CLEVELAND, Ohio – Trevor Bauer struggled early against the Twins and the Indians’ bats went cold in a 6-2 loss on Saturday night.
Minnesota got off to a quick start, as Max Kepler hit a leadoff home run off of Bauer. Kepler wasn’t finished. He followed that up with another solo homer in the second inning, which gave the Twins a 3-0 lead.
Kepler’s two homers not only gave Minnesota the advantage, but it was his fifth consecutive at-bat with a home run off of Bauer. He hit three homers off of Bauer on June 6. The home runs in five consecutive at-bats against Bauer matched the longest streak by any batter off a single pitcher in the Expansion Era (since 1961), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
KEPLER LOVES THE LAND!That's 5⃣ straight home runs vs Bauer for Max. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/Uw0OElejVw
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 13, 2019Bauer righted the ship, retiring 12 of the next 14 batters he faced. He allowed three runs (all solo homers) in six innings of work, finishing with three walks and 11 strikeouts. Bauer had double-digit punch-outs for the fifth time this season and 24th time in his career.
The Indians struggled at the plate all night long, finishing with five hits. Jose Ramirez got the Tribe on the board in the second inning with a solo home run to right field. The two-time All-Star continues to show flashes of his old self after struggling for most of the season.
Rookie Bobby Bradley helped the Indians’ cause in the seventh inning with his first big league homer. The blast traveled 457 feet and cut Minnesota's lead in half.
Bobby Bradley CRUSHED this ball⚾️ pic.twitter.com/edAqbIp1bZ
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) July 14, 2019Jake Cave made sure the Indians didn’t get any closer by hitting a two-run double in the eighth inning that sealed win.
Cleveland never threatened in the final two innings, falling to 50-40 on the season. They trail Minnesota by 7½ games in the American League Central Division.
Top of the Order Struggles – Francisco Lindor is 1-for-8 in the series with a single. The Indians' star hasn't had much of an impact. To make matters worse for the Tribe, Oscar Mercado is 1-for-7 in the series with an infield single. Two of the Indians' best hitters in the first half have gone cold and it's hurt them. They've scored just five runs and have 11 hits in two games against the Twins.
Up Next – The Indians and Twins will finish their series on Sunday afternoon. All-Star Shane Bieber will be on the mound for the Tribe. He enters with an 8-3 record on the season and a 3.45 ERA. Twins’ ace Jose Berrios gets the start for Minnesota. He’s 8-5 on the year with a 3.00 ERA.
