'Pen, including new arms, picks up slack for Bauer
Six relievers combine for 6 2/3 scoreless frames after starter struggles in Toronto
TORONTO -- Getting less than two innings out of their starter, the Indians relied heavily on their bullpen to get them through the series finale at Rogers Centre on Wednesday -- a 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays.
Cleveland used six relievers after Trevor Bauer was lifted from the game after only 1 1/3 innings. The right-hander allowed five earned runs on six hits in what was his shortest outing of the season. It marked the second time in four starts he's been unable to pitch at least two innings.
"I thought even warming up he had his fastball up, and when he got in the game, he couldn't drive it down, and that was certainly the game plan against these guys," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He wasn't able to get it there."
Bauer was tagged for two earned runs on three hits in the first, and three earned runs on three hits in the second.
Jeff Manship and Kyle Crockett pitched an inning each before Austin Adams gave the Tribe 1 2/3 frames. After that, Zach McAllister, Gavin Floyd and Shawn Armstrong pitched an inning each to finish the game.
It was Floyd's first action of the season since he was activated from the 60-day disabled list. And it was Armstrong's first outing since he was recalled from Triple-A Columbus.
Floyd showed no signs of rust in his 2015 debut, firing a 1-2-3 seventh against the heart of a dangerous Blue Jays batting order that included Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. The righty said he was careful not to let his excitement take hold after not pitching since June 19 of last season with a right elbow fracture.
"It's funny how you feel separated from the game, in a sense, for a while, and you get out there and go, 'Man, this is fun. This is awesome,'" he said. "Heart was racing, but I was able to control my emotions and zero in on what I needed to do."
Armstrong tossed a scoreless eighth, working around a pair of singles from Troy Tulowitzki and Ryan Goins to strand two runners to end the inning.
"It gets your blood flowing a bit," Armstrong said of the crowd's eruption to Tulowitzki's leadoff single. "But at the same time, you just have to stay within yourself and control what you can control, try to fill up the strike zone."