Astros stop Indians' six-game winning streak
CLEVELAND -- Alex Bregman had two hits, including a home run and two RBIs, and Jose Altuve and Colby Rasmus had two hits each as the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2 Monday night at Progressive Field.
The loss snaps Cleveland's six-game winning streak.
Houston starter Mike Fiers (10-6) pitched five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Mike Clevinger (2-2), the first of seven relievers to pitch in the game for Cleveland took the loss. The Indians skipped struggling starter Josh Tomlin's turn in the rotation, which would have been Monday night. Manager Terry Francona tried to get by with using all relief pitchers, but even that didn't work. Tomlin was brought in to pitch the ninth.
Houston took an early 3-0 lead, and the Indians pulled to within a run at 3-2 in the fifth inning. But the Astros scored three more times in the seventh inning and their bullpen was able to preserve the win.
Leading 3-2, Houston's seventh inning rally began with an infield single by George Springer off Dan Otero. Bregman struck out and Bryan Shaw relieved Otero. Altuve greeted Shaw with line drive single to right, moving Springer to third.
Carlos Correa drew a walk to load the bases. Springer then scored on a sacrifice fly by Yuli Gurriel, stretching the lead to 4-2. A successful double steal by Altuve and Correa put runners at second and third. Evan Gattis then hit a grounder to second baseman Jason Kipnis, who threw wildly to first for his second error of the game, allowing Altuve to score to make it 5-2. It became 6-2 when Correa scored on an infield single by Rasmus.
For Cleveland, this game fell on Tomlin's turn in the rotation, but Tomlin has been in a six-week slump and the decision was made to skip Tomlin's turn in the rotation. That meant Francona was going to use all relievers in the game.
It did not start out well for Cleveland.
Clevinger started and only made it through 1 2/3 innings, throwing 43 pitches and giving up one run, two hits and two walks. The run came in the first inning when Bregman walked and scored on a double off the left-field wall by Altuve.
Jeff Manship relieved Clevinger in the second, and Manship gave up two runs in the third. Springer led off the third with a walk and scored on Bregman's seventh home run of the year, over the left-field wall, giving Houston a 3-0 lead.
Fiers bobbed and weaved his way through the first two innings, but the Indians reached him for a run in the third.
Francisco Lindor led off the inning by hitting a line drive off the right field wall. Lindor raced for second, but the throw from right fielder Teoscar Hernandez beat Lindor to second base, and Lindor was called out.
Francona challenged the call, and after a video review, the call was overturned and Lindor was ruled safe with a double.
One out later, Jose Ramirez lined a single to left, scoring Lindor and cutting the Houston lead to 3-1.
The Indians added another run in the fifth on a solo home run by Mike Napoli, his 30th home run of the season but his first since Aug. 11, a span of 73 at-bats without a homer.
NOTES: Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday night because of inflammation in his left shoulder. Keuchel has returned to Houston for further examination. ... The Astros will recall RHP Brad Peacock from Triple-A Fresno to start Tuesday's game. Peacock is 5-6 with a 4.23 ERA at Fresno. ... The Indians recalled LHP Kyle Crockett from Triple-A Columbus. Crockett becomes the second left-hander in the bullpen, behind LHP Andrew Miller. ... Indians C Yan Gomes, who has been on the disabled list since July 18 with a separated right shoulder, is "not far away" from catching in a minor league rehab game, according to manager Terry Francona. Gomes, who is currently being used as a designated hitter in minor league rehab games, is eligible to come off the DL on Sept. 16.