Game #11 Observations: Fast Start, Slow Finish as Offense Wilts in Cincinnati in 3-2 Indians Loss to Reds

You can’t afford to make a mistake if you’re a member of the Cleveland Indians’ rotation these days.

For the sixth straight game, Cleveland’s ice cold offense offered barely any support for its starting pitcher. 

Monday, the unlucky hurler was Zach Plesac, who once again had to operate under a razor thin margin for error. Plesac made a couple mistake pitches against the Cincinnati Reds, but that was enough to put him on the hook for a 3-2 loss.

Meanwhile, the Tribe’s bats only made a brief cameo, primarily via a solo home run from Francisco Lindor. Outside of that, it was more of what’s becoming a trademark for the Indians’ offense -- an unpleasant combination of quiet at-bats and spoiled opportunities.

The Indians are now 5-6, losers of four straight and desperately seeking anyone who can provide impact hits.

Here are a few more observations from Monday’s defeat.

Cleveland’s Offense Meets its Two-Run Quota

Perhaps the performance seen from the Indians’ rotation has convinced the rest of the team two runs is all it needs to provide on a nightly basis. Whatever the cause for Cleveland’s offensive woes, no cure was found Monday.

Overall, the Indians could only muster five hits, which sadly represents improvement from this past weekend. Their lone runs came on the aforementioned homer from Lindor and a wild pitch which scored Oscar Mercado.

Cleveland seemed to have a solid early approach against Cincinnati starter Sonny Gray, working him up to 44 pitches through the first two innings. However, Gray made necessary adjustments, throwing a combined 58 pitches across the next four frames and continually fooling Indians hitters on his way to an eight strikeout night.

The Indians did set up a chance to regain the lead in the eighth, getting two men on with no outs after César Hernández followed a Greg Allen beaning with a single. Cleveland responded to this recipe for a rally with:

José Ramírez striking out on a pitch that bounced home.

Hernández getting picked off on a base-running gaffe.

Lindor notching his second whiff of the night.

The Indians have now scored a combined six runs across their last six games, and did very little Monday to indicate brighter days are right around the corner.

Plesac Strong Yet Again

Plesac served as one of the few silver linings from this defeat, once again looking sharp on the mound. He finished the night going 7.0 innings, allowing just four hits and three earned while striking out six.

His approach looked a bit different from last week’s season debut against the White Sox. In that game, Plesac utilized a heavy dose of sliders which Chicago hitters struggled to catch up with. Last year, though, said slider was thrown almost exclusively to right-handers.

This would explain why Plesac significantly cut down usage of this pitch against a lefty-heavy Reds lineup. Only 17% of his offerings against Cincinnati were sliders, as he instead leaned on a fastball-changeup combo for most of the night.

For the most part, the approach worked. However, he made two mistakes, both which landed in the stands. Plesac was barreled by Nick Castellanos, which brought the Reds to within one run. Two innings later, he gave up the lead on a pitch Joey Votto sent to Kentucky.

Again, though, Plesac put forth a solid night overall. Yet, thanks to the anemic run support received, neither he nor any other Cleveland starter can afford mistakes on the mound right now.

The Outfield Trials Continue

Coming into Monday night, Cleveland had played six different outfielders over ten games. Combined, said outfielders were slashing .122/.238/.167 with only seven RBIs.

As a result, the team is still making tweaks while attempting to find a trio that works. Monday, we saw a brand new combination in the form of Mercado, Allen and rookie Daniel Johnson. Unfortunately, the change did little in terms of increasing productivity from this area of the roster.

Together, these three went 1-for-9 with one hit (Mercado), one hit-by-pitch (Allen) and six K’s.

Allen may have had rust to chip off, as he entered the game with only six plate appearances on the year. He faced a total of 14 pitches, swinging at just three of them and connecting on none.

Johnson, meanwhile, appeared to be trying too hard at the plate. Of the 17 pitches he faced, he swung at 12, whiffing on seven of them.

It’s unclear how much longer Cleveland will jumble the outfield while trying to find an effective trio. That said, it's safe to say Monday’s combo didn’t have a productive debut.

The Reds and Indians go back at it again in Cincinnati Tuesday night before taking the next two games of this series back home to Cleveland.