MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

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1 After delay, Tribe falls to Twins on error in 11th By Jordan Bastian and Do-Hyoung Park / MLB.com 3:12 AM ET MINNEAPOLIS -- A few hours before Saturday's game at Target Field, Indians manager Terry Francona said playing the Twins this season has been like a tug of war for the American League Central-leading Tribe. Minnesota has given Cleveland fits and that continued in a 5-4, 11-inning win for the Twins. The Twins battled back twice to erase an Indians lead and, following a rain delay that lasted two-plus hours in the top of the 11th, Minnesota pulled off a walk-off win. Facing rookie reliever Joseph Colon, Max Kepler delivered a game-winning grounder with the bases loaded. Joe Mauer started the rally with a one-out walk and slid across the plate as his teammates ran onto the field to celebrate. "It was kind of a strange game," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "[Starter Tyler Duffey] was mostly good. We had a lot of guys that came in and pitched well out of the 'pen. We gave ourselves a chance by scratching out a couple and tying it late." Kepler chopped a pitch from Colon up the middle, where it struck the pitcher's glove as he reached behind his back trying to make the catch. Colon plucked the ball from the grass and fired it to catcher Yan Gomes, who could not glove it cleanly. Gomes was charged with an error and the Twins picked up the win. "It looked to me like Gomer just didn't look it into the glove good enough," Francona said. "I don't think we had a play at first. I just think, instead of just taking the out kind of like a first baseman, he just kind of short-armed it a little bit." The Indians have gone 3-5 against the Twins this year, while posting a 24-7 mark against the rest of the division. Indians starter Trevor Bauer walked away with a no-decision after being charged with four runs (three earned) in six-plus innings. He watched from the dugout as the last two runs tacked on his line crossed the plate in the seventh, when Minnesota capitalized on an error by first baseman Carlos Santana. After the first four Twins batters reached base to open the inning, though, Tribe relievers Dan Otero, "He pitched out of some severe traffic and a couple times pitched out of it," Francona said of Bauer. "We sent him back out [in the seventh], because he still looked like he was holding his stuff. But, again, he's into the seventh and had given up a couple. He's been pretty consistent." Duffey did not factor into the decision after giving up four runs on six hits in his 6 1/3 innings. Santana led the charge for the Tribe with three hits, including a two-run double off Duffey in the fifth inning. Santana also singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jose Ramirez in the first. "I threw a bullpen over the break, but when you're just that far off, you lose a little bit of sharpness," Duffey said. "I worked through that. A couple times here and there, I lost the zone. I felt pretty good. We ended up winning, so that's the big thing." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Not with a bang, but with a whimper: Following the lengthy rain delay, Colon was able to retire his first batter before running into trouble in the bottom of the 11th. He walked Mauer before Miguel Sano doubled off the wall. After an intentional walk to Brian Dozier, the Indians brought left fielder Ramirez into the infield. Though Colon induced a ground ball from Kepler, Gomes dropped the throw home, allowing the winning run to cross the plate on an error, five hours and 55 minutes after the game began. More > "Even though I struck it hard, [someone] was playing right up the middle, so I'm thankful [Colon] knocked it down and it got away from them," Kepler said. "I was trying to keep it simple and expect fastball because his command isn't very good, and I was trying to elevate a little, but again, not too much. I got the job done, I guess." Down, but not out: With one out and two runners aboard, Duffey used a pair of curveballs to put Santana in an 0-2 count in the fifth inning. The Indians first baseman fought back, pulling the count even in an at-bat that featured a heavy dose of breaking balls. Finally, Santana ripped a curve down the right-field line for a two-run double to put the Indians up, 3-1. Twins pull even: After starting the game 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, the Twins finally broke through in the seventh. With the Twins trailing, 4-2, a leadoff single and a walk chased Bauer. An error by Santana then brought home a run before Dozier knocked in another with a single to center field, pulling the game into a tie at 4. Otero inherited a two-on, none-out jam, but he escaped via a pair of strikeouts and a groundout. The last out -- a strikeout by pinch-hitter Eduardo Escobar -- stranded three runners. "We had chances, definitely, to build a lead early, but we didn't take advantage," Molitor said. "But we stayed with the game." More > Going home: Bauer escaped a jam in the fourth inning with the help of his defense. With one out and runners on second and third, Byron Buxton chopped a pitch to Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis. Minnesota's Kennys Vargas tried to score from third, but Kipnis gloved the ball and quickly threw to catcher Chris Gimenez, who lunged to his left and tagged the runner just in time for an out. Bauer then induced an inning-ending groundout. QUOTABLE "Shaw goes two [innings], which is not easy to do. One, you've got to be good enough to get them out, but also resilient enough. He does that all the time. He's pretty amazing. And Cody was going to go back out if we took the lead. Then, the rain came and that eliminated that." -- Francona, on the bullpen's showing WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Josh Tomlin (9-2, 3.51 ERA) is slated to start for the Tribe in Sunday's 2:10 p.m. ET divisional clash at Target Field. While Tomlin took a loss in his previous outing on July 6 (five runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings against Detroit), Cleveland has a 13-3 record in his 16 starts this season. Twins: Right-hander Kyle Gibson (2-5, 5.02 ERA) will take the mound for the Twins in Sunday afternoon's series finale. Gibson didn't pick up a win until June 28, but he is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in his last three starts. He struggled against Texas in his last start on July 8, allowing four earned runs in five innings. Plea to 'baseball gods' doesn't help Gomes By Jordan Bastian / 2:39 AM ET CLEVELAND -- Wrapped in a white sheet, Yan Gomes knelt before a rotisserie chicken that a few of his teammates purchased Saturday morning. Gomes held a bat and listened asmike Napoli, wearing a rainbow cape while surrounded by Cleveland's players, placed his left hand on the catcher's head while reading a prayer. This was a plea to the baseball gods on Gomes' behalf.

