Written by Adam Burke

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With David Price the scheduled starter for the series finale, the Indians knew what they had to do. They had to find a way to win two of the first three games in the series to salvage a split and a 3-4 road trip. It’s not that David Price is unbeatable; it’s just that he’s close to it. So, it comes as no surprise that the Indians offense struggled and the team managed just a couple of hits off the perennial Cy Young candidate en route to a 6-0 loss.

Ubaldo Jimenez pitched admirably for 5.2 innings, weaving in and out of trouble, before giving up the knockout punch to BJ Upton, a bases loaded double that scored three and effectively put the game out of reach. Jimenez pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the first and made a heck of a play to get the Indians out of the fourth unscathed, fielding a squeeze bunt attempt from Sean Rodriguez and tagging runner Desmond Jennings on his way to the plate. That was the first out in the inning and Jimenez induced a 5-4-3 double play to end the frame.

Unfortunately for Jimenez, who did walk five in his 5.2 innings of work, the Indians offense was asleep at the wheel against Price, who is now 5-0 with a 1.63 ERA and a 42/17 K/BB ratio against the Indians in his career. The Indians managed just a fifth inning single from Jose Lopez and a sixth inning single from Asdrubal Cabrera. Lefties were 0-for-9 against Price. The Indians used Lou Marson, Aaron Cunningham, Jose Lopez, and Shelley Duncan against Price, but they were no match for the overpowering lefty.

The Rays picked up a run in the third on Luke Scott’s solo home run to right field off one of Tropicana Field’s many catwalks. It was Scott’s 12^th home run of the season and his third of the year against the Indians. The Indians only real rally came in the fifth when Carlos Santana walked and Lopez broke up Price’s no hitter with a single to center. After Duncan struck out, Santana either misread a sign or was told to try and steal third base, but was retired by eight feet on the throw. In that at bat, Marson walked to put runners at first and second, but Cunningham struck out to end the inning. It was the only real threat that the Indians had.

Jimenez had fought with danger all day and it finally caught up to him in the sixth. Just like the Indians got one of their rallies on Wednesday night started with a two-out hit-by-pitch, karma caught up with them on Thursday afternoon. With two outs, Jimenez plunked Jennings. Jose Molina followed with a single to center and Jimenez walked Rodriguez. Upton took a strike and then roped a bases-clearing double into the left field corner. The double knocked Jimenez out of the game and he gave way to Scott Barnes who allowed another run to score in the inning and gave up another in the seventh on Jeff Keppinger’s RBI double. Jimenez went 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits and five runs while walking five and striking out five.

Wade Davis entered in relief of Price who went seven innings, scattering two hits, and striking out seven. Davis worked two scoreless innings and Jeremy Accardo replaced Barnes and worked a scoreless eighth of his own.

With the loss, the Indians fall to 47-45 and (likely) fall a game and a half behind the Tigers for second place. The White Sox play later tonight. David Price gets the win, he’s 13-4, Ubaldo Jimenez takes the loss and falls to 8-9.

Stat of the Game: Luke Scott is now 14-for-30 against the Indians since June 2 and 0-for-41 against everybody else.

Player of the Game: Guess I’ll go with Carlos Santana because he worked two of the three walks that David Price issued and it’s a good sign that he’s starting to see the ball better.

Tomorrow’s Game: The Indians come back home to open up a seven-game homestand against Baltimore. Derek Lowe takes the mound for the Indians and he’ll be opposed by Miguel Gonzalez. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.