UPDATED, with slide show: David Huff makes it back to the mound after Saturday's line drive to the head at Yankee Stadium, but he and the rest of the Indians don't do much else in a lopsided loss to Detroit.
Indians catchers have had a lot of practice doing this lately. Lou Marson consoles reliever Tony Sipp after Sipp allowed a three-run homer to Magglio Ordonez on Thursday during Detroit's 12-6 victory over the Indians in Comerica Park. On the current trip, Sipp has allowed a grand slam, two three-run homers and a solo blast.DETROIT -- Less than 24 hours after hosting what should have been the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history, Comerica Park was the scene of imperfection upon imperfection.
The Tigers beat the Indians, 12-6, Thursday afternoon despite making four errors. The Indians didn't make an error, but their pitchers allowed six doubles, two triples and two homers. The Tigers had 17 hits, 10 of them for extra bases.
"Obviously, we didn't pitch very well," said manager Manny Acta. "We got hit around. . . . We really, really got pounded out of the bullpen."
After getting hit in the head by Alex Rodriguez's line drive in New York, just taking the mound was a small victory for Tribe starter David Huff. Unfortunately, Huff had moxie but didn't have much of a fastball as he allowed five runs in three innings.If there was anything positive to come out of the loss, it was David Huff taking his regular turn in the rotation after getting hit in the left side of the head Saturday at Yankee Stadium by an Alex Rodriguez line drive. Huff showed no ill-effects from the blow, but he didn't pitch well.
The Tigers ripped him for five runs on six hits in three innings.
"I felt fine out there," said Huff. "What happened today had nothing to do with what happened in New York. I just wasn't locating my pitches."
Acta and pitching coach Tim Belcher wanted to see how Huff would react to balls off the bat. He certainly gave them enough to study.
"He looked normal to me," said Acta. "He just didn't have command of his fastball."
Said Huff: "I had no problem with that. They hit a ball back to me [Brandon Inge in the second inning], I grabbed it and threw to first base."
Huff left after hitting Gerald Laird to start the fourth. The Indians were leading, 6-5, at the time thanks to a five-run fourth inning. Three of the runs were unearned because of errors by third baseman Inge and second baseman Carlos Guillen.
What followed was not pretty.
Jensen Lewis came on for two innings of relief. He gave up the tying run on three straight hits in the fifth. Inge's single to left made it 6-6.
Then came Hector Ambriz (0-1) for the sixth. He gave up the go-ahead run on a Magglio Ordonez double, but ended the inning without further damage.
On came Tony Sipp. Before you ask, yes, it happened again.
When Sipp started this trip, he'd thrown 15 1/3 scoreless innings. Now he can't get anybody out, and he can't keep the ball in the park.
Sipp started the seventh by striking out No. 7 hitter Inge. He walked Laird and gave up a single to Adam Everett. He struck out Austin Jackson, who had four straight hits, including three doubles to that point, but it did little good. The ball got past catcher Lou Marson for a wild pitch as Laird scored for an 8-6 lead.
Ryan Raburn drew a walk and Ordonez drove a 1-2 pitch into the left-field seats for a three-run homer to give him five RBI for the day. Just to make sure Sipp got the point, Miguel Cabrera followed with a homer.
Sipp has made three appearances on this trip and allowed 11 runs in one inning. He's allowed four homers: a grand slam, two three-run homers and a solo homer.
"You just can't throw more balls than strikes at this level and get away with it," said Acta. "No disrespect intended, but when you play the Tigers, you should get the bottom of their order out. They're struggling right now.
"He couldn't do that and he brought those big boys to the plate. He got behind in the count and they made him pay."
Tigers starter Rick Porcello, who wasn't sharp, loaded the bases to start the fourth. He hit Russell Branyan, walked Matt LaPorta and gave up a bloop single to Luis Valbuena. Marson sent a bouncer to third that Inge couldn't handle as Branyan and LaPorta scored. Jason Donald followed with a bouncer to second that Guillen made a bad throw on. Donald was safe, and Valbuena scored.
After Trevor Crowe flied out to left, Shin-Soo Choo doubled home Marson to make it 5-5. Donald scored the go-ahead run on Travis Hafner's ground out to second.
The Indians are 2-5 on this 10-game trip.