Indians 9, Angels 2
CLEVELAND -- Josh Tomlin pitched seven strong innings and Cleveland took advantage of a couple of gift hits that produced runs as the Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 9-2 victory Sunday at Progressive Field.
The Indians have won five in a row while the Angels have lost eight of their last 10. The only bright spot for the Angels was center fielder Mike Trout, who came into the game hitting .194 in the month of August, but was 4-for-4.
In seven innings the right-hander Tomlin (3-1) gave up two runs on six hits, with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Angels outfielders lost two balls in the sun hit by Indians first baseman Carlos Santana, one in the first inning and another in the fifth. Both plays resulted in runs scoring.
Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis led off the bottom of the first inning with a double off right-hander Jered Weaver (6-10), and he went to third on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Left fielder Michael Brantley lined a double down the right field line, scoring Kipnis with the first run of the game.
Santana then hit a towering fly ball to center field that Trout lost in the sun. The ball fell safely a few feet to Trout's left. It was scored a double for Santana, driving in Brantley and giving Cleveland a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth inning a similar scenario played out, and again it resulted in runs for the Indians. With one out Brantley singled. Santana hit another towering fly ball, this one to right field. Right fielder Kole Calhoun lost it in the sun, and it dropped in safely for a double, moving Brantley to third.
Then it went from bad to worse for the Angels. Weaver intentionally walked right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall to load the bases. But center fielder Abraham Almonte spoiled that strategy by hitting a 1-1 pitch from Weaver over the wall in right-center field for the Indians' second grand slam in as many days.
Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes hit a grand slam in the Indians' 8-3 win Saturday night. Almonte's grand slam gave the Indians a 6-0 lead.
Tomlin held the Angels scoreless on three hits through the first five innings, before giving up a run in the sixth. Second baseman Grant Green led off the top of the sixth with his first home run, over the left field wall to make it 6-1.
But the Indians weren't done with Weaver. With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the sixth inning Lindor doubled to center field. Brantley was intentionally walked, and a wild pitch by Weaver moved the runners to second and third.
Santana lined a single to right field, scoring Lindor and Brantley as the Indians stretched their lead to 8-1.
Weaver was removed from the game after the sixth inning. He was charged with eight runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and four walks. Coming into the game, he had a record of 7-1 and a 2.24 ERA in 11 career starts at Progressive Field.
The Angels scored their other run in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Trout. A throwing error by first baseman Albert Pujols in the eighth inning led to an unearned run for Cleveland in the eighth.
NOTES: Indians RHP Gavin Floyd and INF Chris Johnson will both be activated off the disabled list on Tuesday. ... At the start of play Sunday, Indians SS Francisco Lindor led all American League rookies in hitting with a .312 average. Lindor's 59 hits since the All-Star break are the second most in the majors, behind Ian Kinsler's 62. ... In addition to having a career-high 20 home runs, OF Kole Calhoun has 67 RBIs, making him the first Angels homegrown right fielder with 60 RBIs in a season since Tim Salmon in 2003.