CLEVELAND -- The easy decision for Indians manager Terry Francona would have been to tell Michael Brantley to grab a bat on Friday night. Cleveland was trailing by one run in the ninth inning, and Brantley has the ability to change a game with one swing.
But Francona did not call upon Brantley as a pinch-hitter, and the Indians were dealt a 7-6 defeat at the hands of the Tigers. Due to Brantley's comeback from a complicated injury, Francona did not give in to temptation. The manager made the decision before the game even began that the left fielder would not be available off the bench on what was a scheduled day off.