Player of the Game
Asdrubal Cabrera was the favorite to win tonight’s Player of the Game until the top of the 7th inning when Mike Aviles edged him out with a 3-run home run in the top of the 7th. In his limited playing time, Aviles is batting .329 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI.
Feathers Up
Corey Kluber dominated with control against the Rays. Kluber gave the Indians 6.2 strong innings, striking out 9 and walking none. Though he allowed 9 Tampa Bay hits, Kluber was able to keep them to 2 runs to record his 3rd win of the season.
The Indians offense overpowered the Rays as the Tribe bats remain hot. Asdrubal Cabrera has recorded a hit in 9 of his last 11 at bats, which includes 2 home runs and 3 doubles. Cabrera went 3-3 tonight with 2 singles and a home run. Michael Brantley is riding a 9 game hitting streak and added another home run, giving him a team-high 7. Nick Swisher and Yan Gomes also added 2 hits each, as the Indians pounded out 6 runs on 11 hits.
On top of a strong offense, the Indians also managed to play 9 whole innings of error-free baseball. Yan Gomes added to the solid defensive outing, throwing out 2 runners at second base.
Feathers Down
Jake Odorizzi challenged Indians hitters in the 5 innings he pitched for the Rays. Odorizzi K’d 11 batters before his departure.
After recording two quick strike outs in the 9th inning, John Axford struggled to get the third out. He gave up a double, a walk, a single, and another walk, bringing the winning run to the plate. At this point, Francona removed Axford from the game. The Tribe closer was placed in a non-save situation, but he failed to deliver a scoreless inning.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 6 – Tampa Bay Rays 3
On Deck: The Indians will play their 2nd game of a 3 game series against the Rays. Zach McAllister faces off against Erik Bedard at 7:10 PM in Tampa.
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