Indians refuse to quit, come back from seven-run deficit to stun Rangers
A baseball legend once said, “It ain’t over, till it’s over.” While over-analyzing any Yogi Berra quote is not recommended, we’re guessing the Cleveland Indians knew exactly what he was talking about during Monday’s unbelievable comeback win.
[Fantasy Football is open! Sign up now]
Facing a seven-run deficit in the fourth inning, the Indians didn’t just pack their bags and hope for better a day tomorrow. No, they clawed their way back into the game, pulling off an incredible 15-9 victory.
Of course, in order to overcome such a massive deficit, you have to put yourself in a pretty bad spot. Cleveland experienced that almost immediately. The Rangers tagged starter Carlos Carrasco for four runs in the first inning. Nomar Mazara drove in the first run on a double. He later came home on a three-run bomb by Adrian Beltre.
Cleveland did manage to get one run back in the bottom of the first, but the second proved to be just as tough. Elvis Andrus belted a three-run shot of his own, giving the Rangers a 7-1 lead.
Cleveland would pick up an additional run in the third, but the Rangers came back again in the fourth. Texas scored two runs in the inning, chasing Carrasco from the game. He gave up eight runs over 3 1/3 innings.
By the end of the fourth, Cleveland trailed 9-2. Most teams might have packed it in and conserved energy for the next game. Cleveland decided to fight.
After tacking on one run in the bottom of the fourth, Cleveland jumped all over Cole Hamels in the fifth. The team chased Hamels with the bases loaded and one out in the inning. Every man he left on base came around to score in the frame. The Rangers’ lead was cut to 9-7. All seven runs were charged to Hamels.
The Indians refused to take their foot off the pedal. The sixth inning was even more impressive. The first six batters reached base with either a hit or walk. After a quick out, a single and sac fly brought in additional runs. The Indians scored five runs this time around. They now led the game 12-9.
That wasn’t enough. The team tacked on three additional runs in the seventh inning to go up 15-9. Cleveland scored 13 unanswered runs during the comeback.
At that point, the team’s bats decided they could finally take it easy for the rest of the night. The bullpen kept the Rangers off the board for the final five innings to secure the victory.
With the win, Cleveland took a half game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. The Twins have put pressure on Cleveland all year, making sure the division would be a tough fight. If Monday’s game was any indication, Cleveland isn’t willing to submit any time soon.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
