Gomes, Lindor back crisp Kluber in opener win 11 K's put Kluber in idols' company

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1 Gomes, Lindor back crisp Kluber in opener win By Jordan Bastian and Bryan Hoch / MLB.com 1:34 AM ET COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The spotlight was fixed on Sonny Gray on Thursday for his Yankees debut, but Indians ace Corey Kluber quickly pulled it back in his direction. Kluber's complete-game gem led Cleveland to its eighth straight home win, a 5-1 victory at Progressive Field. Acquired by New York from Oakland prior to Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, Gray logged six solid innings, but he was outpitched by Kluber and undone by a trio of first-inning errors by the Yankees. In his first outing for New York, Gray was charged with four runs (two earned) with six strikeouts and three walks. "That guy, when he's on, he's tough to handle," Gray said of Kluber. "He was on tonight. When he's got those breaking balls and he's throwing that comeback fastball, he really is tough to handle." Cleveland's two-run first inning proved enough for Kluber, whose lone blemish in his complete game was a solo homer by Gary Sanchez in the seventh. The right-hander ended with 11 strikeouts, marking the 11th time this season (10th in the past 12 starts) that Kluber reached double digits. "Klubes just took over," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He knows what he wants to do, and he works so hard where he's able to do it. He keeps himself in great shape. He doesn't get tired. It's fun to watch. It's nice when you get some runs to spread it a little bit out, so you can enjoy it a little bit." Kluber also joined Randy Johnson (four times), Pedro Martinez (twice) and Nolan Ryan (once) as the only pitchers since at least 1913 with eight or more strikeouts in at least 12 straight starts. Johnson was the last to achieve the feat with a 17-game run between the 1999 and 2000 seasons. "That's kind of crazy, isn't it?" Indians catcher Yan Gomes said. "It's really awesome. We came up from Triple-A together in 2013, and I've been fortunate enough to catch him. It's crazy seeing his development. Every year, he seems to surprise everyone." Kluber's support came via a run-scoring single in the first from Jose Ramirez, a two-run double in the sixth from Gomes and a solo homer from Francisco Lindor in the seventh. Lindor's blast (his 18th of the season) came off Yankees reliever Chasen Shreve. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Chasing the ball: In his first 11 games at first base for the Yankees this season, Chase Headley had been reliable, making zero errors and recording one Defensive Run Saved. His first-inning misplay on a routine grounder from Bradley Zimmer, however, set an unfortunate tone for a three-error inning. Zimmer reached after Headley couldn't corral the chopper in time, and the Yanks' defense helped the Tribe to a pair of quick runs against Gray. "Certainly not the way you want to start," Headley said. "You get a really good pitcher on our side, and we just didn't play well behind him to start the game. Obviously when you're going against a guy like Corey Kluber, who had as good stuff as I've seen him have, you get behind and that's tough to come back from." "We caught a couple breaks early," Francona said. "But saying that, Zim gets down the line hard." Yan's insurance shot: With two outs in the sixth inning, and Cleveland still clinging to its 2-0 advantage, Carlos Santana drew a walk and Brandon Guyer followed with a single. That set things up for Gomes, who drilled the first pitch he received from Gray off the 19-foot wall in left field for a two-run double. That helped spread out Cleveland's lead after Gray had locked up the Tribe's lineup over the previous four frames. "That was obviously a big point in the game," Kluber said. "To double the lead gives us that much more breathing room. I gave up the home run the next inning, so 4-1 is a lot easier to work with than 2-1. When [Gomes] got to second base, you could see how pumped up he was -- and he should be. That was a big moment." Kluber's masterful complete game Kluber's masterful complete game Corey Kluber throws a complete game, striking out 11 batters and allowing one run on three hits during his terrific start vs. the Yankees "I feel like I threw the ball OK," Gray said. "At the same time, if I can shut that sixth inning down, it's a completely different ballgame. It's just one of those things that kind of got away from me for a couple of hitters. They took advantage. It gave them all the momentum for the last three innings." QUOTABLE "It's cool. All three are guys I grew up watching and idolizing. So to be mentioned with them is definitely an honor, and it's cool." -- Kluber, on achieving something only Johnson, Martinez and Ryan had accomplished SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With his strikeout of Brett Gardner in the sixth inning, Kluber moved out of a tie with Gary Bell and into sole possession of eighth place on the Indians' all-time career strikeouts list with 1,105. WHAT'S NEXT Yankees: Left-hander Jaime Garcia (5-7, 4.29 ERA) will make his Yankees debut on Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET in the second game of a four-game series against the Indians. Garcia was acquired from the Twins on July 29 in exchange for two Minor League pitchers and made just one start with Minnesota. He began the season with the Braves, where he was 4-7 with a 4.30 ERA in 18 starts. Indians: The Indians will send right-hander Trevor Bauer (9-8, 5.25 ERA) to the mound for Friday's tilt against the Yankees at Progressive Field. Bauer was slated to start on Wednesday against Boston, but inclement weather postponed the game. He is coming off an eight-inning, one-run performance against the Angels on July K's put Kluber in idols' company By Jordan Bastian / 12:08 AM ET + 7 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Ask Corey Kluber about his strikeout exploits, and his reply will usually be preceded by a shrug. The Indians' ace will explain that the win is all that matters, and all the numbers he compiles in the process are just the byproduct of making good pitches.

