Bruce homers, but Tribe's streak ends at 6

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1 Bruce homers, but Tribe's streak ends at 6 By Jordan Bastian and Shane Jackson / MLB.com 12:35 AM ET + 31 COMMENTS MINNEAPOLIS -- Max Kepler was not in the Twins' starting lineup for Thursday's nightcap of a twin bill against the Indians. An injury forced him into the mix and Kepler's late go-ahead home run fueled a 4-2 victory, which ended Cleveland's six-game winning streak and run of 10 straight wins at Target Field. The Indians lead the American League Central by 5 1/2 games over the idle Royals and six over the third-place Twins, who earned a split of the doubleheader after dropping a 9-3 decision in Game 1. "Kepler got an opportunity to get that one back," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "So give one to get one, I guess." Kepler entered in third as a pinch-hitter for Robbie Grossman -- who sustained a fractured left thumb early in the game -- and launched a solo shot off Tribe right-hander Mike Clevinger, who took the loss, in the seventh inning. That homer also served as a bit of redemption for Kepler in the process. In the top of the seventh, Kepler slipped and tumbled to the grass while in pursuit of a hit off the bat of Carlos Santana. The ball bounced to the wall to give Santana a triple that scored Edwin Encarnacion from first base, tying the game at 2. That blunder cost Twins rookie Aaron Slegers a win in a strong Major League debut. "Right before that, [Kepler] was talking to me and said, 'I'm going to get this back, just watch,'" Buxton said. "Sure enough, next at-bat, he went up there and was locked in. Got a good pitch to hit." Slegers held the Indians to two hits in 6 1/3 innings. That represented the longest outing for a Twins pitcher in his MLB debut since June 19, 2014, when Yohan Pino went seven. One of the runs off Slegers came courtesy of Jay Bruce's first homer with the Tribe, his 30th overall on the season. "He kind of leveraged the ball downhill and he dotted a lot of fastballs," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Slegers. "He pitched with a lot more maturity than you would think maybe a kid making his first start [would]. He located his fastball and it wasn't straight. It had some cut and run to it. He mixed in a little changeup and breaking ball. "I give him credit. I think we were dragging a little bit, but give the kid credit. He pounded the zone like the scouting report said. He did a good job." Trevor Hildenberger got the win, while Matt Belisle earned his third save, striking out Encarnacion and Santana for the final two outs with an inherited runner on first in the ninth. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Escobar delivers: The Twins struggled with the bases loaded during both games of the twin bill. Eduardo Escobar broke through with the bags full in the third, however, with an RBI single. Escobar smacked an 0-1 cutter from Ryan Merritt into right, which allowed Brian Dozier to score. Minnesota came up empty with the bases loaded and one out the previous inning and did the same with two out in the sixth. In Game 1, the Twins loaded the bases with none out in the opening frame and were unable to score. "We didn't make it any easier on ourselves, it was a tough series as far being able to deliver runs," Molitor said. "We had plenty of chances, but had just enough to win that game. It's the old 1-9 is better than 0-10 kind of deal." Important insurance: Having run through nine pitchers already in the doubleheader, Francona opted to hand the ball to starter Trevor Bauer with one out and runners on first and second in the eighth inning. Bauer quickly induced a flyout off the bat of Miguel Sano, but Escobar followed with an RBI double that padded the Twins' lead. QUOTABLES "We had a lot of guys on today. We did a really good job of limiting their runs for how many baserunners we had. We didn't have to use a ton of our relievers and over-use them. Everybody, all of them, will be available tomorrow. That's not usually the case coming out of a doubleheader." --Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway, on the state of the pitching staff "I knew the team has been making a huge surge in the Wild Card, it's a little larger stage than the Wild Card race we have going in Triple-A." -- Slegers, on mindset of pitching in a Major League playoff race SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS According to STATS LLC, the 28 strikeouts by the Indians' pitching staff on Thursday marked the third-highest total in MLB history for a doubleheader with no extra-inning games. The Mets hold the record with 30 on Oct. 3, 2015, against the Nationals, who actually rank second on the list with 29 in the same twin bill two years ago. The White Sox had 29 on May 27 earlier this season in a doubleheader against the Tigers. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Twins elected to use their challenge on a play at the plate in the third inning. With the bases loaded and none out, Eddie Rosario hit a chopper to Indians first baseman Santana, who stepped on the bag and threw out Joe Mauer at home. Catcher Roberto Perez appeared to place the tag just before Mauer's foot crossed home plate. The call was ruled to stand. Santana turns a 3-2 double play Santana turns a 3-2 double play Carlos Santana fields a grounder and steps on first, then fires home to nab Joe Mauer to turn two, and the call stands after a challenge In the fifth inning, the Indians challenged a safe ruling on a pickoff attempt by Clevinger. Santana gloved the throw and made a quick tag on Escobar as he dove back to the bag. After a review, the call was ruled to stand. Clevinger then struck out Byron Buxton to end the inning. WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Ace Corey Kluber (11-3, 2.71 ERA) continues his AL Cy Young Award candidacy on Friday at 8:15 p.m. ET, when the Indians open a key three-game set with the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Kluber, who has not faced Kansas City this year, is 8-1 with a 1.85 ERA and 151 strikeouts against 17 walks over his last 14 starts (102 1/3 innings). Twins: Right-hander Ervin Santana (12-7, 3.27) is slated to start the series opener at 7:10 p.m. CT on Friday against the D-backs at Target Field. In his last start, Santana allowed four runs (two earned) across five innings against the Tigers. He is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in four career starts vs. the D-backs.

