Clevelinks: Cleveland Indians lose; Gomes injured; Brantley rested

Cleveland Indians lose to the Detroit Tigers; Yan Gomes is hurt; and Michael Brantley is given day to rest

Yesterday was a rather bad day for Tribe fans. The team looked to get back on track against the Detroit Tigers and David Price. Before the game, it was announced that Michael Brantley, who had already missed two games due to a back injury, would miss yet another game, with recent call-up Jerry Sands replacing him in the lineup. Off-season addition Brandon Moss also received a day off, but this was due to trying to get more right-handed bats into the lineup, not an injury. 

The game did not go as planned, as Corey Kluber allowed two runs in the first inning, but seemed to settle in after that. Striking out ten hitters, Kluber pitched six innings of two-run baseball, although the eight base runners that he gave up were less than stellar. The bullpen then proceeded to implode. On the offensive front, the six runs scored was a plus, and Sands had a big day, going three-for-four with a double and four runs batted in. For more analysis of the Tribe’s nine-to-six loss, click here to read the Wahoo’s on First game recap.

The real bad part of the game was Yan Gomes’ play at the plate.   Gomes was helped off the field after Rajai Davis slid into his right ankle. Last season, the Brazilian native played a huge part in the Tribe’s offense. Slugging his way to a 121 wRC+, the catcher amassed a .278/.313/.472 slash-line and a 4.6 fWAR. His $35.1 million value last season has already made the $23 million committed to him before the season look like a bargain. Hopefully his sprained knee will heel quickly, and Gomes will work his way to an All Star career with the Cleveland Indians.

More from around the AL Central:

Pregame Notes: Cleveland Indians try to rebound in Cy Young match-up – Wahoo’s on First

Kansas City Royals Have No Reason to Trade Alex Gordon – Kings of Kauffman

Fantasy Baseball: Add Detroit Tigers’ Closer Joakim Soria – Motor City Bengals

Can Jeff Samardzija Rebound from Opening Day – Southside Showdown

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While Brantley has missed three of the Indians’ first five games of the season with back stiffness, the Indians do not seem to think he will require a DL stint at this point.

In Brantley’s absence, Sands stole the show for the Tribe. With two meaningful two-run doubles, Sands etched his name into the Indians’ Hall of Random legends alongside Bill Selby and George Kottaras….

…so much so, in fact, that Jerry Sands was trending in the United States.

The back-and-forth game lasted four hours and 16 minutes, good for the second-longest regulations home game in Indians’ history.

Following the loss, the Indians acknowledged Gomes was diagnosed with a right knee sprain. He is scheduled to have an MRI on Sunday morning, but common thought among the media is that Gomes will require a trip to the DL.

Brett Hayes and Adam Moore are available down in Triple-A while Double-A prospect Tony Wolters remains in Akron. No word yet on who the Tribe might elect to call up.