Player of the Game
Unlike the three relievers who stumbled through the sixth inning, Ryan Webb was able to get batters out tonight without allowing other batters to reach base. Webb pitched two innings, the seventh and eighth, and they (along with the third) were two of the only three runnerless innings for Indians pitching all game. After two ground outs in the seventh, Webb seemed to turn things up for his second inning as he struck out Jose Bautista and Justin Smoak to end the inning. He has pitched multiple innings in both appearances and is yet to give up a run in five innings with just two hits allowed.
Feathers Up
A one position move either way in the batting order shouldn’t really matter to a player, but since the Indians moved Michael Bourn down to nine and Jason Kipnis into the lead-off role, he has been doing all the things you want a number two hitter to do. While still struggling to hit for average or power, Kipnis has been much more patient during his eight games as the lead-off hitter, taking six walks in 28 at bats compared to one walk in 38 as the number two man. Today, he walked in each of his first two at bats and scored both times, his fourth and fifth runs scored as the lead-off man. Otherwise, he went 2/3 giving him hits in three of the last four games.
For someone even hotter, look no further than number three in the Indians lineup, Michael Brantley. Brantley came into today’s game 5/9 in the series with a home run, two doubles and three RBI, but that wasn’t enough. Safe on a fielder’s choice in his first at bat, Brantley stole second without a throw for his second steal of the year, then, after his RBI single brought home Kipnis and gave the Indians the lead in the third, he stole another base uncontested. While he started the year off slow due to a back strain, Brantley has been building one tool at a time, first average, then power and now speed. At this rate, by the end of next week he will be the five tool outfielder who took home a Silver Slugger and a third place MVP finish in 2014.
The Indians claimed they would improve their defense this year and, while the overall results are questionable, one place that is vastly improved is third base. After a disastrous 2014, Lonnie Chisenhall has been a vacuum at the hot corner, turning his first 68 defensive chances into outs. Today, he made a couple more nice plays including his tenth double play started of the year, already one more than he turned from third in all of 2014. He did commit his first error of the season as well, but it was on a quick throw to the plate that, had Roberto Perez been able to hold on, could have been a big out in the sixth.
Feathers Down
The lineup shift seemed to be good for all involved as Bourn went from being a .180 hitting lead-off man to being a .263 hitting number nine hitter. He also brought a five game hitting streak as well as four RBI and two runs scored in his last six. The bad news is that just as he was heating up, Bourn was hurt and he was removed from the lineup prior to the start of the game due to a sore neck, likely caused by his awkward slide at home yesterday.
Corey Kluber will go another start without a win as he continues to be plagued by poor run support. He didn’t help is own cause today as five earned runs scored of the Tribe ace in 5+ innings. His two walks in the game were a season high and his three strike outs a season low as a selective Blue Jays lineup was able to pick apart Kluber for eight hits.
Kluber was bad enough, but in the sixth, nearly half the bullpen pitched and was even worse. After keeping things close through five, Kluber gave up a double and was pulled before an out recorded, something that wouldn’t happen until the Blue Jays wanted it to with a Ryan Goins sacrifice bunt. This came against the first reliever, Marc Rzepczynski, who walked the only other batter he faced. Anthony Swarzak replaced him and gave up two hits, a walk and the Chisenhall error, allowing both Kluber’s and Rzepczynski’s runners to score as well as three of his own before being pulled himself. Swarzak did retire one batter, so there were two outs when Bryan Shaw took over. Even Shaw couldn’t get an out without giving up something first and two singles later, Kevin Pillar had his second hit of the inning and Toronto their tenth run of the game, the sixth of the inning.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 4 – Toronto Blue Jays 11
On Deck: The Indians will finish their four game series with our neighbors to the North tomorrow afternoon as Trevor Bauer takes on Drew Hutchison in a 1:05 PM start.
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