Cleveland Indians get trounced in Cactus League opener, lose 10-0

The Indians got their Cactus League season underway Tuesday afternoon. Clearly they want to save their high quality performances for the regular season though, and so they accepted a 10-0 battering at the hands of their Goodyear roommates, the Cincinnati Reds.

Zach McAllister started for the Tribe, going two innings (which is standard for pitchers making their first start of the spring). He gave up a double and a single in the first inning allowing a run to score. In the second inning we gave up another single, sandwiched by strikeouts. When the runner tried to steal second, Yan Gomes made sure he was unsuccessful, ending the inning.

Nick Hagadone pitched a scoreless third, and was followed by a parade of relievers I don't expect to see much of in Cleveland this year. Charles Brewer and Bryan Price each gave up multiple extra-base hits and runs, while Dustin Molleken and Michael Roth each escaped after allowing one run.

The Indians managed only four hits, all of them singles. Tyler Holt managed to draw a couple walks, which I suppose makes him the Tribe's player of the game.

I wasn't able to watch very much of the game, so I'm sure there are some subtleties I'm overlooking. Carlos Moncrief used his awesome arm to make a throwing error, was it his fault? Were there any other standout defensive plays (for better or for worse)?

It'd be more fun to see the Indians win than lose, but these games (especially during the first couple weeks) are almost entirely about players shaking off the cobwebs and working back into game form. I hope to see a better result tomorrow, but mostly I'm just glad to have baseball back, and to get one day closer to Opening Day.