The last time we saw Jeanmar Gomez, he was packing his bag and catching a flight to Durham, N.C., to join the Class AAA Columbus Clippers after beating Detroit in his big-league debut on July 18. He reappeared Sunday and pitched five innings to earn the victory in the Indians' 5-4 win over Toronto at Rogers Centre.
View full sizeCleveland Indians starting pitcher Jeanmar Gomez throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during first-inning AL baseball game action in Toronto on Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010. They can do the improbable and walk away smiling. Not to mention victorious.
The last time we saw Jeanmar Gomez, he was packing his bag and catching a flight to Durham, N.C., to join the Class AAA Columbus Clippers after beating Detroit in his big-league debut on July 18. He reappeared Sunday and pitched five innings to earn the victory in the Indians' 5-4 win over Toronto at Rogers Centre.
The starting rotation has been torn by trades (Jake Westbrook) and injuries (Mitch Talbot and Aaron Laffey). It's so jumbled that not only did Gomez face the Blue Jays on three days' rest, but so did fellow rookie Josh Tomlin on Saturday. Pitching raw rookies on short rest is an invitation to a beating, but the Indians came away with two one-run victories over the power-hitting Jays.
The best thing about Sunday's win was that Gomez didn't have to catch a flight back to Columbus. He flew with the team to Boston and, depending on what roster manipulation takes place to get a starter for Tuesday, he should get a chance for a healthy dose of big-league life.
Gomez (2-0, l.50 ERA) allowed two runs on five hits in five innings. Like Tomlin, he was on an 85-pitch limit. He'd thrown 80 through five when manager Manny Acta pulled the rip cord.
The Indians won the series, 2-1. They won the season series, 6-4.
"We played a good series," said Acta. "The kid made the most of his 80 pitches. Our bullpen was huge. Raffie Perez and Joe Smith got us through the eighth, and Chris Perez closed the deal."
Asdrubal Cabrera gave Gomez a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the first. After Trevor Crowe walked against Jesse Litsch (1-5, 5.79) to start the game, Cabrera was down in the count, 1-2. He choked up on the bat and bounced a drive off the top of the fence in right field for his second homer of the season.
"The guys were kidding me when I got back to the dugout," said Cabrera.
Jason Donald, who homered in the sixth for what proved to be the winning run, said, "People were saying, 'Is that what you call a wall scraper or a wall bouncer?' "
Toronto tied the score, 2-2, on the bat of Adam Lind. He hit a leadoff homer in the second and an RBI single in the third.
The Indians scratched out two runs in the fifth for a 4-2 lead. Carlos Santana drew a bases-loaded walk off Brian Tallet, who relieved Litsch with a 1-0 count on Santana. Cabrera scored the second run on Matt LaPorta's double-play grounder.
When Donald homered to make it 5-2 in the sixth, it looked like things were under control. Not quite.
The Blue Jays lead the AL in homers. They showed why in the seventh as Yunel Escobar and Jose Bautista hit consecutive two-out homers to make it 5-4. Escobar homered off Tony Sipp, and Bautista connected off Frank Herrmann for his 32nd homer.
"They made it a game with two swings," said Acta.
Rafael Perez started the eighth with two quick outs. When Lyle Overbay singled, Joe Smith relieved to face All-Star catcher John Buck.
"No problem," said Smith. "I either give it up or get the game to CP [Chris Perez]."
Buck, with 14 homers, worked the count full before striking out on an inside fastball.
Perez gave up a leadoff single to Travis Snider in the ninth. DeWayne Wise sacrificed him to second, but Perez retired Escobar on a fly ball to left and struck out Bautista, the AL home run leader, on four pitches for his 12th save.
He saved Saturday's victory, but not before loading the bases with one out.
"I had to get the tying run in scoring position again," said Perez. "I guess I like to live dangerously."