This wasn’t just any loss. It wasn’t a minor detail in a lengthy progression toward mediocrity. It was a loss that marked the ending of a great streak of effort, teamwork, grit and talent.
Saturday’s game had many of the features that wins in the 14-game streak included. There was more clutch hitting from Jose Ramirez. There was a tremendous individual performance in Rajai Davis‘s cycle. Every move seemed to made with effort and passion. The only that was missing was prolonged pitching excellence.
So the Indians were 9-6 losers, but only in the box score.