2 "We have prepared this exorcism to honor thy holiness," Napoli read from a sheet of paper, "and to absolve Yan Gomes of any wrongdoing that he may have committed towards thee." The way Gomes' teammates saw things, the catcher's season-long struggles and bad luck in the batter's box had gone too far. Second baseman Jason Kipnis -- one of the orchestrators behind Saturday's sacrificial ceremony -- said a line needed to be drawn in the sand after what happened to Gomes during Friday's 5-2 win over the Twins. Gomes hit a line drive that appeared to be destined for right field in the fourth inning, but Minnesota first baseman Joe Mauer snared it with an incredible diving catch. In the sixth, Gomes pulled a pitch 106 mph down the third-base line, where Miguel Sano gloved it for a fielder's choice groundout. In the eighth, Gomes hit another sharp grounder to the right side, where Brian Dozier grabbed it with a diving play. "It's tough for him," said Indians replay coordinator Mike Barnett, who helps out with the hitters and worked with Gomes over the All-Star break in Knoxville, Tenn. "It did sum up his season." Heading into Saturday, Gomes ranked last among the 193 Major League players with at least 250 plate appearances in batting average (.163), on-base percentage (.198), weighted Runs Created Plus (29) and batting average on balls in play (.188). This is the same Gomes who won a Silver Slugger Award in 2014 and owned a.312 career BABIP before this season. Every time he steps to the plate, those paltry numbers tower over him from the scoreboard. "I know that's not me. I know I'm a better hitter," Gomes said. "I know I can help on that side of the field, the offensive side. I still have 80 games to show it. I know the first half wasn't what we wanted." Gomes' run of misfortune persisted in Saturday's 5-4, 11-inning loss to the Twins. First, the catcher flew out to right field as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning on a sliding grab by Minnesota's Max Kepler. As Gomes walked to the plate in the 11th, the game entered into a rain delay lasting more than two hours. In the bottom of the inning -- as the game dragged into Sunday morning -- the catcher dropped a throw to the plate by reliever Joseph Colon, allowing the game's winning run to score with the bases loaded. "Gomer just didn't look it into the glove good enough," Indians manager Terry Francona said. Roughly four hours before the game began, Gomes' teammates -- in the only way they knew how -- decided to try to help. Following Friday night's game, Kipnis talked things over with Napoli, Lonnie Chisenhall andchris Gimenez. When morning arrived, they headed to Target in downtown Minneapolis to gather items for Saturday's pregame blessing. They bought the chicken, which was placed in the middle of a wreath. They purchased colorful capes for the players and presented Gomes with a Dory stuffed animal from the "Finding Dory" movie. "Just keep swinging. Just keep swinging," Gimenez said with a smile. They bought a pinata, so Gomes' first hard contact after the blessing on his bats would yield candy for the team. There were also themed songs for portions of the ritual. When Gomes walked into the dimmed visitors' clubhouse at Target Field, Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" blared. Then, the Tribe turned to "The Lion King" for inspiration. When the catcher sliced through the cooked chicken, "Circle of Life" played. As the ceremony wrapped up, "Hakuna Matata" blasted. Kipnis, who posted a series of videos on Twitter, said Gomes took everything in stride. "We sacrificed a chicken to the baseball gods and Jobu," Kipnis said. "We gave them gifts and peace offerings. Hopefully, they'll accept them and turn the tide on our catcher.... He was laughing. He was all in good spirits and it went over really well. It was fun." Francona stood in the background and enjoyed the entire scene. "I thought it was funny. I thought that was probably clubhouse humor to the nth degree," Francona said. "That's probably stuff you don't do in the regular workplace, but I thought it was good. I think it showed Gomer how much they care about him, which is good." Gomes retreated to Knoxville over the All-Star break to take his mind off baseball for a few days. The catcher got to see his recently finished house and spend time with his wife and young daughter. Gomes went out on the lake near his home and did what he could to relax for the first couple days away from the ballpark. On Tuesday night, though, Gomes texted Barnett, asking if he wanted to meet Wednesday to go over some hitting mechanics they had been working on. They looked at video from Gomes' 2014 season and focused on getting the catcher's hands in a similar starting position as two years ago. Barnett liked what he saw Friday, when Gomes had his hands more raised and slightly back more, helping him get into a better position to recognize pitches. "He worked deeper into counts. I thought his pitch selection was a lot better," Barnett said Saturday. "He could've easily had three hits and probably two RBIs at least last night. And he comes out with an 0-for-4, but I think he's got to feel good about it." As for the ceremony, Gomes shook his head and smiled when approached by reporters. "I'm still trying to gather myself," he said. "That was something." Whether the baseball gods accept the gifts remains to be seen. Gomes would rather point to the fact that the Indians are atop the American League Central. "It's too selfish of me to sit around and sulk," Gomes said. "It's too selfish of me and I'm not helping the team in any way [if I do that]. Whichever way I can to come back and do something, as long as we're still winning, there's still going to be a smile at the end of the year." Tomlin looks to keep road dominance going vs. Twins By Do-Hyoung Park / MLB.com 2:03 AM ET The Twins and Indians wrap up a three-game series Sunday afternoon at Target Field, with Minnesota right-hander Kyle Gibson slated to take the mound against Cleveland's Josh Tomlin. Gibson didn't pick up his first win of the season until June 28, but he is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in his last three starts. His last outing was on July 8, when he allowed four earned runs in five innings and took a no-decision in a 6-5 Twins loss to the Rangers. Gibson is 2-2 with a 5.77 ERA in seven career starts against Cleveland. Tomlin saw a streak of six straight quality starts snapped when he allowed eight runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings against the Tigers on July 6. He has yet to take a loss on the road this season, where he is 5-0 with a 2.62 ERA in eight starts away from Progressive Field.

