Falling apart

The Indians were humming along in yesterday's springer against the Tigers, leading 2-0 for a while on a pair of Grady Sizemore solo home runs off Detroit starter Yorman Bazardo. (Heck of a name, isn't it?)

But in the seventh, Matt Ginter gave up one run on four hits, one of which ricocheted into left field off his own left (non-throwing) wrist. Had Ginter made that play, he might have gotten out of it without any damage, but it would have been a tough play for anybody. It amazes me how pitchers are sometimes able to field those rocket shots from less than 60 feet away. Ginter finished the inning, so I don't think it's anything serious, but he did look like it wasn't easy to take the throw back from the catcher after that.

Rick Bauer, who, like Ginter, is fighting for a spot in the bullpen, didn't do himself any favors in the eighth, walking the first two hitters and then giving up an RBI single to some kid named Jeff Larish. It was Larish's first spring RBI. Remember that.

So with the score 2-2, journeyman Scott Elarton -- fighting for a spot in the pen -- got through the ninth without too much trouble, but his defense let him down in the 10th. Specifically, third baseman Andy Marte, so recently considered an A+ prospect, made one physical error and one mental error. The fielding error was Marte's second of the game; and to be fair, it was a very hard-hit ball, but a major-league third baseman's got to make that play. And it could have been a double play, which would have left Elarton with nobody on and two out, instead of two on with nobody out. The mental error happened one pitch later. Danny Worth tried to lay down a bunt to move the runners up, but he popped it up, and Marte could easily have caught it on the fly. But he decided to get cute and let it drop, then try to make a 5-4-3 double play -- only problem is, nobody was covering second. And Marte should have known that. With Marte going in for the ball, shortstop Josh Rodriguez went to cover third; and with first baseman Jordan Brown charging the bunt, second sacker Josh Barfield had to cover first. That's the by-the-book defense for a bunt with runners on first and second. (All four of those infielders are likely to open the season in the minors, by the way.)

I'm told that Marte is working very hard to try to make good, and I'm glad; and I do understand that everybody has bad days from time to time. But a major-league third baseman has to do better.

On the plus side, Cliff Lee put in a nice performance as the starter, giving up two hits, one walk and no runs in the first three innings. He got himself out of a jam in the second with a gorgeous curve that froze Curtis Granderson, striking him out. Joe Borowski contributed a scoreless inning, and Edward Mujica put up two zeroes. So that was encouraging.

And boy, it was nice to see Indians baseball, even if it was just a spring-training game they lost.