Indians 8, Angels 3
CLEVELAND -- Yan Gomes' grand slam capped a five-run eighth inning as the Cleveland Indians beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-3 on Saturday night at Progressive Field.
Right-hander Joe Smith relieved right-hander Garrett Richards to start the bottom of the eighth in a 3-3 game. Smith, who pitched for the Indians from 2009 to 2013, gave up a single to shortstop Francisco Lindor leading off the inning.
Left fielder Michael Brantley followed with a single to right field, moving Lindor to second. First baseman Carlos Santana pulled a double into the right field corner, scoring Lindor and sending Brantley to third.
The Angels intentionally walked right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall to load the bases with no outs. Gomes then hit Smith's first pitch over the wall in center field for his ninth home run of the season and first career grand slam.
The win went to right-hander Bryan Shaw (3-2), who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Smith (4-4) took the loss for the Angels, who have lost seven of their last nine games. Cleveland has won four in a row.
After taking a 3-1 lead in the third, the Indians were held scoreless on one hit in the next four innings by Richards, who was removed from the game after seven innings and 117 pitches.
Richards gave up three runs and seven hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. Right-hander Corey Kluber started for the Indians and in six innings gave up three runs (two earned) and five hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
The Angels needed just one pitch to take the lead. Right fielder Kole Calhoun hit the first pitch of the game from Kluber into the seats in right field for his 20th home run of the year, giving the Angels a 1-0 lead.
The Indians countered with a run in the second against Richards. Santana singled and went to third on a single by Chisenhall. A sacrifice fly by Gomes drove in Santana with the tying run.
Cleveland took a 3-1 lead with a two-run third. Lindor singled with one out before a 38-minute rain delay. Play resumed and Brantley singled to right, moving Lindor to second. The runners moved to second and third on a groundout by Santana, and Chisenhall stroked a single to left field, driving in Lindor and Brantley.
In the top of the fourth, Kluber gave up another first-pitch home run, this one to left fielder David Murphy leading off the inning. That cut the Cleveland lead to 3-2.
Shortstop Manny Aybar followed with a single. Two outs later, third baseman Kaleb Cowart doubled down the left-field line. Aybar went to third on the hit and then scored the tying run when Brantley bobbled the ball in left for an error.
NOTES: Indians RHP Gavin Floyd will be activated off the disabled list on Tuesday. Floyd has been on the DL all season recovering from surgery in March to repair a broken right elbow. ... For the first time in franchise history, the Indians have four pitchers with 150 or more strikeouts: RHP Corey Kluber (213), RHP Carlos Carrasco (173), RHP Danny Salazar (162) and RHP Trevor Bauer (152). ... Entering Saturday, the Angels had been held to two runs or fewer in 13 of 26 games in the month of August.