Pitching, defense get Tribe beat

Associated Press

Cleveland

For four games, the Cleveland Indians had trouble hitting when it mattered.

On Wednesday, the offense had its most productive game of the young season, but the rest of the team faltered in a 10-6 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

The Indians ended their first homestand with a 1-4 record.

Although the Indians’ poor play in spring training has carried over into the season, manager Manny Acta thinks it’s too early to consider personnel changes.

“Five games is not going to make me panic about my bullpen, my offense, defense or anything like that,” Acta said. “We have to give it a little more time.”

Jason Masterson, coming off a dominant outing against Toronto in the season opener, gave up four runs in the first. An error by third baseman Jack Hannahan made one of the runs unearned. A fifth-inning error by first baseman Casey Kotchman helped the White Sox score another unearned run.

The bullpen only added to the trouble. Relievers Dan Wheeler and Rafael Perez gave up home runs in the sixth to turn a 5-4 deficit into a six-run game.

“We swung the bats better, but we didn’t pitch well enough or play good enough defense,” Acta said.

Masterson (0-1) ran into problems immediately. After Alejandro De Aza started the game with a single, Hannahan’s throw to first on Brent Morel’s bunt was wide. A run-scoring single by Adam Dunn and an RBI double by Paul Konerko followed. Masterson’s wild pitch added another run before A.J. Pierzynski hit a sacrifice fly.

Travis Hafner hit a solo homer in the fourth and followed with a two-run double in the fifth for the Indians.