Indians Finish Season with 5-4 Loss

On Wednesday night, the Tribe wrapped up its 2011 campaign with a 5-4 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park. Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland's best player during this roller-coaster ride of a year, swung through a fastball from Detroit closer Jose Valverde for a game-ending strikeout that sent the Indians into the offseason.

"They showed why they're a playoff team," Indians manager Manny Acta said.

That is what the Indians believed they could be when this season began.

Now, it is the goal once again for 2012.

"We're going to have a good team next year," Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner said. "I think expectations are going to be high. I think anything short of making the playoffs is going to be a disappointing."

Prior to Wednesday's game against the Tigers, the Indians secured sole possession of second place in the American League Central when the Blue Jays defeated the White Sox in Chicago. Once on the field in the Motor City, however, the Tribe was unable to end the year even in the win and loss columns.

The loss to Detroit -- this season's division champion -- dropped the Indians to 80-82. There are two sides to every story and the Tribe's 2011 tale is no exception. On one hand, Cleveland has three losing seasons in a row for the first time since 2002-04. Another way to view things would be to note the Indians' 11-game improvement over last year.

Acta was hardly satisfied.

"I'm disappointed that we couldn't at least finish with a .500 record," Acta said. "I thought we played too well for too long to end up this way."

Cleveland lost 93 games a season ago and had 190 losses combined over the past two tours. This year, the Indians believed they had the young and talented pieces in place to make a run at the division, and the team's 30-15 start, which had them in first place and seven games ahead of Detroit at the time, seemed to back up the organization's early optimism.

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