Roster Update: Prior to today’s game, Kyle Crockett was sent to AAA in exchange for Austin Adams, who is joining the Indians’ bullpen for the first time in 2016.
Player of the Game
For knocking in the Indians only two runs of the game, Jason Kipnis takes home the Player of the Game. He went 2 for 4 after singling in his first two at bats.
Feathers Up
The Indians offense got started late in the second inning, after two outs were already recorded, but once they started, they kept things going until the game was tied. Juan Uribe started with a double high off the green monster, then Rajai Davis was hit by a pitch and Carlos Santana walked to load the bases. Kipnis came through with his second hit of the day in as many at bats to bring home two runs, the fourth consecutive batter to reach with two outs.
Despite warming up starting in the second inning with Salazar struggling, Adams came in and was dominant during his two innings to end the game. He allowed just one hit, a double to Ortiz and struck out two.
Feathers Down
Danny Salazar had all kinds of trouble right from the start today, walking one and allowing two hits before he himself was hit in the calf by a 114 MPH line drive from Hanley Ramirez. That infield single knocked in the Red Sox second run and after, Salazar continued to have trouble with his command, walking another batter before striking out the final two of the inning.
Mike Napoli had a tough time while playing for Boston last year and he continued that trend against Boston this series. At one point, he struck out in eight straight at bats covering parts of all three games and overall nine times in the series. This extends a longer streak where he has struck out 21 times in the last ten games with at least one strike out in each game.
As everyone knows by now, this is David Ortiz‘s final season and the Indians couldn’t be happier to see him leave. He went 4 for 4 today with a home run, two doubles and 3 RBI pushing his season numbers against the Indians to 9 for 17 with four doubles and three home runs and his career to 130 of 473 with 31 doubles and 26 home runs. Ortiz was deservedly intentionally walked in his fourth at bat. Ortiz’s final regular season game against the Indians will be August 15th in Cleveland as the Indians make up a game from the first series of the season.
This was easily Salazar’s worst game of the season as he gave up single runs in the second and fifth in addition to the two in the first. You could say that he was due for some regression, but much of his problems today had to do with falling behind in the count, not necessarily a return to the league average in batting average on balls in play. He pitched just 4.1 innings, but thanks to the aggressiveness of the Red Sox lineup, struck out six while allowing eight hits.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 2 – Boston Red Sox 5
On Deck: The Tribe and White Sox will play two tomorrow and both games will feature a pitcher jumping up from AAA to start. In the first, Mike Clevinger will make his second Major League start for the Tribe against Erik Johnson at 5:10 PM in Chicago. The second will begin shortly after that game ends and will feature Cody Anderson, who will be promoted just for the day, and Mat Latos.
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