With Haniger looming again in the ninth, and Kluber sitting at 116 pitches, Francona chose common sense over heart.

Transcription

1 Kluber fans 10 in win as Tribe slugs 5 homers By Jordan Bastian CLEVELAND -- The Progressive Field crowd unleashed a chorus of boos when Indians manager Terry Francona emerged from the dugout in the ninth inning Friday night. Corey Kluber sat one out away from a complete game and his audience wanted to see the feat to fruition. Following the Tribe's 6-5 victory over the Mariners, Kluber smirked when asked if he thought about waving Francona off. "No," Kluber replied. "I was pretty gassed at that point." Kluber had done his part, pitching into the ninth and piling up 10 strikeouts in another impressive performance for the reigning American League Cy Young winner. Cleveland's lineup did its part as well, launching a quintet of home runs that not only backed the ace, but withstood a late rally by Seattle. After Kluber walked off to a standing ovation from the home faithful, Indians closer Cody Allen flinched, giving up runs for the first time this season. He allowed a double to Mitch Haniger and then a three-run homer to Mike Zunino, but gathered himself and retired Ben Gamel to put the finishing touch on the victory. It turned out that all five home runs belted by the Tribe were necessary. "It's kind of funny," Indians catcher Yan Gomes said. "I think a couple days ago people were saying that we only get our runs off home runs. I'll take five solo shots all day, man. You could say it's our offense warming up. I think we're dangerous at any time. When we start off the game like that, things are bound to go our way." Francisco Lindor got the Tribe's power display going with a leadoff shot against Seattle righty Erasmo Ramirez in the first inning. Michael Brantley and Edwin Encarnacion later added back-to-back home runs in the frame, representing the first time since 2016 that Cleveland had three homers in a first inning. Brantley, who finished a double shy of a cycle, chipped in a sacrifice fly in the third to give the Indians a 4-0 lead. "Brantley, the way he's swinging it lately," Lindor said, "the way he has always swung it, this is extremely important." Cleveland's onslaught continued against Ramirez in the sixth inning, when Yonder Alonso and Gomes belted back-to-back homers as well. With their shots, Cleveland had its first game with at least five players going deep since April 30, 2013, against the Phillies, when six players had at least one homer. Kluber's first misstep arrived in the seventh inning, when he issued a one-out walk to Kyle Seager before surrendering Haniger's ninth home run of the season. Kluber settled back in from there, logging 8 2/3 innings and ending the night with a 2.18 ERA on the season. The offensive outpouring helped Kluber settle into cruise control for most of the night. "Obviously, when the first time up the offense puts three on the board," Kluber said, "and they keep adding to it, it definitely makes your job easier. You have a cushion to work with. If you do make a mistake like I did to Haniger, it's not as big a deal when you've got a six-run lead." With Haniger looming again in the ninth, and Kluber sitting at 116 pitches, Francona chose common sense over heart. "Of course I wanted to leave him in," Francona said. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Lindor's leadoff shot: During an eight-pitch battle to open the first inning, Lindor saw Ramirez's two-seamer, four-seamer, cutter, changeup and slider. The Indians shortstop ended the at-bat by lifting a 2-2 fastball over right-center field, where it just cleared the wall. The blast, which was Lindor's fifth career leadoff shot, ignited Cleveland's five-homer outburst. "Ramirez showed me every pitch. Guys benefit from it," Lindor said. "It seems like the more pitches the leadoff guy can see, the better it is for the team. That's why I wanted to do that. I wanted to help my team win, and it was a good way to start today." Back-to-back, again: Ramirez's outing came to an abrupt close in the sixth inning, when Alonso and Gomes opened the frame by connecting for consecutive homers off the righty. It marked the first time since June 7, 2009, that the Indians launched back-to-back home runs twice within the same game. SOUND SMART Ramirez became the first starting pitcher to allow at least five home runs against Cleveland since May 26, 1995, when Pat Hentgen was on the wrong end of that feat for the Blue Jays. In that game 23 years ago, Manny Ramirez (two), Paul Sorrento (two) and Omar Vizquel each went deep against Hentgen. HE SAID IT

2 "He's just turning into an elite pitcher, because it's not every day that he's got his best stuff, but he's still able to get through it. That takes a little bit more than just having good stuff out there. I think we've seen some guys that have that really good stuff still get beat around a little bit. But when he doesn't have it, he still has a way of turning into another gear." -- Gomes, on Kluber "He's got some amazing stuff. The command is just the icing on the cake when you've got that good of stuff. It just proves why he's one of the best in the game. To keep a lineup like this down is impressive." -- Zunino, on Kluber UP NEXT Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (4-0, 2.31 ERA) will look to continue his strong start to the season on Saturday, when the Indians host the Mariners in a 4:10 p.m. ET tilt at Progressive Field. Carrasco is 9-4 with a 3.69 ERA at home over the last two years. Righty Mike Leake (2-2, 6.59 ERA) is slated to start for Seattle. Roster decision looms on rehabbing Urshela By Jordan Bastian CLEVELAND -- The only silver lining to the right hamstring injury that sidelined Gio Urshela near the end of Spring Training was it allowed the Indians to delay the decision about his place on the roster. That decision, however, is once