3 Things to know about this game Tomlin's 0.99 walks per nine innings pitched is the best mark in the American League, and second in MLB behind the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw. Gibson will be pitching on eight days of rest. In his career, he is with a 4.21 ERA with five or fewer days of rest, but 4-8 with a 6.10 ERA with six or more days of rest. Minnesota will induct longtime radio broadcaster John Gordon into the Twins Hall of Fame in a ceremony before Sunday's game. Gordon spent 25 seasons with the Twins from He will be the second broadcaster awarded the honor, following longtime colleague Herb Carneal. Mejia among top prospect performers Saturday In extending his hitting streak to 35 games, Indians No. 8 prospect Francisco Mejia hit his first home run for Class A Advanced Lynchburg and scored three runs as the Hillcats rolled past Wilmington, The 20-year-old switch-hitter finished 3-for-6 at the plate in what was his 15th multi-hit performance during his streak, which began back on May 27. Ryan Lewis Indians mailbag: Trade deadline, Roberto Perez, the lineup and hot dog races The Indians are beginning their push for the postseason in Minnesota this weekend after the All-Star Game festivities in San Diego. They entered the break with a commanding 6½-game lead in the American League Central division, a stark contrast from the previous few years in which they ve had to fight and claw their way back into the race with a hot second half. I don t want to get too carried away, because we re still playing, and nobody has a crystal ball, Indians manager Terry Francona said just before the break. But, we ve played ourself into a position where every single game we play from now on is fun as hell. And I don t doubt our guys will embrace it and see how good we can be. That s the whole idea. Nothing changes. We just don t have a huge hole to dig out of. That doesn t make any game less important. It makes it kind of more fun. Now, to the mailbag. Thank to those who submitted questions, especially this time around, as Florida, California, and Colorado were all represented. This will appear every few weeks. You can submit questions via to rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com or on Twitter Just include your first name, hometown and question. Who should the Tribe be targeting to help their bullpen? How about Tony Cingrani (Reds) or highly-rated prospect Blake Snell (Rays)? Bob, Boynton Beach, Florida (formerly Tallmadge) Just about every contender could use back-end bullpen help, so the market could be busy. Of those two you listed, Cingrani is probably a better fit, though while the Reds could always use young assets these days, Cingrani is under club control through the 2019 season. They might not be in a rush to deal him. Snell would likely come with a hefty price tag. Many teams will be calling the New York Yankees to test the waters for Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller, two of the best relievers in baseball. Chapman is an impending free agent, while Miller makes $9 million a year through The Braves could have been looking to move Arodys Vizcaino, though he just landed on the disabled list. The Brewers have two relievers, Will Smith and Jeremy Jeffress, who could help a contending bullpen, but both are under control through 2019 as well. All of the above could be had, but matching the asking prices is the question. When catcher Roberto Perez is eligible to come off the DL do you envision him staying in Triple-A Columbus with catchers Yan Gomes and Chris Gimenez at the ML level? Johnny, San Diego Francona said recently that the Indians would prefer to have a tough decision rather than have one of them falter and make the decision easier. It looks like they ll have a tough decision, barring something unforeseen. Perez would be starting for most teams and is a real asset as the backup to Gomes. Gomes has struggled and now is having a pretty crazy stretch of bad luck at the plate, but his management of the pitching staff has remained solid. Gimenez has been a key factor behind Trevor Bauer s resurgence. It d be tough for the Indians to take either out of a regular rotation, and Perez does have minor-league options remaining. What will the plan be with Abraham Almonte once Michael Brantley returns? Michael, Akron It d be an easy fit to see Almonte sent down to Triple-A Columbus once Brantley can return to the lineup. Almonte does have an option remaining and has struggled since being reinstated from a failed drug test, including two mental mistakes that proved costly before the break. That would also allow the bullpen to stay intact, and the Indians would have Brantley, Rajai Davis, Lonnie Chisenhall, Tyler Naquin and Jose Ramirez available in the outfield. With the hopeful return of Dr. Smooth, could you see the Tribe moving Lindor to the leadoff spot and go Lindor/Kipnis/Napoli/Brantley with the S/L/R/L matchup? Love everything Lindor brings but just not quite enough pop for the 3-hole. Lee, Colorado Well I don t think the Indians or Francona are concerned with whether a particular spot in the lineup has enough power compared to league average. Carlos Santana is having a solid season and brings more value the higher up the lineup he is considering how often he gets on base. Lindor has continued to hit well in the No. 3 spot and stayed there for the most part when Brantley who started nine games hitting cleanup returned for 11 games earlier this season. Probably the most likely inclusion of Brantley into this lineup would be in the No. 4 spot again, allowing the top to remain as is and sliding Napoli down a spot. If Brantley comes back as good as new, should the Indians still go get another bat? Lorenzo, Cleveland If the Indians have confidence Brantley will come back as good as new, then that would essentially be the needed offensive addition fans have been wanting. A healthy Brantley would be a bigger upgrade over just about all of the available options. The question is how much can you really expect from Brantley down the stretch? It s cast a shadow over any clear move the Indians can make to the lineup. Lonnie Chisenhall s great play in the last month or so has also cast doubt, as he s played right to the level fans would hope for in their right fielder. Brantley s shoulder might be the bigger factor. Who is the most dynamic hot dog in the hot dog races? Cam, Los Angeles Finally, a serious question. The easy answer is Ketchup considering his propensity for hijacks and creative racing (cheating). But the most dynamic might be Onion. Her purse has become a real weapon this season, and when used at the right times, it s led to quite a few victories. It also seems like Slider has a beef with Ketchup, which also opens the door for Onion and Mustard.

