A's Rally Falls Short; Cleveland tops Eveland, 4-3

I am wondering if I jinxed Dana Eveland with yesteray's headline.

The Cleveland Indians scored a pair of runs off the 25-year old southpaw in the first inning and held on for a 4-3 victory.  Eveland hurt his own cause with an error trying to pick off Grady Sizemore, who led off the frame with a single.  Sizemore went to the third base on the miscue, and scored on a base hit by Jamey Carroll.  One out later, Victor Martinez doubled home Carroll to make it 2-love.

Eveland allowed four hits in his 3.1 innings of work, walking one and striking out four.

The A’s were retired in order in innings one-through-four by Cleveland starter Aaron Laffey, before Jack Cust broke up the no-hit bid with a single leading off the fifth.

The Tribe tacked on two two-out runs in the sixth inning against Edgar Gonzalez, courtesy of a triple by Ryan Garko and a single off the bat of Kelly Shoppach (which plated pinch-runner Tony Graffanino). 

Offensively, the A’s were unable to get anything going until the eighth, when Jack Hannahan took one for the team by taking one on the helmet, and advanced to third on a two-base error that left Gregorio Petit at second base.  Landon Powell followed with a ringing double to score pinch-runner Corey Wimberly and Petit, cutting the lead in half.  Aaron Cunningham duplicated Powell’s two-bagger with one of his own to make it 4-3.

And that’s how it stayed.

Henry Rodriguez saw his first action of the spring. He walked two batters, but used a double-play to avoid giving up any runs.

The A’s lost a chance to tie the game in the ninth.  Cliff Pennington tripled with one out but was gunned down on a ground ball to shortstop.

Plane leaves at 9:05 tomorrow – Arizona here I come!