CLEVELAND, Ohio – You knew manager Terry Francona would love it and he did.
The Indians were getting a perfect game thrown at them Friday by the Colorado Rockies. Twenty-two batters up, twenty-two batters down.
Up came Mike Napoli with one out in the eighth inning. He was facing lefty Scott Oberg. Twelve pitches later, Napoli walked. Perfect game, kaput.
Adam Moore followed with a double to end the no-hitter. The next batter, Zach Walters, singled home Napoli from third to end the shutout. The Indians still lost, 6-1, but if you're a manager looking for something to take away from a long afternoon, the walk by Napoli, a newcomer to your team, would be something to stick in your back pocket.