2 In the wake of Thursday's 5-1 victory over the Yankees, who were stifled by Kluber in his third complete game this season -- and the 13th of his career -- the pitcher broke from his usual script. Told that he did something that only Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Nolan Ryan had previously accomplished, Kluber did not shrug. For a brief moment, he let it sink in that his name joined an extremely elite class. "All three are guys I grew up watching and idolizing," Kluber said. "To be mentioned with them is definitely an honor, and it's cool." It is easy to recognize greatness in hindsight, but it is a little more difficult to appreciate it in the moment. Well, at this moment, Indians fans are getting an opportunity to watch history in the making. It is not a stretch to already proclaim that Kluber is one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history. There is also no denying that Kluber one of baseball's pitching pacesetters right now. The historic footnote was this: Kluber joined Johnson (four times), Martinez (twice) and Ryan (once) as the only pitchers since at least 1913 to record at least eight strikeouts in 12 or more games in a row. Johnson last achieved the feat in 17 straight games between the 1999 and 2000 campaigns. Johnson was also the last to do so within the confines of one season (15 in '99). Against the Yankees, Kluber piled up 11 strikeouts against one walk in a three-hit complete game. One of those hits was a solo homer surrendered to Gary Sanchez, but that hardly hindered the right-hander's momentum. This represented the 10th time in Kluber's past 12 games that he recorded 10 or more strikeouts, and it gave him at least 11 in four straight starts. Kluber's run of three straight starts with 12 or more strikeouts prior to Thursday was a club record, and something only Chris Sale, Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Curt Schilling, Johnson, Martinez and Ryan had done before him. Catcher Yan Gomes, who knocked in two runs in the sixth with a double, said Kluber better be a household name at this point. "They should [know] by now, right?" Gomes said with a laugh. "I mean, he's done some really impressive things with his strikeouts and leading our team for a while now. I think he should be getting some serious recognition now." Since coming back from the disabled list on June 1, Kluber has been on another level. Over 12 starts in that span, Kluber has turned in a 1.77 ERA to go along with a 0.78 WHIP. In 86 1/3 innings, he has amassed 131 strikeouts against 15 walks, allowing 52 hits along the way. During those dozen outings, Kluber has a 40.9-percent strikeout rate and an MLB-leading 18.9 swinging-strike percentage. Opposing hitters have turned in a paltry.172/.216/.272 slash line against the starter in that time period, too. Kluber -- stepping back into character -- shrugged off all the impressive statistics. "For me, I try to keep it as simple as I can," Kluber said, "and go pitch-by-pitch and inning-by-inning, and hopefully, in the long run, that works out to be a good outing and gives the team a chance to win. After the fact, hearing some stuff like that is cool, but during the game I try not to worry about any of that stuff." Kipnis progressing, could return vs. Yanks By William Kosileski / MLB.com August 3rd, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- After the Indians' roster took a couple injury blows over the past few days, manager Terry Francona was happy to announce some good news before their series opener against the Yankees on Thursday night at Progressive Field. The manager said that second baseman Jason Kipnis -- who has been on the 10-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain since July 9 -- is on pace to return from the DL before Sunday's series finale. Kipnis will play his final Minor League rehab game with Triple-A Columbus on Friday, and the plan is for him to return to the team on Saturday before being activated the following day. "He's going to play tomorrow night in Columbus and then he'll come back here, work out with us Saturday," Francona said. "If everything is still a go, he'll be activated Sunday." The news comes one day after Kipnis went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in a rehab game with Double-A Akron. Kipnis sustained the hamstring injury on July 8 while trying to beat out a slow grounder. After he got to first, he had a noticeable limp before exiting the game. He is set to return from the DL for the second time this season, as he began the year sidelined with a right shoulder injury before he made his season debut on April 21. Miller's MRI results confirm patellar tendinitis All-Star reliever Andrew Miller was placed on the 10-day DL on Wednesday with patellar tendinitis in his right knee, which he has been dealing with for over a month. An MRI on Thursday in Cleveland confirmed the injury, Francona said. "He has patellar tendinitis, which is exactly what he's being treated for," Francona said. "[Head team physician Mark Schickendantz] just walked in when I was coming out, and they're going to meet with him and see if there's anything more aggressive that they can do while he's not pitching to try to help. But it's exactly what he's been getting treated for the past months." Worth noting With an off-day this upcoming Monday, Francona said that the Indians will run with a four-man starting rotation for the time being. Beginning Thursday, the starters will be Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco, and then the four will start the team's next four games after Monday's day off in the same order. As a result of this decision, Mike Clevinger will move to the bullpen for the next several days. Francona said he will return to the rotation after the stretch. "Say for the next five to six days, maybe seven," Francona said. "[Clevinger] will be in the bullpen to kind of supplement out the bullpen, and then we'll slot him back in." Francona said that right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall -- on the DL with a strained right calf he suffered on July 9 -- is still not ready to play in a rehab game. "Lonnie is just not ready to go out and play yet," Francona said. "The last hurdle is that they have to completely not feel anything. He's been out running like crazy. But when you start giving them the freedom of playing when they don't know what direction they're going to go and things like that, he can't feel that at all. He just hasn't cleared that last hurdle." Frazier returns to Cleveland with fond memories By Bryan Hoch / August 3rd, COMMENTS

