It was almost like the Indians lost twice on Saturday afternoon. Once in the ninth inning and once in the 10th.
They officially lost to the Reds, 3-2, in the 10th when pinch-hitter Tyler Stephen singled home Eugenio Suarez from third base with one out. Suarez started the inning at second base as the automatic runner. He went to third on a fly ball by Tyler Naquin and scored on Stephenson’s single off Oliver Perez.
They really lost in the ninth when Josh Naylor’s error at first base opened the door to defeat. Naylor, making his 2021 debut at first, failed to field a routine grounder by Max Schrock with two out in the ninth and the Indians leading, 2-1. The ball went through his legs, ala Bill Buckner in the 1986 World Series, as Schrock went to second. From there pinch-runner Nick Senzel scored the tying run on Jesse Winker’s single to make it 2-2. The Reds loaded the bases, but Emmanuel Clase managed to escape.
