The Cleveland Indians bullpen is an out-of-control self-feeding death spiral and someone must go

Cleveland 2 - Houston 11

Recaps: LGT | indians.com

The Astros spotted the Indians 2, ran up Kluber’s pitch count and pummeled the bullpen for 11 runs in the eighth and ninth innings. This time it wasn’t just the usual culprits - Andrew Miller and Cody Allen were also complicit.

The Indians’ bullpen is pitching out of fear right now and not confidence. It’s become a self-feeding death spiral, where each bad performance feeds on the last. Somebody has to step up and be held accountable. By all accounts, Scott Atchison, the bullpen coach is a great guy, a good teammate, and probably a good cribbage player as well, but someone needs to be sacrificed to the volcano and Atchison is the most likely candidate.

I realize that not all cribbage hands are fours, fives and sixes, but coaches are hired to be fired. The Indians have to do something before this bullpen wrecks another season beyond recovery (2008, anyone?). Firing Scott Atchison would be a good first step. It would show that someone - anyone - is being held accountable.

Other Indians News

Cleveland Indians' bullpen collapses (again) as Houston scores 11 runs off bullpen in 11-2 win | cleveland.com - It's hard to win games with a two-man bullpen because there will be times when that duo doesn't pitch well.

Shane Bieber throws no-hitter for Clippers - Shane Bieber has been tough to hit all season. On Friday night, he took that a step further and was truly unhittable as he fired the eighth no-hitter in Triple-A Columbus history.

Injury updates: Bradley Zimmer, Brandon Guyer - Zimmer to start rehab today in Akron.

Corey Kluber maintains confidence in his teammates after another bullpen collapse. - YouTube - Corey Kluber is saying the right things.

MLB trade rumors: Mets' Jeurys Familia to Indians? | NJ.com - And according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Indians (Mickey Callaway's former team) could represent a landing spot for the Mets ninth-inning man.

Astros 11, Indians 2: 13 Walk-Off Thoughts on yet another bullpen beatdown and the need for more adjectives - Andrew Miller and Cody Allen couldn’t hold the Astros at bay, and Oliver Drake and Josh Tomlin certainly didn’t fare any better.

The bunt is good and 4 other things we learned about the Cleveland Indians on Friday | cleveland.com - The Indians did not sign Alonso to a two-year, $16 million deal in December to bunt, but Houston's defense was shifted so far to the right side of the infield that it was an open invitation to Alonso to use his short game.

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