2 Miller to be activated from DL for tonight's tilt By Jordan Bastian / 2:00 AM ET + 1 COMMENT MINNEAPOLIS -- Andrew Miller has shouldered a heavy load for the Indians since joining the team last summer. Cleveland is hoping that his recent stint on the shelf not only helped him get over the right knee issue that had been ailing him but also allowed him to take a deep breath. Come Friday in Kansas City, Miller is expected to be activated from the 10-day disabled list, following a 16-day down period due to patellar tendinitis in his knee. The big lefty completed a one-inning Minor League rehab appearance with Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday night with no issues. "For us to get him back," Indians closer Cody Allen said, "it's a big boost not only for our bullpen, but to us as a club. It lengthens everything out. The guy is an absolute weapon. Whenever you can have him healthy on your club, it's huge." In his outing for the Clippers on Wednesday, Miller threw 12 pitches to three batters and ended with a pair of strikeouts. The Indians were pleased with the sharpness on Miller's slider, and by the reports of how he felt physically. Prior to being placed on the DL on Aug. 2, Miller had been dealing with the knee soreness for roughly a month, and it took a toll on his mechanics. "It's going to be good to have him feeling better," Indians bullpen coach Jason Bere said. "And to be able to do the things mechanically that he needs to do to have that pure stuff that he's always had. He's shown that, even when things weren't right, he was still able to go and get hitters out and still able to dominate. This is going to make it probably a little easier for him to do it day in and day out." In 46 games this season, Miller has a 1.67 ERA with 78 strikeouts against 15 walks in 54 innings for the Tribe. Over the past two years between stints with the Yankees and Indians, Miller has posted a 1.52 ERA with 231 strikeouts against 29 walks in 126 games (147 2/3 innings), including the 19 1/3 innings he logged during the playoffs last season. During the past 12 games with Miller sidelined, Cleveland's rotation certainly did its part to ease the burden on the bullpen, posting a 1.89 ERA in that span with more than seven innings a game on average. Within the relief corps, lefty Tyler Olson (nine scoreless appearances, entering Thursday) and recently acquired Joe Smith (5 2/3 shutout innings, entering Thursday) helped pick up the slack with Miller out. "Smitty's thrown the ball unbelievably well for us," Allen said. "And then Olie has done an unbelievable job of getting some of those tough lefties when normally you'd be trotting Miller out there. We've been playing a lot of tight, a lot of big games, since Miller went down. "We were trying to do was just pick him up a little bit until he got back. For him to be able to get some time away and kind of get healthy and get right, and for us to get some good results for him, that's been big." Merritt called up from Triple-A Prior to Thursday's doubleheader, the Indians recalled left-hander Ryan Merritt from Triple-A to serve as the 26th man for the day. With Merritt scheduled to start the nightcap, starter Mike Clevinger moved to the bullpen for the twin bill. That alignment allows Cleveland to avoid a roster move on Monday to add a starter, as Clevinger can now be lined up to start that game against the Red Sox. Kluber, Indians face Royals in AL Central clash By Alex Simon / MLB.com August 17th, COMMENTS The last two winners of the American League Central will begin a three-game series on Friday, with the division-leading Indians taking on the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. For the Indians, right-hander Corey Kluber will attempt to win his fourth straight start and fifth in his last six. After throwing back-to-back complete games to open August, Kluber allowed three runs in seven innings against the Rays on Sunday, notching his 11th win of the season. The Tribe owns a 5 1/2-game lead over the second-place Royals, who sit just a half-game out in the Wild Card standings. It's the first of six games the two teams will play in a 10-day stretch, as they will play three games in Cleveland Aug after the three-game set in Kansas City. And while the Royals sit in the thick of the Wild Card race, Kansas City manager Ned Yost has his sights elsewhere. "Our focus right now is on the division," Yost said. "We still play Cleveland 10 times. We're pretty focused on the division. I couldn't tell you where we are in the Wild Card, to be honest with you." Kluber is 11-3 with a 2.71 ERA on the season. He's pitched into the seventh inning in each of his past six starts, and into the eighth in four of the past six. Kluber has not faced the Royals this season, but is 7-6 with a 3.21 ERA lifetime against Kansas City in 18 starts. For the Royals, right-hander Ian Kennedy is looking to turn around his rough start to August. In three starts, Kennedy is 0-2 with a 7.16 ERA in 16 1/3 innings. But the veteran didn't get a decision his last time out, allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings Saturday against the White Sox. On the season, Kennedy is 4-8 with a 4.80 ERA. In his lone start against the Indians this year, Kennedy allowed four runs in five innings on May 26 but took the no-decision, as the Royals came back to win 6-4. In his career, Kennedy is 2-4 against the Tribe with a 5.37 ERA in nine starts. Three things to know about this game Of Kluber's 151 strikeouts since June 1, more than half (80) have come on his curveball, 31 more than any other pitcher has during that time. Kluber also holds a wide lead for most swinging strikes on curves since June 1, with 135. Indians relief ace Andrew Miller will be activated from the 10-day DL prior to Friday's game against the Royals. Miller has been sidelined since Aug. 2 with a right knee issue, but he recently completed a Minor League rehab outing at Triple-A with no issues. The Royals have two players on their team with 17 career hits against Kluber, as Mike Moustakas is 17-for-37 and Melky Cabrera is 17-for-36. Only the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera (23-for-53) has more hits against the Indians' ace. Clevinger, Bauer provide relief for Indians' 'pen By Jordan Bastian / 12:10 AM ET + 1 COMMENT MINNEAPOLIS -- There are times when a defeat is not a complete loss. The Indians would have surely preferred to sweep Thursday's doubleheader and the series with the Twins, but the Tribe was nonetheless pleased to head into an important set against the Royals with its pitching staff intact.

