Roster Update: Prior to the start of the game, the Indians placed back-up catcher Roberto Perez on the DL with a fractured right thumb. He suffered the injury during last nights loss in Philadelphia. Catcher Adam Moore took his place on the roster. In Columbus, he was batting .156/.269/.289 in 45 at-bats in 2016. Moore did not see action in today’s contest.
Player of the Game
Carlos Santana (.078 WPA) is today’s player of the game.
Feathers Up
Danny Salazar pitched well again, limiting the Phillies to two earned runs while striking out eight and allowing two walks. The only blip from Salazar came in the third inning when he allowed those two runs to score. Salazar still leads all Tribe starters in ERA, opponent average, opponent slugging (.228), opponent OPS (.497) and fewest hits-per-9.0IP (4.30), and is 2nd among Indians starters in strikeouts (34).
Santana hit a solo home-run in the top of the ninth to cut the lead in half. It was his second home-run and fourth run-batted in of the road trip.
Feathers Down
The Indians offense continued its struggles on this road trip against Vincent Velasquez on Sunday. Velasquez held them to two hits while striking out six. He retired the last nine Indians hitters he faced and the Indians could not muster a single run off Velasquez.
Jason Kipnis was held hitless on the day. He had hit safely in nine straight games, going 11-for-40 (.275) with one double, 2 HR’s, 7 RBI and 5 runs scored. It was the 2nd-longest streak by an Indians batter this season behind 10-game streak by Davis that came to an end on Saturday night.
Salazar cruised through the first two innings in dominate fashion, striking out five of the first six batter and did not allow a hit. In the third inning, he allowed two runs to score, one of which was via a balk. After recording the first out, he walked Phillies starting pitcher Velasquez after being ahead in the count 0-2. The fourth ball could have easily been called a strike but Salazar was not given the benefit of the doubt. After a Peter Bourjos single, Velasquez would score on a Freddy Galvis single to right-field. The half inning was further complicated when Salazar balked in the second and final run scored. With Maikel Franco batting, Salazar balked when his load (right) foot slipped on the rain slick pitching rubber, scoring Bourjos from third.
The Indians are now 6-10 all-time against Philadelphia, going 5-3 at Progressive Field, but just 1-7 at Citizen’s Bank Park. The Tribe last faced the Phillies for a two-game set at Citizen’s Bank Park in 2013 and won the final game of that series to snap a 4-game drought. They went 3-1 vs. Phillies overall that season (swept a two game set in Cleveland). The Indians were swept in 3 games during their only other visit to Philadelphia back in 2010.
The Indians dropped to 1-5 in Interleague Play so far this season, as they dropped 2 of 3 to the visiting New York Mets from April 15-17. The Indians went 12-8 against the National League last season, going 7-3 at home with the DH and 5-5 on the road in N.L. ballparks.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 1 – Philadelphia Phillies 2
On Deck: After an off day on Monday, the Indians return home to begin a six game home stand against division rivals Detroit and Kansas City.
Fresh off of their first sweep of the Tigers in eight years, the Indians look to continue that success against Detroit. On Tuesday, righty Josh Tomlin will square off against ace Justin Verlander.
Tomlin ss 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA (6ER/17.0IP) 11 strikeouts and two walks over his first three starts of 2016. He allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits, one home run and one walk with one strikeout in his last outing on April 27 at Minnesota; he threw just 65 pitches in the outing and has thrown no more than 85 pitches in any of his three starts this season, working into the 7th inning just once, on April 22 at Detroit
It is a 6:10pm start and can be viewed on SportsTime Ohio.
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