Indians at Yankees
The Cleveland Indians have risen to the top of the American League Central due in large part to their quality pitching, but the New York Yankees have appeared unfazed in their matchups. The Yankees look to continue their offensive success against the visiting Indians when the teams continue a three-game series in the Bronx on Saturday.
Starlin Castro had a grand slam and Jacoby Ellsbury led a 16-hit attack with four hits as New York rolled to a 13-7 victory in the series opener Friday night. That result, which came hours after Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira announced he would retire at season's end, gave the Yankees a 4-1 record against the Tribe and an average of 7.6 runs in those five encounters. It also chopped Cleveland's lead in the Central to two games over Detroit. The Indians will try to stop the bleeding with staff leader Corey Kluber - who dominated the Yankees in Cleveland's only win against New York this season - on the mound opposite CC Sabathia.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Corey Kluber (10-8, 3.27 ERA) vs. Yankees LH CC Sabathia (6-8, 4.15)
Kluber limited the Yankees to one run and five hits in eight dominant innings to pick up a win on July 8. That started a four-start stretch in which the former Cy Young Award winner has gone 2-0 with a 1.24 ERA, lasting at least seven innings each time out. The top two hitters in New York's standard lineup - Brett Gardner and Ellsbury - are a combined 7-for-20 against Kluber, who is 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA in four career starts versus the Yankees.
Sabathia has given up five runs or more in six of his last eight starts after surrendering five and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision against the New York Mets his last time out. He also allowed five runs in 5 2/3 frames at Cleveland last month and is 4-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 10 career encounters with the team that drafted him in the first round 18 years ago. Designated hitter Carlos Santana is 7-for-18 with a homer against Sabathia while shortstop Francisco Lindor is 4-for-6.
WALK-OFFS
1. Ellsbury is 10-for-22 with five runs scored in five games this month.
2. Indians 1B Mike Napoli has a hit and a run in seven straight games and has recorded at least one RBI in six of those contests.
3. Teixeira is 5-for-11 with three extra-base hits and six walks during a four-game hitting streak.