again looming for Cleveland. Urshela remains on the 10-day disabled list, but the utility man is on the mend and has logged seven Minor League rehab games with Triple-A Columbus, making appearances at all four infield positions. Urshela can continue playing for the Clippers over the next six days, but the Indians will need to make a decision about his status by Thursday. "He's got about a week left before we have to make a decision," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We're trying to let him play a little bit more, because we do have to make a decision -- one that we know is going to hurt a little bit." The issue facing the Indians is the same one that complicated the roster construction prior to Opening Day. Both Urshela and Erik Gonzalez are out of Minor League options, but Cleveland only needs to carry one as its utility man off the bench. When the hamstring issue flared on Urshela in late March, the Indians placed him on the DL and gave the bench job to Gonzalez. Heading into Friday's action, Gonzalez had gone 2-for-9 in nine games for the Indians, appearing sporadically as a backup for all four infield positions. Gonzalez is a shortstop by trade and has been a better hitter throughout his career than Urshela. While both are sound defenders, Urshela has the edge in that department and can also play up the middle, even with a background mostly at third. In 18 Cactus League games during the spring, Urshela hit.500 (21-for-42) with three home runs, six doubles and a OPS. He has cooled off since returning to the lineup for Triple-A Columbus, hitting.238 (5-for-21) with a.606 OPS through seven rehab games. "He hasn't swung the bat to the point where you're like, 'OK, let's do something,'" Francona said. "I guess we all figure the more he plays, it gives us time to make a decision." UMPS CARE auction underway Major League Baseball umpires are offering up more than 300 items -- including autographed sports memorabilia, one-of-a-kind VIP experiences, and upgraded ticket packages -- during its 10th Annual UMPS CARE Charities Online Auction. The auction is currently underway at MLB.com/UmpsCare and closes at 10 p.m. ET on Monday. Some of the items up for bid include signed bats, cleats, jerseys, photos and baseballs from some of the biggest stars in baseball. There are also opportunities to watch batting practice up close on the field at many MLB ballparks, hotel stays with game tickets, opportunities to have lunch with an MLB umpire, suites and tickets from Minor League Baseball clubs, golf foursomes and more. All proceeds from the Online Auction support UMPS CARE Charities youth programs to provide Major League Baseball experiences for children awaiting adoption, Build-A-Bear Workshop experiences for hospitalized children coping with serious illnesses, college scholarships for deserving young adults who were adopted as children, and financial assistance for families in need. "Each year, thanks to the support from our friends in Major League Baseball and throughout the sports world, we get some fantastic items for our auction, and this year is no exception," said Gary Darling, a former MLB umpire and board president for UMPS CARE Charities. "This is the biggest fundraising initiative that we have to help so many children in need, and we can't thank everyone enough for all of the support. Please tell all of your friends, bid early and bid often to help this great cause." Worth noting Francona said the Indians would probably delay their decision on the second starter for Thursday's doubleheader against the Blue Jays until after this weekend's games against the Mariners. Francona remained optimistic on Friday that left-hander Andrew Miller (10-day DL, left hamstring strain) could get back on a mound in the near future.

3 Kluber strikes out 10, Indians top Seattle 6-5 with 5 homers The Associated Press STEVE HERRICK (Associated Press) CLEVELAND (AP) -- Corey Kluber is tough to beat most nights. When his team hits five solo home runs, the task is even more difficult. Kluber (4-1) struck out 10 in 8 2/3 innings and the Cleveland Indians used a power barrage, including three homers in the first inning, to defeat the Seattle Mariners 6-5 on Friday night. ''Obviously, the first time up the offense puts three on the board and they keep adding to it, it makes your job easier,'' Kluber said. ''You have a cushion to work with.'' Kluber reached double figures in strikeouts for the 41st time and avenged his only loss this season, when Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer at Seattle on opening day in the Mariners' 2-1 win. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner left with a 6-2 lead after Kyle Seager's two-out single in the ninth, the Mariners' fourth hit. Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley and Edwin Encarnacion homered in the first, and Yonder Alonso and Yan Gomes hit consecutive drives in the sixth for a 6-0 lead against Erasmo Ramirez (0-2), who made his second start this season. ''I wanted to get on base, get the team going and find a way to help Kluber,'' Lindor said. ''I drove the ball and it went out.'' Seattle manager Scott Servais knew early on that his team had a difficult task. ''The story of the game was Kluber being real good again,'' he said. ''When you're down 3-0 out of the chute against him, it's tough.'' Brantley added a sacrifice fly in the third and hit the Indians' first triple this season in the fifth. Brantley and Lindor each had three hits. Cody Allen gave up Mitch Haniger's single and Mike Zunino's three-run homer, then retired Ben Gamel on a lineout to Lindor. Indians manager Terry Francona didn't want to pull his ace, but Haniger had hit a two-run homer in the seventh. ''I just thought, he was at 116, and a guy that's been pretty tough on him,'' Francona said in a reference to Kluber's pitch count. ''The last thing you want is a guy to have