Chris Shelton hit his AL-leading ninth homer for Detroit, but it wasn't enough to overcome Paul Byrd's seven solid innings or a six-run third in Cleveland's 10-2 victory over the Tigers on Monday.
“We stunk,” Leyland said while speaking to reporters for less than a minute, a terse session that ended with him abruptly storming out of his office. “The whole ball of wax was lackluster.
“It's been going on here before.”
In Leyland's first year back in the dugout after seven away, he is trying to turn around a franchise without a winning record since 1993 or a postseason appearance in 19 years.
“He wants our expectations to be greater than maybe they've been,” Nate Robertson said after giving up seven runs - six earned - on eight hits over 2 1-3 innings.
Despite Shelton joining a category with just three players in baseball history - with at least nine home runs in his team's first 13 games - the Tigers went 2-5 on their homestand after winning five of their first six games.
“I don't care about personal success,” he said. “It's all about winning.
“When you have a chance to take three of four from the Indians, you've got to do it.”
Casey Blake's solo homer sparked the onslaught in the third for the Indians, who won without manager Eric Wedge, back in Cleveland for the birth of his first child earlier in the day.
Bench coach Joel Skinner managed, picking up where he left off the previous day when Wedge was ejected for arguing a call. Wedge made the 170-mile drive to Cleveland after Sunday's game, and was with his wife when their daughter, Ava Catherine, was born Monday morning.
Post a Comment
