Player of the Game
Despite a POG score (3.58) more than four points lower than yesterday (7.63), Jason Kipnis won his third Player of the Game of the season and his first since April 21st. Kipnis got out in his first three at bats, but was integral in the Tribe’s three run eighth, knocking in the first two with a double, then scoring the third run himself from second on a Carlos Santana single.
Feathers Up
Lonnie Chisenhall’s historic night (5/5, 3 HR, 9 RBI) finally gave him some good national press, but it didn’t impress Terry Francona enough to keep him in the four hole against a dangerous left hander. Chisenhall has hit lefties fine this season (in fact he leads the team with a .500 [14/28] average against LHP), but his reputation has preceded him and the Indians manager won’t be phased by facts. Chisenhall didn’t allow the slight to affect him, however, going 2/4 on the night with a double against Jason Vargas (the scary south paw) and a run scored.
Michael Brantley is used to getting on base, but he chose a painful way to do so today, getting hit by two pitches. The second one was worth it however, as it gave the Indians runners at first and second after an Asdrubal Cabrera single. Both runners then scored on the Kipnis double mentioned earlier, the hit that finally removed Vargas from the game after more than seven innings. Indians punching bag and popular mixed drink Tim Collins then came in, only to give up an RBI single to Santana and leave immediately after.
Feathers Down
After a short reprive, the Indians defensive woes continued tonight as Asdrubal Cabrera couldn’t handle a Jason Kipnis feed in the third that lead to four runs, three of them unearned. While it wasn’t all Cabrera’s fault, Kluber allowed just three baserunners that inning prior to getting Eric Hosmer to ground out, a play that should have ended the inning.
Corey Kluber allowed two more in the fifth, his final inning, on a two run Hosmer home run. This game continued his effort last time out as he has been unable in June to reproduce his results from May. He did strike out five in the game to bring his season total to 105, but this is nothing like his amazing effort last month.
The Indians relief corps didn’t prove much better, with only Carlos Carrasco exiting the game unscathed. Carrasco threw the first 1.2 innings of relief and the seventh was finished by Nick Hagadone, who allowed a hit, but no runs. Hagadone was not as lucky the next inning as he gave up the first of two Royals home runs in the eighth to Alex Gordon. Scott Atchison then came in and gave up a single to Salvador Perez, who would score on the Mike Moustakas home run hit off Josh Outman. Outman was able to retire the side afterward, but not until the Royals had put the game completely out of reach.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 5 – Kansas City Royals 9
On Deck: The Indians and Royals will wrap up the short two game series at 2:10 PM tomorrow afternoon.
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