to, not that he's not bearing down, to get pushed that late. That really wears on somebody, but of course, I wanted to leave him in.'' Kluber was charged with three runs and walked three. ''I was definitely gassed at that point,'' he said Ramirez, who began the season on the disabled list with a strained lat, has allowed seven home runs in 9 2/3 innings. ''These guys don't mess around,'' he said. ''The bad news was their hits were way gone. All the pitches I threw down, they got.'' On a night when the start was delayed by rain for 10 minutes, the Indians hit three homers in the first inning for the first time since Carlos Santana, Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall connected against the New York Yankees' Chad Green on July 8, NET WERTH OF Jayson Werth would get a $1 million, one-year contract if added to Seattle's 40-man roster. He would earn a $150,000 bonus if he spends 100 days on the active major league roster or a major league disabled list. GIVE IT A TOSS Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward, the first-round draft picks of the Cleveland Browns, threw out ceremonial first pitches. TRAINER'S ROOM Mariners: OF Dee Gordon crashed into the center-field wall chasing Alonso's home run. Gordon finished the sixth inning, then was removed in the seventh with a sore knee. A postgame medical exam showed no damage. Indians: LHP Andrew Miller (strained left hamstring) plans to throw off the mound at some point during his 10-day DL stint that began Thursday. UP NEXT Mariners RHP Mike Leake (2-2, 6.59 ERA) starts Saturday against Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco (4-0, 2.31 ERA). Carrasco is 10-0 in 12 starts since losing to Kansas City on Aug. 27, the longest winning streak of his big league career.

4 Indians 6, Mariners 5: 13 Walk-Off Thoughts on the Indians getting a vintage version of Michael Brantley and an even better-thanvintage version of Corey Kluber thus far Ryan Lewis Here are 13 Walk-Off Thoughts after the Indians 6-5 win against the Seattle Mariners. 1. Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley in 2014 came away as a Cy Young winner and an MVP finalist, respectively. Both might be off to better starts, comparatively, four seasons later. 2. Kluber s Cy Young candidacy each time that he s won it essentially started in late May or June. Both times he s won, he finished the season on a tear after a so-so start. This season has been different. Kluber has been about as dominant as he s been at a time in which he s normally still rounding into form. He s hit the campaign trail early. 3. Through six starts this season, Kluber owns a 2.18 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. In 2014, Kluber s ERA was 4.14 entering May. Last year, it was 4.19 through that time. Kluber is off to the best start to a season through this point in his career, which is a scary proposition for opposing teams. Kluber is among the game s elite, a sure-fire top-3 or top-4 ace in baseball. But, he s never started a season on such a torrid pace. And few things surprise the Indians anymore. 4. Said Yan Gomes: No, it s one of those things where now he s just turning to an elite pitcher because it s not every day that he s got his best stuff, but he s still able to get through it. That takes a little bit more than just having good stuff out there. I think we ve seen some guys that have that really good stuff, still get beat around a little bit. But when he doesn t have it, he still has a way of turning into another gear and figuring something else out and figuring a different pitch or something like that. It just goes to show the guy s work ethic. You guys tell me. It seems like every year there s something else we could talk about with him. 5. On Friday night, Kluber recorded 26 of the needed 27 outs. He was at 116 pitches when Kyle Seager singled to right field. Indians manager Terry Francona decided he didn t want to push his ace any further. He was met with some boos, though the longview had to be taken into consideration. 6. Said Francona, on the thought of leaving Kluber in: Oh, heck yeah. I wanted to. I mean, shoot. I just thought he s [at] 116, a guy that s been pretty tough on him, the last thing you want I think is guy to have to not that he s not bearing down but to get pushed that late. I think that really wears on somebody. But of course I wanted to leave him in. 7. Kluber only threw his curveball 17 times, according to Baseball Savant, the fewest in any start this season (to note, his start in Puerto Rico wasn t tracked by BS). Kluber s breaking ball is among the best individual pitches in the game, one you might take if you were building the perfect arsenal, along with, perhaps Noah Syndergaard s fastball or Aaron Sanchez s curveball or Chris Sale s slider, on and on. For context, he threw it 43 times in his start against the Detroit Tigers a couple weeks ago. 8. In that sense, Kluber s last two outings might illustrate why his status as an elite pitcher is so rock solid. In Baltimore, Kluber struggled with his command and had to fight through his entire outing. On Friday, he cruised, but he did it while adjusting his pitch percentages. Kluber can handle just about any situation that can be thrown at him during a start. He mirrors the self-leaning cyborg in every sci-fi movie that eventually figures out how to defeat every enemy. His ceiling isn t just as high as about any pitcher in baseball on a given day, his floor continues to be raised as well. 9. Said Kluber: I think that s just the way that I ve learned to pitch. You pitch long enough, guys learn the book on you and you kind of learn the book on guys and then it goes back to that sort of cat-and-mouse game of adjusting to each other. To me, that s just part of pitching. I don t have a 98-mph fastball that I can just rare back and throw it by guys all the time, so I think that you have to be able to make adjustments game to game, pitch to pitch. And, hopefully, you can make them before they do. 10. Brantley has arguably been the Indians most consistent hitter this season, which is music to the clubs collective ears after he lost essentially the entire 2016 season and then much of the second half last year to shoulder and ankle injuries. Francona has said on many occasions that his presence in the lineup brings it up a notch. His ceiling is one of the reasons why the Indians were so patient with him and why they picked up his $12 million club option for this season despite such disconcerting injury factors. 