Francona sends plea for Indians 1B Carlos Santana to find stroke
Struggling Indians first baseman Carlos Santana is the subject of a plea from Terry Francona, who was hoping for far more production.
Santana has endured a long first-half slump for the second straight season. He was hitless in the Sunday doubleheader in weakening his average to .211. It has not been lower all season.
"It's kind of confounding," Francona told MLB.com. "He's a better hitter than what he's shown. We all know that. I don't think I'm overstating it. We desperately need him. He's kind of that connector because he's a switch-hitter and he can be right in the middle and, with his on-base skills, there's just so much he can do when he's going more towards himself than what's been happening."
Santana was at least leading the American League in walks, which has resulted in a .372 on-base percentage. But even those have dried up - he has just two in the last 10 games.
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