4 SeaWolves 1, RubberDucks 0: Myles Jaye retires 25 consecutive Ducks, wins pitchers duel with Rob Kaminsky The RubberDucks first batter of the game, Jordan Smith, hit a double. The 7,543 fans at Canal Park then had to wait 25 more Duck hitters before they saw another hometown hit, as Erie starter Myles Jaye held the Ducks in check. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, and the SeaWolves clinging to a one-run lead, Jaye surrendered a single to Ivan Castillo, ending his outing. Joe Jimenez came on and threw four pitches before getting Smith to ground into a game-ending double play. Jaye (4-6) struck out 11, gave up the two hits and did not walk anyone. Jimenez earned his ninth save. Rob Kaminsky (4-6) was the hard-luck loser, throwing 7 innings, giving a solo homer to Wynton Bernard leading off the fourth inning. He gave up seven hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter. The teams conclude their four-game series with a 2:05 p.m. game Sunday at Canal Park. No matter how you cut it, Cleveland Indians' Jose Ramirez is hot Paul Hoynes MINNEAPOLIS Jose Ramirez is not one to stand pat. He looked at himself in the mirror over the All-Star break and decided a change was needed. He wasn't thinking about his.295 (85-for-288) batting average or the fact that he was hitting.377 (26-for-69) with runners in scoring position. He was talking about real change. So he dyed his hair orange. Ramirez now looks like part Mad Max, part Elvis Presley and an extra from Last of the Mohicans. "I did it while I was in Cleveland. I just did it because I liked the color," said Ramirez, though a team interpreter. Asked what he called his haircut and Ramirez said, "orange." When a reporter asked if there was a name for it, Ramirez laughed and said, "Just orange." Ramirez has a problem with his batting helmet. When he runs the bases, it tends to fly off. He was asked what effect his new haircut would have on keeping his head protected by his helmet. "It's better," he said with a laugh. Friday night the Indians beat the Twins, 5-2, following the four-day All-Star break. Ramirez went 2-for-4 with two RBI. He drove in a run with both hits to give him a.394 (28-for-71) batting average with runners in scoring position. It's the third highest average in the AL, which isn't bad for someone who went to spring training expecting to be a utility player. "He's been hitting in the middle of the order for us, I think that speaks volumes," said manager Terry Francona. "At some point, when Michael Brantley comes back, we still know we have a really good player. He'll play somewhere else, but he's a really good player." Francona says the reason Ramirez has had so much success in RBI situations is because he's a switch-hitter who hits the ball to all fields. "He's a hard guy to defend," said Francona. Said Ramirez, "I just try to have a good game. When it's my turn to hit, I try to put the ball on that bat and not try to do too much." Ramirez has hit in every spot in Francona's lineup this season. He's spent the most time batting fifth behind Mike Napoli. Ramirez has made 36 starts there, one more than Carlos Santana. "He comes up with good at-bats, especially with guys in scoring position," said Napoli of his card-playing partner. "I've only been around this year. But I saw in spring training that he could play. For him to be able to go to different positions and still be able to hit, that's pretty tough. "He's been huge for us. He's a guy that has come through in the clutch and is playing good defense." According this is the most-rt'ed GIF of the first half. Naturally. pic.twitter.com/gqd1ranbxr Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 15, 2016 Ramirez has spent most of his time in left field, replacing the injured Brantley. He's also made starts at second, third and shortstop. "We've had guys step up in this lineup," said Napoli. "We have a great pitching staff, everybody wants to talk about our pitching staff. But we've been holding our own as an offense. We've meshed well and been productive." Brantley, recovering from right shoulder surgery, is on a rehab assignment in Class AA Akron. He's played just 11 games with the Indians this year. Jose Ramirez's hair, Mike Napoli's power and the Indians' grip on the best record in the AL: Zack Meisel's musings Zack Meisel MINNEAPOLIS -- Chris Gimenez examined Jose Ramirez's new hair display and then considered his own. As a result of an NBA Finals bet, Gimenez can't shave his head -- normally a daily ritual -- until late next week. Splotches of hair have sprouted atop the typically smooth surface of the catcher's dome. Gimenez even crafted a star in the bottom left corner of the back of his head. Gimenez joked that he was going to dye the hair on the sides of his head to match Ramirez's new look. Ramirez said after the Indians' win on Friday that he wants an orange goatee to match his hair.

