CLEVELAND — Jose Berrios was solid through five innings on Monday night, giving up only three hits and twice stranding runners on third base. Cleveland scored twice with two outs in the sixth inning, but when manager Rocco Baldelli came to the mound, Berrios convinced him to leave him in to face Josh Naylor.
Jose Berrios forced to leave game after Rocco Baldelli's blunder
April 27, 2021 at 2:24PM
Or so he thought.
As Baldelli walked back to the dugout, umpire Tom Hallion reminded him pitching coach Wes Johnson had, three batters earlier, jogged to the mound for a quick pep talk for Berrios. By rule, a second visit requires a pitching change, and Baldelli was forced to summon Hansel Robles from the bullpen.
"That's on me. I was locked into something else at the time," Baldelli said. "I actually called down to get Robles going. Not a great moment."
No harm done — Robles ended the inning by getting Josh Naylor to ground out — but it was an awkward mistake for a former Manager of the Year.
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