What it means: That Hiroki Kuroda should hire a lawyer and sue his teammates for non-support. For the ninth time this season, the Yankees score two runs or less with Kuroda on the mound, although they had plenty of chances. RISP is often a meaningless stat but not tonight, as the Yankees go 1-for-7 w/runners in scoring position and load the bases three times but come away with only one run.

Rough start: Kuroda hit leadoff hitter Jason Kipnis with his fourth pitch of the game, walked Shin-Soo Choo, the third batter he faced, and surrendered a long three-run homer to Michael Brantley to give the Indians a 3-0 first-inning lead. It was the first time the Indians had had a lead since the fifth inning of Monday night's game against Seattle, a game they wound up losing, 5-3.

Hiro-ic recovery: After Brantley's first-inning homer, Kuroda allowed just three hits over the next six innings, and when he got into a little trouble in the seventh, on a single and a hit batter, he immediately got out of it with a double play. In defeat, Kuroda wound up pitching a complete game, allowing just four hits in eight innings.

Masterful beginning: Cleveland starter Justin Masterson retired the first 11 Yankees he faced, until Robinson Cano doubled with two out in the fourth.

Rifle arm: Heady play by Russell Martin, who fired down to second to nail Lou Marson, who strayed off the bag after leading off the fifth inning with a double.

Stranded: The Yankees had a great opportunity to tie the game or take the lead in the sixth, loading the bases with none out, but only wound up with one run, courtesy of a Mark Teixeira sacrifice fly. They even loaded the bases again, on a walk to Curtis Granderson with one out, but although both Eric Chavez and Martin hit the ball hard, neither could get another run home. Chavez's liner was plucked out of the air by third baseman Jack Hannahan, and Martin forced Choo to scamper back to the warning track to flag down his drive to right.

RISP fail: The Yankees loaded the bases for the third time in the game in the seventh inning, and again came up empty when Teixeira broke his bat and popped out weakly to third.

What's next: Freddy Garcia (7-5, 4.96) faces RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (9-12, 5.59) in the series finale, first pitch at 1:05 p.m.