11. Thus far, he s rewarded that decision. Brantley is hitting.344 this season and on Friday night came a triple away from the cycle. Yes, Dee Gordon probably should have caught his triple. Though, Brantley also drove a ball to center field that was caught for a sacrifice fly at the warning track. Likewise with Kluber, Brantley is off to a better start this year than in 2014, when he posted a.255 average and.756 OPS and then beat those figures in every subsequent month. The Indians have effectively been without Brantley the last two Octobers he logged 11 atbats in last year s ALDS but clearly wasn t the same hitter. They d certainly take this version. 12. Said Gomes: I know too well, we were both on the DL for quite a while, him a little bit longer. It s almost like he never lost a beat. He just comes in, he s still exactly who the guy that was in It s really fun to see. He s the centerpiece of this team and we all know it. Having him in the lineup just lengthens it. 13. Added Francisco Lindor: It means a lot. He s in the middle of the lineup, he s one of the best hitters on the team and he helps us a lot. He gives protection to Ramirez, when he s behind Encarnacion, he gives Encarnacion protection, so he helps everybody out. Also, he protects anyone when he s not on behind them, because when he s at second base, he s protecting Encarnacion, he s protecting Alonso. I think Brantley, the way he s swinging it lately, the way he has always has swung it, this is extremely important. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Indians 6, Mariners 5: Five solo home runs back another strong outing by Corey Kluber Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: The Indians held a miniature home run derby and Corey Kluber almost gave the bullpen the night off in their 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners Friday night at Progressive Field. The Indians slugged three home runs in the first inning and two in the sixth, all off of Mariners starting pitcher Erasmo Ramirez and all solo shots. And, it started almost immediately.

5 Francisco Lindor led off the first inning and worked an eight-pitch at-bat. That eighth pitcj caught the middle of the plate was belted by Lindor for a lead-off home run to right-center field, his fourth homer of the season. After Ramirez got two outs, Michael Brantley and Edwin Encarnacion hit back-to-back home runs to center field and right field, respectively. It was Brantely s second home run of the season and Encarnacion s sixth. It was the first three-home-run inning for the Indians (14-10) since Aug. 27 of last year, when Lindor, Carlos Santana and Yan Gomes all went deep against the Kansas City Royals. Ramirez quieted the Indians offense until the power came back on in the sixth. Yonder Alonso, facing the team that traded for him less than a year ago, launched a home run to center field and was followed by Gomes, who drove a ball over the wall in left field. It was the first time the Indians hit five home runs against a single pitcher since Manny Ramirez and Paul Sorrento each hit two homers and Omar Vizquel hit one against Pat Hentgen in May of Brantley went 3-for-3 and finished a double shy of the cycle. Lindor went 3-for-5 and was only a triple shy of the cycle. Jose Ramirez was the only hitter in the starting lineup not to get at least one hit. Kluber s Cy Young campaign continues to pick up steam. The defending Cy Young winner, Kluber cruised with a comfortable lead for most of the night and got 26 of the needed 27 outs. In all, he allowed two runs on four hits and three walks and struck out 10. The lone blemish came on a two-run home run by Mitch Haniger in the seventh with the Indians already leading 6-0. One out shy of a complete game, Kyle Seager singled to right field. Rather than extend Kluber s outing beyond 116 pitches, Indians manager Terry Francona turned to Cody Allen to get the final out. Quickly, the Mariners displayed some life. Haniger doubled and Mike Zunino hammered a three-run home run to bring the tying run to the plate. That was Ben Gamel, who lined out to Lindor to end it and avert a lastsecond disaster for the Indians. With the win, Kluber improved to 4-1 this season and actually had his ERA rise to Friday night s start also was the 41st outing in which Kluber has registered at least 10 strikeouts in his career and the second such instance this season. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Indians notebook: Indians nearing decision with Giovanny Urshela, Erik Gonzalez Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: An unforeseen circumstance delayed a tough decision for the Indians in the spring, but barring another surprise, that situation is again looming. The Indians have one spot on their active roster for a utility infielder and two talented players from which to choose. The problem is that both Giovanny Urshela and Erik Gonzalez are out of options, meaning one would either need to be traded or pass through waivers to be sent to Triple-A. The Indians were given some additional time to see how things play out when Urshela hit the disabled list with a strained hamstring, retroactive to March 26, to start the season. That put Gonzalez on the active roster and kept Urshela within the organization. Urshela was then sent on a rehab assignment on April 13, starting the 20-day clock before a roster move must be made. That means that by May 3, the Indians will have to make a decision regarding that roster spot, barring another injury. At Triple-A, Urshela has hit.238 with two doubles and a.606 OPS in 22 at-bats. The Indians are giving him as much time as they can. We re trying to let him play a little bit more because we do have to make a decision, one that we know is going to hurt a little bit, Indians manager Terry Francona said. So we re just kind of letting him play. He hasn t swung the bat to the point where you re like, OK, let s do something. Guess we all figure the more he plays, it gives us time to make a decision. The Biebs Aside from the utility infielder spot, the Indians will have to make a roster move on May 3 when they take on the Toronto Blue Jays in a doubleheader after inclement weather postponed games on April 14 and 15. Both teams will be able to add a 26th player to the active roster for that day. The Indians will likely call up a pitcher to ease the burden of that day on the staff. They have a number of options, one of which could be Shane Bieber, the No. 11 prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline. Last season, Bieber posted a 2.48 ERA in 54⅓ innings for the RubberDucks. He s been dynamite this season, currently holding a 1.04 ERA with 28 strikeouts and zero walks in 26 innings. They really think this kid s got a chance to be special, Francona said of the report on Bieber. For a young kid, you talk about routines and things. Those are things, normally they come last. You see stuff or the way a guy pitches. They say he s kinda beyond his years with those types of things. So it s kind of cool to see. The only time I ve really been around him is that fall development thing. I know they really rave about him. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Indians belt five home runs, beat Seattle Mariners 6-5 Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: The Indians held a miniature home run derby and Corey Kluber just about gave the bullpen the night off which was the only time in which the result was in question in their 6-5 win against the Seattle Mariners Friday night at Progressive Field. The Indians slugged three home runs in the first inning and two in the sixth, all off of Mariners starting pitcher Erasmo Ramirez and all solo shots. And, it started almost immediately

6 Francisco Lindor led off the first inning and worked an eight-pitch at-bat. That eighth offering caught the middle of the plate was belted by Lindor for a lead-off home run to right-center field, his fourth homer of the season. After Ramirez recorded two outs, Michael Brantley and Edwin Encarnacion hit back-to-back home runs to center field and right field, respectively. It was Brantely s second home run of the season and Encarnacion s sixth. It was the first three-home-run inning for the Indians (14-10) since August 27 of last year, when Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana and Yan Gomes all went deep against the Kansas City Royals. Ramirez quieted the Indians offense until the power came back on in the sixth. Yonder Alonso, facing the team that traded for him less than a year ago, launched a home run to center field and was followed by Yan Gomes, who drove a ball over the wall in left field. It marked the first time the Indians hit five home runs against a single pitcher since Manny Ramirez and Paul Sorrento each hit two homers and Omar Vizquel hit one against Pat Hentgen in May of Brantley went 3-for-3 and finished a double shy of the cycle. Lindor went 3-for-5 and was only a triple shy of the cycle. Jose Ramirez was the only hitter in the starting lineup not to register at least one hit. Kluber s Cy Young campaign and his defense of last year continues to pick up steam. He cruised with a comfortable lead for most of the night and recorded 26 of the needed 27 outs. In all, he allowed two runs on four hits and three walks and struck out 10. The lone blemish came via a Mitch Haniger two-run home run in the seventh with the Indians already leading 6-0. One out shy of a complete game, Kyle Seager singled to right field. Rather than extend his outing beyond 116 pitches, Indians manager Terry Francona turned to Cody Allen to record the final out. Quickly, the Mariners displayed some life. Mitch Haniger doubled and Mike Zunino hammered a three-run home run to bring the tying run to the plate. That was Ben Gamel, who lined out to Lindor to end it and avert a lastsecond disaster for the Indians. With the win, Kluber improved to 4-1 this season and actually had his ERA rise to Friday night s start also marked the 41st outing in which Kluber has registered at least 10 strikeouts in his career and the second such instance this season. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Cleveland Indians hit five solo home runs, Corey Kluber strikes out 10 in 6-5 win vs. Seattle Mariners Joe Noga CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If good things come in pairs, the Cleveland Indians proved Friday that back-to-back home runs can be twice as nice in a 6-5 victory against the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field. Five different Indians collected solo home runs against Seattle starting pitcher Erasmo Ramirez, and the Tribe hit back-to-back home runs twice in the same game for the first time since Meanwhile, Corey Kluber picked up his fourth win, striking out 10 batters for the second time this season. Francisco Lindor led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run to right center on the eighth pitch of his at-bat. It was Lindor's fourth home run of the season and the second time in 2018 he led off a game with a homer. Manager Terry Francona said Lindor's ability to extend the at-bat and see multiple pitches from Ramirez benefitted every Tribe