Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Francona ejected at end of rough day for bats

BALTIMORE -- On possibly Cleveland's hardest-hit ball of the night, the Orioles' Travis Snider ranged far to his left and completed a full-extension diving grab on a Francisco Lindor line drive to left-center field.

It was that kind of day, and frankly that type of series for the Indians, as they were shut out in both games of Sunday's doubleheader, losing the finale by a score of 8-0.

"We are just going through a rough time," Michael Bourn said. "If we happen to pitch good, we don't hit good. If we happen to hit good, we don't pitch good."

Cleveland combined for just 12 hits in two games on Sunday and finished the series scoring just three runs, all of which came in Friday's 4-3 defeat via solo homers. The team went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position during the doubleheader and ended the series 1-for-13.

David Murphy went 4-for-4 in Sunday's nightcap, but his outing was an anomaly. He had half of the Indians' hits in Game 2. Even Jason Kipnis, who had his 20-game hitting streak snapped in the first game, finished 0-for-3 in the second game.

"I think that's natural [to be pressing], if you care, which they do," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I really don't feel it. Today was not a pretty day for us, but I don't see guys grinding the bat."

Francona was ejected with one out left in the game after arguing with home-plate umpire Ron Kulpa following a called third strike on Ryan Raburn. Francona said he was not so mad at the actual call, but at the way Kulpa treated him.

"We had one out to go and he was kind looking back, and I told him to let it go," he said. "He was waving me off. I think if umpires want to be respected, they have to show respect back. I've been doing this too long to be treated like that. That's not the way it's supposed to work."

The Baltimore series was the second time all year that Cleveland was held to three or fewer runs in an entire series, having done the same thing against the Rays last weekend. The Indians will make the trip to St. Petersburg for a four-game series that begins Monday hoping the bats can come alive.

"I don't really feel like it's slipping away," Bourn said. "I feel like we just need to get it back in the saddle. We just have to continue to play hard, get things clicking right, and that's about it."

Connor Smolensky is an associate reporter for MLB.com.
Read More: Cleveland Indians