3 CLEVELAND -- In the weeks following the blockbuster trade that sent Clint Frazier to the Yankees last July, the outfielder couldn't help but steal glances at box scores to see how Andrew Miller was faring with his new team, believing on some level that he had to fill the dominant lefthander's shoes. Frazier marveled as Miller helped the Indians get within one victory of their first World Series title since 1948, but he also realized that stressing over the hurler's performance would not help his own. Returning to Cleveland on Thursday, Frazier is happy to be making his own mark. He went 1-for-4 with a double in his Progressive Field debut, ending with a 5-1 loss to the Indians. "Andrew put a lot of pressure on me last year," said Frazier, who is ranked as the Yankees' No. 2 prospect by MLBPipeline.com. "His performance was probably about as good as you could get, which made me feel like I had to try to live up to him. I had to realize that I'm Clint, I'm not Andrew." Miller is currently on the 10-day disabled list with right patellar tendinitis, and the 22-year-old laughed when asked if he was disappointed that they would not get to face off in this series. No, Frazier would much prefer to view Miller as a compliment than from a distance of 60 feet and 60 inches. "It really lets you know that the team thinks very highly of me if they're going to trade me for a guy like that," Frazier said. General manager Brian Cashman raved about Frazier's "legendary bat speed" following the July 31 trade, in which the Yankees also acquired pitchers J.P. Feyereisen, Ben Heller and Justus Sheffield. "I think we knew he was really talented," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I don't think you can trade for Andrew Miller and think you're going to sneak three guys over there that can't play. It was a big, big gulp, but we got to the seventh game of the World Series. We didn't win, but we don't do any of that without Andrew." In 25 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the trade, Frazier batted just.228 as he competed against Miller's long, lanky shadow. "I didn't know how to handle it at first, but I didn't expect to get traded," Frazier said. "It's part of the game. It's part of going through the process of being a player." Frazier focused on making the necessary adjustments this season, helping him get the call for his Major League debut on July 1. He joined Joe DiMaggio, Gary Sanchez and Shane Spencer as the only Yankees in the past 100 years to collect at least 13 extra-base hits in his first 23 games. "I think he's handled it really well," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I don't think we've seen it be too much for him. I think his at-bats have been good. I don't see wild swings. I think he runs the bases well, I think he's played very good defense as well. A guy that you weren't sure how he was going to react when he got here because he's so young, he's reacted well." The Indians' first-round selection (fifth overall) in the 2013 MLB Draft, Frazier said that he remains thankful for the teammates, coaches and coordinators who helped him as he honed his skills at Class A Lake County, Class A Advanced Lynchburg, Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, dreaming of someday playing in Cleveland. "It was something that I thought about every day," Frazier said. "Every day, the goal was to get promoted to the next level, and this was the ultimate goal when I was with the organization. It was something I was always looking forward to in the back of my head and envisioning myself, Bradley [Zimmer] and a couple of the other guys out there at the same time." Tribe hopes for encore performance from Bauer By William Kosileski / MLB.com August 3rd, COMMENTS This week's MLB Network Showcase game will feature a matchup between two of the top clubs in the American League, as the Indians will host the Yankees for the second game of a four-game set at Progressive Field. Just one day after right-hander Sonny Gray made his first start with the Yankees, southpaw Jamie Garcia will make his debut with the same club. The left-hander was acquired from Minnesota on Sunday to bolster New York's starting rotation. Prior to being dealt to the Yankees, Garcia -- set to make his first career start against the Indians -- was traded to the Twins after spending nearly the first four months of the season with the Braves. In his only start with the Twins (also his most recent outing), he picked up the win after going 6 2/3 innings against the A's on July 28. In the start, he allowed three runs on three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. "At first reaction, [it was] a little shocking because I had just gotten traded to another team and had a couple of busy days, but it was good shocking," Garcia said of being traded to New York. "There was some emotions in there, because the New York Yankees have always been my family's favorite team, and my favorite team growing up. So [I'm] very excited." The Indians will oppose Garcia with right-hander Trevor Bauer, who will make his 21st start of the season. The right-hander was scheduled to start Wednesday's series finale against the Red Sox, but inclement weather postponed the game and Bauer's start was pushed back to Friday. Bauer is coming off one of his strongest outings of the season, where he earned his ninth victory after going eight strong innings, allowing one run, seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts against the Angels on July 27. Bauer has struggled against the Yankees in his career, going 1-4 with a 5.34 ERA in six starts (32 innings). Three things to know about this game Aaron Judge is expected to return to the starting lineup on Friday after being given a day off to clear his head in the series opener. Judge is batting.164 (11-for-67) with four homers and nine RBIs since winning the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. Matt Holliday, who has struggled since returning from the DL on July 14, is also expected to be in the lineup. A big key to Bauer's success in his last outing was the use of his knuckle curveball. Per Statcast, 42 of Bauer's 116 pitches against the Angels were curves, as he registered 10 called strikes and six swinging strikes with the breaking ball. Garcia has found success this season using his two-seam fastball, as opponents are only hitting.234 against it. Per Statcast, 75.4 percent of the batted balls against the pitch have been classified as "poor contact," which is the highest rate among more than 60 pitchers who have generated at least 100 balls in play with their two-seamers or sinkers.

