Extra innings

What is the primary difference between the Indians and the Twins and White Sox this year? All three have good bullpens, solid starting pitching and (to some degree) questionable offenses. Yet the Indians are the only one of those three teams below .500.
The answer: the Twins and White Sox are both good at scoring runs late. The Twins are among the league leaders hitting with runners in scoring position and the White Sox are an unbelievable 17-7 in one-run games.
The Indians, by contrast, are generally a terrible clutch-hitting team. They seem to have a hard time scoring late.
In today's 4-3, 13-inning loss in Minnesota, the Tribe's weaknesses were exploited to perfection by Twins starter Johan Santana and the Minnesota bullpen.
The Indians jumped on Santana for three runs in the first four innings, capped by Coco Crisp homering in his return from a thumb injury. Then the Cleveland offense powered down. Check that -- they went stone silent.
After Jody Gerut singled in the fifth, the Indians did not manage another hit until a Jhonny Peralta single in the 10th.
Cleveland let a great scoring opportunity get away that inning when Gerut was robbed of a single with runners at second and third and two out.
The Twins simply let the law of averages eat the Indians up. You can only let so many scoring chances slip away before the other team eventually capitalizes. In the end, it's probably better the Twins euthanized this game before it went 15 or 16 innings. The Indians needed a win, but moreso, they need a bullpen with a chance to recover before a series against the White Sox starts Friday.