3 In a 4-2 loss in the nightcap at Target Field, starters Mike Clevinger and Trevor Bauer helped ease the burden on the bullpen by coming on in relief. It did not net a trip to the win column, but it put the Indians in a position where the upcoming rotation plans are unaffected, and the entirety of the relief corps should be available on Friday at Kauffman Stadium. "We're in a really good spot," Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway said. "And we came in here and took two out of three." In the first inning of Game 1 on Thursday, Indians starter Carlos Carrasco was forced to throw 39 pitches, leading to an exit after five innings. Manager Terry Francona then leaned on five relievers for the rest of that game and used one more true reliever in the second game. The only reliever who did not appear in either game was setup man Joe Smith. Having Clevinger come out of the 'pen was a possibility as soon as Wednesday's rainout necessitated the doubleheader. He was moved to the bullpen and lefty Ryan Merritt was promoted from Triple-A Columbus as the 26th man to start Game 2, so the Indians could avoid needing a roster move on Monday to add a starting pitcher. Merritt lasted 3 2/3 innings and Clevinger later logged 60 pitches in 2 2/3 frames. Bauer's warmup session and his nine pitches in the ninth inning on Thursday night essentially served as his side-day work ahead of his next start. Bauer coming out of the bullpen was also the product of the right-hander going to Francona and offering to pitch in the doubleheader, if the staff got into a tough situation. "Trevor came to us. We were going to talk to him," Francona said. "It doesn't surprise me. That's part of what makes this group fun. They're willing and, most of the time, able." To Bauer, it only made sense. "Shoot, we had seven guys in the 'pen. We usually carry eight," Bauer said. "Five guys pitched in the first game. I just looked to see where everyone was at. I knew how I felt. I knew I could pitch today. It's my normal bullpen day. I went to see where we were at and it was like, 'Hey if you guys need me, let me know.' I easily could have pitched today and didn't want someone to throw twice or whatever and get even more worn out." So while it was a draining day for the Indians, and one that ended with a loss, they left Minnesota without decimating their pitching staff. "We did a really good job of limiting their runs for how many baserunners we had," Callaway said. "We didn't have to use a ton of our relievers and over-use them. Everybody, all of them, will be available [Friday]. That's not usually the case coming out of a doubleheader." Ramirez feels better after HBP; X-rays negative By Jordan Bastian / August 17th, COMMENTS MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins starter Kyle Gibson was waiting outside the visitors' clubhouse at Target Field only a few minutes after the Indians' 9-3 win in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader. Even before changing completely out of his uniform, the pitcher wanted to check on Jose Ramirez. During the second inning, an errant fastball from Gibson tailed inside and struck Ramirez above his right wrist. It was a troubling sight to see the All-Star gritting his teeth in pain, and then exiting the game, but relief came later when X-rays showed no structural damage and Ramirez was already feeling much improved. It meant a lot to Ramirez that Gibson wanted to apologize. "I really appreciate that he came over here," Ramirez said through team translator Anna Bolton. "I'm not mad at him or anything like that. It's an accident. It's something that happens in the game. I wasn't able to see him, because I was getting treatment still, but it was nice to know that he came over here." Indians manager Terry Francona said Ramirez might be available for the nightcap, but the third baseman was not in the starting lineup. Giovanny Urshela, who took over for Ramirez in Game 1 and contributed a pair of hits, got the nod at third base. Inside the clubhouse, there was a collective sigh of relief after learning that Ramirez only sustained a bad bruise, especially given how he initially reacted. Ramirez tried to pull his arms in to avoid the inside fastball. He walked for a few steps before dropping to a knee in foul ground, where he was swiftly met by head athletic trainer James Quinlan and Francona. "It kind of took some of the fun out of the first game for me," Francona said. "I was really worried about that. The way he reacted to it, the trainers kind of being indecisive, it was kind of nagging at me. That was good to hear [that the tests came back clean]." Immediately after being hit, Ramirez feared the worst. "Of course I was scared," he said. "It hurt really bad and I thought that I broke it. But I'm fine, thank God.... I'm getting treatment and doing everything that I need to do. I don't know when it's going to stop hurting. I'm just doing everything necessary to be able to play as soon as I can." Ramirez -- the starter at third base for the American League All-Star team -- is hitting.308/.362/.533 with 18 homers and 58 RBIs through 117 games. Entering Thursday, the switch-hitter led the AL in extra-base hits (61), was tied for first in doubles (38), tied for fourth in runs (79), ranked fifth in total bases (254) and sixth in WAR (3.9, per Fangraphs) Losing Ramirez for any amount of time would be tough for the Tribe, which is already playing without Michael Brantley (sprained right ankle) and Lonnie Chisenhall (right calf strain). "I'm glad everything was OK," right-hander Carlos Carrasco said. "He's our guy over there. I'm really happy for that, that he's OK. Everything is fine. So, I think he'll just have to use a lot of ice now." Gibson was also pleased to hear Ramirez was already on the mend. "It was just an instance where I was trying to go in on a guy, not hit a guy at all," Gibson said. "Unfortunately, it just cut on me and I caught him on the arm." Gomes homers, drives in 4 in win over Twins By Jordan Bastian and Shane Jackson / MLB.com August 17th, COMMENTS MINNEAPOLIS -- Yan Gomes takes pride in prioritizing defense, making anything he does in the batter's box a bonus for the Indians. In the opener of a doubleheader against the Twins on Thursday, the catcher came up big on both fronts, helping Cleveland to a 9-3 win at Target Field.

