimes players who close can lose games by dribbling. It is as if they were paid by the hour. Not so for Hand in Wednesday night’s 4-0 loss to the White Sox. He started the ninth scoreless inning and changed that quickly.
Tim Anderson hit an opening double. Hand walked to Yoan Moncada and hit José Abreu with a slider in the foot to load the bases. Next up was Yasmani Grandal and Hand needed a strikeout. Instead, Grandal threw a sacrifice fly to right field for the only run the White Sox would need to save himself from a three-game sweep by the Indians.
It was Hand’s third appearance since starting the season on Friday and his second in as many days. He recorded saves in his first two games, but the questions remain.
It has not had an easy entry, without a doubt. The kind of entry that builds confidence not only in Hand but also in his manager after it closed in September due to a tired left arm.
In Friday’s season opener, Hand started the ninth by hitting Alex Gordon of Kansas City with the Indians leading 2-0. He retired the next three hitters to save.
On Tuesday, Hand entered the first double game against the White Sox with a 4-2 lead in the ninth. Anderson once again greeted him with a double. He withdrew Moncada and Abreu, but Grandal hit a single to make it 4-3. He ended the game by striking out Edwin Encarnacion to save.
Then came the disaster on Wednesday night. He followed eight Plesac scoreless innings in which he struck out 11 batters with the personal record.
As Hand said of Plesac, “For Zach to go eight innings on his first outing of the year. That is unheard of. Even if we had started in April, you wouldn’t see many headlines in eight innings. It simply serves to show the work you did during the layoff to prepare. “
What happened on Wednesday night in the ninth inning is the part of the job that all closers live by. When they go wrong, they not only ruin his night, but the night of all those teammates who put him in a position to get three outs in the ninth inning to preserve a win or keep the game going.
“I was ready to go to summer camp and start the season,” Hand said. “My things are ready. Tonight I just gave up on the hit. I got in that jam. It’s not like they hit me. Some things happened. I got in my own jam. “
After Grandal’s sacrifice flight, Encarnacion came to a receiver interference call against Beau Taylor to reload the bases. Adam Cimber was relieved and Eloy Jiménez released a sacrifice fly and Luis Robert hit a two-run single.
“He comes in, in a draw game and things are magnified,” manager Terry Francona said. “Then he forgoes a first-launch double. Then he hits Abreu in the foot and there is interference from the receiver. It just escalated from there. We couldn’t turn it off. “
Hand has saved 44 games for the Indians since he was acquired from San Diego on July 19, 2018. Last year he set a club record for saves by a left-hander with 34 in 39. chances. While his speed might be low, he has earned Francona’s trust.
“He threw Tuesday and went from 92 mph to 93 mph,” said Francona. “The (radar gun) at Progressive Field is a mark or two slow. That part is coming.
“That (speed) is not the end of everything and it will be everything. You are looking for life, to swing. There is as much trust in him as there is a competitor. Sometimes you have to be patient even when it’s not easy. “
Hand said it didn’t matter that the ninth started after eight scoreless innings by both teams of pitchers. Without a clue to protect, he said his job description did not change.
“Is no different. Every time you go out, you try to put a zero, ”Hand said. “Regardless of the score of the ball game you are shooting at, you are still trying to zero. I was just trying to keep the score 0-0 and give us a chance to win at the end of the ninth. ”
Fanatics has released facial masks for the Cleveland Indians, with sales benefiting two charities. See details and product links below.
New Indian face masks for sale: This is where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed facial liners for coronavirus protection, including a mask ($ 14.99) and a 3-pack ($ 24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity.
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