5 Ramirez dubbed his new style "Orange." How creative. Another member of the organization suggested, "Clutch Cut." Ramirez did deliver a pair of run-scoring base knocks in the series-opening victory at Target Field. Here are a handful of thoughts about the Indians, who now boast the American League's top winning percentage. Jose Ramirez new hairstyle is called "Orange." Someone else suggested "Clutch Cut." Said he wants a goatee to match. pic.twitter.com/mibc3y4ecq Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) July 16, Clutch Cut: Ramirez owns a.394 batting average (28-for-71) with runners in scoring position this season. With runners in scoring position and two outs, he owns a.400 average (16-for-40). The league average with runners in scoring position is.259. The league average with runners in scoring position and two outs is.234. "With [Michael] Brantley gone, he's been hitting in the middle of the order for us," said manager Terry Francona. "That speaks volumes." Terry Francona, on Jose Ramirez's new hairstyle: "He looks like he went through a car wash while in a convertible." pic.twitter.com/jnczils8fl Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) July 15, Power hour: Mike Napoli surpassed his home run total from last season with his 19th blast of the year on Friday. Only once in his 11 big-league seasons has Napoli eclipsed 510 plate appearances. Through the Tribe's first 89 games, Napoli has racked up 359 trips to the batter's box. He belted a career-high 30 homers in Long division: My, how division play can dictate division order. A year after compiling a mark against division foes, the Indians have posted a record. The Royals are against the Central. The Tigers and White Sox are and 14-19, respectively. The Twins are 6-22, with four wins coming at the Tribe's expense. 4. Nature Boy: Bryan Shaw spent his All-Star break looking at animals and zip-lining in central Ohio. Then, he returned to the mound and reverted back to normal life. For the Indians, that's a good thing. Shaw has logged 12 straight scoreless outings. The opposition has totaled four hits in that stretch. Shaw lowered his ERA to 3.93 with a spotless frame on Friday. He certainly hasn't been perfect, but he has only surrendered a run in eight of 42 appearances this season. 5. Moving Day: Jeff Manship, Shaw and Cody Allen combined to retire all seven batters they faced in relief of Carlos Carrasco on Friday. Manship has settled into the seventh-inning role, as he boasts a 2.03 ERA. Still, the Indians need bullpen depth. With the demotion of TJ House to Triple-A Columbus, the team again lacks a left-hander on its staff. Chris Antonetti, the team's president of baseball operations, stood against the dugout railing on Friday afternoon with white headphones in his ear as he spoke on the phone. Antonetti, general manager Mike Chernoff and assistant GM Derek Falvey will frequently work the phones for the next few weeks in search of the proper pieces to add. Addressing the bullpen will likely be at the top of their priority list. Minnesota Twins beat Cleveland Indians, 5-4, with walk-off win in 11 innings Paul Hoynes MINNEAPOLIS -- Manager Terry Francona was talking about the Twins before Saturday night's game at Target Field. "Some teams just play you tough," said Francona. "Every game with these guys is a tug-of-war." The tug-of-war went in the Twins favor one more time later that night and early Saturday morning. What's more, they did it in walk-off fashion as Joe Mauer scored from third base on an error by catcher Yan Gomes for a 5-4 victory in 11 innings. The Twins won it following a 2 hour and 5 minute rain delay. The game was halted with two out in the top of the 11th with the score tied, 4-4. Rookie Joe Colon (0-1) started the 11th for the Indians. Colon opened with a quick out, but walked Mauer. Miguel Sano followed with a double off the right field wall as Mauer stopped at third. Francona employed a five-man infield after Brian Dozier was intentionally walked to load the bases. Max Kepler sent a shot back to the mound that Colon knocked down. He recovered and threw home to Gomes for the force, but Gomes dropped the ball. "It looked like Gomer just didn't look the ball into the glove good enough," said Francona. "I don't think we had a play at first. Instead of taking the throw like a first baseman, he short-armed it a little bit." The Twins are 5-3 against the Indians this season with three of the wins coming on walk-offs. Carlos Santana, with the score tied, 1-1, gave the Indians a 3-1 lead in the fifth on a two-run double past first base off starter Tyler Duffey. Juan Uribe and Tyler Naquin started the inning with singles and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Chris Gimenez. The Indians missed a chance to add to the lead in the sixth. Mike Napoli drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on Duffey's wild pitch. Jose Ramirez moved him to third on a ground out, but Lonnie Chisenhall's fly ball to center wasn't deep enough and Juan Uribe was thrown out on a grounder to the hole at short on a good play by Eduardo Nunez to strand Napoli. The missed opportunity hurt. The Twins made it 3-2 on Juan Centero's two-out double off starter Trevor Bauer in the sixth. The Tribe came back to make it a two-run game once again in the seventh as Tyler Naquin doubled and scored on singles by Santana and Jason Kipnis for a 4-2 lead.

6 The lead did not last. Bauer started the seventh, but Nunez singled off Santana's glove at first base and Mauer walked. Jeff Manship relieved, but did not pitch in good luck. Sano scalded a double-play ball to Santana, but he couldn't handle it as it went off his glove for an error. Nunez scored and Mauer went to second. Dozier singled to tie the score at 4 and bring Dan Otero into the game. Otero pitched out of the jam, despite intentionally walking Eddie Rosario to load the bases, to keep the score tied. "Trevor pitched out of some severe traffic (early)," said Francona. "We sent back out for the (seventh) because it looked like he was still holding his stuff. Then we had the base hit passed Santana and the walk, which hurt. "Again, he was into the seventh, giving up a couple of runs. He's been pretty consistent." Bauer spent the early innings pitching into and out of trouble. He stranded six runners in the first four innings and managed to stagger out of it with the score tied, 1-1. The Indians gave him a 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Ramirez. The inning promised more after Santana singled and Kipnis walked with no one out, but Francisco Lindor's liner to right was caught by Kepler to keep the inning under control. Bauer gave up a one-out double in the second to Kennys Vargas, but stranded him by retiring the next two batters. In the third, he loaded the bases as Byron Buxton walked, Nunez singled and Mauer walked. Dozier's one-out sacrifice fly tied the score at 1, but Bauer struck out Kepler to escape further damage. Bauer played with fire again in the fourth as Vargas singled and Rosario doubled to put runners on second and third with no one out. Bauer struck out Centero and Kipnis threw out Vargas as he tried to score on Buxton's grounder to second. Nunez's grounder to first ended the inning. Bauer allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked three. Duffey allowed four runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. In his previous two starts against the Indians, Duffey held the them two two earned runs in 19 1/3 innings. What it means The Indians missed a chance to push their lead to 7 1/2 games over second-place Detroit. The Tigers lost to Kansas City. The