Indians at Rockies
Rookie right-hander Antonio Senzatela looks to enhance a solid record at home when his Colorado Rockies host the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday to open a two-game interleague set. Senzatela is 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA in the first six career starts at Coors Field and is making a strong case for a spot on the National League All-Star team next month, but is coming off his second loss of the campaign.
The Rockies, who led the NL West by one-half game after the weekend, won three of their last four games and Nolan Arenado has hit safely in all four while going 7-for-16 with a pair of homers and five RBIs. Mike Clevinger, who has supplanted Danny Salazar in the rotation for now, takes the mound Tuesday for the Indians in the series opener as they try to improve on a 1-5 interleague record. Edwin Encarnacion has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games to raise his average from .199 to .231 for Cleveland while Jose Ramirez went 4-for-8 in the last two games, including the 8-0 victory at Kansas City on Sunday. Colorado, which has lost four straight in the all-time series, is only 15-13 at home while the Indians have prospered on the road (17-12), despite losing two of three at Kansas City.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), ROOT (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Mike Clevinger (2-2, 3.10 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (7-2, 3.49)
Clevinger suffered his second loss of the season last time out when he allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings against Oakland and yielded two homers for the second straight game. The 26-year-old Jacksonville native is averaging seven strikeouts over the last three contests and has given up only 19 hits in 29 innings overall while fanning 32. Clevinger, who has not pitched in an interleague game since his major-league debut last year, is 2-0 with 12 2/3 scoreless innings on the road in 2017.
Senzatela has permitted four runs in three of his last four starts, but won twice in that span - including eight scoreless innings against St. Louis. The 22-year-old Venezuelan, who shares the NL lead in victories, has six quality starts in his last 10 outings but posted a 4.11 ERA in May after recording a 2.81 mark in April. Senzatela gave up four runs and five hits over five innings with seven strikeouts and two walks versus Seattle last time out in his first career interleague start.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland OF Lonnie Chisenhall is expected to be activated for Tuesday’s game after sitting out since March 22 while on the seven-day concussion disabled list.
2. Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu and OF Charlie Blackmon each went 6-for-13 in the series as the Rockies took two of three over the weekend at San Diego.
3. The Indians’ bullpen leads the majors with a 2.19 ERA, while Colorado RHP Greg Holland leads everyone with 21 saves.