4 Jones, Benson fuel Scrappers victory Indians No. 5 prospect Nolan Jones and Will Benson (No. 9) combined to go 7-for-11 in Class A Short Season Mahoning Valley's rout of Auburn. Benson paced the Scrappers' offense by going 4-for-5 with his sixth home run, a double and four RBIs, while Jones finished 3-for-6 en route to his fourth straight multi-hit performance. The Indians selected Benson and Jones in the first and second rounds of the 2016 Draft, respectively. Covering the Bases: Game 106 by Jordan Bastian FIRST: It s no secret what makes Corey Kluber good. His curveball is one of the best pitches in the game, and he can move the ball in both directions at varying speeds to toy with hitters. The book is out on him, but hitters wind up looking foolish anyways. So, what is it then about Kluber that makes him this good? The kind of good that includes a 1.77 ERA over two month s worth of innings, and generates swinging strikes at an MLB-best 19-percent clip. I think I say this every time, Indians catcher Yan Gomes said. He s able to make adjustments every time that I haven t seen many, even on the other side, do. Kluber gauges the feel for his pitches early on, giving feedback to Gomes on what weapons are functioning the best out of the chute. Next, both Kluber and Gomes read the reactions and swings of the hitters. They go in with a plan, but then alter it as the game goes, according to what they re seeing from the opposing lineup. On Thursday night against the Yankees, Kluber noticed that New York s hitters were not going after his four-seamer early on. Some games it might be quicker than others, Kluber explained. Tonight, maybe after the first time through the order, it just kind of seemed like it was getting on them a little bit. So, I m not sure if they were ready for the two-seamer, or it just had some good life to it tonight. You could kind of tell that after the first time through the order that maybe it was getting on them a little quicker than they thought. On the season, Kluber had been featuring his four-seamer just 12.5% of the time. His season-high for one game was 24. For the most part, Kluber sticks with the criss-cross effect of his cutter-sinker combo, and puts hitters away with the curve. He has the four-seamer and changeup to mix in to give hitters another look. Through the first three innings against the Yankees, though, he fired nine four-seamers and had only two swing attempts (one whiff and one ball in play for an out). The others were four called strikes and three balls. So, Kluber talked it over with Gomes and decided to see if they possibly identified something to exploit. Everybody talks about his two-seam and curveball, Gomes said. And he ll still put guys away with his curveball, because that s something that we re going to do. But, getting ahead with the four-seamer, especially against some of their good lefties, you don t expect [that from] a guy that usually doesn t throw them very often. When the smoke cleared on Kluber s complete-game gem, he had set a new season-high with 30 four-seamers thrown. And, man, did he pound the strike zone with the pitch: The Yankees finished 0-for-6 on four-seamers put in play and took 15 of the 30 he threw (seven for strikes). New York fouled off five and swung through four. On the night, Kluber generated 18 swinging strikes overall, and this time his four-seamer played a key role in setting up chase situations. Gomes said he tries to take the lead on in-game adjustments, but it s the way Kluber executes the game plan (both the one they have going in, and the one that develops as the innings move along) is what blows him away. The way they leaned on the four-seamer against the Yankees was a prime example. He even told me, I don t know if they thought I didn t have a four-seamer, Gomes said. Because they were taking a bunch of them. It s one of those things that, when something starts working, don t stop it. Just keep going. SECOND: Kluber has been putting his name alongside Indians greats like Bob Feller, Sam McDowell and Luis Tiant, among others, for years now. On this night, Cleveland s ace found himself in an even more elite category. When Kluber notched his eighth strikeout, he joined Randy Johnson (four times), Pedro Martinez (twice) and Nolan Ryan (once) as the only pitchers to have at eight or more in at least 12 straight starts. Even Kluber admitted that was pretty cool. All three are guys I grew up watching and idolizing, Kluber said.

5 Kluber ended with 11 strikeouts, so his club record run of three starts in a row with a dozen or more K s came to a close. Still, he joined Chris Sale, Pedro, Johnson, Curt Schilling, Ryan, Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson as the only players to have 12 or more strikeouts in three or more starts in a row. Sale boasts the record for that one with a five-start run of that kind in Kluber does have at least 11 in four straight, marking the 19th time that s happened in MLB history (since at least 1913). The record for that one is eight by Pedro. Others in that company: Johnson, Sale, J.R. Richard, Ryan, Schilling, Koufax and Mark Langston. The way Kluber is going, he s starting to build a strong case for his second career Cy Young Award. Consider what he s done in 12 starts since June 1: 1.77 ERA 0.78 WHIP 13.7 K/9 8.7 K/BB 40.9 K% 18.9 SwK%.172 AVG.216 OBP.272 SLG 86.1 IP 131 K 15 BB 52 H It s through hard work, Indians manager Terry Francona said. We ve talked about it before. There were times when he was in Triple-A where he was getting hit around a little bit. And then he got here, and he got on that roll, and instead of being comfortable with what he did, he just took it to another level. THIRD: Two nights ago, Gomes was seated at his locker in the cramped visitors clubhouse at Fenway Park, absorbing a gut-punch of a loss. The third out of the ninth inning got away from him for a costly wild pitch, and the Red Sox won on a walk-off homer shortly after. That was a tough ending the other night, Francona said. So, what Gomes did in the sixth inning on Thursday was not only good for his team, but a great turn-the-page moment for the catcher. With two outs, following a walk by Carlos Santana and a single by Brandon Guyer, Gomes sent a pitch from Sonny Gray off the left-field wall for a tworun double. Cleveland s 2 0 lead morphed into a 4 0 cushion for Kluber, who was obviously cruising by that point. Still, even with how overpowering Kluber was, that breathing room was critical for helping him finish the job without as much stress behind each pitch. That was obviously a big point in the game, Kluber said. I gave up the home run [to Gary Sanchez] the next inning, so 4 1 is a lot easier to work with than 2 1. When he got to second base you could see how pumped up he was and he should be. That was a big moment in the game. Gomes' two-run double in the 6th HOME: I know if you re an Indians fan, you re not thinking, Poor, Sonny Gray, right now. He just got traded to a contending team and is a pretty decent starter. He might ve even looked good in a Tribe uni. But, man, poor Sonny Gray. When he left the A s, he left a team that ranks last in baseball in Defensive Runs Saved (-51), UZR (-42) and overall Defensive rating (-48). It was bad. So, naturally, the Yankees kicked the ball around in his first inning wearing pinstripes. On the opening play of the home half of the first, Chase Headley botched a routine grounder to first. Bradley Zimmer one of the game s fastest players made it easily. Two plays later, second baseman Tyler Wade booted a chopper, allowing Michael Brantley to reach and Zimmer to scoot to third with one out. Then, Jose Ramirez singled to right field, where Clint Frazier glove the ball and came up firing to third after seeing Brantley hustling for an extra base. Zimmer scored on the play and Brantley was able to jog home, too, because Frazier s throw went wildly beyond third and out of play. Three errors and two runs scored in a span of four batters. That said, Francona was quick to note his players roles in creating those opportunities to capitalize on mistakes. We caught a couple breaks early, Francona acknowledged. But saying that, Zim gets down the line hard and I thought Brant s baserunning was huge. He saw the way Clint kind of went down almost like an infielder staying in front of it and Brant kept going. I don t think those things happen if you don t push it. Ramirez, right in the middle with a hit, like he normally does. And then, man, Klubes just took over.

