Player of the Game
Tyler Naquin continues to be one of the Indians top hitters and today added two more home runs and a two out, two run double to give the Indians a solid lead and improve his season stats even more. He ended the day 3 for 4 with a walk, 6 RBI and two runs scored. Since July 5th, he has now hit six home runs, two doubles and knocked in 12 while batting .361 during that stretch. On the year he is hitting .324 with 12 home runs, nine doubles and 29 RBI.
Feathers Up
The Indians’ home run barrage continued today with two more solo shots early on giving the Tribe a 2-0 lead. Jason Kipnis hit the first in his first at bat in the first. It was his 16th home run of the season, one shy of his career best set in 2013. Naquin was next in line as he hit his solo home run to left in the third, also off Royals starter Ian Kennedy. Like Kipnis, the rookie Naquin is also reaching new heights as during his minor league career he never hit more than 10 in a season, yet has already hit 11 this year at the Major League level and another one in Columbus. The last time Naquin hit ten was also in 2013 and was split between 108 games in Advanced A Carolina (9 HR) and 8 games in AA Akron (1 HR).
The Indians scored two more without a home run, but Carlos Santana showed off his bat speed in the 5th, taking Kennedy deep for the third time in the game with another solo shot to right field. With two outs in the fifth, Mike Napoli took him even further with the Indians first multi-run home run of the game, scoring Francisco Lindor from first after he had been hit by a pitch. Kennedy did strike out eight batters in 4.2 innings, but he can’t be happy with how hard the Indians were hitting the ball off him when they did make contact.
The Indians weren’t done yet in the first even after the two home runs. Jose Ramirez then walked and Lonnie Chisenhall singled him to second. Rajai Davis hit his second consecutive single for one run, the Naquin brought the rest home with a three run home run to straight center. Two more reached, but didn’t score before the inning finally ended on a Lindor ground out after 12 batters had come to the plate.
Carlos Carrasco pitched brilliantly today although it was masked by the deluge of runs scored in his support. In six innings, he allowed just one hit and two walks with both walks coming in the sixth. Carrasco struck out five and had a perfect game going until Cuthbert hit a one out double in the fourth. He struck out the next two to end that threat and didn’t allow a run after either. Carrasco could have pitched longer, but given the heat and the 11 run lead, Terry Francona chose to remove him early along with Kipnis, Davis and Napoli to get the regulars a break from the heat.
Feathers Down
Cheslor Cuthbert has done a great job making the Indians wish Mike Moustakas was healthy again. In addition to his perfect game ruining double, he knocked in a run in the bottom of the eighth off Austin Adams giving him 5 RBI and 14 hits in 12 games against the Tribe. The run was one of four scored against Adams as he allowed two singles and three doubles in his 0.2 innings pitched.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 11 – Kansas City Royals 4
On Deck: The Indians are off tomorrow as they head to Baltimore for a three game series followed by another off day on Monday. On Friday, the Indians will go with Trevor Bauer against the Orioles’ Dylan Bundy.
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