CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Opening Day 2.0 went well for the Indians.
Friday night’s game was the first time Progressive Field could operate at 100% capacity from an attendance standpoint because of the loosening of COVID protocols. The fans didn’t fill the place, but the 22,920 who came did not go away disappointed as the Indians beat Seattle, 7-0, to open this seven-game homestand.
The top of the lineup once again kick started the offense and Aaron Civale atoned for a May loss to the Mariners with perhaps the best start of his career.
Civale (9-2, 3.17) allowed one hit over eight innings. He struck out a career-high 11 batters and retired the last 22 Mariners he faced. It was the low-hit game of his career and served as an early birthday present for Civale, who turns 26 on Saturday the 12th.
He ended the eighth with only 101 pitches, but Indians manager Terry Francona went to the bullpen because of the state of the rotation and the schedule. Friday was the first of 30 games in 31 days for the Indians and Francona has big questions with three of the five starters in the rotation.
“I told him, ‘You can be mad at me,’” said Francona. “Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have batted an eye about sending him back out there. With three-fifths of our rotation not in the rotation, I can’t do that. I told him that. He’s a smart kid. He understands that.”
The only hit Civale allowed was J.P. Crawford’s single that started the game. The ball slipped under the glove of second baseman Cesar Hernandez as he moved to his right. The only batters to reach base against Civale did so in the first inning as Ty France was hit by a pitch and Jake Fraley walked. Civale retired every other Seattle batter he faced.
The Mariners, like the Indians, are the only team this season to be no-hit twice.
Blake Parker replaced Civale and finished the ninth, allowing Seattle’s second hit before ending it. Civale finished with 101 pitches.
Civale said he held no grudge against Francona for taking him out of the game.
“I was pretty gassed,” said Civale, who threw 70% of his pitches (71-for-101) for strikes. “I left it all out there on the field.”
The first four hitters in Francona’s lineup -- Hernandez, Amed Rosario, Jose Ramirez and Eddie Rosario -- went a combined 8-for-17 (.471) with five runs and two RBI in the win. Amed Rosario led the way with his third four-hit game of the season.
In the last three games, those same four hitters, hitting in the same spots in the lineup, are hitting a combined .404 (21-for-52) with 14 runs.
“We’re just trying to enjoy the game and not trying to do too much,” said Amed Rosario, through translator Agustin Rivero.
Bobby Bradley doesn’t hit at the top of the lineup, but he’s enjoying the game as well. Bradley went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI as the Indians finished with 14 hits.
They took a 3-0 lead in the first as the top of the lineup pressured right-hander Justin Dunn. Hernandez opened the inning with a walk. Amed Rosario and Jose Ramirez followed with singles to load the bases.
Eddie Rosario scored Hernandez with a single to right as the bases stayed full. Bobby Bradley made it 2-0 as he drew a bases-loaded walk. Harold Ramirez struck out, but Josh Naylor singled to center to score Jose Ramirez. Eddie Rosario was cut down on the back end of the play on a strong throw to the plate by Dillon Thomas.
The offense kept churning in the second as Bradley Zimmer beat out an infield single, took second on Dunn’s errant pickoff throw and came around to score on singles by Amed Rosario and Jose Ramirez for a 4-0 lead.
Bradley made it 5-0 with a leadoff homer in the third. It was his second homer since being recalled from Class AAA Columbus on June 5.
Dunn, with two out in the same inning, hit catcher Austin Hedges in the side of the batting helmet with a 93 mph fastball on a 1-2 pitch. Hedges went down, face first near the plate. Hedges, after being tended to by two trainers, stayed in the game, but left in the fifth as Rene Rivera went behind the plate.
The Indians announced that Hedges left the game for precautionary reasons with a head contusion. Francona said Hedges passed all the concussion tests, and his condition would continue to be monitored.
The Indians made it 7-0 in the sixth on RBI singles by Bradley and Harold Ramirez.
Dunn (5-4, 3.91) was activated before the game so he could start against the Indians. He’d been on the injured list with a sore right shoulder. He allowed five runs on nine hits in three innings.
Next: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (3-3, 4.05) vs. RHP Triston McKenzie (1-3, 6.26) Saturday at 4:10 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.
A variety of Cleveland Indians face masks available online today. (Fanatics.com)
New Indians face masks for sale: Here’s where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity.
More Indians coverage
6 trade deadline deals that could fill the Cleveland Indians’ needs on the mound and in the outfield
Phil Maton’s eye for trouble helps Cleveland Indians weather storm in loss to Cards
Cleveland Indians trade Jake Bauers to Seattle Mariners for player to be named later or cash
Waiting for MLB’s sticky situation to unfold and 4 other things about the Indians
Amed Rosario’s move to the No. 2 spot in Cleveland Indians’ lineup is paying off
Why the name change process seems so arduous: It’s not just about the name on the jersey
"blank" - Google News
June 12, 2021 at 10:09AM
https://ift.tt/3zr31j0
Cleveland Indians blank Mariners, 7-0, behind Aaron Civale’s 11 strikeouts and early offense - cleveland.com
"blank" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3aXU3fw
https://ift.tt/2Wij67R
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Cleveland Indians blank Mariners, 7-0, behind Aaron Civale’s 11 strikeouts and early offense - cleveland.com"
Post a Comment