The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Kluber leads way for Tribe sweep of Chicago
Behind another outstanding pitching performance, this one by Corey Kluber, the Tribe swept the White Sox.
Pity the team that has to face Corey Kluber the start after the Indians ace has a poor pitching performance.
Kluber gave up four earned runs in five innings on June 15 in a 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. It was the most runs he has allowed and his shortest outing of the season.
The Indians on June 20 faced the rebuilding Chicago White Sox, who carried a sixgame losing streak into Progressive Field for the threegame series finale. Kluber was on the mound, and he was back to his Cy Young Award winning self in the Indians 12-0 romp.
“It seems like every five days I try to come up with something different to say,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.
“But my goodness — his level of consistency is so high that it’s just fun to watch.”
Kluber, 11-3, pitched seven shutout innings. Chicago’s only hit off him was an opposite field single by lefthand hitting catcher Omar Narvaez in the top of the second. He gave up just one walk while striking out seven White Sox batters.
The Indians outfielders had to sing to themselves to stay awake; Aside from the single by Narvaez, only four balls, all lazy flies, made it past the infield.
And, rarity of rarities, the Indians batters supported Kluber at the plate, starting with a three-run home run by Jose Ramirez in the bottom of the first inning.
How would you like to be White Sox manager Rick Renteria rallying the troops in the top of the second?
“Go get ‘im, men! There’s still plenty of time!”
Renteria was ejected after White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada was called out on strikes to end the top half of the sixth inning. It was Kluber’s sixth strikeout and third straight 1-2-3 inning.
The Indians did just about everything right and the White Sox did just about everything wrong.
“From the middle innings (vs. the White Sox) I kind of felt off again, but just did a better job adjusting to it, figuring out how to work through it than I did last time (vs. the Twins),” Kluber said. “Last time I couldn’t make that adjustment. I made some bad pitches and it hurt me.”
Kluber was being serious. He started the third inning June 20 by walking Charlie Tilson — who was caught stealing a bit later — and then retired 14 straight White Sox batters before taking a seat.
Kluber might not be satisfied until he throws a 27-pitch complete game.
The Indians scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings and six more in the sixth, highlighted by a tworun double by Edwin Encarnacion and a three-run homer by Kipnis. The Kipnis blast increased the Indians lead to 11-0.
In between those clouts by Encarnacion and Kipnis a wild pitch by White Sox reliever Bruce Rondon allowed Ramirez to score from third.
It’s Kluber’s concentration that makes him the remarkable pitcher he is — and it’s the same whether the score is 0-0 or 11-0.
Kluber hasn’t lost two straight starts since losing May 9 in Houston and May 14 at home to the Twins to fall to 2-5 two years ago. He is 45-11 since then. And in those five losses to start 2016 the Indians were shut out once, scored one run twice and two runs in a 6-2 loss to the Red Sox in the season opener.