Guyer, Kipnis carry Indians to victory
CLEVELAND -- Brandon Guyer recorded five RBIs, Jason Kipnis had four hits and the Cleveland Indians had a team record-tying eight stolen bases en route to a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at Progressive Field.
American League stolen base leader Rajai Davis had three, hoisting his league-leading total to 31. Jose Ramirez also had three steals, while Kipnis and Francisco Lindor had one apiece as Cleveland increased its league-leading total to 92.
The eight stolen bases tied the Indians' team record, originally set Aug. 27, 1917 against Washington.
Guyer had three hits, including a home run, and Ramirez also homered in the seventh inning to provide the Indians with their 10th run. Ramirez added an RBI double in Cleveland's three-run eighth inning. The Indians outscored the Angels 27-7 in winning the first two contests of the four-game series.
Carlos Carrasco (8-6) survived a rocky first three innings, then settled down to pitch seven innings to get the win. Carrasco gave up three runs on five hits over the first three innings, but held the Angels scoreless on three hits over his last four innings, retiring 15 of the last 18 batters he faced. In seven innings Carrasco gave up three runs and eight hits, with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Kole Calhoun had a homer and a double for Los Angeles, but the Angels, for the second night in a row, found their starting pitcher overwhelmed by Cleveland's offense.
Tyler Skaggs (1-1) got roughed up for seven runs and 10 hits in five innings. In the first two games of the series, Angels' starting pitchers Skaggs and Jhoulys Chacin gave up 14 runs and 16 hits in 6 1/3 innings.
As they did in the first game of the series Thursday night, the Angels took a first-inning lead, and a home run was a part of it. Calhoun, the second batter of the game, hit a 1-0 pitch from Carrasco over the center field wall for his 12th home run to give the Angels a 1-0 lead.
Mike Trout followed with a double to left field, and he scored on a single to left by Albert Pujols to push the lead to 2-0.
Cleveland scored a run in the bottom of the first, thanks to the speed of Davis, who led off the bottom of the first with a walk. He then stole second and third. Kipnis lined a single to left field, scoring Davis to cut the Angels lead to 2-1.
The Indians tied it on a solo home run by Guyer leading off the second inning. With that hit, Guyer in his career versus Skaggs was 3-for-3 with two home runs.
After Carrasco retired the side in order in the second, the Angels took a 3-2 lead in the third. Calhoun led off the inning with a double into the gap in left-center field. He went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield groundout by Pujols.
The Indians, who had five stolen bases in the first 3 1/3 innings, used the stolen base to their advantage to score the tying run in the fourth. Ramirez led off with a single, and then stole second and third. Abraham Almonte followed with a single, scoring Ramirez, tying the score at 3.
The Indians took the lead in the fifth when Davis singled, stole his third base and scored on a double by Kipnis, giving Cleveland a 4-3 lead. Lindor followed with a single, scoring Kipnis to make it 5-3.
Mike Napoli singled Lindor to second, and he went to third on a throwing error by left fielder Shane Robinson. Ramirez grounded into a forceout at second, with Lindor holding third. Ramirez then stole second -- Cleveland’s seventh stolen base of the game -- and Guyer’s single to right scored Lindor and Ramirez to extend the Indians' lead to 7-3.
NOTES: Indians DH/1B Carlos Santana was held out of the lineup Friday, a day after getting hit in the head by a line drive while sitting in the dugout. Santana underwent a battery of concussion tests, the early results of which were encouraging, according to Manager Terry Francona. ... Indians SS Francisco Lindor, who had started 109 of the Indians first 112 games at shortstop, was in the lineup as the designated hitter Friday as a way of "getting him off his feet for a day," Francona said. ... Angels DH Albert Pujols leads the majors with 27 RBIs since the All-Star break. Pujols has 87 for the season and is on pace for 125, which would be his seventh season with 120 or more. ... Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker, Saturday's starter, has a streak of 18 consecutive scoreless innings versus Cleveland and an 0.82 ERA in three career games against the Indians.