6 Kluber upstages Gray's debut as Indians down Yankees 5-1 TOM WITHERS (AP Sports Writer) CLEVELAND (AP) -- Unflappable and unassuming, Corey Kluber rarely shows any emotion on or off the mound. But after a night when he joined three Hall of Famers - and three of his pitching heroes - on a rare list, Kluber allowed himself a brief moment to gloat. ''It's cool,'' he said. Pinpoint. Typical Kluber. Cleveland's ace upstaged Sonny Gray's debut for New York by pitching a three-hitter and leading the Indians to a 5-1 win over the sloppy Yankees on Thursday night. Kluber (9-3) struck out 11 and outshined Gray (6-6), let down by a New York defense that made three errors in the first inning. The defending AL champions won the opener of a four-game series with a potential playoff opponent and ended their losing streak at three. With his latest dominant performance, Kluber joined Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to strike out at least eight in 12 consecutive starts. Johnson did it four times in his career and holds the record with 17 straight. Kluber often dismisses any chance to brag about his statistics or milestones. But he was pleased to be in such elite company. ''I mean, all three are guys I grew up watching and idolizing, so to be mentioned with them is definitely an honor and it's cool,'' he said. For five innings, Gray (6-6) was nearly as good as Kluber, but New York kicked the ball around in the first behind the right-hander, who was acquired at Monday's trade deadline from Oakland to help the Yankees return to the postseason. Gray settled in after the rough beginning and allowed only two hits until the sixth, when Yan Gomes broke an 0-for-13 slide by hitting a two-out, two-run double to put Cleveland up 4-0. Following the game, Gray didn't make any excuses and wasn't about to point fingers at his new teammates. ''That's just part of the game,'' he said of the miscues by first baseman Chase Headley, second baseman Tyler Wade and right fielder Clint Frazier in the first. ''You make pitches. We were able to come out of the first inning with only two.'' Yankees manager Joe Girardi was disappointed with the errors, especially because they gave Kluber a cushion. ''That's probably as bad a first inning that we've had all year. It leads to two unearned runs. It leads to extra pitches,'' Girardi said. ''Sonny threw the ball well. It's unfortunate we gave up those runs. Kluber had a lot to do with it. His stuff is dynamite. When he gives you a ball to hit, you better not miss it.'' Kluber took the lead and ran with it. He was locked in from the start and carried a two-hit shutout into the seventh before Gary Sanchez belted his 17th homer, a 427-foot laser shot to center. And along with containing the Bronx Bombers, Kluber didn't make Indians manager Terry Francona dip into a bullpen missing All-Star reliever Andrew Miller, who is on the disabled list with knee tendinitis. ''Klubes just took over,'' Francona said. ''The first time we're playing without Andrew, to just bypass those innings was really big. Any day you can win and stay away from guys throwing at this time of year is important.'' JUDGE RESTS The Yankees sat struggling slugger Aaron Judge for the series opener. The major league home run leader is batting just.164 (11 of 67) with 29 strikeouts since the All-Star break. Girardi also sat DH Matt Holliday. He and Judge are both expected to play Friday. HOME COOKING The Indians have won eight straight at Progressive Field after struggling in their home park during the first three months. Cleveland went 7-0 on its most recent homestand and is at home. TRAINER'S ROOM Yankees: OF Aaron Hicks (strained right oblique) went 1 for 3 with a walk in his second minor league rehab game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Hicks has been out since June 26.