4 Gomes went 3-for-3 with a three-run home run, one walk, a hit-by-pitch and four RBIs for the American League Central-leading Indians, who won their sixth straight and pushed the third-place Twins seven games back in the standings. The catcher also helped starter Carlos Carrasco grind out five innings, and delivered a key pickoff throw to halt a potential Twins rally while the game was still close. "It's so nice with Gomer. My goodness," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Gomes' performance. "The home run [was big]. The game had a little bit of a feel where we needed to spread it out." With the victory, the Indians have now won their last 10 games at Target Field, dating back to last season. That is Cleveland's longest road winning streak in Minnesota in franchise history. "Losing is going to happen, the first game here today was disappointing in the fashion that we lost," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "With all the opportunities that we had, to come up short in multiple areas of the game, it was a little bit unfortunate." Gomes' home run came in a four-run eighth inning against Minnesota reliever Ryan Pressly, who also yielded a solo shot to Jason Kipnis. Twins starter Kyle Gibson lasted four-plus innings, in which he was charged with three runs on seven hits. Indians right fielder Jay Bruce (tworun single) and Kipnis (RBI single) each chipped in against Gibson. Carrasco endured a rocky start to his afternoon, but the big righty reeled things in and limited the Twins to one run (on a Byron Buxton homer) and ended with nine strikeouts. Jorge Polanco later contributed an RBI triple against Tribe reliever Bryan Shaw in the seventh. In the eighth, Gomes also made an impressive tag to nab Joe Mauer at the plate on the tail end of an relay on an Eddie Rosario hit off the wall in right-center. "We had the good relay throw," Francona said. "Without that -- that was followed up with a double -- we might still be playing. There were some things that may get lost in a long game that really helped us win." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Polanco picked off: Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, the Twins had the makings of a rally with runners on first and second with no outs. Carrasco then struck out Brian Dozier, setting the stage for a critical play. With Max Kepler batting, Gomes came up firing after a Carrasco pitch, picking off Polanco at second base. Per Statcast, Polanco's secondary lead pulled him 21 feet away from the bag. Kepler then grounded out to end the frame. "The throw to second there was unbelievable, man," Carrasco said. "I didn't think he was going to throw there, but he did it and got the out." Carrasco's escape: After the Indians forced Gibson to toil through 31 pitches in the top of the first, the Twins answered by making Carrasco work through 39 in the home half. Minnesota loaded the bases with no outs, but the Tribe starter found a way to sidestep harm in the draining inning. Carrasco struck out Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario, and then induced an inning-ending groundout off the bat of Eduardo Escobar. "That's a hard way to start the game," Francona said. "So, staying out there for five and for the most part keeping them off the scoreboard, we'll take it. That had a chance to be a complete bullpen game." QUOTABLE "It was obviously a huge relief to get that monkey off my back. It's a good feeling knowing that I contributed today. That was really the main thing. I'm happy to get the hit there, and I'll move forward now and get back to being myself and helping the team." --Indians rookie Bradley Zimmer, on snapping an 0-for-36 drought with a single in the ninth SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With 19 strikeouts in the win, the Indians pitching staff has now recorded at least 10 strikeouts in 13 consecutive games. That extended Cleveland's Major League record. No other team on record has enjoyed a streak of that kind consisting of more than nine games. The Twins' 19 offensive strikeouts during Game 1 against the Tribe set a franchise record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game. RAMIREZ EXITS WITH INJURY In the second inning, Indians All-Star Jose Ramirez was hit on the right arm by a fastball from Gibson, forcing the third baseman to exit the game. Giovanny Urshela took over for Ramirez for the remainder of the game. The Indians were relieved that X-rays on Ramirez's arm came back negative for any structural damage. "He's OK," Francona said. "It kind of took some of the fun out of the first game for me. I was really worried about that. The way he reacted to it, the trainers kind of being indecisive, it was kind of nagging at me. That was good to hear [that it was only a bad bruise]." More > PERKINS RETURNS Left-hander Glen Perkins made his long awaited return to the Twins in the ninth inning. Perkins recorded one out in his first Major League appearance since April 10 of last season, while being charged with two runs on as many hits. It was Perkins' first outing at Target Field since Oct. 2, The former All-Star closer threw a total of 19 pitches, including 10 strikes, and hit two batters. Perkins gets Bruce to fly out Perkins gets Bruce to fly out In his first appearance after 16 months on the DL, Glen Perkins gets Jay Bruce to fly out to center for the first out of the top of the 9th "It felt like a Major League debut, but different," Perkins said. "I think the emotions were there, the nerves were there that I didn't know if they would be there or not. I went into that not knowing how I was going to feel." More > WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Ace Corey Kluber (11-3, 2.71 ERA) continues his AL Cy Young Award candidacy on Friday at 8:15 p.m. ET, when the Indians open a key three-game set with the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Kluber, who has not faced Kansas City this year, is 8-1 with a 1.85 ERA and 151 strikeouts against 17 walks over his last 14 starts (102 1/3 innings). Twins: Right-hander Ervin Santana (12-7, 3.27) is slated to start the series opener at 7:10 p.m. CT on Friday against the D-backs at Target Field. In his last start, Santana allowed four runs (two earned) across five innings against the Tigers. He is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in four career starts vs. the D-backs. Kepler's homer sparks Twins in DH split with Indians The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Aaron Slegers calmly took the mound for Minnesota in his major league debut and helped the Twins beat Cleveland at home for the first time all season.

