Roster Update: After making his second consecutive poor start last night, Bruce Chen was designated for assignment. In his place, Austin Adams was called up for the second time this year to aid the bedraggled bullpen. Adams allowed one run and just two hits in 4.2 innings during his first stint in Cleveland.
Player of the Game
After multiple missed chances to score late in the game made it look as if the Indians would leave a loser, the man who cannot be retired came through with what was likely the biggest hit for any Indians hitter all year. In his first three at bats, Jason Kipnis singled and pushed Jose Ramirez to third twice, three plays that eventually turned into Tribe runs. In his fifth, Kipnis doubled and was stranded. It was his sixth at bat of the game that was the most important, however as he came to the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth of a tie game with Ramirez yet again on second. This time, Kipnis did much more than move him over as he blasted and admired an upper deck home run to right.
Feathers Up
The Indians were able to put runs on the board in the first again today, aided by some bloop hits and a replay. As he has been doing near 60% of the time in May, Jason Kipnis got on base to start things off with an infield single. Michael Brantley followed with an opposite field shot down the line in left that glanced off Delino Deshields’ glove into foul territory. While it was initially ruled a foul ball, a review turned it into a ground rule double. After a David Murphy sacrifice fly, Brandon Moss, Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Bourn all had consecutive two out hits to put the Rangers in a 3-0 hole to start the game.
Luck and good base running allowed the Indians to add single runs in each inning from the second through the fourth as well. In the second, Jose Ramirez practically did it all by himself when he hit a single through the infield, stole second, went to third on a ground out and scored on a fly to left. In the third, it was David Murphy who was safe on an error by Mitch Moreland, went to third on a single to right by Brandon Moss and scored on a near double play that Lonnie Chisenhall just beat out at first. In the fourth, Ramirez again singled, stole second, went to third on a Kipnis ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Milestone Alert: In saving his 32nd career game, Cody Allen has moved into the top 15 in Indians career saves, tied with Joe Heving and Don Mossi.
Feathers Down
At the same time the Indians were scoring runs each inning early on, the Rangers were too. They grabbed two in the first thanks to a lead-off triple from Shin-Soo Choo and a Danny Salazar error, then had solo home runs in both the second, from Thomas Fields, and the third, with Choo again the culprit. It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the Indians were able to score and shut down the Rangers in the bottom half and even then it was close with an Elvis Andrus walk and Robinson Chirinos double placing runners on second and third for Choo. This time, the former Indians outfielder couldn’t come through as he flew out to right to end the inning.
The two early home runs allowed by Salazar were further examples of his greatest problem to this point. While he can be unhittable at times, as he was last game after the first batter through the seventh, he also has a tendency to throw very mashable pitches from time to time. He has allowed at least one home run in each start this year with this being the first start in which he allowed two. Since he rarely walks hitters, these home runs are usually of the solo variety as both were tonight, but it is definitely an issue that Salazar will have to work on if he is to achieve his full potential.
Salazar was finally dispatched in the fifth inning despite starting the inning off with two of his four strike outs in the game. With two outs, Adrien Beltre, Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus all hit safely to bring home two runs and tie the game at six. After Salazar was replaced by Marc Rzepczynski, Andrus stole second and was hit by the throw, which caromed into left field. With no one in the vicinity, Andrus was able to score all the way from first on the play, saddling Salazar with his second unearned run of the game.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 10 – Texas Rangers 8
On Deck: The Indians will go for their first sweep and first three game winning streak of the season tomorrow at 3:05 PM ET against second year starter Nick Martinez. For the Tribe, Carlos Carrasco will look for his fifth win of the season in his eighth start.
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