Written by Paul Cousineau

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The stage was set with a playoff-like feel as the Tigers and Tribe were ready to duke it out. The Jake was filled with an electric atmosphere as nobody sat down from the 7th inning through the bottom of the 9th.  Paulie Cous was there.  Only to be let down again by the anemic Indians offense.  Today, he tries to find serenity in this madness here at The Cleveland Fan.

The stage was set with a playoff-like feel as the Tigers and Tribe were ready to duke it out. The Jake was filled (admittedly, mostly with people blissfully unaware that they sell Sugardale hot dogs, Stadium mustard, and buns at Giant Eagle, more than happy to stand in line for 45 minutes for $1 Dog Night) with an electric atmosphere as nobody sat down from the 7th inning through the bottom of the 9th.

All night, the situation was ripe for the picking:

Grady adjusted quite nicely to the 3 hole with a 1st inning HR to go up 2-0.
C.C. pitched marvelously, allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings.
Betancourt locked down the Tigers for the next 2 innings.

But, (stop me if you've heard this before as I feel like a broken record) the offense sputtered and squandered opportunity after opportunity (0 for 10 with RISP); letting down the team in a game they should have won.

Serenity Now...
Serenity Now...

The death of the 8th inning rally wasn't the burr under the saddle as Granderson's catch of a sinking ball to his right was superb and there's no guarantee that the Indians win even if the soft blooper falls to put them ahead going into the 9th.

Ah, the 9th...
Serenity Now...
Serenity Now...

Chris Gomez leads off with a double, so he's standing on 2B with nobody out. The air is thick with the smell of Rally Pies being baked as the Jake crackled with anticipation of another walk-off winner as surely somebody, anybody, could put the ball in play to advance the runner and get Gomez home.

Not much is needed.
A simple grounder to the right side of the infield.
A sacrifice fly to medium-deep outfield.
Anything to advance the runner!

Instead, we are treated to three consecutive strikeouts as Gomez stood like a man on an island as the inning came to an end. Even if someone puts down a bunt to get Gomez to 3B, it doesn't matter because the last two batters failed to put the ball in play.

Serenity Now...
Serenity Now...

The deflating sound that was actually audible was the departure of hope from the denizens of the Jake. The feeling of, "that was it, that was our shot", was only exacerbated by the debacle of the 10th inning.

Serenity Now...
Serenity Now...

The Tigers stole a game from the Indians that the Tribe should have won going away if somebody (again, ANYBODY) was driving in runs.

The loss, like so many before it, sits squarely on the offensive players' shoulders. All of the players, who better collectively right themselves, and quickly, before these games scoring two runs or less become the norm and not the exception.

It has to get better or Lloyd Braun's prophesy will come to fruition.

Serenity Now ...

Insanity Later.