Kluber leads the way with 14 Ks in Indians' win
The Sports Xchange
Jul 23, 2017
CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber struck out 14 in 7 2/3 innings and Michael Brantley had two hits, including a home run and three RBIs, as the Cleveland Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with an 8-1 victory on Sunday at Progressive Field.
Cleveland outscored Toronto 23-5 in the three games.
Kluber (8-3) had a season high for strikeouts and pitches (120) while dominating the Blue Jays' lineup. Kluber struck out every Toronto hitter at least once. After the first inning, 14 of the 20 outs that Kluber recorded were strikeouts.
Toronto starter J.A. Happ (3-7) gave up seven runs and nine hits with three strikeouts and three walks in six innings.
Toronto's only run came on a homer by Kevin Pillar leading off the third inning.
Kluber allowed five hits and walked one. He has struck out eight or more batters in a club-record 10 consecutive starts.
Cleveland took command of the game early, scoring four runs in the first inning off Happ, who gave up three hits on his first four pitches. Carlos Santana singled and went to second on a bunt single by Francisco Lindor.
Brantley singled home Santana with the first run of the game. One out later, Jose Ramirez drew a walk, loading the bases. Brandon Guyer then drove a double into the left-center field gap, scoring all three runners and giving Cleveland a 4-0 lead.
Pillar's homer in the third inning cut it to 4-1, but Cleveland made it 5-1 in the fourth when Giovanny Urshela singled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Lindor.
Brantley extended the lead to 7-1 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning. It was his sixth home run of the season but his first since April 30. He went 54 games between home runs.
Yan Gomes added an RBI single off reliever Joe Smith in the seventh inning to make it 8-1.
NOTES: Toronto acquired INF Rob Refsnyder from the Yankees in exchange for 1B Ryan McBroom. Refsnyder will report to Triple-A Buffalo. ... Indians 1B Carlos Santana hit in the leadoff spot for the first time since May 13. ... The Blue Jays have a minus-65 run differential in July, their worst month for run differential since minus-61 in June 1979. ... Indians 1B Carlos Santana hit in the leadoff spot Sunday for the first time since May 13. . . SS Francisco Lindor's walk-off home run Saturday night was the Indians' first since last Aug. 19 when OF Tyler Naquin hit an inside-the-park homer, also against Toronto.
Jul 23, 2017
CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber struck out 14 in 7 2/3 innings and Michael Brantley had two hits, including a home run and three RBIs, as the Cleveland Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with an 8-1 victory on Sunday at Progressive Field.
Cleveland outscored Toronto 23-5 in the three games.
Kluber (8-3) had a season high for strikeouts and pitches (120) while dominating the Blue Jays' lineup. Kluber struck out every Toronto hitter at least once. After the first inning, 14 of the 20 outs that Kluber recorded were strikeouts.
Toronto starter J.A. Happ (3-7) gave up seven runs and nine hits with three strikeouts and three walks in six innings.
Toronto's only run came on a homer by Kevin Pillar leading off the third inning.
Kluber allowed five hits and walked one. He has struck out eight or more batters in a club-record 10 consecutive starts.
Cleveland took command of the game early, scoring four runs in the first inning off Happ, who gave up three hits on his first four pitches. Carlos Santana singled and went to second on a bunt single by Francisco Lindor.
Brantley singled home Santana with the first run of the game. One out later, Jose Ramirez drew a walk, loading the bases. Brandon Guyer then drove a double into the left-center field gap, scoring all three runners and giving Cleveland a 4-0 lead.
Pillar's homer in the third inning cut it to 4-1, but Cleveland made it 5-1 in the fourth when Giovanny Urshela singled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Lindor.
Brantley extended the lead to 7-1 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning. It was his sixth home run of the season but his first since April 30. He went 54 games between home runs.
Yan Gomes added an RBI single off reliever Joe Smith in the seventh inning to make it 8-1.
NOTES: Toronto acquired INF Rob Refsnyder from the Yankees in exchange for 1B Ryan McBroom. Refsnyder will report to Triple-A Buffalo. ... Indians 1B Carlos Santana hit in the leadoff spot for the first time since May 13. ... The Blue Jays have a minus-65 run differential in July, their worst month for run differential since minus-61 in June 1979. ... Indians 1B Carlos Santana hit in the leadoff spot Sunday for the first time since May 13. . . SS Francisco Lindor's walk-off home run Saturday night was the Indians' first since last Aug. 19 when OF Tyler Naquin hit an inside-the-park homer, also against Toronto.
