Tribe listless in 7-3 loss to Minnesota

By PAUL HOYNES

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Indians said goodbye to the Metrodome on Wednesday in fitting fashion. If the dome could smile, it probably cracked a wide one as they left town with 13 losses in their last 16 games.

The Tribe’s 7-3 loss, which completed a three-game sweep by the Twins, featured manager Eric Wedge yelling at his ball club in the dugout after the fourth inning, several poor plays by the defense and a few quirky moments just so the Indians will remember what a strange place this was.

SportsTime Ohio’s broadcast said it appeared Aaron Laffey, the losing pitcher, went into the tunnel behind the dugout after the fourth and threw a chair.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Laffey. “It’s not true.”

Wedge, whose managerial career could be down to its final 17 games, denied nothing.

“I wasn’t yelling at any one person,” he said. “I was yelling at everybody. This is the big leagues, man. We’re better than this.”

The Indians finished with a 89-110 record all-time at the Metrodome, which opened in 1982. They won their first game here, 9-2, on May 24, 1992 with Lenny Barker throwing a four-hitter and Rick Manning hitting a homer. Their last one was not so sweet.

“I’m going to be happy to take my last shower in this dump,” said one staff member as he made his way through a half-empty locker room after the game.

Laffey (7-6, 4.09) allowed seven runs on 12 hits in six innings. Wedge felt Laffey “competed,” but didn’t get much help.

“We played very young today,” said Wedge. “In regard to our decision making, it wasn’t anything fundamentally. We just didn’t do a very good job out there.”

Laffey, who came into the game 3-0 against the Twins this year, has allowed 14 runs and 24 hits in 91‚Ñ3 innings in his last two starts.

“I talk all the time about throwing quality pitches in quality locations,” said Laffey. “I wasn’t doing that today.”