3-2 is better than 2-3

Although 3-2 is not better than 5-0, which is what the Indians record should be on this road trip and would be if not for back-to-back spectacular blunders in the late innings of ballgames. At least we haven’t fallen 20 games out of first place. There’s still hope!

Last night’s gam, a 12-7 victory, followed a script similar to the first game of the series. The Indians got ahead early and then the Reds came back. But Eric Wedge proved that he is in fact able to make managerial decisions when, with the bases loaded, he pinch-hit Travis Hafner for Franklin Gutierrez even though 1) Hafner had been scratched from the starting lineup and 2) Gutierrez was already 2-2 and 3) it was the fifth inning. Way to grab the bull by the horns, Mr. Wedge. The result? Hafner hits a grand slam that puts the Indians up five runs and ties him for two records: most grand slams before the All-Star break and most grand slams in one season for and Indians player. Doesn’t it feel good to be proactive?

Three other milestones were set last night. Perez’s scoreless streak came to an end after 5.2 innings when he gave up a two-run home run after a weakly hit infield single with two outs put a man on first. We feel your pain, Perez. Joe Inglett recorded his first major league hit, a bloop single that turned into a double when Adam Dunn botched catching the ball on the bounce–clearly he didn’t spend enough of his youth playing jacks, poor kid, and it shows in his fielding. And then the Ryan Garko Era really began when he followed Inglett–as the next batter–with his own first hit in the majors, a sharply-hit two-run double (had to get those hyphens in there) that scored Boone and Inglett, which also allowed Garko to pick up his first two RBIs.

In the ninth, clinging to a 12-7 lead, Bob Wickman scaled to bullpen fence and hid in the bratwurst line so that he wouldn’t be able to enter the game. Using his substantial girth and unkempt manliness to his advantage, he blended right in with the Cinci crowed. No one was able to find him until after the game and, according to PD Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes, had it not been for the mustard stains on Wickman’s uniform he would have gotten away with his little escapade. As it was, the players, in hushed tones and tiny gestures so as not to be conspicuous, thanked Wickman for taking the initiative of removing himself from a potentially harmful situation before he could unfurl his damaging pitches. Eric Wedge just looked into the distance with a blank face.