Lindor, Merritt give Indians lift
CLEVELAND — Rookie pitcher Ryan Merritt kept his cool on a crisp August night, and shortstop Francisco Lindor’s bat remained hot as the duo led the Cleveland Indians to a 4-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday.
Merritt, who has spent most of the season with the Clippers before being called up earlier Friday, pitched a career-high 6
innings and scattered seven hits while walking one and striking out three.
The left-hander, who endeared himself to Indians fans with 4
scoreless innings in Game 5 of last year’s American League championship series, worked out of a jam in the second inning with runners at second and third by getting Royals third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert to pop out to second baseman Jose Ramirez.
Giovanny Urshela put the Indians ahead in the first inning with an RBI double off the glove of Alex Gordon in left field. Gordon raced back and leapt against the wall, but he could not make the catch. The ball rolled far enough away to allow Yan Gomes to score from first.
It was Urshela’s third hit in two games and fifth RBI. He later added a single on a screaming line drive that narrowly missed hitting Royals pitcher Jason Vargas in the fifth inning.
After a Lindor ground out, Austin Jackson followed with an RBI single to right field, giving the Indians a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Merritt’s command was impeccable. He did not allow a three-ball count to a single hitter until Cuthbert’s two-out walk in the seventh inning and a 3-1 single to Alex Gordon. He then was lifted with runners on the corners in favor of Joe Smith.
Smith got Whit Merrifield on a line out to right field, ending the threat.
Lindor increased Cleveland’s advantage in the fifth inning when he blasted a two-run home run off Vargas to the bleachers in left field.
It was Lindor’s 23rd home run of the season, the most by an Indians shortstop since Asdrubal Cabrera hit 25 in 2011, and the third-highest total by a shortstop in franchise history.
The victory marked Cleveland’s 13th shutout of the season, tying the Indians with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most in the majors. Kansas City was shut out for the 11th time.