Chris Perez takes blame for loss to Blue Jays

Asked about attempting to use closer Chris Perez for a five-out save Wednesday, Indians manager Manny Acta referenced Mike Marshall and Rollie Fingers, two elite relievers who haven't pitched in the big leagues in 25 years.

The multi-inning save isn't quite that dead. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, for instance, had seven among his 44 saves last season. But it's not the norm. While both Acta and Perez were a bit defensive about the move after Wednesday's 5-4 loss to Toronto, it made sense and should have worked.

Called on with a runner on first and one out in the eighth, Perez struck out Toronto's Alex Gonzalez and Jose Bautista to end that inning, then he retired the first two batters in the ninth and got two strikes on Fred Lewis. But Lewis doubled, Aaron Hill's routine grounder went through shortstop Luis Valbuena's legs for an error and Adam Lind hit a 1-2 pitch for a two-run, go-ahead homer.

"I haven't been overused, I'm not tired, we have an off day," Perez said. "I was still throwing the same stuff in the ninth. I don't think coming in in the eighth hurt me at all."

Among his 13 career saves in St. Louis and with the Indians, three have been more than one inning, all in 2008. But in 11 appearances this season, Wednesday was the first time Perez went more than one inning, which was part of the point.

With the bullpen fresh, Acta said he decided he'd finish the last two innings with the two relievers he trusts most right now, Tony Sipp and Perez. Sipp got two outs in the seventh and one in the eighth, and then Perez was called. After Valbuena's error kept the game alive, Acta went to the mound to make sure Perez's arm and head were still in the game.

"He said, 'I'm fine, let's go, we'll get this guy right here,' " Acta said. "So I thought he reacted well."

He just left a fastball, a pitch he was trying to elevate, in the middle of the plate for Lind.

"It's easy to sit here and blame it on Valbuena, but the truth is I didn't make the pitches when I needed to," Perez said. "I'm totally to blame for this."

But the five-out attempt isn't what did it, even if Perez said he didn't know it was coming.

"I'm there to pitch. I don't care if it's one inning or two innings," Perez said. "I didn't have an idea. They don't come over and ask you. I didn't expect it, but they gave me plenty of time to get loose.

"I'm a young guy. I throw when they tell me to throw. I look at it as me getting some good work and that's what I need right now. It's no secret we haven't been playing good baseball and there haven't been a lot of save opportunities, but at the same time I was called on to do a job. We wouldn't be talking about anything else if I could have executed some pitches."



(cleveland.com)