Aviles swings big bat for Indians
CLEVELAND — It’s a good thing for the Indians that Mike Aviles didn’t have the same problem at the plate that he did at second base yesterday at Progressive Field.
Aviles lost a ground ball in the shadows in the seventh inning, but had no trouble seeing the ball with a bat in his hands as he drove in four runs in the Indians’ 7-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
In the second inning Aviles hit a three-run homer onto the homerun porch in left field..
Aviles’ last RBI was the game-winner.
After Charlie Blackmon hit a three-run homer on the only pitch of the afternoon by Josh Outman to tie the score 6-6 in the seventh, Aviles won it for the Tribe with a single in the eighth to score Jason Kipnis from second base.
The Indians, who have not been a model of baseball fundamentals this year, looked like they wrote the book in this instance. Kipnis, pinchhitting for Jesus Aguilar, drew a leadoff walk against Rex Brothers (2-3). Lonnie Chisenhall, 2 for 3 with a homer and three RBI, advanced Kipnis with a sacrifice bunt. Aviles, hitting ninth, brought him home with a single to right.
“I was fortunate to get the barrel on the ball and Kipnis made it around the bases,” Aviles said.
The Indians entered the seventh with a 6-2 lead and Scott Atchison on the mound. Atchison retired Drew Stubbs, but he gave up a homer to Corey Dickerson and a single to Wilin Rosario before and D.J. LeMahieu made Aviles zig when he should have zagged.
When LeMahieu made contact, Aviles thought the ball was coming over the mound, but lost it in the shadows.
“I never saw it,” Aviles said. “I broke right and the ball ended up going to my left. I’m not too proud of it. As an infielder you want to make the plays, especially in that situation. It’s a fairly easy ground-ball double play.”
Outman, acquired from the Rockies for Stubbs in December, relieved for his left-on-left meeting with Blackmon. He threw one slider and Blackmon hit it for the tying homer.
The homer erased a victory for Trevor Bauer, who was battling a head cold but pitched considerably better than he did in his last start. Bauer struck out eight and allowed two runs on four hits in six innings.
The Tribe’s closer-bycommittee finished the game. Bryan Shaw went 21⁄ innings for the victory
3 and Cody Allen pitched the ninth for his third save.
Shaw, working through the middle of the Rockies’ order, retired five straight.