The Indians have faith in closer Cody Allen. (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports)
CHICAGO — As the Cleveland Indians try to find their stride after a sluggish start, bouncing back from a loss in which the Indians watched a three-run, ninth-inning lead vanish can be difficult to bounce back from.
The Indians had dropped five of seven games entering Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox, including Monday night’s 4-3 setback that handed Cleveland its eighth loss in 12 games.
But this early in the season, manager Terry Francona preaches to his players that they can’t let losses — as frustrating as they may be — create too long of a hangover.
“You can’t come to the ballpark the next day dragging your head or your tail because that doesn’t help anybody,” Francona said Tuesday. “But there are some nights that keep you up.”
That may ring especially true for Indians closer Cody Allen, who allowed four runs and six hits in 0.1 innings of work while falling to 0-2 on the season. Despite Monday night’s late-game collapse, Francona said Allen, who had 24 saves in 2014, is as “trustworthy and dependable” as anyone in the Indians’ clubhouse.
As the Indians — who sit in fifth place in the American League Central Division — try to get things back on track, Francona said the last thing his team needs is chaos in the bullpen.
But given how much Francona and his players believe in the young righty, going back to Allen won’t be an issue.
“This kid has been put in every position imaginable and it’s like we tried to make it hard on him,” Francona said, pointing back to Allen’s time in the minor leagues. “We told him, ‘Hey — straight out — every time we’re in a bind, we want you to have the ball.’
“So I think he’s OK.”
