Player of the Game
After two mediocre-at-best outings by Indians’ starters in the series, Corey Kluber showed why he remains the ace of the Cleveland staff. Though he didn’t completely shut down Baltimore, he gave the Tribe a chance to win the game by allowing just three runs in seven innings of work. Per usual, Kluber had his swing-and-miss stuff, striking out eight hitters – tying him with Cliff Lee for 15th most in Indians’ history at 826.
Feathers Up
Tyler Naquin’s 4th inning RBI doubled was the rookie’s latest demonstration of his newfound power, brining his slugging percentage since June to .716 – which is .299 points higher than his career slugging in the minor leagues.
Jason Kipnis also had a good day at the plate, going 1-3 with a walk and a run. Kipnis has a had a stellar July, posting an .827 OPS. If his strong play continues, it will be the first time Kipnis has posted an OPS over .700 in a month other than May or June.
Feathers Down
As rumors have flown around about the Indians acquiring bullpen help, Cleveland once again demonstrated why they so desperately need it. While the offense didn’t do the pitching any favors by only scoring three runs, the Indians’ relievers once again put on a display that should make fans uneasy during close games in the late innings. Set-up man Bryan Shaw walked two batters in a row before, but escaped in large part due to a base running blunder by Manny Machado. Meanwhile, Cody Allen struggled with locating his curveball, and after falling behind 2-0 to Nolan Reimold, was forced to serve up a fastball that Reimold sent into the seats to end the game.
Jose Ramirez was hitless on the day, going 0-3 with a walk while leaving two hitters on base. Ramirez is in something of a slump, recording just two hits in his last 18 at bats. Even more concerning for Cleveland is that Since July 1, Ramirez only carries a .622 OPS.
Meanwhile, Ramirez’s mentor Juan Uribe has experienced plenty of his own struggles, going 0-4 on Sunday and leaving three runners on base. He now is 3 for his last 27, and with a .616 OPS on the season, it is fair to wonder how much longer the Indians can play him on a regular basis.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 3 – Baltimore Orioles 5
On Deck:
The Indians will get a much-needed off day on Monday, before opening a rare two-game set vs. Washington Nationals at Progressive Field. On Tuesday, the Indians will send All-Star Danny Salazar (11-3, 2.75 ERA) to face Gio Gonzalez (6-8, 4.53 ERA).
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