Hand blows save, Tribe swept out of playoffs

CLEVELAND — What was supposed to be their biggest advantage ended up being the Indians’ most difficult hurdle to overcome in the Wild Card Series. The strategy was to continue the same game plan the club followed all season: score just enough runs to support an elite pitching staff. In

CLEVELAND — What was supposed to be their biggest advantage ended up being the Indians’ most difficult hurdle to overcome in the Wild Card Series. The strategy was to continue the same game plan the club followed all season: score just enough runs to support an elite pitching staff. In the end, Cleveland had the runs but didn’t receive the pitching it needed.

The Indians were three outs away from forcing a Game 3 of the Wild Card Series when closer Brad Hand toed the rubber. But after a walk and two singles, Hand found himself with the bases loaded and no outs. After a crucial strikeout, a sacrifice fly and RBI single were enough for the Yankees to complete the two-game sweep, as the Indians fell, 10-9, in Game 2 on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

The loss extended Cleveland’s losing streak to 10 in games in which it faced elimination, which is the longest such streak in Major League history.

The Tribe’s bats did everything possible in attempting to extend its season at least one more day, plating nine runs on 10 hits. The Indians jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first, but the Yankees rallied to get back on top in the fourth, 5-4, thanks to a Gio Urshela grand slam off James Karinchak.

It wasn’t until Jordan Luplow’s pinch-hit, two-run double in the eighth that Cleveland tied the game once again before finally regaining the lead in the eighth on a Cesar Hernandez bloop single to left.

Hand only took one loss during the regular season, giving up three runs in the ninth inning of a tie game against the White Sox on July 29. Since then, he’s been one of the club’s most reliable bullpen arms, converting all 16 save opportunities on the season. It wasn’t until Wednesday’s two-run outing that he picked up his first blown save of 2020.