Indians manager Manny Acta had a message for his team on Wednesday afternoon. The club he is watching on the field right now is playing too tight, trying to fix the Tribe’s problems with one pitch or a single swing.
The pressure the players are putting on themselves seems to be increasing at the same pace as Cleveland’s hole in the standings. Following a 3-1 loss to the Mariners, one that sent the Tribe to an eighth straight defeat in one of the worst months in franchise history, Acta called for his ballclub to relax.
After all, the consequences of a collapse often reach the manager’s office before the clubhouse.
“It’s never been done in the history of the game where 25 guys get released,” Acta said. “They should relax. If one guy is going to go, it’s going to be me, not them. So relax and play the game. They’re trying too hard.”
It was a candid moment from Acta in the wake of an emotional loss.
Rookie Zach McAllister gave Cleveland six strong innings, but the offense could not get much going and a critical turn in the eighth sent the Indians to a discouraging sweep at Safeco Field. Now, for the second time in the past few weeks, the team is heading home on the heels of a forgettable road trip.
On their previous road trip, the Indians went 0-9 en route to an 11-game losing streak that fell one defeat shy of equaling the franchise record for sustained futility. On the latest trek, Cleveland went 1-8 through Anaheim, Oakland and Seattle, dropping to 4-21 dating back to July 27.
This is the first time since 1987 that the Indians have suffered a pair of losing streaks reaching eight games in a single season.
Prior to these past 25 games, Cleveland sat within 3 1/2 games of first place in the American League Central. The Indians (54-70) are now in a position where they are trying to avoid slipping to the worst record in the league.
“I don’t know what exactly the problem is,” Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo said. “But I can’t believe it’s happened.”
One of the main problems has been the rotation, which has gone 4-15 with a 7.23 ERA over the last 25 games. That said, the 24-year-old McAllister has been a bright spot within Cleveland’s overall starting woes, having pitched into the sixth inning in 14 of his 15 outings for the Tribe this season.
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