hitter. "Just seeing pitches like that is a great way to start the game for the whole lineup," Francona said. After Ramirez retired Jason Kipnis and Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley stepped to the plate and drove a 1-0 pitch 420 feet to dead center for his second of the season. Edwin Encarnacion followed with an opposite field shot for his sixth of the year, giving the Indians a 3-0 lead. Brantley, who finished a double shy of the cycle, added an RBI sacrifice fly in the third inning for a 4-0 lead and a triple the fifth. Yonder Alonso and Yan Gomes hit back-to-back home runs leading off the Tribe sixth. Alonso's homer was his second in as many days and tied him with Jose Ramirez for the team lead with seven. Francona said with the weather beginning to turn the corner, the club's at-bats that were resulting in frustrating outs during frigid cold games are starting to produce better results. "Not that it's hot out there, but it warmed up and the ball is carrying a little bit and guys had pretty good at-bats," he said. "Some of the balls that we hit weren't going out earlier, but I thought we took a lot of good swings." The last time Cleveland hit five home runs in a game was against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 7. But the last time five different Indians players homered in the same game was April 30, 2013 against Philadelphia when Ryan Rayburn (2), Carlos Santana, Mark Reynolds, Lonnie Chisenhall and Brantley did so. Prior to Friday the last time Cleveland hit back-to-back home runs was April 17 when Jose Ramirez and Brantley did so against Minnesota in Puerto Rico. Mariners starter Ramirez became the sixth pitcher to surrender home runs to five different Indians in the same game. The last time it happened was against Toronto's Pat Hentgen in Kluber was his typical dominant self in racking up his 41st career outing with 10 strikeouts or more. Kluber (4-1, 2.18) struck out seven different Mariners hitters, allowing only four hits, including a two-run homer to Mitch Haninger in the seventh inning. "He's got a lot of ways to attack hitters," Francona said. "Lefty, right, with the late movement, command, it's fun to watch." Kluber retired the first two batters in the ninth inning before allowing a base hit to Kyle Seager. He was lifted for closer Cody Allen who gave up a double to Haniger and a three-run home run to Mike Zunino. The two earned runs for Allen were the first he's given up in 10 1/3 innings of work this season.

7 First pitches for first-rounders Cleveland Browns No. 1 draft pick Baker Mayfield and No. 4 selection Denzel Ward were at Progressive Field Friday to throw ceremonial first pitches prior to the ballgame. Ward, a Nordonia High graduate who played three seasons at The Ohio State University, pumped up the crowd with an "O-H" gesture before throwing his pitch to Tribe reliever Dan Otero. Mayfield made his pitch to starer Josh Tomlin. What it means The Indians evened the season series against Seattle at 2-2 and improved to 3-5 overall against the American League West Division in Last season the Tribe went 13-4 vs. the AL West at Progressive Field. The pitches Kluber threw 116 pitches, 79 (68 percent) for strikes. Ramirez threw 83 pitches, 61 (73 percent) for strikes. Rain or shine The Mariners and Indians drew 16,335 to Progressive Field on Friday night. First pitch was at 7:20 p.m. following a 10-minute weather delay with a temperature of 55 degrees. Next Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (4-0, 2.31) will face the Mariners and right-hander Mike Leake (2-2, 6.95) on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio and WMMS/FM will carry the game. Carrasco is on a career-long 10-game winning streak dating back to Aug. 27. He is 10-0 with a 1.70 ERA in 12 starts during the streak. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Clock ticking on Giovanny Urshela and three other things we learned about the Cleveland Indians Joe Noga, CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Manager Terry Francona and the Cleveland Indians know a tough roster decision is approaching May 3 when it is time for infielder Giovanny Urshela to come off the disabled list. If things stay the way they are between now and then, it probably means saying goodbye to either Urshela or utility man Erik Gonzalez, as both players are out of minor league options. Urshela went on the disabled list in late March with a hamstring strain, sparing the club from having to make a similar decision at the end of spring training. He stayed in Goodyear, Ariz. in extended spring training to recover from the injury and has been has been on a rehab assignment with Class AAA Columbus since April 13. Urshela is hitting.217 in seven games with three RBI and a pair of doubles for the Clippers. Francona said the Indians are letting Urshela play as much as possible during the rehab assignment, and that the 26 year old has not swung the bat to the point where he's forcing the team to move up their timetable. "We're trying to let him play a little bit more because we do have to make a decision, one that we know is going to hurt a little bit," Francona said. "The more he plays, it gives us time to make a decision." Gonzalez has appeared in nine games with the Indians since breaking camp with the big-league club in March. He's hitting.222 with an RBI, a walk and two strikeouts. He has hits in his last two at-bats, including an RBI single Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. 1. Merritt mending Left-hander Ryan Merritt, on the disabled list since the start of the season, was scheduled to make one more start in extended spring training before heading out on a rehab assignment of his own, Francona said. The decision to remain in Arizona was made at Merritt's request, according to Francona. "We had talked to him so much about trying to get leg strength, arm strength and everything trying to catch up, Francona said. "It was kind of by his wanting one more before getting going." 