Kluber rings up strikeouts in three-hitter
CLEVELAND — After Tuesday night’s Fenway Park special, a game against the Boston Red Sox that included a little bit of everything, the Cleveland Indians just played a baseball game on Thursday night.
No one jumped over an outfield fence to make a daring home run-saving catch. There were no blown saves.
It was just nine innings of ball with a whole lot of strikeouts by Corey Kluber.
Then again, that seems to happen every time Kluber takes the mound.
Kluber struck out 11 as the Indians beat the New York Yankees 5-1 at Progressive Field to end a three-game losing streak. Kluber, who threw a three-hitter for his third complete game of the season, has struck out eight batters or more in 12 straight games. Hall of Famers Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Nolan Ryan are the only other pitchers to put together a streak like that. Johnson holds the record with 17 straight.
“It’s cool,” Kluber said. “Those are three guys I grew up watching and idolizing. To be mentioned with them is an honor.”
Yan Gomes hit a key two-run double off the left-field wall in the sixth inning to ruin Sonny Gray’s debut with the Yankees. Gomes doubled with two outs to score Carlos Santana and Brandon Guyer for a 4-0 lead.
Francisco Lindor added some insurance with a homer in the eighth. It
was his 18th of the season and extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
Gray (6-6), acquired from Oakland before Monday’s trade deadline, allowed four runs, two earned, in six innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Kluber (9-3) threw the 13th complete game of his career and improved to 4-1 all-time against the Yankees. He threw 106 pitches, 72 for strikes (68 percent).
“We came up from triple-A together in ‘13, and I’ve been fortunate enough to catch him,” Gomes said of Kluber. “It’s crazy seeing his development. Every year, he seems to surprise everyone.”
The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. They had only one hit, but they took advantage of three New York errors.
Bradley Zimmer opened the inning by reaching first when Chase Headley bobbled his grounder. Zimmer went to second on a groundout and took third when second baseman Tyler Wade made an error on Michael Brantley’s grounder.
Jose Ramirez singled to right to score Zimmer and, as Brantley made the turn at second, Clint Frazier unleashed a high throw from right field that bounced into the camera pit as Brantley scored.