Struggling Mesa Loses His Closer Role

Cleveland Indians reliever Jose Mesa has temporarily lost his job as closer after giving up seven runs in his last two outings, manager Mike Hargrove said Friday.

“I don’t know if we’d go to Jose in a close situation right now,” Hargrove said before Friday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers.

Mesa, who saved 85 games the last two seasons, began this year on the restricted list while on trial for charges of rape, gross sexual imposition and theft. He was found innocent of all charges April 9 and returned to the team two days later, recording three saves in six scoreless appearances.

But in his last two outings, Mesa has allowed five earned runs and seven hits in one inning with an 0-2 record. Batters were 7 for 11 against him.

“When we put Jose back in the closer’s role, we felt he was ready,” Hargrove said. “Lately, Jose’s confidence has suffered, and we’ve seen what we’ve gotten.”

Mesa had his first blown save last weekend in Milwaukee, and it snowballed into another terrible performance in Wednesday’s 11-9 loss to Oakland. Mesa got only one batter out in the 10th inning and allowed back-to-back homers by Mark McGwire and Geronimo Berroa. McGwire’s homer, his second of the game, went about 459 feet.

Mesa’s pitches have been clocked in the 95-98 mph range, but with terrible location.

“I don’t care if you throw it 198 mph. If you throw it over the middle of the plate, big-league hitters are going to hit it,” Hargrove said.

Hargrove said he would go to a bullpen-by-committee until Mesa works out his problems. Mike Jackson is Cleveland’s only reliever with closing experience who is pitching well. Eric Plunk and Paul Assenmacher are both slumping, and Paul Shuey has a sore right knee. Jackson has not allowed a run in four appearances.