By: Adrienne Goehler
CLEVELAND – tonight at Progressive Field the Cleveland Indians wrap up their four-game series with the Kansas City Royals. The Indians currently lead the series two games to one, and need every win they can as they are running out of time on the season. Danny Salazar got the win last night after seven solid innings of work, and tonight Corey Kluber gets his first start in weeks after dealing with a tweaked hamstring. The Indians continue to chase the second wild card spot, currently sitting four games back.
Matchup: Indians (72-72) vs Kansas City Royals (85-60) 7:10 at Progressive Field – Game #145 Home Game #69
Pitchers: Indians – Corey Kluber (8-13, 3.81) vs Royals – Yordano Ventura (11-8, 4.42)
Media: TV – SportsTime Ohio Radio – WTAM, WMMS, IRN
7:10pm- First pitch, 78 degrees and all is calm in Cleveland.
7:15pm- Kluber has an easy inning first inning back on the mound giving up only a double to Mike Moustakas. Francisco Lindor made yet another flashy diving stop at short to rob Eric Hosmer of a hit up the middle.
7:19pm- Jason Kipnis starts off the Indians with a single up the middle off of Ventura.
7:23pm- Michael Brantley hits what should have been a double play ball right at Alcides Escobar at short, but lucks out with an error. That’s gives Kansas City just their 78th error this season, ranking 6th in defense coming into tonight’s game.
7:26pm- Carlos Santana pops out to third and Lonnie Chisenhall follows by grounding out to first. The first missed opportunity by the Indians tonight with runners on first and second with only one out. We head to the second.
7:32pm- Salvador Perez reaches first base safely after throwing error from Giovanny Urshela at third. Urshela seems to be struggling getting the ball over there as of late, pulling Santana and others off the bag in previous games, making it more difficult than just a routine play. Alex Rios follows with a single to left.
7:33pm- Omar Infante sends one to the home run porch, giving the Royals a 3-0 lead. Still no outs.
7:41pm- Escobar’s single to left made him the only other runner to safely reach in the inning, and Kluber gets out at 29 pitches on the night. The Indians have to answer here early, or this much needed win could slip away from them quickly.
7:48pm- A single from Jose Ramirez followed with Urshela hitting one right off of Ventura’s foot on the mound give the Indians first and second with two outs.
7:50pm- Kipnis ropes a single to left allowing Ramirez to cross the plate. A throwing error from Ben Zobrist out in left field gets Urshela home, and Kipnis second. Big time two-out hit by Kipnis, cutting the Royals lead to just 3-2.
8:00pm- Kluber settles in the third striking out the side. The Indians will need all the help they can get from him tonight to take this four-game series. Brantley, Santana, and Chisenhall due up for the Tribe.
8:09pm- Brantley safely reaches first on an error by second basemen Infante and Chisenhall draws a walk with just one out. However, the Indians will leave them stranded. Kluber will start the fourth at 44 pitches, still 3-2 Royals.
8:21pm- The crowd erupts in cheers as Kluber strikes out Jarrod Dyson to end the inning with the Royals threatening. Great job there by Corey, keeping it just a one run game.
8:38pm- A single by Ramirez and another by Lindor kept them alive but Brantley pops out to end the inning. With a 3-0 count there Brantley needed to be more patient. Every at-bat in the final leg of the season is crucial to the Indians. You only have so many chances, and that was another missed one. The Royals still lead 3-2.
8:40pm- Lefty Kyle Crockett comes out in the fifth replacing Kluber. Kluber’s final line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 SO, 1 HR.
8:48pm- Crockett’s night ends quickly after walking Moustakas, giving up a single to Kendrys Morales, and a double by Hosmer that puts the Royals up 4-2. Jeff Manship in to relieve Crockett with second and third, one out. The Indians need their bullpen to hold up tonight to keep this game in reach.
8:55pm- Well, I didn’t get what I asked for. A two out walk to Alex Rios loads the bases up for Infante to double to left, pushing the Royals lead to 6-2. Luckily, Escobar grounds out to third to end the inning. The Indians have their work cut out for them now, but still plenty of baseball to be played. Santana, Chisenhall, and Almonte due up in the home half of the fifth for the Tribe.
9:00pm- Santana doubles deep to center on a 1-2 count to lead off the fifth. The Indians are in desperate need of a rally, and there’s no better time than now.
9:03pm- Almonte singles and Yan Gomes gets plunked right in the back to load the bases up with just one out for Ramirez.
9:05pm- Ramirez almost ends the inning with a ground ball to second, but beats out the second half of the double play. Santana scores to cut the lead 6-3 Royals.
9:10pm- Urshela draws a walk to load the bases up for Kipnis who ends up grounding out to first to end the inning. The frustration was evident from Kipnis as he slammed his bat making his was down the first base line. What a disappointment to only get one run in after having bases loaded with just one out. The offense is going to have to give more if they want to find a way to win tonight.
9:20pm- Gavin Floyd relieves Manship and gets a quick 1-2-3 inning. Ryan Madson will be relieving Kansas City’s Ventura. Ventura’s final line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO.
9:43pm- What could have been an easy inning after getting the first two batters out ended terribly for Floyd in the seventh. Almonte held Perez to just a single after sending the ball off the wall in center, and Rios followed with a double to left. Infante singled to left scoring both to put the Royals up 8-3. Escobar singled right after before Austin Adams came in to get the final out.
10:27pm- The Indians are keeping it interesting here at Progressive Field with no outs and bases loaded. Michael Martinez was awarded second on a throwing error from third baseman Moustakas, followed by a back-to-back singles from Santana and Jerry Sands, who pinch hit for Chisenhall.
10:29pm- Almonte’s sac-fly scores Martinez, Santana moves up to third. Gomes has a chance to keep the inning going with just one out.
10:31pm- Gomes grounds into a double play to end the game. The Indians offense just could not string together any meaningful hits tonight as they fall 8-4 to the Royals, splitting the four game series. Once again, they dip below the .500 mark with a 72-73 record. That’ll be all for tonight. Goodnight, Cleveland.
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