Indians' Kluber shuts out Rays
CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber pitched a three-hit, complete-game shutout and Jose Ramirez and Juan Uribe homered to lead the streaking Cleveland Indians to a 6-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday night at Progressive Field.
Kluber (7-7) struck out nine and walked two in pitching his third career shutout. The only hits allowed by Kluber were singles, by Corey Dickerson in the second inning and by Brad Miller and Evan Longoria in the ninth.
The victory extends the AL Central-leading Indians' winning streak to five in a row. They have also won 10 home games in a row. Tampa Bay, last in the AL East, has lost six in a row.
Rays rookie left-hander Blake Snell (1-1), in his third major-league start, pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs, two earned, and seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
Leading 2-0, the Indians added an insurance run in the sixth inning. With one out, Ramirez singled to right field. Uribe reached on an error by shortstop Miller, moving Ramirez to second. Lonnie Chisenhall followed with a single to center, scoring Ramirez and extending the Cleveland lead to 3-0.
In the eighth inning Mike Napoli led off with a single off reliever Steve Geltz. Ramirez then belted his fourth home run into the seats in right field to push the lead to 5-0.
Uribe, the next batter, hit one over the left-field wall for his sixth home run. Uribe has hit home runs in each of the last four games. He is the first Indians player to homer in four consecutive games since Jason Kipnis did it from July 31-August 3, 2011.
Snell held Cleveland hitless and scoreless through the first two innings before the Indians reached him for two runs in the third.
Yan Gomes led off the bottom of the third with a single. He went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Naquin. Carlos Santana grounded out to Snell for the second out.
Kipnis then hit a line drive to center field that took a bad hop past center fielder Desmond Jennings and rolled all the way to the wall. Gomes scored, and so did Kipnis, sliding head first across home plate.
It was ruled a single and a three-base error, and it gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead.
Kluber retired the side in the first inning on seven pitches, and sailed through the first five innings, holding the Rays scoreless on one hit.
NOTES: Indians OF Michael Brantley underwent an MRI and was diagnosed with right biceps tendinitis on Tuesday. He was given a cortisone shot. Brantley played in 11 games and made two trips to the disabled list this season following offseason surgery on his right shoulder. He felt discomfort recently in the shoulder, prompting the MRI. There is no timetable for his return. ... Indians 3B Juan Uribe hit just two home runs in his first 48 games, but in Monday's game he hit a home run in his third consecutive game for the first time in his career. ... The Rays placed OF Mikie Mahtook (fractured left hand) and UTL Steve Pearce (strained right hamstring) on the disabled list. To replace Mahtook and Pearce on the roster, the Rays recalled INF/OF Nick Franklin and RHP Ryan Garton from Triple-A Durham. Mahtook becomes the fourth Rays outfielder on the DL, joining Brandon Guyer, Steven Souza Jr. and Kevin Kiermaier. ... In the first 40 days of the season, Tampa Bay had no players on the DL. In 37 days since then the Rays have placed eight players on the DL.