5 Then the emotion came, when he left the field to a standing ovation in the seventh inning. Max Kepler made up for a fielding flub in the top of the seventh with the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the inning, sending the Twins to a 4-2 victory in the second game to salvage a doubleheader split with the Indians on Thursday. ''I was about as close as you can cry without crying when I was walking off the mound there, when the crowd started standing up and applauding,'' Slegers said. ''That was a pretty special moment.'' Slegers sailed through 6 1/3 innings to stop Cleveland's six-game winning streak. The Indians had won 10 straight games in Minnesota, all but one this season. ''I'm not sure he knows all that's transpired between us and that particular team on this field here, but he did a nice job of trusting himself,'' Twins manager Paul Molitor said, adding: ''It was just I think a big boost for everybody. He won a lot of respect from a lot of people in that clubhouse tonight.'' Yan Gomes and Jason Kipnis each homered and had three hits for the Indians in a 9-3 victory in the opener as the Twins set a franchise record with 19 strikeouts. Slegers tried his best to keep the nerves at bay. Recalled from Triple-A Rochester as the 26th player for the nightcap, Slegers allowed only two hits and two runs with two walks and two strikeouts. The 6-foot-10 right-hander lost the lead when he left a runner on with one out in the seventh and Carlos Santana greeted Trevor Hildenberger (2-1) with an RBI triple while Kepler slipped in the right-field corner trying to grab it. But Kepler responded with his 15th homer, off Mike Clevinger (6-5) in a spot relief appearance, and Matt Belisle recorded the last two outs for his third save. The Twins stayed six games behind the Indians in the AL Central and one game out of the second wild card spot, with Kansas City also in the way in both races. ''You always feel good coming out on top in a series. But this is a tough one,'' Clevinger said. Kepler predicted he'd go deep to teammate Byron Buxton. ''Right before that, we were talking and he was like, 'I'm going to get that one back. Watch,''' Buxton said. ''Sure enough.'' Jay Bruce homered with two outs in the fourth inning for Cleveland's first hit off Slegers, giving the veteran right fielder five extra-base hits and six RBIs in eight games since being acquired in a trade with the New York Mets. Right-hander Ryan Merritt, the 26th player for the Indians who was summoned from Triple-A Columbus to start, hung in there until the fourth as the Twins built up their total of 13 men left on base. But Buxton reached on an error on third baseman Giovanny Urshela, picked up his 21st steal in 22 attempts, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Ehire Adrianza's sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning. Slegers, a true late bloomer who was limited by many injuries in high school and college, was a fifth-round draft pick by the Twins out of Indiana in He actually pitched at Target Field in the Big Ten tournament that year. His parents, grandparents and numerous other relatives, some of them Minnesota natives, were in attendance to watch. ''It's a little larger stage than the wild card race we have in Triple-A,'' Slegers said. Consider Indians manager Terry Francona a fan, too. ''He pitched with a lot more maturity than you'd maybe think a kid making his first start,'' Francona said. FOR STARTERS Indians starter Carlos Carrasco (12-5) allowed one run in five innings and escaped trouble with nine strikeouts. The Twins loaded the bases with no outs in the first, but Carrasco struck out the next two hitters. ''We'll take it because that had a chance to be a complete bullpen game,'' Francona said. Kyle Gibson (6-10) allowed three runs and seven hits in four-plus innings for the Twins, the 15th time in 21 starts this season he didn't complete six innings. PERKINS RETURNS

6 Twins LHP Glen Perkins returned to major league action in the ninth inning of the first game after a 493-day absence since April 10, After recovering from a torn labrum, Perkins retired one of six batters. He allowed one walk, two singles and two hit by pitches for two runs. THIS AND THAT Indians CF Bradley Zimmer stopped an 0-for-36 slide with a single off Perkins in the second game.... Buxton, who homered in the first game, is batting.341 in 82 at-bats since July 1. TRAINERS ROOM Indians: All-Star 3B Jose Ramirez left the first game in the second inning after becoming the first of four Indians batters hit by a pitch, but X-rays on his right forearm were negative. ''It hurt really bad, and I thought that I broke it. But I'm fine, thank God,'' Ramirez said through a translator. He sat out the second game. Twins: RF Robbie Grossman broke his left thumb, following a collision with Buxton's forearm in CF during a flyout in the second inning of the second game. He was replaced by Kepler in the third. Buxton said neither he nor Grossman heard the other calling. Molitor said Grossman will miss at least three weeks. UP NEXT Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (11-3, 2.71 ERA) pitches Friday in Kansas City. RHP Ian Kennedy (4-8, 4.80 ERA) starts for the Royals. Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (12-7, 3.28 ERA) takes the mound Friday against Arizona. RHP Zack Godley (5-5, 2.95 ERA) pitches for the Diamondbacks. Covering the Bases: Games by Jordan Bastian FIRST: Bradley Zimmer was not going to complain about how he got the hit that ended his dreadful offensive drought. The Indians rookie just wanted it all to be over. The end arrived in the ninth inning of Cleveland s 9 3 win over the Twins in Game 1 of Thursday s doubleheader, because the baseball gods have a cruel sense of humor, and decided to pick his final at-bat in the final inning. And, of course, it was a grounder that for a moment looked within reach of Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. At that point, you ve just got to get one one way or the other, Zimmer said. Perfect world, I wouldn t have of gotten a bleeder that just kind of fell in there. Obviously, I d rather have a solid hit. The grounder which, it should be noted, was scorched at 107 mph off the bat, per Statcast got through the infield and found its way into right. Zimmer had his single, which snapped an 0-for-August slump. The hitless streak lasted 36 at-bats* and 43 plate appearances. When Zimmer reached first base, his teammates were clapping and cheering in the dugout. For Zim to not just get a hit, Indians manager Terry Francona said, but [to see how] all the guys reacted to him, that was good. How happy was Zimmer to finally break through? It was obviously a huge relief to get that monkey off my back, he said. It s a good feeling knowing that I contributed today. That was really the main thing. I m happy to get the hit there and I ll move forward now. Is there a way to pinpoint what precisely has been ailing Zimmer this month? In chatting with an American League scout earlier this week, he pointed out that pitchers have been busting him inside. That indeed has been noticeable, and very easy to spot when looking through the data. Consider this heatmap of all the pitches Zimmer faced through the end of July Now, compare that to the heatmap of all the pitches Zimmer had seen in August, heading into play on Thursday That is a pretty obvious shift to in and under Zimmer s hands, an approach that makes plenty of sense given his build. Zimmer is most effective when he can get his long arms extended, so trying to get him to fall prey on inside pitches (especially ones that break in) is typically going to be the objective. Hitters of Zimmer s build are often prone to long slumps. I just don t think it s realistic that guys like that don t go through periods like that, Francona said on Tuesday. Especially when you re longlevered like that. I just want to make sure he continues to [keep his head up]. I don t want him to beat himself up too much. He s so athletic, sometimes you try to do too many things mechanically, and you forget about just seeing the ball and being athletic.