7 Indians: 2B Jason Kipnis, sidelined since before the All-Star break with a strained right hamstring, will play at Triple-A Columbus on Friday. He'll return to Cleveland for a workout Saturday, and as long as there are no setbacks, he'll be activated Sunday for the series finale.... Francona said OF Lonnie Chisenhall is still not ready to play in a rehab game. He's been on the DL with a strained right calf sustained on July 9. UP NEXT Jaime Garcia makes his debut for New York against Cleveland's Trevor Bauer on Friday night. Garcia, who began the season with Atlanta, made one start for Minnesota before the Twins traded him to the Yankees on July 29. The 31-year-old lefty is 5-7 with a 4.29 ERA in 19 starts. Bauer worked a season-high eight innings on July 27 against the Los Angeles Angels. Indians 5, Yankees 1: Corey Kluber joins baseball s elite with 11-strikeout complete game By Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: Indians ace Corey Kluber continues to write his name in the record books. At no point in Kluber s already illustrious career with the Indians has he really had a stretch quite like the one he s in, striking out hitters at a historic pace. He turned in another dominant start Thursday night, besting Sonny Gray and the New York Yankees with a complete game in a 5-1 win at Progressive Field. Kluber (9-3) allowed just one run on three hits and struck out 11 in going the distance for the 13th time in his career. Entering Thursday, only three pitchers in baseball history had struck out at least eight batters in at least 12 consecutive starts. That elite list included just Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Nolan Ryan and Kluber on Thursday night joined them. Kluber s 11 strikeouts also gave him 1,108 in his career, which put him in eighth place on the Indians all-time strikeouts list, passing Gary Bell. Earlier this season, Kluber set a franchise record with five consecutive starts of at least 10 strikeouts, passing Bob Feller s mark of four such starts in Including Thursday night, Kluber has now struck out at least 10 batters in nine of his last 10 starts. It was also his 11th start this season with double-digit strikeouts and his third complete game. Offensively, the Indians (58-48) benefited nearly as much from Yankee mistakes as they did their own doing. In Gray s first outing with the Yankees (57-50) after one of the major trades at the nonwaiver deadline, the Yankees responded with a three-error first inning. After two errors put two runners on instead of giving Gray (0-1) an easy inning, the Indians took advantage on Jose Ramirez s RBI single to right field. Clint Frazier, in his first action in Cleveland since being dealt for Andrew Miller at last year s trade deadline, added a third error, sailing his throw to third base and allowing a second run to score. The night wasn t a complete loss for Frazier in his Progressive Field debut, as he did notch a double the first hit of the night off Kluber down the right-field line in the fourth inning. The Indians added on in the sixth and seventh innings. With Gray still on the mound, Yan Gomes drove a double off the left-field wall to score two and put the Indians on top 4-0. After Gary Sanchez belted a solo home run off Kluber for the Yankees lone run, Francisco Lindor answered with a solo shot in the seventh. It was Lindor s 18th home run of the season, a career high. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Indians notebook: Clint Frazier returns to Cleveland after tables turned with last year s trade for Andrew Miller By Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: As he was making his way through the Indians minor-league system as one of the organization s top prospects, Clint Frazier says he always thought about playing at Progressive Field. Doing it as a member of the New York Yankees was the curveball he hadn t anticipated. The Indians current series with the Yankees, which runs through Sunday, marks Frazier s first chance to face the club that traded him ahead of last year s trade deadline in a prospect package for Andrew Miller. It s also the first time, as a major leaguer, he ll play on the field on which he set his sights, albeit in a different uniform. I spent a lot of time envisioning myself playing on this field alongside a lot of guys who are here right now, Frazier said prior to Thursday s game. The tables turned and now I m getting to play against them. I m really excited. It s also the first chance for Indians fans to see Frazier play in Cleveland since the trade, and to get a glimpse of what it took to acquire the services of Miller, who helped fuel the Indians run to Game 7 of the World Series. That display of dominance in October didn t exactly relieve any pressure for Frazier as he became a major building block for the quickly retooling Yankees. Andrew put a lot of pressure on me last year, Frazier said. His performance was probably about as good as you get in the playoffs, which made me feel like I had to try to live up to him. He had shoes that he was filling and I had shoes that I had to fill myself. To realize that I m clearly not Andrew, it really lets you know that the team was thinking very highly to trade me for a guy like him. Miller s placement on the 10-day disabled list with patella tendonitis will rob fans of the chance to see the two face one another for now. Frazier doesn t mind escaping that matchup for a bit. Not really, Frazier said with a smile when asked if he was let down. I don t want to face him right now. Rotation order It was only about a week ago that the Indians were using a six-man rotation. For at least a couple of days, it ll be cut down to four.

8 According to Indians manager Terry Francona, the Indians will use a rotation of Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco, in that order, to get through the weekend. Mike Clevinger, meanwhile, will be available out of the bullpen for a bit to add some depth. The move is in part possible because of Monday s off day. At some point after that, Clevinger will be worked back into the rotation. Sunday return If all goes well, Jason Kipnis could be activated off the disabled list on Sunday. Kipnis has been on the DL with a strained hamstring since July 9. The Indians want to see if Kipnis gets through a rehab appearance with Triple-A Columbus on Friday night and then a workout in Cleveland on Saturday. If he does, he should return to the club on Sunday. Lonnie Chisenhall, on the disabled list with a calf injury, has yet to reach the point of being able to return to the field in a rehab appearance. The last hurdle is that they have to completely not feel anything, Francona said. He s been out running like crazy. But when you start giving them the freedom of playing when they don t know what direction they re going to go and things like that, he can t feel that at all. He just hasn t cleared that last hurdle. Like we have kind of been saying, it kind of has a mind of its own sometimes that they heal kind of when they want to. