By Matt Lofgren
Four home runs shaped four very different stores for the Indians’ players participating in this year’s World Baseball Classic over the weekend.
Just a few months removed from the Fall Classic, the wahoos representing their home countries have already made both good and, unfortunately, bad for their home colors in the WBC.
Starting off on a sour note, the Indians’ postseason force that couldn’t be shaken was bit hard as Andrew Miller was anything but typical in his debut with the red white and blue by surrendering a pair of home runs to Nelson Cruz and Starling Marte and the lead in the eighth inning against the Dominican Republic on March 11.
This was the first time Miller gave up home runs in the same inning since 2011 with Boston.
Cruz and Marte’s efforts helped rally the Dominican Republic as the United States suffered its first lost of the WBC as Miller took the L in the 7-5 and blowing an early 5-0 lead. Carlos Santana aided the Dominican Republic with a single in the eighth before finishing his day 2-4 with an RBI.
Looking to put the behind them, the US made a statement on March 12 with an 8-0 win over Canada, but Miller was given the day off. Miller and the US will return to action March 17 against Francisco Lindor, Roberto Perez, Joe Colon and Puerto Rico.
Making his impact felt, Lindor brought on the other two homers in a 9-4 win over Mexico on March 11 and yielded 3 of the Puerto Rican runs. Overall in the WBC, Lindor is red hot and batting .455 while Puerto Rico leads Pool D with a 3-0 record.
Miller and the US currently sit in second in pool C with a 2-1 record and a game behind the Dominican Republic.
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