Indians walk off on Naquin's inside job
CLEVELAND -- Tyler Naquin followed Jose Ramirez's game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off inside-the-park homer to lift the Cleveland Indians to a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night at Progressive Field.
Trailing 2-1, Cleveland tied it when Ramirez hit an 0-2 pitch from Toronto closer Roberto Osuna (2-2) over the right field wall.
Naquin then hit a 1-2 pitch off the top of the right field wall. The ball ricocheted toward centerfielder Melvin Upton Jr., who fell down as he attempted to throw the ball into the infield. Naquin, tearing around the bases, dove through the air on a headfirst slide across home plate to beat the relay.
Reliever Jeff Manship (2-1), who pitched a scoreless top of the ninth inning, earned the victory. Manship combined with starter Trevor Bauer on a five-hitter, with 15 strikeouts.
Prior to Cleveland's explosive ninth inning, it looked like Toronto's Russell Martin's two-run homer in the first inning was going to stand up.
The Indians had six hits -- two singles in the first inning, two singles in the fifth, and two homers in the ninth.
Toronto starter Francisco Liriano pitched six innings, allowing one unearned run and four hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Bauer outpitched Liriano, pitching eight innings and setting a career high with 13 strikeouts. He walked two and gave up five hits.
The Indians scored their first run in the sixth inning. With one out, Jason Kipnis singled. Kipnis went to second on a passed ball and to third on an error by second baseman Devon Travis, who failed to catch the throw from catcher Martin in an attempt to throw out Kipnis.
Liriano struck out Francisco Lindor for the second out before Mike Napoli lined a single to left field, driving in Kipnis. It was Napoli's 86th RBI of the season.
Toronto wasted little time in taking the lead. With one out in the first inning Michael Saunders drew a walk. Edwin Encarnacion popped out to first for second out. But Martin lined the first pitch he saw from Bauer over the left-field wall for his 13th home run, giving the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.
Liriano breezed through the Cleveland lineup in the early innings. He gave up two singles in the first inning, but they were sandwiched around a double play. He then retired the next 10 batters he faced, before walking Carlos Santana to start the fifth inning.
Santana was out at second on a fielder's choice grounder hit by Ramirez, and when Travis threw wildly to first for an error, Ramirez went to second. Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch, putting runners at first and second with one out.
But Liriano retired the next two batters to end the inning with the Blue Jays still leading 2-0.
NOTES: The Indians recalled RHP Shawn Armstrong from Triple-A Columbus and optioned LHP Kyle Crockett to Columbus. ... Cleveland will activate RHP Josh Tomlin from the Family Medical Emergency List on Saturday, and he will start Saturday night's game against the Blue Jays. ... The Blue Jays were missing the left side of their infield Friday. Neither 3B Josh Donaldson (jammed thumb) nor SS Troy Tulowitzki (strained calf) were in the starting lineup. ... Blue Jays LHP J.A. Happ is 17-3. He is the first pitcher in Blue Jays history to win at least 17 of his first 20 decisions in a season.