by rusty2 » Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:36 pm
Lou, I must have missed the 4 year restraint. As far as Acta how can I restrain myself when the team actually quits on their manager 2 years in a row ?
Closer Chris Perez defends Tribe's effort and manager
Published: Wednesday, August 08, 2012, 11:54 AM
Updated: Wednesday, August 08, 2012, 2:32 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio. --
The Indians entered Wednesday's game one defeat away from tying the franchise record for consecutive losses. Yeah, you may have noticed that little 11-game losing streak they've been on.
Closer Chris Perez, charged with defeats No.9 and No.11, says the team hasn't quit.
"It stinks. Losing stinks," said Perez, "but we're not quitting. There's no quitting. It looks like it sometimes, but when it rains it pours, honestly."
Every little thing that can be magnified is being magnified. How many times during a year is there an error made with two out? You go whatever and you get out of it with the next pitch.
"But we do it and they go on and score eight runs. You don't see that kind of stuff. It's head scratching. It really is."
In Monday's 14-3 loss, the Twins took a 2-1 lead on consecutive homers by Josh Willingham and Justin Morneau in the second inning. Zach McAllister came back to retire the next two batters. When Denard Span sent a grounder to second, the inning should have been over, but Jason Kipnis' throw to first pulled Carlos Santana off first base.
The Twins went on to score eight more runs in the inning.
"On every game, you could pick someone different to blame," Perez. "It's not just one guy who is continually messing up. It's a cancer almost. It's not a mindset. It's just out there.
Everyone is still coming early and doing their work. It's hard."
As the losses have mounted, so has the public's unhappiness with manager Manny Acta. The Indians were 50-49 and 3 1/2 games out of first place in the AL Central on July 26. They went into Wednesday's game at 50-60 and 10 1/2 games out of first.
Perez says Acta isn't to blame.
"Is he out there doing it?" said Perez. "It's the same team that everybody was praising Manny for in April, May and June.
"We're not losing because of him. We're the one making the plays, making the bad pitches, making the errors, walking guys. We're the ones doing that, not Manny. We're the same guys, same team, same players."