pitches Bauer threw a season-high 116 pitches, 72 or 62 percent for strikes. Duffey threw 97 pitches, 62 or 64 percent for strikes. Happy big league debut Rookie Erik Gonzalez, promoted Thursday from Class AAA Columbus, made his big league debut in the eighth inning when he pinch-hit for Tyler Naquin and struck out. He then played right field. Thanks for coming The Indians and Twins drew 29,447 to Target Field on Saturday night. First pitch was at 7:39 p.m. and the temperature was 78 degrees. What's next? RHP Josh Tomlin ( ) will face Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson (2-5, 5.02) on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM will carry the game. Tomlin, 1-0 in two starts against the Twins this season, is 3-4 with a 5.81 ERA in his career against them. Tomlin is 5-0 on the road and 7-1 in the AL Central this year. Gibson is 2-2 with a 5.77 ERA in seven starts against the Indians in his career. In his last start before the break, he allowed four runs on seven hits in a no-decision against Texas on July 8. Cleveland Indians looking for 7th inning arm; Zach McAllister starts rehab Monday Paul Hoynes MINNEAPOLIS The Indians are looking for someone to pitch the seventh inning. The job used to belong to Zach McAllister, but he's on the disabled list with a sore right hip and headed to the minors for a rehab assignment Monday. In his absence, manager Terry Francona has used Jeff Manship and Dan Otero to get to Bryan Shaw and closer Cody Allen. "We've talked to Zach and told him we want him back, but we don't want to just put up a drop dead date," said Francona. "That doesn't seem to make sense. We want to get him back when he can really help us because he's important out there." Francona liked using McAllister in the seventh with a lead because he could go more than one inning. "We've kind of had to piece it together," said Francona. "We've used Manship against certain hitters and Otero has done a good job pretty much all year wherever we've pitched him." McAllister (2-2, 5.40) has made 30 appearances, but went on the disabled list after allowing seven earned runs in 1 1/3 innings over his last two appearances. Manship entered Saturday's game having allowed one earned run over his last 16 games. Otero hasn't allowed a run in 15 of his last 17 games.

7 Testing, testing: Catcher Roberto Perez is at Class AAA Columbus, his third stop in his rehab assignment following surgery on his right thumb. He started his rehab for the Arizona Rookie League Indians before moving to Class A Lake County on Wednesday. There's a chance that Perez, when his rehab assignment expires, could be optioned to Columbus. "Roberto, being a catcher, needs to have a bunch of repetition," said Francona. "Not only is he a catcher, he's a guy who had surgery, this will be good for him. Guys who miss time during the year, that's a hard one. If you rush, I mean look at what happened with Gomer (Yan Gomes) last year. He came back, but it was hard." Tribe's Brantley, Pererz working their way back If Perez is optioned to Columbus, that would delay a tough catching decision at the big league level where Gomes and Chris Gimenez reside. Gomes and Perez opened the season as the Tribe's catching tandem. Brantley update: Michael Brantley was scheduled to play Saturday night at Class AA Akron, but didn't. He went 0-for-4 Friday for the RubberDucks. Francona said Brantley, recovering from surgery on his right shoulder, did not suffer a setback. "He's feeling good," said Francona. "He wanted to play, but it was a decision by the trainer." Brantley begins 2nd rehab assignment Brantley is three games into his second rehab assignment. When asked if Brantley would play consecutive games on Sunday and Monday at Akron, Francona said, "Well, I don't know if we have a goal like that. I think the goal is if he shows up and feels good, he plays. Then he and the medical people will continue to map out what's in his best interest." Hall of Fame: Torii Hunter was inducted into the Twins' Hall of Fame before Saturday's game. The Indians, almost to a man, were in the dugout to show their appreciation to a man that took great delight in hitting their pitching staff. Hunter, in 19 seasons, hit.275 (223-for-812) with 37 homers, 131 RBI and a.805 OPS against the Indians. "I will consider it an honor to be here to watch," said Francona. Finally: Tyler Naquin entered Saturday night's game leading AL rookies with a.309 batting average.... Francisco Lindor leads the big leagues with three or more hits in 16 games.... Mike Napoli entered Saturday's game ranked fifth in the AL with 62 RBI. A chicken, a pinata and tambourines: The story behind the Cleveland Indians' sacrifice to the baseball gods for Yan Gomes Zack Meisel MINNEAPOLIS -- The four masterminds behind the operation spoke softly so Yan Gomes wouldn't overhear. Jason Kipnis, Mike Napoli, Lonnie Chisenhall and Chris Gimenez ventured to Target on Saturday. They bought a chicken. They bought a blade. They bought a piñata. They bought candy. They bought capes and costumes and maracas and kazoos and tambourines. In all, the four spent an estimated $500, all for what they hope will prove to be a season-altering ceremony for the Indians' starting catcher. About four hours before Saturday's first pitch, Napoli read a speech in the dimly lit visitor's clubhouse at Target Field. When Napoli wrapped up the monologue, Gomes, clad in a white sheet and holding flowers, sacrificed the chicken to the baseball gods with one, swift slice, as "Circle Of Life" and "Hakuna Matata," from The Lion King soundtrack, blared throughout the room. Napoli, donning a rainbow cape and a "Party At Napoli's" T-shirt, placed his left hand on Gomes' head and read: "We have prepared this exorcism to honor thy holiness and to absolve Yan Gomes of any wrongdoing that he may have committed towards thee. We urge you to forgive his obsession with the octagon and bestow him with your guidance and grace on the diamond. Please accept these offerings as atonement for him straying from the righteous path. Be kind and just in your willingness to accept him and not condemn him any further. In the name of Jobu, amen." The rest of the team, in unison, then said "Amen!" Part 1: Sacrificial Ceremony for Yan Gomes! The Baseball Gods and Jobu have been very unkind to one of our own. So we offer up this ceremony and these sacrifices as peace offerings and gifts! May the hits be plenty!! Roll Tribe!!! A video posted by Jason Kipnis (@jasonkipnis22) on Jul 16, 2016 at 1:32pm PDT "We sacrificed a chicken to the baseball gods and Jobu," Kipnis said. "We gave them gifts and peace offerings. Hopefully, they'll accept them and turn the tide on our catcher." After the ceremony, Gomes struck the piñata and splattered candy across the room. Gimenez told assistant hitting coach Matt Quatraro that Gomes' bats were sizzling as Quatraro and Gomes worked in the batting cage. "His first hard contact after the ceremony was after he just smoked the piñata," Gimenez said. Gomes is batting.163 with a.198 on-base percentage this season. He worked with assistant coach Mike Barnett over the All-Star break in Knoxville, Tennessee. The two watched film of his form at the plate from 2014, when he captured a Silver Slugger Award. Gomes still seeking answers at the plate Gomes' results on Friday perfectly represented his 2016 campaign. In one at-bat, Joe Mauer made a lunging catch on a broken-bat liner that appeared destined for right field. In another, second baseman Brian Dozier made a diving stop and threw him out. Gomes also slapped a 106- mph line drive to third baseman Miguel Sano in another trip to the plate.