2. Alonso not feeling left out Yonder Alonso has had more success hitting left-handed pitching than perhaps Francona imagined when the Indians signed him as a free agent in the offseason. Alonso, a career.233 hitter against lefties, has three home runs this season against southpaws, including a two-run blast on Tuesday against Chicago's Jon Lester. "We knew coming in his production against righties would be better, but he's certainly held his own," Francona said. "Whether it's righties or lefties, as long as he stays in the zone and makes them get the ball up, he can do damage against both." 3. Beliveau's bright beginning Francona said he was pleased to get reliever Jeff Beliveau into Thursday's game after the lefty joined the team earlier in the day when Andrew Miller was placed on the 10-day disabled list. "Having a guy come up and then sit for a while, that never helps," Francona said. "He hadn't pitched in three days, so when you get a guy up, it makes sense to me to get a guy up that's fresh if you're not sure when they're coming in the game." Beliveau entered in the top of the eighth inning and struck out Robinson Cano on four pitches. "He got a tough guy out," Francona said. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED:

8 Cleveland Indians clobber three home runs in first inning vs. Seattle Mariners Joe Noga CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Indians hitters wasted no time getting on the scoreboard Friday against Seattle starting pitcher Erasmo Ramirez, blasting three home runs in the first inning off the Mariners righty. Francisco Lindor led off the inning with a solo home run to right center field. It was Lindor's fourth of the season and the second time in 2018 he led off a game with a home run. After Ramirez retired Jason Kipnis and Tribe third baseman Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley stepped to the plate and drove a 1-0 pitch 420 feet to dead center field for his second homer of the season. Edwin Encarnacion followed with an opposite-field shot for his sixth of the year, giving the Indians a 3-0 lead. It was the second time this season the Indians hit back-to-back home runs after Ramirez and Brantley did so in Puerto Rico against Minnesota on April 17. The Indians had just one three-homer inning in 2017, on Aug. 27 against Kansas City at Progressive Field. That day, Lindor, Carlos Santana and Yan Gomes hit home runs in the bottom of the second inning against Eric Skoglund and Onelki Garcia. The last time the Tribe hit three homers in the first inning was July 18, 2016 against New York Yankees starter Chad Green. Santana, Jason Kipnis, and Lonnie Chisenhall accomplished the feat that day. Coincidentally, the Tribe's starting pitcher in that 10-2 victory was also Corey Kluber. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: What happens if the Cleveland Indians' offense doesn't blossom once it gets out of April? Paul Hoynes CLEVELAND, Ohio - On the Indians' last trip, the one where they spent nearly four days in Puerto Rico and another five in Baltimore, catcher Yan Gomes said something that made sense. The Indians have been leaning too heavily on their pitching staff. Everyone knows that. So far the pitching staff has carried the weight, but it's not always going to be that way. Josh Tomlin, the forgotten starter, is still looking for consistent work. In the bullpen, left-hander Andrew Miller is going be on the disabled list for at least 10 days with a strained left hamstring. Tyler Olson assumes the role of No.1 lefty followed by Jeff Beliveau, who arrived Thursday from Class AAA Columbus. Olson wasn't available in Thursday's 5-4 loss to Seattle after pitching against the Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Beliveau, who made 19 appearances for the Blue Jays last year, made a good first impression. He came on in the eighth, with the score tied, 4-4, and struck out dangerous Robinson Cano for the second out in the inning. If Olson had been rested, Cano would have been his. If Miller was healthy, Cano would have been his. But at least manager Terry Francona has an idea of what he has to work with in Beliveau. But there has to be some concern among Francona and his coaches. After Beliveau struck out Cano, he brought in right-hander Nick Goody to face Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. A healthy Miller would have faced both. Would Francona have let Olson face the right-handed hitting Cruz with Seager, a lefty, waiting on deck? That's where things get complicated. Goody faced Cruz and Seager and allowed consecutive doubles that gave Seattle the lead and the game. Without Miller, Francona is going to have to manage his relievers more than usual. Miller's ability to handle righties and lefties will be missed. But this was originally about something Gomes said in Baltimore after he had three hits in a 7-3 win over the Orioles. When asked about the offense, and the difficulty it has had in scoring runs, Gomes said, "Let's just get through April." April can be a cruel month in the Midwest. Spring hasn't sprung because winter won't let it go. It is not conductive to baseball in any shape or form. Gomes and his teammates know that. They know that if they can get through April with a respectable record, and a hold on first place in the AL Central, they will be right where they want to be. The Indians are headed into the second of four games against the Mariners on Friday night. They lead the division by three games with just four days left in April. There is a general feeling that the offense, like May flowers, will bloom in warmer weather. "We have a lineup that can do damage from top to bottom," said Gomes. At the moment, it may be hard to believe such a projection. The Indians are hitting.217 as a team and averaging 3.5 runs per game. The optimism comes from the fact that a big part of the lineup that won 102 games last season is still intact and there have been some encouraging signs of late. Jason Kipnis had two hits Thursday. The last one, a double to the wall in center, came off a left-hander and drove in a run. Kipnis is still hitting just.174 (16-for-92), but there seems to be movement in the right direction. The same can be said for Edwin Encarnacion. He homered and singled in Wednesday's win over the Cubs. In Thursday's game, his single in the seventh scored Kipnis to tie the score at 4-4. He's hitting only.176, but this slow start feels similar to last year's slow start, which ended in Encarnacion hitting.258 with 38 homers and 107 RBI. and have tied this one up!#rallytogether STREAM: pic.twitter.com/lofpnsttry -- SportsTime Ohio (@SportsTimeOhio) April 27, 2018