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Cleveland Indians' Corey Kluber goes from 2-seamer to 4-seamer to three-hit the Yankees By Paul Hoynes, CLEVELAND, Ohio - The thing that Yan Gomes likes about Corey Kluber is his ability to take a game plan, turn it upside down, but still make it work. Kluber lives off his two-seam fastball and curveball/slider. Those are the two pitches he's thrown the most this season. Those are the pitches that have helped him strikeout eight or more batters in 12 straight games this year. Thursday night, in the Indians' 5-1 win over the Yankees, he changed things a bit. He dusted off his four-seam fastball and rode it to a three-hit complete game win. "He's able to make adjustments that I haven't seen many pitchers, even on the other side, do," said Gomes, Kluber's catcher. "Like tonight, he was throwing his four-seamer more than he has before. Everybody talks about his two-seamer and curveball, and he still put guys away with that, but getting ahead with the four-seamer, especially against some of their good lefties, you don't expect him to do that." Kluber, according to Statcast, threw his four-seam fastball 12.5 percent of the time this season going into Thursday's start. Thursday night he threw it 28.3 percent of the time. Thirty of the 106 pitches Kluber threw were four-seamers. "He told me, 'I don't know if they thought I didn't have a four-seamer,' because they were taking a bunch of them," said Gomes. "It's one of those things that when something starts working, don't stop it, just keep going." Said Kluber, "Tonight maybe after the first time through the order, it just seemed like it was getting up on them a little bit. I'm not sure if they were ready for the two-seamer or just had some good life on it tonight. You could kind of tell that after the first time through the order it was getting on them a little quicker than they thought." Corey Kluber tosses three-hitter against New York Yankees Kluber threw 68 percent of his 106 pitches for strikes. In 12 starts since coming off the disabled list, Kluber has thrown fewer than 66 percent strikes in just one start. The major-league average for a starting pitcher is 63 percent strikes. Thursday night the Indians took a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to three New York errors.. Kluber protected the early lead as he threw a three-hitter for his third complete game of the season. "Honestly, from the first pitch you always think he's going to go deep into the game," said Gomes. "Sometimes you'll see some of his pitches start to back up, but he's able to come up with another pitch and make it the best pitch of his day. "He knows how to pitch with a lead. Whenever we get a lead, he pounds the zone and goes right after it. It just helps him that his pound-thezone pitches are pretty nasty." Gomes greets every pitcher he catches after each inning and walks back to the dugout with him. They talk strategy between innings, but during the game it's a different story. "I usually try to take care of that part," said Gomes, when asked about who does the talking on the field. "I don't want him thinking out there." Thinking is one thing. Pitching is another. Kluber is 6-1 with a 1.77 ERA (17 earned runs in 86 1/3 innings) since being activated on June 1. He's struck out 131, walked 15 and allowed 79 hits. He is averaging 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings and 1.6 walks per nine innings. Gomes, especially, knows you don't get in the way of that. You just let it happen. Cleveland Indians beat Yankees, 5-1, as Corey Kluber throws 3-hitter with 11 strikeouts By Paul Hoynes, CLEVELAND, Ohio - After Tuesday night's Fenway Park special, a game which included a little bit of everything, the Indians just played a baseball game on Thursday night. No one jumped over an outfield fence to make a daring home run-saving catch. There were no blown saves by highly-respected closers. It was just nine innings of ball with a whole lot of strikeouts by Corey Kluber.

9 Then again, that seems to happen every time Kluber takes the mound. Kluber struck out 11 as the Indians beat the Yankees, 5-1, at Progressive Field to end a three-game losing streak. Kluber, who threw a threehitter for his third complete game of the season, has struck out eight or more batters in 12 straight games. Hall of Famers Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Nolan Ryan are the only other pitchers to put together a streak like that. "It's cool," said Kluber. "Those are three guys I grew up watching and idolizing. To be mentioned with them is an honor. It's cool." Johnson, 'The Big Unit,' holds the big league record with 17 straight games of eight or more strikeouts. He did it from Sept. 24, 1999 through June 19, All pitchers rely heavily on their catchers. Yan Gomes has been through thick and thin with Kluber, but most of the time it's his work behind the plate that has been of greatest value. Thursday night, Gomes assisted with his bat as well. Gomes hit two-run double off the left field wall in the sixth inning to ruin Sonny Gray's debut with the Yankees. Gomes doubled with two out to score Carlos Santana and Brandon Guyer for a 4-0 lead. Francisco Lindor added some insurance with a homer in the seventh. It was his 18th of the season. The homer extended Lindor's hitting streak to 13 games. "We both have a lot of trust in each other throughout the game," said Kluber, when asked about Gomes. "We discuss things in between innings. It doesn't take long to get on the same page. "That comes from time together and working together a lot and building that relationship." Gomes was asked about Kluber, the former Cy Young winner, joining the company of Hall of Famers such as Johnson, Martinez and Ryan. "That's kind of crazy, isn't it?" said Gomes. "Yeah, it's really awesome. We came up from Triple-A together in '13, and I've been fortunate enough to catch him. "It's crazy seeing his development. Every year, he seems to surprise everyone." Gray (6-6, 3.41), acquired by the Yankees before Monday's trade deadline from Oakland, allowed four runs, two earned, in six innings. He struck out six and walked three. He is 1-2 against the Indians this year and 3-3 in his career. Kluber (9-3, 2.77) threw the 13th complete game of his career. He improved to 4-1 with a 1.71 ERA in his career against the Yankees. He has 51 strikeouts and six walks in 42 innings against New York. The only run Kluber allowed came on Gary Sanchez's homer in the seventh. Sanchez hit a 2-1 pitch 427 feet into the center field seats to make it 4-1. The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the first. They had one hit, but took advantage of three New York errors. Bradley Zimmer opened the inning by reaching first when Chase Headley bobbled his grounder not once, but twice. Zimmer went to second on a ground out and took third when second baseman Tyler Wade made an error on Michael Brantley's grounder. Jose Ramirez singled to right to score Zimmer and as Brantley made the turn at second, Clint Frazier unleashed a high throw from right field that bounced into the camera pit as Brantley scored and Ramirez was waved to third base. The two runs were unearned. "Kluber had a lot to do with it tonight," said Yankee manager Joe Girardi. "I'm watching the stuff and the pitches he's throwing. "They're putting (runs) on the board too. His stuff is dynamite. He had something to do with it." What it means The Indians improved to at home and 9-7 against the AL East. They have won eight straight home games. The pitches Kluber threw 106 pitches, 72 (68 percent) for strikes. Gray threw 98 pitches, 54 (55 percent) for strikes. Up the ladder Kluber's 11 strikeouts Thursday gave him 1,108 as an Indian. That moved him into eighth place in franchise history, passing Gary Bell who has 1,104. Mel Harder is next in line with 1,161 strikeouts. Thanks for coming The Yankees and Indians drew 28,124 fans to Progressive Field on Thursday night. First pitch was at 7:11 p.m. with a temperature of 76 degrees. Next Trevor Bauer (9-8, 5.25), rained out of his scheduled start Wednesday in Boston, will face the Yankees' Jaime Garcia (5-7, 4.29) on Friday night at 7:10. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM/1100 and WMMS/FM have coverage. Bauer is coming off an eight-inning 2-1 win against the Angels on July 27. Bauer is 1-4 with a 5.34 ERA in six starts against the Yankees. Chase Headley is hitting.286 (4-for-14) with six RBI against Bauer.

