So let's see. The Indians are held hitless and scoreless for the first 6 1/3 innings Monday night, then score 9 runs on 15 hits in the next 5 2/3 innings. Kerry Wood, who was previously 5-for-5 in save situations, blows a save in the ninth inning. Rafael Betancourt, who previously was one of the problems, not one of the solutions, in the bullpen, pitches two scoreless innings, with three strikeouts and gets the win.

The Indians' 9-7 win in 12 innings over Toronto was the Indians' season in miniature. Wall to wall inconsistency. Alternating instances of poor performance followed by bursts of clutch play. It's the kind of hot and cold pattern of play that will make it almost impossible for the Indians to put together any kind of long winning streak. Winning streaks demand consistency. The Indians have no chance at the former until they master the latter.

All that inconsistency also makes managing the Indians extremely difficult, because there aren't many players on the roster whom Eric Wedge can count on for consistent performances from day to day. In short, this has been a nightmare start to the season for Indians officials, who are already making wholesale roster changes, which is against their nature. They typically are patient to a fault, waiting until the season is at least two months old before making any significant decisions or moves.

It's probably a measure of the degree of exasperation felt by club officials that they have been much quicker to pull the trigger on so many roster moves so early this year. That's what happens when winning games has become as difficult as pulling teeth.