CLEVELAND, Ohio (923 The Fan) – Terry Francona’s worst fears have been realized.
The Indians' skipper had hoped the Yankees bats wouldn't wake up until after they left town Sunday but the Bronx bombers launched rockets early and often Friday night.
Giancarlo Stanton hit two of New York’s four home runs as the Yankees blasted their way to a second straight victory at Progressive Field, 5-3 in front of the largest crowd of the season – 8,662 fans.
Logan Allen suffered his third loss of the season for the Indians after allowing four earned runs on five hits – three of them homers – with one walk and three strikeouts in just 2 1/3 innings of work.
“[His] Fastball velocity seemed to dip just a bit and then the command of his off-speed [was off] and he started throwing some balls that were catching too much of the plate,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of Allen.
Lucas Luetge picked up his first win of the season for New York in relief of starter Jordan Montgomery, who was an out away from getting through the fifth. Montgomery allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts while Luetge didn’t allow a hit in an inning and 1/3 of work. He walked one and struck out one.
In a rerun of Thursday night, the Indians did all of their damage in the first, building an early 3-0 lead before taking the rest of the night off offensively.
“A lot like last night,” Francona said. “We just couldn’t get a knockout punch early.”
Franmil Reyes ripped a laser over the head of Yankees left fielder Clint Frazier that one-hopped the wall scoring Cesar Hernandez, who walked, to make it 1-0. Eddie Rosario’s ground out to short brought in Jose Ramirez, who also walked, for a 2-0 lead and Amed Rosario made it 3-0 with an RBI single to left to score Reyes.
The lead was short lived.
A solo homer from Aaron Hicks to the bleachers and a two-run shot from Rougned Odor to right tied the game at 3 in the top of the second.
New York took the lead on Stanton’s first deep drive of the night – a 429-foot shot to left – in the top of the third. His second homer came off Indians reliever Trevor Stephan, originally drafted by the Yankees, in the fifth and left another vapor trail, landing on the protective netting in front of the bullpens in right center to make it 5-3.
“I was just trying to let it rip and obviously he let it rip too,” Stephan said. “That was my best versus his best. I don’t really regret the pitch, I regret the location. It was loud, but it’s the big leagues. That’s going to happen.”
It was the 33rd time Stanton had a multi-homer game in his career, but the first since September 2018. Both smashes had exit velocities measured at over 115 miles per hour.
New York came to town 0-7 when trailing by three or more runs in a game this season. They've won these last two in Cleveland by rallying from a 3-0 first inning deficit to improve to 2-7 in such contests.
Darren O’Day and Chad Green also kept Cleveland off the board pitching an inning each in relief before Aroldis Chapman pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save and second in as many nights.
