KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Manager Terry Francona said Carlos Carrasco told him he was feeling lethargic.
"I told him I was feeling a little down," said Carrasco.
This was after the first inning of Friday night's game against the Royals. The game didn't mean all that much to the Royals, who clinched the AL Central on Thursday night and started a lineup on Friday full of reserves and September call-ups while the stars recovered from a night of celebration.
To the wild-card hunting Indians it meant much more. Francona, thinking quickly, told Carrasco, "just go as hard as you can for as long as you can and we'll get you out of there.