8 "We were like, 'We need to do something for the kid,'" Kipnis said.... "He was laughing. He was all in good spirits and it went over really well. It was fun." Manager Terry Francona said it "was clubhouse humor to the Nth degree." "I'm still trying to gather myself," Gomes said after the ceremony. "That was something." How long will Cleveland Indians stay with slumping Yan Gomes: Hey, Hoynsie Paul Hoynes, How short is the leash on Gomes following All Star Break? I am pulling for him - Frank, Dallas Hey, Frank: I think the Indians will give Yan Gomes as much time as he needs to get his swing in order. A catcher's main job is to handle the pitching staff and control the running games. Gomes is still one of the best in the big leagues at that. Yes, he has minor league options, but I think the Indians really value what he does defensively and aren't going to disrupt that. Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think baseball should institute ties with the ability to complete games at the end of the season if needed (like a rainout)? It seems like the impact of the Tribe's 19-inning game against Toronto on July 1 outweighed the value of one win. -- Rick McLeod, Ravenna. Hey, Rick: There is no crying and no ties in baseball. This is the game without a clock. Play it until the end. Can you imagine the snarl at the end of the season if teams needed to settle ties to reach the postseason? They'd be playing the World Series in Is the Tribe setting the table for the release of Uribe and Ramirez full time at 3B with Brantley's return? Dave from Van Wert 10:16 AM - 16 Jul 2016 Van Wert, OH, United States Hey, Dave: That would seem to be the easiest choice, but one of the reasons they signed Juan Uribe was because of his experience in contending and postseason situations. He helped the Mets win the NL East down the stretch last year. He's been there, done that. Plus he's a better third baseman than Jose Ramirez and defense has been a solid part of this team. Hey, Hoynsie: I'd really prefer to see the Indians use Carlos Santana's club optionas leverage to get an extension. I think two years in the $26 million to $28 million range with, say, a third year club option at $15 million would be realistic. I think with the familiarity between Santana and the organization, both are better off staying together. -- Jack Bacevice. Hey, Jack: Interesting thought. They did extend him once. We'll see how the rest of the season My question is about simply YOUR OPINION. What would YOU do if you were Antonetti? Make a move or stay pat? -Mike F, Streetsboro OH Hey, Mike: I make a move. In fact, I make two. I'd add a bat and a reliever. The Indians haven't come out of the break with this big a lead in the AL Central since I think you have to add to this team to give it a chance to go deep into October. Then again, my job doesn't depend on the outcome of such moves. Hey, Hoynsie: Is there a reason Carlos Santana hasn't learned to bunt? I have seen him hit into the shift so many times when he could have bunted on the third base side and gotten a hit. His average would go up, there would be a man on base, and most importantly, if he bunted for a hit while the shift was on, the opposing team would be forced to take the shift off. No team is going to GIVE Santana a bunt single. It makes too much baseball sense to be ignored. -- Kenny Link, Mechanicsburg. Hey, Kenny: Santana can bunt. I've seen him do it to beat the shift. But by the mere face that the opposition shifts against Santana, it says they're willing to give up the bunt single. I think they'd rather give up a base hit instead of watching Santana beat the shift with a homer or extra base hit. So one bunt hit by Santana is not going to bring the opposition out of the shift. Now, if he did it 30 times, they might have to think about How are we going to get the bullpen arm we need? Via trade or internal? Matt Broadview Hts Hey, Matt: To get a difference-maker at the backend of the bullpen, be he lefty or righty, the Indians would have to make a trade. Hey, Hoynsie: I've been following the Tribe since the 1950s. i have no memory of the disabled list in those days. Help me out. When did the DL come into existence and are the rules that govern it about the same as now? Ted Belak, Sierra Madre, Calif. Hey, Ted: As long as baseball has been played, players have been getting hurt.here's a good story on the history of the disabled Mike Napoli has been a blessing for the Tribe. What are the chances we resign him this offseason? Hey, Ruck: I keep waiting for Napoli to turn into Mark Reynolds, but he hasn't. There's still a lot of baseball to play, but I bet trying to re-sign Napoli is something the Indians are definitely considering. The question is how much interest will Napoli generate this winter if he keeps hitting at this pace? No doubt about it, Napoli has found a home in Cleveland. Let's examine a few encouraging signs from the Tribe. Here are a handful of thoughts about the Indians and their rather pedestrian division. Hey, Hoynsie: With rookie Erik Gonzalez promoted to the big leagues, how does that affect Juan Uribe? -- Anthony Alandt, Chagrin Falls. Hey, Anthony: Gonzalez was promoted to the big leagues to be a utility player. I don't think Uribe's status or playing time will what will happen when perez is healthy and able to return? Hard to imagine 3 catchers on 25 man roster. Josh Tornow- Clyde, OH 9:48 AM - 16 Jul 2016

