By STEVE GOLDMAN
For the Star Beacon
CLEVELAND —
Perhaps the Indians should schedule more pitchers to start in their major-league debuts.
In his initial big-league appearance, Josh Tomlin not only won the game, but practically had his way with the vaunted New York Yankees in a 4-1 victory.
“It was pretty exciting,” Tomlin said after working seven very impressive innings, receiving a standing ovation as he exited. “It was awesome.”
Alex Rodriguez failed again to hit his 600th career home run. Tomlin retired him all three times he came to bat, on two groundouts and a fly to deep right-center. Chris Perez (10th save) got him to hit into a force to end the contest when he represented the tying run.
Cleveland (42-58) broke a three-game losing streak and evened the home series with New York (63-36), with two games to play.
Tomlin, a 25 year-old righthander, bested former Tribesman CC Sabathia in Tuesday’s performance. It came nine days after a successful major-league debut by Jeanmar Gomez, who went seven innings without giving up an earned run in a 7-2 win over Detroit.
“Outstanding effort by (Tomlin),” manager Manny Acta said. “He came in and just like every one of our minor-league guys told us, whether he was going to get hit around or pitch a great game, he was not going to be intimidated.
“He had a very good cutter; left-handers went two-for-18 against him. He changed speeds very well and and showed very good poise. He threw some 2-1 changeups that had some of us surprised on the bench that he had so much confidence in all his pitches to be able to throw them in any count.”
Tomlin related that it took him a while to settle in, and that he went into the game star-struck by some of the Yankee players. That wasn’t evident to most onlookers, though, because he mowed down the first nine batters he faced.
“After that first inning, I slowed it down a little bit,” he said.
Tomlin worked one batter into the eighth inning, allowing the Yankee run. He let only three runners reach base, all on hits. He faced two batters over the minimum and struck out two batters.
“I was just going out there trying to throw strikes, and trying to get them to put it into play,” Tomlin said. “Luckily, it panned out.
“(The best part) was helping my team win.”
Rafael Perez, Joe Smith and Chris Perez took it the rest of the way for the Indians to finish a combined five-hitter. Chris Perez allowed hits to the first two batters he faced, but set down the next three with no trouble.
A pair of key errors helped to give the host Indians two fourth-inning runs, as Sabathia (13-4, 3.15 ERA) saw his nine-game winning streak snapped.
Asdrubal Cabrera opened the inning with a single through the left side. The omnipresent Shin-Soo Choo (3 hits) then lined a double down the left-field line, sending Cabrera to third.
Austin Kearns followed with a ground ball to Rodriguez at third, and Rodriguez’s throw home was easily in time to beat Cabrera. However, the ball popped loose from Francisco Cervelli’s glove after the tag was applied. Cabrera, who had been blocked from the plate, got up and tagged home to score the game’s initial run.
Shelley Duncan popped out, but then the next miscue occurred. Jhonny Peralta hit a soft one-hopper up the middle. Shortstop Derek Jeter grabbed it and flipped to second baseman Robinson Cano, who tried to turn a double play. However, Cano pulled his foot off the bag just before catching the ball, and second base umpire Jerry Meals caught it and ruled Kearns safe. To compound matters, Peralta beat the relay to first, and the bases were loaded.
Matt LaPorta then reached out to slice an 0-2 pitch to right field for a sacrifice fly.
LaPorta’s one-out double to left-center brought home Kearns with the third run. Kearns had led off the sixth with a triple that center fielder Curtis Granderson almost caught while banging into the wall in front of the bullpen.
Chris Gimenez worked Sabathia for an eight-pitch, bases-loaded walk later in the frame to make it 4-0.
New York got its run in the eighth when Cano led off with a double against Tomlin, went to third on a wild pitch by Rafael Perez and scored when pinch-hitter Colin Curtis grounded out against Smith.
Choo had been thrown out by left fielder Brett Gardner while trying to score on Kearns’ single in the first.
“I thought it was a very good team effort,” Acta said. “I think the guys put some very good at-bats together against a very tough pitcher.”
Chan Ho Park also pitched for the Yankees.
Goldman is a freelance writer from South Euclid.
