CLEVELAND: After the miscues in the outfield in Game 6, Rajai Davis received the start in center field over Tyler Naquin in Game 7 of the World Series Wednesday night at Progressive Field.
Naquin, a rookie, played a role in a two-run misplay in the Indians’ Game 6 loss.
“I think Nake’s pressing a little bit,” Indians manager Terry Francona said prior to Wednesday’s Game 7. “And during the regular season, it’s one thing where you kind of maybe let him get through it. I just don’t know that, with one game left, and Kluber’s pitching, just trying to put a premium on making sure we catch the ball and, also, we need to score.”
The Indians also were preparing to see left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman and potentially left-handed starting pitcher Jon Lester out of the bullpen in the all-hands-on-deck situation of a decisive Game 7. Davis would be the likely candidate to receive those at-bats.
“Raj, he’s going to be in there anyway,” Francona said. “I just thought you can tell [Naquin] is pressing a little bit. Nobody has a crystal ball. It’s not punishment, it’s just trying to win.”
Ratings boost
Per SportsBusiness Daily, Tuesday night’s Game 6 of the World Series on Fox drew 23.4 million viewers. It was the highest-rated Game 6 since, coincidentally, the 1997 World Series between the Indians and Florida Marlins, which drew 23.7 million viewers.
Not-so-sweet dreams
Francona doesn’t always sleep well before games, particularly in the postseason. His late-night adventures this World Series continued prior to Game 7.
A few nights ago in Chicago, Francona ordered $44 worth of room-service ice cream at 3:30 in the morning. In an impressive feat, he finished the order but has since had to stay away from it.
On Tuesday night, Francona had a nightmare and woke up in pain. But, it wasn’t as bad as it originally seemed as he was yanked out of his sleep.
“Unfortunately, this is true. I had a nightmare — I mean a nightmare — that somebody broke my ribs,” Francona said. “That was the nightmare. And I woke up, and my ribs hurt. And I rolled over. I had fallen asleep on the remote control. But I mean it was sticking [in there]. I got up and I was like, what the f***? It was like a big mark. And for about an hour, I was like, I wonder if I broke my rib.”
But, that wasn’t all.
“And I had like, peanut butter, was on my glasses. It was a bad night, man,” Francona said, laughing.
Francona often becomes so busy with his managerial duties during the day that he doesn’t have a chance to eat until later at night. At 5 p.m. on Wednesday, he still hadn’t eaten.
“I just either forgot or whatever, I got too busy,” Francona said. “So normally when a game starts, I’ll think, ‘OK, you know what, I’ll have a salad tonight.’ By the seventh inning, I’m like, ‘Man, I want everything greasy I can find.’ Then it just escalates from there.”
First pitch
Indians 2016 Hall of Fame inductee Jim Thome threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 7. He joined other past Indians greats, including Kenny Lofton (Game 1), Carlos Baerga (Game 2) and Dennis Martinez (Game 6), to throw out ceremonial first pitches at Progressive Field in the World Series.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ.