Another left-hander tops Indians, Salazar
TORONTO — So what was the Cleveland Indians’ problem last night?
Did Danny Salazar have too much rest? Or was it that the Indians were facing another run-ofthe-mill left-handed starter?
The debate probably could go on forever, but the end result was a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, a team the Indians abused for 15 runs and 22 hits on Wednesday night.
Toronto left-hander J.A. Happ, who started the season on the disabled list, made just his third start of the season.
It did not matter. Happ cruised through six innings against the Tribe. He allowed one run on six hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
The Indians are 4-10 in games against left-handed starters.
The lone run Happ (1-2) allowed came on David Murphy’s homer with one out in the fifth. Murphy’s third homer of the season cut Toronto’s lead to 2-1, but that would soon change.
C.C. Lee opened the fifth in place of Salazar, who threw 98 pitches in four innings. Jose Bautista greeted Lee with a single, and Edwin Encarnacion lined a two-run homer into the left-field seats for a 4-1 lead.
Encarnacion was hitless in the first two games of the series, but he wasn’t quiet last night. He opened the second with a homer to center for a 1-0 lead. One out later, Juan Francisco hit a solo shot to left.
The Indians entered the game having allowed the fewest homers in the American League at 25. On a staff that stingy, Salazar is the exception. He has allowed eight in 402⁄ innings.
3 Salazar (1-4) allowed five hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Casey Janssen pitched the ninth for his second save in the series.