Bad reviews: Replays don’t go Tribe’s way

July 8, 2016 at 12:08a.m.

CLEVELAND

Three nights after the Indians celebrated a win over the Tigers after a successful replay challenge on the final play, the shoe was on the other foot.

In the ninth inning of Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the Yankees, hustling Tyler Naquin appeared to beat out an infield hit to load the bases against closer Aroldis Chapman. But a replay review ruled the throw beat Naquin for the third out.

“It’s a tough one,” said Indians first baseman Mike Napoli, who drew a six-pitch walk to lead off the ninth. “It’s weird. The game has changed and it’s something you’ve got to deal with.”

The Yankees won both of their replay challenges. The first one came in the sixth inning when Starlin Castro was ruled safe at home after being initially called out by home plate umpire Dan Bellino.

It almost didn’t matter as Chapman needed 28 pitches to get his 17th save.

Indians manager Terry Francona called the loss “a hard one” after the ruling that stranded three runners against the often-dominant closer.

“You’d like to be able to hit,” Francona said, “but when you know it’s probably going to go against you, you kinda brace for it.”

After Napoli walked, Jose Ramirez struck out on six pitches. Pinch-hitter Juan Uribe singled on the eighth pitch and Rajai Davis made Chapman throw five before lining out to left field.

Naquin, whose third-inning homer gave the Indians a 1-0 lead, said there are few surprises with the Yankees’ hard-throwing closer.

“He’s got a heater and a slider so when you get a strike, you’ve got to be aggressive,” the center fielder said. “Don’t miss.

“We strung together some good hits, the replay kind of got us,” said Naquin, who added he wasn’t sure at the time if he was safe. “It was pretty bang-bang. They got the right call.”

For four innings, Indians starter Trevor Bauer was all-but-unhittable, retiring 13 of the first 15 Yankees he faced.

But New York’s bats caught up to Bauer, connecting for seven hits and five runs before the sixth inning ended.

“They had a lot of weak singles,” said Bauer who won a 19-inning game July 1 in Toronto in a relief role.

Francona said Bauer was sharp at first, then “They were aggressive with his fastball. It was just too many fastballs caught too much of the plate.”

After setting a franchise record with 14 consecutive wins, the Indians have dropped four of their past six games.

Jason Kipnis also hit a solo homer in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. The Yankees wiped it out in their fifth at-bat as Bauer’s magic wore off.

Didi Gregorius’ solo homer sliced the Indians lead in half. Chase Headley then came home on Brett Gardner’s two-out single.

The wheels fell off after the Yankees won their first replay challenge for a 3-2 lead. Rob Refsnyder’s sacrifice fly scored Gregorius for a two-run lead, ending Bauer’s night. The damage continued when Jacoby Ellsbury singled off T.J. House to bring home Headley for a 5-2 lead.

The Indians responded with a pair of runs in their next at-bat as Carlos Santana and Kipnis doubled and scored.

They came close to tying the game in the seventh inning when Naquin was at second base with two outs. Pinch-hitter Abraham Almonte struck out and didn’t immediately realize the ball went to the backstop. Yankees catcher Brian McCann retrieved the ball and threw to first baseman Mark Teixeira in time to retire Almonte as Naquin was racing to an unguarded home plate.

“I didn’t figure it out right away that he dropped the ball,” Almonte said. “I picked it up a little bit late.”