Conley after 8th-inning collapse: 'That's on me'

April 24th, 2019

CLEVELAND -- Issuing a leadoff walk in a tie game is the biggest fear of every relief pitcher. That nightmare became reality for Marlins left-hander Adam Conley on Wednesday.

The Indians scored four runs in the eighth inning after Conley walked Carlos Gonzalez to open the frame, allowing them to pull away and beat Miami 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field.

The Marlins had tied the game in the top half of the inning on a solo homer by Martin Prado, only to have Conley unravel after his first two pitches were strikes. Four straight balls followed and Gonzalez came around three batters later on a single by Jake Bauers.

“I feel like every guy I walk is unacceptable,” said Conley, who has allowed four free passes in 9 2/3 innings this season. “That’s really the thing about this game that bothers me the most. I’d rather I’d have attacked him and he put the ball in the seats, you know.

“I came into a tie game and my job was to hang a zero. I didn’t do that, and it all started with that walk.”

Conley (0-3, 8.38 ERA) only retired two of the five men he faced before being lifted in favor of Tayron Guerrero. He was charged with three runs, all scored by left-handed hitters, who are now batting .480 against him this season.

Though Conley has appeared in a team-high 13 games, manager Don Mattingly didn’t like what he saw from him in the Interleague series finale.

“Adam has always had a little trouble when he can’t get his breaking ball going and when that happens, he turns into a one-pitch guy,” Mattingly said. “I thought he got himself into trouble when he walked the leadoff guy 0-2, then Bauers got the hit through the left side to hurt us.”

Bauers beat the shift by sending a grounder just to the left of second base. Jason Kipnis earlier reached base against Conley on a hit up the middle, also capitalizing on Miami’s defensive positioning.

Conley blamed himself for setting the table for both singles as a result of his free pass to Gonzalez.

“There is an insanity about baseball that makes you love it and hate it,” the 28-year-old Conley said. “You can say it’s not fair, but there is no such thing as fair or unfair in this game. There are things that you can control, like walks, and I didn’t.

“I’ve had balls go through the infield for the last 24 years -- that’s going to happen -- but I need to use this as an opportunity to get better. To get better [arm] slots, to make better pitches, to miss bats. That’s all on me.”

First things first

Jose Quijada made his MLB debut in the sixth, allowing one hit in 2/3 innings while following starter Sandy Alcantara. The lefty was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans when pitcher Jarlin Garcia was placed on the paternity list Tuesday.

“Truly, I felt really happy because that’s what I wanted, a really close game,” said Quijada, who entered with Miami trailing 2-1. “I’m thankful for the opportunity.”