Pen Implodes as Indians Lose to Kershaw and the Dodgers 7-5; Three Takeaways From the Loss

CLEVELAND - The Indians got a taste of the player that many feel is the best pitcher in baseball on Tuesday night, and oddly enough he wasn't the biggest reason for the Indians 7-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Clayton Kershaw made a rare start at Progressvie Field, and on a night when it was hot and humid, he labored through seven hot innings, allowing a pair of Indians runs in a game that was tied entering the 8th inning.

That's when the wheels quickly came off for the usually very good Indians pen, as Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw, Dan Otero and Boone Logan all struggled, allowing five runs as the Dodgers took home game one of the three game set.

The big star for the Dodgers was rookie Cody Bellinger, who cracked a pair of homers in the victory, the last a three-run shot in the 9th to put to rest any doubt.

Here's our three takeaways from the win for the Dodgers, and a loss for the Indians to drop them to 31-30 on the year.

1. Pen Problems

The Indians bullpen had a rare night off, and it came at a time when the team really could have used its usual solid outing from this unit.

The foursome of Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw, Dan Otero and Boone Logan combined to allow five runs in 2.2 innings, including a rare homer allowed by Miller to give the Dodgers the lead for good in the 8th.

It was the first homer Miller had allowed since game seven of the World Series. Shaw didn't help with two quick walks to start his inning, and then Logan finished off the awful night with a three-run homer allowed to Cody Bellinger.

What hurt the most about the outing is it came after the Indians offense went toe-to-toe with Clayton Kershaw, putting up two runs and tying the game at two after seven innings.

While the Indians pen will surely win them a lot of games this season, Tuesday night was not a good night for this bunch.

2. Bottom of the Order Steps Up

If anyone was going to get to Kershaw, maybe the last two guys anyone would have named to do it would have likely been Daniel Robertson and Roberto Perez.

That's what great about the game of baseball, as both Robertson and Perez were big reasons the game was 2-2 when Kershaw left after seven innings.

Robertson, who also slammed his first MLB homer in the 9th to make it 7-5, doubled and scored in the 3rd to make it a 2-1 game.

Perez then tied the game up in the 5th as he went yard against Kershaw for his first homer of the season to make it a 2-2 game.

The bottom of the order ended the night 5-for-12 with two homers and four of the five Tribe runs batted in. This offense could use a boost more often from the bottom of the order as they got on Tuesday.

3. A Series That Can Still Be Won

It's easy to get frustrated with the Indians after this tough loss, but again you have to look at their level of who was on the mound against them.

Wednesday they will have their ace in Corey Kluber, and the Dodgers will counter that with Brandon McCarthy, who has been solid this season at 5-3 with an ERA of 3.28.

Thursday at noon the finale of the three-game set will see Josh Tomlin who is just 3-8 go up against Rich Hill, who is 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA.

There's no reason with Kluber on Wednesday and than the funky noon start on Thursday that the Indians can't take the next two games, and get out of this homestand winning four out of six.

It's all about winning series' and while you knew it would be an uphill climb on Tuesday with Kershaw, the team still has a shot to rebound in a big way the next two days and get set for the upcoming road trip with a series win.