CLEVELAND _ An opposing team finally figured out Indians rookie starting pitcher Zach Plesac, who was roughed up by the homer-happy Cincinnati Reds in a 7-2 loss Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field.
Plesac, who entered the day with a sparkling 1.86 ERA, hadn't given up more than two earned runs in any of his outings in a limited three-start sample. The Reds (30-36) reached that mark with the first two batters of the game, and then piled on.
Nick Senzel led off the game with a solo home run, blasting a ball to left field. Joey Votto, batting second, followed by belting a changeup in the middle of the zone for another home run, putting the Reds up 2-0. It was the first time in Indians history that a visiting team led off a game with back-to-back home runs.
"Yeah, that's the first time it's ever happened (to me)," Plesac said. "You know, it's just, 'Get back to it and lock back in.' (Votto) came ready to swing and then I locked back in after that at-bat."
Plesac went on to retire the next 13 batters he faced. It wasn't an ideal start, but he did save it from being a disaster.
"We've already known in the short time we've seen him that he's going to fight," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He's going to battle. I thought maybe his last start took a little out of him. He had never been out to 110 before under major league circumstances. We tried to take that into account and get him out at like 80-something. And I think he's got an extra day just to bounce back a little bit.
"But I don't think anybody's going to question his toughness or his competitiveness. He just made some mistakes in the zone today."
Doubles by Jose Iglesias and Jose Peraza in the fifth made it 3-1, and an inning later Eugenio Suarez drove a solo home run to the Home Run Porch to put the Reds up 4-1.
Plesac (1-2) finished with four earned runs allowed on five hits and two walks to go with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Curt Casali added a solo homer off Indians reliever Nick Goody in the seventh to push the Reds' lead to 5-1. Iglesias then provided the dagger with a two-run double in the eighth inning off A.J. Cole.
The Indians, meanwhile, struggled through another slow day at the plate, this time against Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani. Their lone run off DeSclafani came on a weak groundout to first base by Mike Freeman that brought home Tyler Naquin, who had doubled and advanced to third.
Naquin came to the plate in a key spot in the third after the Indians (34-33) loaded the bases with one out, but grounded into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to extinguish the threat.
In the eighth, Carlos Santana launched his team-leading 14th home run of the season, a solo shot off Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen.
