CLEVELAND (92.3 The Fan) – Offense? Offense!
The bats woke up for the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday that led them to a 4-2 win over the A.L. Central-leading Minnesota Twins.
The Indians scored three of their four runs in the sixth inning. Jose Ramirez led off with a single, then Francisco Lindor launched a two-run home run over the right-field fence – making it 3-2. Carlos Santana reached base on a walk. Tyler Naquin, who pinched hit for starter Jordan Luplow, hit a double to right field and drove in Santana to double up the lead 4-2.
“I yelled ‘vamonos!’ which is Spanish for let’s go,” Lindor said when talking about his home run in the sixth. “It was emotions of the game and I wasn’t trying to disrespect anyone. I was trying to get my teammates going because there’s no fans in the stands., so we have to do it ourselves.”
Cleveland (18-12) had a chance to extend its lead in the seventh. Delino DeShields Jr. and Cesar Hernandez had back-to-back walks to get a rally started. In the next at-bat, Ramirez flew out to the left fielder Eddie Rosario. Lindor bounced into an inning-ending double play to end the Indians chance to extend their lead.
Shane Bieber didn’t have his best stuff in the second for the Indians. Bieber gave up two Minnesota (20-11) runs – Luis Arraez and Max Kepler, each with an RBI single – while walking two batters in an inning for the first time this season.
“He was out of wack early in the game and didn’t have his best command early in the game,” Sandy Alomar said. “He shows you if you compete, and you’re an ace, you find ways to find your leads and fight.”
Bieber (6-0) pitched six innings, gave up two earned runs, season-high three walks, and struck out 10. With then 10 strikeouts, Bieber now has three straight games of double-digit strikeouts.
“Things didn’t feel right and I was fighting my delivery the whole night,” Bieber said. “At the end of the day, you can notice all of those stuff, you can make adjustments, but at the end of day you have to compete.”
The Indians’ bullpen of Oliver Perez, James Karinchak and Brad Hand combined to throw three scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two strikeouts.
“It’s huge,” Alomar said. “Oliver Perez is a former starter and he knows how to get outs – lefty, right, -- it doesn’t matter, he can get guys out.”
Cleveland got on the scoreboard first with an RBI single by Santana in the first, his 15th RBI of the season, to make it 1-0.
Mike Clevinger will be activated and take the mound for the Indians in the series finale against the Twins. Clevinger last pitched on Aug. 5 against the Cincinnati Reds. Minnesota will counter with right-hander Jose Berrios (2-3, 4.75 ERA).
“Move forward, turn the page,” Lindor said on Clevinger returning to the team. “It’s a book with a lot of chapters and a lot of pages in it -- one of those college books. This is not a middle school book, so it’s turn the page. We’re going to the next chapter of the book.”