9 Hey, Josh: I can't see the Tribe carrying three catchers, especially with the chances of manager Terry Francona adding a bullpen arm in the near future. He has to be in a cold sweat with only seven relievers. Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez have options. Chris Gimenez doesn't, but he can play more than one position. Hey, Hoynsie: Have Tyler Naquin and Mike Napoli become the Grady Sizemoreand Jason Giambi of this team? -- Bob Popovich, Carmel, Ind. Hey, Bob: I get where you're coming from, but those are four different players. Sizemore was a leadoff hitter with power, speed and Gold Glove defensive ability. We still haven't gotten a good read on Naquin yet. When the Indians signed Giambi, he was at the end of his career. He was part player, part coach, but physically he couldn't play every day. Napoli is hitting in the middle of the lineup every day, so that's a big difference. As for the clubhouse presence of Napoli and Giambi, you'd have to say there is a similarity. Errors, missed opportunities cost Indians in loss to Twins MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A long night could have been a lot shorter for the Cleveland Indians were it not for some mistakes in the field and missed opportunities at the plate. The Indians committed three errors and went 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position during a rain-delayed 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins in 11 innings Saturday. An error by Carlos Santana at first base gave the Twins a run in the seventh inning, and catcher Yan Gomes couldn't handle Joe Colon's frantic throw home in the 11th, allowing Joe Mauer to score the winning run from third in the early-morning hours Sunday. "When we lose, every loss is tough," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I mean, I don't differentiate them besides it being late. Every loss is not fun. We didn't show up to lose." The teams played into the top of the 11th before crew chief Larry Vanover called for the tarp as the rain grew heavier. The game was delayed 2 hours, 5 minutes. Colon (0-1) walked Mauer and gave up a long double to Miguel Sano, then intentionally walked Brian Dozier to load the bases with one out. Max Kepler followed with a comebacker, and Colon reached behind his back and just got a piece of his glove on the ball to knock it down. He scrambled to pick up the ball and throw home, but Gomes let it get by him as Mauer slid home. Gomes was charged with an error on the play. "It looked to me like Gomer didn't look it into the glove," Francona said. "I didn't think we had a play at first, and instead of taking an out, like a first baseman, just kind of short-armed it a little bit." Santana had three hits to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games. He also drove in two runs. Jason Kipnis added two hits and Erik Gonzalez made his major league debut when he pinch-hit in the eighth inning. But the Indians had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh and came up empty. They also had the potential go-ahead run on third base with one out in the 10th but couldn't get him home. "It's a tough loss, but we've got to get back out here early and keep going and try to win this series," Mike Napoli said. SCARY MOMENT The game stopped for several minutes in the seventh when a young boy sitting just to the right of the Indians dugout was hit in the head by a line drive off Napoli's bat. Napoli and the rest of the players on the field looked on with concern, but the boy appeared to be in decent shape as the man he was with carried him up the aisle and to the concourse. The boy grabbed his hat and put it back on his head and appeared to be alert and looking around as they exited the seating area. "It's a scary thing and when I saw it was a little kid, I wasn't even thinking about baseball," Napoli said. "I was just hoping he was all right. Hopefully I can find out his name and see if he's all right and maybe take care of him a little bit." EXORCISING THE DEMONS Gomes has gone hitless in his last nine games and is in a 1-for-35 slump. After he went 0 for 4 on Friday night, the Indians conducted an exorcism in the clubhouse, complete with the sacrificing of a store-bought chicken in an effort to get him back on track. "The Baseball Gods and Jobu have been very unkind to one of our own," Kipnis wrote on Instagram before posting three videos of the ceremony. "So we offer up this ceremony and these sacrifices as peace offerings and gifts! May the hits be plenty!! Roll Tribe!!!" Gomes did not start on Saturday, but went 0 for 2 after being inserted as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. TRAINER'S ROOM Indians: After playing Friday night in his rehab assignment, OF Michael Brantley was given the day off Saturday. Francona said Brantley wanted to play as he works his way back from a right shoulder injury, but the training staff didn't want to push it too early. He is expected to play again on Sunday.... RHP Zach McAllister, on the DL since July 7 with right hip discomfort, will start a rehab assignment on Monday. Twins: CF Byron Buxton was in the lineup for a second straight day and manager Paul Molitor said the knee injury that occurred when Buxton crashed into the wall three games before the All-Star break is behind him now. UP NEXT Twins RHP Kyle Gibson (2-5, 5.02 ERA) will face Indians RHP Josh Tomlin (9-2, 3.51) in the series finale. Tomlin has not started since June 6 because of the All-Star break. He gave up eight runs in his last outing against the Tigers. Clippers 3, Mud Hens 2: Morimando gets first win The Columbus Dispatch Sunday July 17, :37 AM Shawn Morimando struck out seven batters over six-plus innings and earned his first victory with the Clippers as Columbus beat host Toledo 3-2 on Saturday night before 11,500 at Fifth Third Field. Morimando (1-1), who made his Clippers debut on July 7, didn t walk any batters. Morimando gave up six hits and two runs. Yandy Diaz s RBI double in the fifth inning turned out to be the difference. He drove in Ronny Rodriguez to give the Clippers a 3-1 lead. Diaz finished with two doubles.