Cleveland Indians: 3 takeaways from a loss featuring a bad start

For once the Cleveland Indians lost a game due to pitching that wasn’t courtesy of the bullpen, this time in a 7-4 loss to the Twins.

The Cleveland Indians lost a game because of a pitcher. Nothing new here.

But this time it was because of the starter.

Carlos Carrasco had a rough outing, allowing six earned runs in just 3.2 innings. He only threw 71 pitches before being removed.

Let’s take a look at what else stood out from this rather boring loss in Minnesota.

Jose keeps raking

Jose Ramirez only went 1-4 in the loss, but his one hit was a double. For reference:

He is now slashing .301/.391/.634 on the year and is just one home run behind J.D. Martinez for the league lead. He is also tied for third in RBIs and is third in WAR, according to ESPN.

Even in a loss we can find a way to highlight something Jose did.

The good news from the bullpen

Carrasco came out after 3.2 innings and handed the ball off to the bullpen. That usually means doom with this Indians team. But Jeff Beliveau and Neil Ramirez combined to throw 2.1 scoreless innings to keep the game within reach.

This is a nice change of pace, but of course it comes in a game that the Indians never held a lead. Still, a good sign.

This is Ramirez’s second straight scoreless appearance after allowing runs in three straight appearances. Baby steps, but still good. This was Beliveau’s fourth appearance since returning to the bullpen and his second in which he didn’t allow a run.

The bad news from the bullpen

Josh Tomlin logged two innings and only allowed one run. The bad sign was the way he allowed the run. He gave up another home run, which is his 18th this season. 18th!

That is in only 12 total games and 36.1 innings. For comparison, he only has 20 strikeouts.

Tomlin is hanging around thanks to his veteran status and the fact there are still injuries and questions surrounding the bullpen. But he already received one demotion and it is clear he is not a shutdown guy in the bullpen.

How can you bring someone in late in a game who allows so many home runs?

The fact he is a veteran on a Terry Francona team works in his favor. But I don’t know how long Tomlin stays around if the front office seeks bullpen upgrades before the deadline. As for the rotation, he would have to be better than Adam Plutko, Shane Bieber, and potentially healthy versions of Danny Salazar and Ryan Merritt.

I’m not sure he is better than any of the four.

Next: Should Tribe target a Blake Treinen trade?

The Indians are back at it Saturday afternoon with Trevor Bauer on the mound.