7 Before August, Zimmer was sporting a.284/.346/.466 slash line through 66 games, but he was hitting.140 with a.209 slugging on pitches in Zones 6, 9 and 14 (the red portion of the image here). In that pre-august period, pitchers went to those zones 23-percent of the time, with 38- percent of those pitches being curves/sliders. In August, pitchers went to those zones 30-percent of the time, with 44-percent of those being curves/sliders. The pitchers have adjusted and now Zimmer will have to work to adjust back. And, as is the case with hitters who fall into the streaky category, Zimmer probably has another hot spell around the corner. Consider this: Prior to his 0-for-August drought, Zimmer hit.448 with a OPS in his final nine games in July. So, who saw that kind of horrendous slump coming? Zimmer is just glad the drought one of the longest in franchise history is behind him. Throughout this slump, this disaster, Zimmer said. I ve just been trying to stay positive and do what I can. If I m not swinging the bat, there are plenty of other ways I can help us win. I did some good things on defense and drawing walks. Now it s just getting back to being myself and contributing and helping us win. Here s an odd baseball rule for you. In the official bookkeeping, Zimmer s drought technically goes down as an 0-for-37, but that s including a sacrifice fly. A sac fly is considered a plate appearance (not an at-bat), so Zimmer also had zero hits in 36 at-bats. While a sac fly does count in a hitless streak, a sacrifice bunt would not. Baseball remains weird. SECOND: Throughout Zimmer s August slump, there have been plenty of fans chiming in on what the Indians should do. Send him down! Bench him! Give someone else a shot! Here s the deal: Zimmer still offers value in other areas. And not just value, but above-average skill. Defensively, using Fangraphs metrics, Zimmer ranked second in ARM (6.1), fourth in UZR/150 (14.2), seventh in UZR (5.2) and eighth in Defense (6.1) among the 26 center fielders with at least 500 innings. In only 79 games played, he was already second on the Indians in BsR (3.3) and led the team in steals (14). Even while slumping, his 12.8 BB% for August was his best in any month this year. Those are reasons to ride it out and to hope that, when the drought is finally snapped, Zimmer can trend in the right direction again. Even on Tuesday, when Zimmer s hitless streak ran to 32 at-bats, he drew a walk and stole a base. In the eighth inning of Game 1, he also teamed with Jason Kipnis and catcher Yan Gomes on a critical relay to cut down a run at home plate: Without that that was followed up with a double we might still be playing, Francona said after Game 1. There were some things that may get lost in a long game that really helped us win that game. THIRD: The Indians didn t win both games they dropped the nightcap, 4 2 but didn t feel like a total loss. Why? Because Cleveland got through 18 innings without messing up its pitching staff for the coming days. On the day, Cleveland s true relievers combined to allow two runs in five innings. Joe Smith never got into a game, Bryan Shaw was the only arm asked to log a multi-inning outing and three relievers (Cody Allen, Zach McAllister and Tyler Olson) did not even work a full frame. We didn t have to use a ton of our relievers and over-use them, Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway said. Everybody, all of them, will be available tomorrow. That s not usually the case coming out of a doubleheader. Andrew Miller is expected to come off the DL on Friday, too. It s not just the bullpen that is positioned well for the upcoming series, either. Even with Mike Clevinger and Trevor Bauer coming out of the bullpen in Game 2, the rotation is intact: Kluber (Friday), Bauer (Saturday), Salazar (Sunday), Clevinger (Monday), Carrasco (Tuesday). Clevinger worked 60 pitches and should be OK to make his next planned start. Bauer logged only nine and combined with his warm-up throws essentially did a between-start bullpen session in a game setting. It was Bauer who actually went to Francona and offered his services. Shoot, we had seven guys in the pen. We usually carry eight, Bauer said. Five guys pitched in the first game. I just looked to see where everyone was at. I knew how I felt. I knew I could pitch today. It s my normal bullpen day. I went to see where we were at and it was like, Hey if you guys need me, let me know. I easily could have pitched today and didn t want someone to throw twice or whatever and get even more worn out. HOME: The Indians are already without Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall, so the Game 1 scare involving Jose Ramirez was troubling to say the least. Ramirez was hit in the right forearm by a pitch and left the game in obvious pain. The X-rays came back negative and Ramirez felt better between games, which came as a big relief to everyone with the team.