10 Garcia will be making his Yankee debut after being acquired from the Twins. He opened the year with Atlanta and went 4-7 with a 4.30 ERA in the National League. After being acquired by the Twins, he beat the A's on July 28 before being dealt to the Yankees. Garcia, who has never faced the Indians, has won his last three starts. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Cleveland Indians' 2B Jason Kipnis to be activated Sunday; Lonnie Chisenhall not ready yet CLEVELAND, Ohio The health of the Indians has been a concern lately with Andrew Miller and Josh Tomlin being placed on the disabled list, but the news should improve this weekend. Manager Terry Francona said he expects that second baseman Jason Kipnis will be activated Sunday before the series finale against the Yankees at Progressive Field. Kipnis has been on the disabled list since July 9 with a strained right hamstring. He s going to play Friday night at (Class AAA) Columbus and come back and work out with us on Saturday, said Francona. If everything is still a go, he ll be activated on Sunday. The news is not so good on right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall, who went into the All-Star break leading the Indians with 51 RBI. Chisenhall strained his right calf on July 9 and was put on the disabled list on July 14. Lonnie just isn t ready to go out and play yet, said Francona. The last hurdle is that he has to completely not feel anything (in the injured area). He s been out running like crazy. But when you give them the freedom to play in a game and they don t know what direction a play will take them in he can t feel that at all. Kipnis has played three games on his latest rehab assignment, going 1-for-11 at Columbus and Class AA Akron. He s hitting.232 (59-for-254) with eight homers and 26 RBI for the Tribe. Indians left-hander Andrew Miller had an MRI on his right knee Thursday and it showed he was suffering from patella tendinitis. Andrew Miller update Miller had an MRI on his right knee Thursday morning and the results came back as expected he s suffering from patella tendinitis. The lefthander was placed on the DL on Wednesday. That s exactly what he s been treated for, said Francona. Dr. (Mark) Schickendantz is going to meet with Andrew to see if there isn t something more aggressive that they can do know that he s not pitching to try and help (heal it). But it s exactly what he s been getting treated for over the last month. Miller, over his last 18 games, has walked 10 batters. Last year he issued nine walks all season. Francona said there is a direct correlation to Miller s knee problem and the increase in walks. It s his landing leg and he doesn t have anything he can throw against, said Francona. He s been yanking balls. He s been hitting guys in the legs with sliders. It would be pretty cool if fans, or the media, could see his willingness to pitch. It s amazing. It just don t think it s fair and I don t think you can just put a guy on the disabled list when it s convenient. You have to do it when it s right. This will do him a lot of good. Rounding out the Indians' rotation The Indians rotation had to be re-arranged after Wednesday night s rainout in Boston. Corey Kluber started Thursday night against the Yankees as scheduled, but Trevor Bauer moved from Wednesday to Friday with Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco scheduled to start Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The rainout moved Mike Clevinger into the bullpen for the Yankee series. Clev will be in the bullpen for the next five to seven days, said Francona. We have an off day Monday, so we ll slot him back into the rotation then. In other bullpen news, Perci Garner, who was designated for assignment when the Indians acquired Joe Smith from Toronto on Monday, was given his unconditional release Thursday. Smith pitched two scoreless innings in his first appearance with the Indians in Tuesday s loss to the Red Sox. Francona said it s unlikely he ll make a habit of using Smith in two-inning outings. That is Zach McAllister s territory. Zach has shown the ability, when he s really on, that he can co through an entire lineup. It s one thing to say you re going to rebuild and win at the same time. It s another thing to do it. The Yankees, who opened a four-game series against the Indians on Thursday night, are doing it. They arrived in Cleveland at 57-49, one game behind first-place Boston in the AL East. They had two rookies in the starting lineup Thursday night in Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade, while another rookie, Aaron Judge, got the night off. Judge was the story of the first half, hitting.329 (99-for-301) with 30 homers and 66 RBI. He s been struggling since the break, hitting.164 (11- for-67) with four homers and nine RBI. The Yankees, spurred by their youth movement, acquired starters Sonny Grady, Jaime Garcia, third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle in July for the second half push. Francona gave props to Yankee GM Brian Cashman. I m not politicking for a job because I love it here, said Francona, but I don t think Brian Cashman gets the credit he deserves. Joe Torre had a way of insulating his players from all the noise and letting them play. He was a master at it.