Brilliant outing by Kluber wasted

Jeff Schudel: The Indians lost, 4-2, because the players around Kluber did not give him enough support.

Normally when the Indians send Corey Kluber to the mound after a loss, it’s like a stranded motorist seeing the comforting lights of the AAA truck coming over the hill.

“Don’t worry, I got this,” the repairman says, then fixes the problem and the driver continues on her way. Kluber is like that repairman. But instead of a wrench and screwdriver, his tools are a cut fastball and a sinker that drops down a well as it reaches the plate.

Kluber pitched brilliantly June 24 against the Twins after the Indians lost, 5-0, to Minnesota a night before. It was one of his best of the season — seven innings pitched, three hits allowed, two walks, one of them intentional, and a season-high 13 strikeouts.

But Klubot can only execute his pitches and then, as he once said while explaining how he stays so calm and expressionless, “What happens after that is out of my control.”

The Indians lost, 4-2, because the players around Kluber did not give him enough support.

The other stat on Kluber’s pitching line shows two runs charged to him. Both were scored in the top of the first, and both were unearned.

Twins leadoff hitter Brian Dozier began the game with a routine grounder to second on Kluber’s first pitch. Jason Kipnis threw wide of first and Dozier was safe on the error. He scored on a double by Robbie Grossman

“But Klubot can only execute his pitches and then, as he once said while explaining how he stays so calm and expressionless, ‘What happens after that is out of my control.’ ”

after Joe Mauer walked, then Mauer scored from third on a throwing error by catcher Yan Gomes.

“I was kind of disappointed in the way I handled the next two batters after the leadoff error, but I was able to bounce back and leave the last guy (Grossman), out there,” he said.

Talk about taking one for the team.

Kluber held the fort long enough for the Indians to scrap out two runs — one on Jose Ramirez’ 12th home run of the season in the fourth and the other on a throwing error by Twins shortstop Jorge Palanco in the seventh.

Cody Allen relieved Kluber in the eighth and gave up a home run to Dozier, the first batter he faced.

Most of the crowd of 33,111 at Progressive Field — some rowdy Twins followers were here — cheered when the fan who retrieved Dozier’s home run threw the ball back on the field.

Zach McAllister followed Allen in the ninth and gave up a home run

to weak-hitting Chris Gimenez, and that was that. After a successful 7-1 road trip, the Indians have been outplayed in two straight home games.

“Boy, (Kluber) was good,” Manager Terry Francona said. “The way the inning unfolded, not only did they get the two, but it probably cost him pitching the eighth inning.”

Kluber threw 106 pitches — 73 for strikes.

Baseball is such a strange game. The Indians swept four games from the Twins in Minnesota last weekend, but after losing a second straight game to the Twins, they are just 15-19 at home this season. Only the Twins (16-25) are worse at home in the American League.

“We have to come out tomorrow and get after it,” Francona said. “I might just stay in my uniform. Tomorrow will be a fun game to play.”

Josh Tomlin pitches for the Tribe in the 1:10 p.m. start June 25.

He will need better support than Kluber got.