On a night that saw Carlos Santana homer and Trevor Bauer at least somewhat resemble his old self, it was Oscar Mercado who was the difference in the game. The Tribe’s rookie outfielder singled with the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth inning to score the game-winning run and lead the Cleveland Indians past the Cincinnati Reds, 2-1, in extras.
Mercado’s late game heroics put a positive final note on what had been an otherwise abysmal night for the Indians’ lineup prior to the tenth inning. But before I get into that, credit where credit is due: It was the bottom of the lineup that sparked the Indians’ rally, with Mike Freeman drawing a walk and Leonys Martín putting runners at the corners with a one-out single.