2. Josh Tomlin’s First Four Innings
Through four innings on Thursday, Tomlin had a perfect game going.
Tomlin retired the first twelve batters he faced, striking out six in the process.
The importance of this start was two-fold. First and foremost, it gave Tomlin, who came into tonight with a 4-9 record, some much needed rhythm and confidence. His last win came on June 15 against the Dodgers, and coming into tonight his ERA sat at 6.17.
His work in the early innings prevented him from completely falling off the rails after giving up two runs in the top of the fifth inning.
“I finally gave my team a chance to win after a long drought,” Tomlin said. “When you’re not doing your job it affects you a bit. … To know that I did what I could to help the team win was probably the biggest satisfaction I had.”
Tomlin’s start also allowed the Tribe to take advantage of an early lead, rather than needing their bats to fight from behind. This was especially important, considering the Indians were only batting .160 with runners in scoring position in this series heading into tonight.
Tomlin would get credit for the win, his fifth of the year.
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