ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The good news for the Indians: Trevor Bauer gave up only two hits in five innings. The bad news: He walked seven and gave up a home run.

Inasmuch as the Indians lost to the Rays, 6-0, on Saturday night, the bad news obviously was more significant.

Then again, Bauer didn't pitch much better or worse than should have been expected, considering that the 22-year-old right-hander had started only four major-league games and is known as a kid with great stuff whose command of the strike zone is seriously lacking.

Bauer was summoned from Columbus to make his Tribe debut, because Scott Kazmir was forced to go on the disabled list with a strained rib cage and can't be activated until at least April 17.

To say that Bauer struggled would be a mammoth understatement.

He walked the first four batters he faced in the first inning to force in a run but was saved further grief when Ryan Raburn snatched Yunel Escobar's line drive out of the air in right and threw out Matt Joyce trying to score from third.

After retiring the side in order in the second without running the count to three balls, Bauer opened the third by walking Desmond Jennings, who promptly stole second and third. Good thing he did, as far as Bauer was concerned.

Joyce followed by slapping a routine ground ball to third. With Jennings on the move, Lonnie Chisenhall relayed the ball to the plate, and when the bodies were sorted out after Jennings' shoulder block on Lou Marson, the umpire signaled that the catcher had held onto the ball for the out.

After a lengthy discussion with head trainer Lonnie Soloff, Marson was allowed to continue the inning, but just before the Rays came to the plate in the fourth, manager Terry Francona pulled him from the game. Carlos Santana, the Indians' regular catcher but the designated hitter Saturday night, had to move behind the plate, which meant the Tribe would lose its designated hitter.

Bauer suddenly was thrust into the lineup and came to bat once, where he wisely watched strike three cross the plate.

Despite the fact that he walked three batters in the third inning, the Rays were unable to score. They did not hit safely against Bauer until Jose Molina singled with one out in the fourth. That would not have been a big deal, except that Kelly Johnson, the ninth batter in the lineup, followed with a home run.

Bauer did not come out for the sixth, having thrown 105 pitches, only 56 percent for strikes.

With Carlos Carrasco in good standing after serving his suspension, it would be no surprise to see Bauer headed back to Triple-A to practice throwing strikes. Carrasco already is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Yankees.

Under the circumstances, it didn't really matter whether Bauer walked seven or 17, inasmuch as the Tribe didn't score.

Indians batsmen produced only five hits �" seven for the first two games of the series �" and have been shut out for 19 consecutive innings.

It is one thing to blame the drought on the excellence of the opposing pitchers. But the past two nights the Indians have faced seven pitchers. Can all of them be facsimiles of Cy Young?

Unfortunately, for the Tribe, old Cy probably would be proud to have his name associated with David Price, who will start for the Rays on Sunday.

• Read more articles by SHELDON OCKER

Order Reprint