8 Very much [so], Francona said. It kind of took some of the fun out of the first game for me. I was really worried about that. The way he reacted to it, the trainers kind of being indecisive, it was kind of nagging at me. That was good to hear. As soon as Ramirez exited, Erik Gonzalez was pulled from Triple-A Columbus game and caught a flight to Minneapolis. When he arrived, he found out that he wouldn t be activated, but he hung around, was in the clubhouse after the night game and will travel to Kansas City as roster insurance. EXTRAS: Don t look now, but Kipnis is showing signs of life at the plate. In the three games in Minnesota, the second baseman went 4-for-13 with two homers. Jay Bruce continues to do nothing but hit since putting on a Tribe uni, too. He went 4-for-12 in the three games with a homer, two doubles and two walks. Little things can often get lost in a long day like this one. Don t overlook the one-third of an inning logged by Tyler Olson. He inherited a runner on third with two outs in the seventh in Game 1 and struck out Robbie Grossman. At the time, that preserved a 3 2 lead. The Tribe then broke things open late. Gomes also had an incredible showing in Game 1. The catcher went 3-for-3 with a homer, walk, hit-by-pitch and four RBI. Oh, and he picked Jorge Polanco off second base in the fifth to snuff out a would-be Twins rally. Cleveland Indians' Bradley Zimmer relieved to snap out of 0-for-August slumber: Zack Meisel's musings By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com zmeisel@cleveland.com MINNEAPOLIS -- First, they checked to make sure Jose Ramirez was OK. "Is it broken?" one teammate asked. Ramirez exited the opener of Thursday's doubleheader after he was struck by a pitch in the right arm. Ramirez assured his teammates he was fine. His X-rays came back with negative results. So, the ribbing commenced. A few of his teammates poked fun at the third baseman and his semi-dramatic reaction to the plunking. About halfway along his trot to first base, Ramirez dropped to the grass in pain. He said he "was scared," as he thought he had suffered a broken bone. That didn't turn out to be the case, and one teammate jokingly dropped to the floor in the Indians' clubhouse, grabbing his arm in an overly theatrical impersonation. Ramirez laughed it off. Chalk it all up to a collective exhale in the Tribe clubhouse. Here are a few thoughts on the Indians. 1. First of the month: Bradley Zimmer turned around at his locker and smiled when he spotted a few reporters waiting to speak with him. Finally, a discussion based on a base hit. The Indians not only exhaled when they heard the news on Ramirez, but also when Zimmer recorded a single in the ninth inning of the opener. That snapped the rookie's stretch of 43 plate appearances without a hit, spanning the entire month of August. "It was obviously a huge relief to get that monkey off my back," Zimmer said. Tribe manager Terry Francona had considered giving the center fielder a day to clear his head (he rested in the nightcap), but the team still appreciated what Zimmer could provide defensively and with his legs. "I'd like to think, throughout this slump, this disaster," Zimmer said, "for how long, I've just been trying to stay positive and do what I can. If I'm not swinging the bat, there are plenty of other ways I can help us win." 2. Housekeeping: The Indians' rotation order won't be disrupted, despite the fact that 40 percent of the group pitched in relief on Thursday night. Trevor Bauer is still set to start on Saturday in Kansas City. Mike Clevinger is slated for the series opener against the Red Sox on Monday at Progressive Field. "We didn't overuse anybody and now we're in good shape moving forward," Francona said. Had the Indians started both Clevinger and Carlos Carrasco on Thursday, they would have been without a starter for Monday's game. That would have required a roster move. Instead, the club summoned Ryan Merritt to serve as the allotted 26th man for Thursday's nightcap. "As a group, we're committed to winning and sustained success," Bauer said. "Sometimes you get in a situations where people need to step up and do something slightly different to enable the whole to move forward. Anytime I get to be a part of that, it's nice." The ultra-durable Bauer also added that in an ideal world, he would "pitch every third day." 3. Housekeeping II: Erik Gonzalez traveled to Minneapolis on Thursday afternoon just in case the Indians received troubling news from Ramirez's X-rays. Gonzalez played earlier in the day for Triple-A Columbus. Jay Bruce's first day with the Indians

9 4. Jaywalking: It's healthy to remind yourself that the Indians traded some person named Ryder Ryan -- he's probably a nice guy -- to the Mets for Jay Bruce, who has hit 30 home runs this season. Bruce launched his first homer as a member of the Indians on Thursday night. Since joining the Tribe, Bruce has produced 10 hits in 27 at-bats (.370 average) with five walks. 5. Supernatural: It might go against the popular narrative, but Carlos Santana has actually submitted a more-than-solid season defensively at first base. He entered Thursday's twin bill with six defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs, which ranked fifth in the majors at his position. Santana made a nifty play on Thursday night, when he corralled a grounder, stepped on the bag and fired an on-target throw to the plate to cut down Joe Mauer for a double play. One, final musing: My time at cleveland.com has come to an end. Starting Monday, I'll be taking my coverage of the Indians (and other Cleveland sports) to The Athletic. I've enjoyed my four years in this space and have appreciated my correspondences with many of you. I hope those continue. I've always placed precedence on finding new, original angles, digging for compelling human interest stories and maintaining an objective view of the teams that often drive us wild, mad and loony. That won't cease; it'll just happen in a different medium. Thanks for following along for the last four years, and to those who will continue to do so, a tip of the cap for that as well. Time to exhale: X-rays negative after Jose Ramirez's early exit By Zack Meisel, MINNEAPOLIS -- Indians fans can exhale. Jose Ramirez is OK. The All-Star third baseman exited Thursday's matinee after he was struck by a pitch in the right forearm. X-rays came back negative, and manager Terry Francona suggested that Ramirez could possibly be available for the nightcap of the club's doubleheader against the Twins. "I was scared," Ramirez said via an interpreter. "It hurt really bad and I thought that I broke it. But I'm fine, thank God." Ramirez exited in the top of the second after he was struck by a pitch in the right arm. Ramirez started his jog to first base, but he stopped about halfway and crouched down in pain. Francona and head athletic trainer James Quinlan rushed out of the dugout to check on him. Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson waited outside the Indians' clubhouse after the game to check on Ramirez, but he was receiving treatment from the Tribe's training staff. Ramirez said he appreciated the gesture and that he wasn't upset with Gibson. "It's an accident," Ramirez said. "It's something that happens in the game. I wasn't able to see him, because I was getting treatment still, but it was nice to know that he came over here." Giovanny Urshela replaced Ramirez and had two hits in three trips as the Indians posted a 9-3 victory. Ramirez has appeared in all but one game for the Indians this season. "It kind of took some of the fun out of the first game for me," Francona said. "I was really worried about that. The way he reacted to it, the trainers kind of being indecisive, it was kind of nagging at me. That was good to hear." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Yan Gomes powers Cleveland Indians to sixth straight win, 9-3, in first game of doubleheader vs. Twins By Zack Meisel, MINNEAPOLIS -- Last summer at Target Field, Yan Gomes stumbled near first base, plunged to the dirt and vanished for a few months. The hitting adjustments didn't work. The chicken sacrifice failed to secure the proper mojo. Then, the injury bug interfered with his season. So, Gomes was long overdue for some healthy karma in Minnesota. Thursday afternoon, the catcher delivered three hits, including a gamechanging, three-run homer, to direct the Indians to their sixth straight victory, 9-3, against the Twins. The teams will meet again Thursday night for the nightcap of their doubleheader. Gomes launched an 0-2 fastball into the left-field seats in the eighth, a few minutes after the Indians narrowly averted disaster. The Twins clawed to within 3-2 and placed a runner at third with no outs. Bryan Shaw then struck out Jason Castro and induced a harmless groundout to third off the bat of Brian Dozier. Tyler Olson entered and struck out Robbie Grossman to end the threat and preserve the Indians' lead. The offense rewarded the pitching staff for sidestepping danger. Two batters after Gomes' homer, Jason Kipnis socked a solo shot into the bed of red flowers above the wall in right-center. Carlos Carrasco labored through five innings, but he continued the Indians' recent rash of strong starts. Tribe starters have limited the opposition to one or zero runs in 10 of their last 13 games. The rotation owns the American League's best ERA since July 1. Carrasco held the Twins to one run on five hits. He tallied nine strikeouts. It wasn't always pretty. Carrasco needed 39 pitches to complete the first inning. Dozier started things off with a 10-pitch walk. Carrasco somehow escaped damage, even though the Twins loaded the bases with no outs. "That's a hard way to start the game," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. "So, staying out there for five and for the most part keeping them off the scoreboard, we'll take it. That had a chance to be a complete bullpen game."

10 The Indians staked the right-hander to an early advantage, as Jay Bruce contributed a two-run single in the top of the first. Kipnis delivered an RBI single the following frame. Cleveland forced Twins starter Kyle Gibson to toss 31 pitches in the first inning. Gibson surrendered three runs on seven hits over four innings. Gomes reached in all five of his plate appearances. He was a factor behind the plate, too. He picked off Jorge Polanco at second base in the fifth inning with an on-target throw that had Carrasco hit the deck. Gomes also applied an impressive tag on Joe Mauer as the first baseman attempted to score on an Eddie Rosario single off the center-field fence. Gomes caught the relay throw and swiped Mauer on the helmet as he slid into the plate. What it means The Indians improved to 9-0 at Target Field this season. They have started their four-city, 11-game roadtrip with a 6-1 mark. Early exit Jose Ramirez exited in the top of the second after he was struck by a pitch in the right arm. Ramirez started his jog to first base, but he stopped about halfway and crouched down in pain. Manager Terry Francona and head athletic trainer James Quinlan rushed out of the dugout to check on him. Giovanny Urshela replaced Ramirez on the bases and at the third-base position. Ramirez has appeared in all but one game for the Indians this season. Jose Ramirez OK after being hit by pitch At last Bradley Zimmer recorded his first hit of August with a ninth-inning single. That snapped an 0-for-36 stretch that included 18 strikeouts. Swing and a miss Tribe pitchers totaled 19 strikeouts, a record for a team facing the Twins. Every Twins hitter who appeared in the game struck out at least once. Brief cameos Twins starting pitchers have lasted five innings or fewer in six straight games. Gibson departed after allowing the first two batters to reach in the fifth. Welcome back Minnesota reliever Glen Perkins made his first appearance since April 10, He had been recovering from shoulder surgery. They came, they saw A crowd of 29,579 watched the first game of the split doubleheader. What's next The teams will reconvene for the nightcap, which carries a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch. Both teams will use a roster addition, as southpaw Ryan Merritt will oppose right-hander Aaron Slegers, who will be making his major-league debut. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Is Tyler Naquin a better option than slumping Bradley Zimmer for Cleveland Indians? Hey, Hoynsie CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him Hey, Hoynsie: Is Bradley Zimmer really a better option than Tyler Naquin at this point of the season? I know they ve both had their ups and downs and Zimmer is ranked as the higher prospect, but I feel Naquin should be given another shot this year because Zimmer has struggled so badly. Why not give Naquin a chance until Lonnie Chisenhall or Michael Brantley are healthy enough to return? Shane Petersen, London. Hey, Shane: I think the Indians consider Zimmer their top defensive center fielder. As long as his slump doesn t hurt his defense and they don t feel it s hurting his future development -- I believe they ll stay with him. The rosters expand on Sept. 1, so I m not sure how much good Zimmer would get from being optioned to Class AAA Columbus. The addition of Jay Bruce, who has taken over right field, has added to an already crowded outfield. If Austin Jackson could play every day, I d say put him in center field and give Zimmer a break, but he s already been on the disabled list twice. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer Brandon Phillips Should the Indians try to acquire Atlanta second baseman Brandon Phillips before the Aug. 31 deadline? Is Brandon Phillips on Tribe's radar? Hey, Hoynsie: If Jason Kipnis is not hitting by late August, I would like to see the Indians acquire Brandon Phillips or Asdrubal Cabrera to play second base. Otherwise the Indians will continue to have two or three spots in the lineup that are unproductive. Joe Eversole, Pelham, Ala. Hey, Joe: I think the Indians made their stretch-drive move with the acquisition of Bruce. If Kipnis stays healthy, I think he s going to be their second baseman. I think he ll start to hit as well. Phillips is having a good season with the Braves, and he would not be expensive. But I think that train left the station a long time ago. Jay Bruce The Indians acquired outfielder Jay Bruce on Aug. 8 from the Mets and he's off to a good start with his new team.