There was a painful moment for Mike Clevinger when the magnitude of his risky off-the-field behavior hit him hardest.
“I saw the disappointment with the guys,” Clevinger said. “The hardest pill to swallow was that I made a really selfish choice.”
On Wednesday night, he took a step toward gaining his teammates’ forgiveness.
Clevinger pitched effectively in his first start since breaking COVID-19 protocols and his teammates’ trust, and Tyler Naquin doubled home the go-ahead run in Cleveland’s three-run eighth inning as the Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 on Wednesday night to tighten the AL Central.
Clevinger gave up a homer to Max Kepler on his third pitch, but settled in and held the Twins to two runs over six innings in his first start since Aug. 5.
His return meant more than his resume.
Three days after his last outing, Clevinger and teammate Zach Plesac left the team’s Chicago hotel, socialized outside the team’s “bubble,” missed curfew and caused a rift inside the clubhouse.
All seems to be mostly forgiven as Clevinger was welcomed back and the Indians won two of three in the series to close within one-half game of the first-place Twins.
Clevinger said everything felt different when he walked back into Cleveland’s clubhouse. Normally the life of the party, the right-hander knows it will take time before things are back to normal — to him being himself, to being fully accepted.
“It was my mistake,” he said. “It was my mess-up that caused a whirlwind for everybody for a while and it wasn’t my place to come into the clubhouse and be the same Sunshine (his nickname) and rah-rah. I’m walking on a tightrope right now as I should be.
“I’m making sure I contribute and not be a distraction.”
Jose Ramirez hit a three-run homer in the third and Naquin doubled off Sergio Romo (0-1) in the eighth to break a 3-3 tie. Greg Allen followed with a sacrifice fly, much to the delight of Ramirez and Francisco Lindor, who aimed much of their dugout commentary at the bearded, animated Romo.
Phil Maton (2-0) picked up the win in relief and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his ninth save.