Indians look to turn things around against the Rays
Cody Anderson's outstanding major league debut seemed to have the Cleveland Indians riding high toward the end of the month, but little has gone right for them since.
Fresh off one of the franchise's worst single-day performances in four decades, the Indians will look to avoid matching their longest losing streak of the season Monday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Cleveland (33-41) was shut out in both ends of a doubleheader Sunday for the first time since Sept. 26, 1975, losing to Baltimore 4-0 and 8-0. Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor each went 0 for 7 over the sweep, as the Indians lost their seventh in nine games.
"Today was not a pretty day for us," manager Terry Francona said. "I don't see guys grinding the at-bat. We're not doing the things we're capable of doing."
Francona's team has scored three runs and gone 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position while striking out 24 times in the three-game skid.
Anderson will face the Rays (42-35) for the second time looking to duplicate a stellar debut on June 21. He allowed six hits over 7 2-3 innings and did not factor into the decision of a 1-0 win - a performance that left Francona impressed.
"A small sample, like a game, I don't think defines somebody's career," Francona told MLB's official site. "But, besides the fact that he really pitched well, everything - from his poise to the way he competed, holding runners when he had to, fielding his position, covering first - he really (did well)."
He'll be facing a Tampa Bay team that has dropped two of three in each of its last two series, and fell 5-3 to Boston on Sunday.
Steven Souza Jr. went hitless for the fourth straight game, going 0 for 13. He's struck out 13 times during a 3-for-22 slump.
"We're playing good baseball, we're in every game," manager Kevin Cash said. "We know the way our team is we have to pitch well."
Newly acquired Grady Sizemore was one of the few bright spots in that defeat, going 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI in his Rays debut. The 32-year-old was signed by Tampa Bay to a minor league contract earlier this month, and expects to be a staple in the lineup against Cleveland, his former team.
"We're excited," Cash said. "We're going to face a string of right-handed pitching in these upcoming games and hopefully he can provide a little boost in our lineup. He's a veteran hitter. See if we can click a little bit."
Nathan Karns (4-3, 3.28) takes the mound for the Rays seeking his fourth consecutive solid start. The right-hander has posted a 1.04 ERA in 17 1-3 innings over his last three outings, including 5 1-3 in a 4-1 win at Cleveland on June 19.
Karns, however, has fared far better away from Tropicana Field this season, posting a 2.25 ERA in road games, compared with 3.79 at home.
Michael Brantley is hitting just .202 in 32 career games against the Rays, his lowest versus any opponent with at least 10 meetings.
Evan Longoria is 9 for 24 during a six-game hitting streak overall, but is 2 for 17 in his last five meetings with Cleveland.