9 Michael Brantley, after two injury shortened season, leads the team with a.310 (18-for-58) batting average. Jose Ramirez, hitting.250 (22-for- 88) with seven homers and 12 RBI, has started to get hits in bunches. Ramirez, however, is still behind last year's pace when he was hitting.333 (29-for-87) with six homers and 21 RBI after 23 games. Still, if Ramirez is healthy, he should be the least of the Francona's worries. Francisco Lindor's production, like that of Ramirez, has lagged compared to last April. He's hitting.215 (20-for-93) with 14 runs, three homers and nine RBI out of the leadoff spot. Last April, when Lindor was hitting second, he batted.303 (27-for-89) with 18 runs, six homers and 14 RBI. Super Smashed, Bro. pic.twitter.com/x0ktewlwiw -- Cleveland Indians April 26, 2018 Lindor's OPS after 23 games last year was.985. This year it's.670. Departed Carlos Santana spent all of April batting leadoff for the Tribe. Lindor eventually made 63 starts in the leadoff spot so he isn't a stranger to the position. On Thursday night, Lindor was hit by a pitch, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on the Kipnis double. Those are the kind of things leadoff hitters do and there's no reason to believe Lindor won't be able to do that. The Indians signed Yonder Alonso to replace Santana and he's done fine. Alonso is hitting just.220 (18-for-82), but he's hit six homers and leads the Tribe with 15 RBI. Santana is hitting.174 (17-for-86) with two homers and 11 RBI for the Phillies. Almost hit this one to... Mayfield.#RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/uk2cctya67 -- Cleveland Indians (@Indians) April 27, 2018 Gomes, himself, has had a decent start compared to last year. In 16 games, he's hitting.228 (14-for-57) with three homers, seven RBI and a.718 OPS. Last year, he was hitting.200 (9-for-45) with one homer, two RBI and a.619 OPS in his first 16 games. It's hard to believe this offense can be as bad as it has performed this April. The Indians rank last in the AL in batting average (.217) and doubles (31), 14th in on-base percentage (.290), 13th in runs (81) and slugging percentage (.367) and 10th in walks (72). Last year the Indians ended April at They ranked fourth in batting average (.253), second in doubles (43), fourth in on-base percentage (.334), runs (117), slugging percentage (.424) and walks (93). Just a guess, but the weather was probably just as bad last April as it has been this April. Which means if this offense doesn't start to carry its share of the load - even in as weak a division as the AL Central is this year - the Indians are going to be in for a bumpy ride over the next five months. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Akron RubberDucks return home sitting.500: Cleveland Indians Minor leagues 2018 (video) AKRON, Ohio -- Bobby Bradley welcomed the cool sweat that came with the first warm day for baseball with the Akron RubberDucks. So the 6-1, 225-pound former No. 3 pick (2014) was not that anxious to pull off his workout shirt, even to show off the 30 pounds he lost during the offseason. But Bradley was anxious to talk about his second season with the Ducks. After a season of adjustment for Bradley, 21, the smile on his face comes quicker, and his answers more direct with the knowledge and comfortable feeling of 'been there, done that.' "I'm comfortable with everything,'' he said. "I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I know where we're going when we get on the bus. I know how long the road trips are. It's a comfort level where I can just have fun playing." That's not to say the No. 3 prospect in the Indians organization has it made as he climbs through the ranks. Manager Tony Mansolino said before the season began, his big job was not just with Bradley but the entire team was to sharpen every ones defensive skills. "I'm working every day on it,'' Bradley said of his work around the bag. "I know I can hit. I want to keep getting comfortable just playing out there." Simple mechanics can often get lost in the heat of battle and that's what Bradley is working on as well. "Keep your mind in the moment and not let the situation dictate to you,'' Bradley said. "That's a lot easier said than done. All last year I made big strides defensively, just sticking to the plan." On the season, Bradley's focus on defense may be impacting his offense. He's only hitting.108 (7-for-65) with 2 homers and 22 strikeouts. Coming back around: Infielder Tyler Krieger had a tough season (.225 BA) with the RubberDucks in 2017 but shows signs of turning things back to the good old days when the Indians fourth round (2014) pick hit.313 with the Lake County Captains and.282 with the Lynchburg Hillcats. Krieger, 24, is hitting a very modest.200 (13-for-65). But he is now on a mini four-game hitting streak (7-for-18) with a pair of homers and a pair of doubles. Look who's coming: The RubberDucks begin a six-game homestead this weekend, with the curiosity game coming Monday night at Canal Park against Binghamton (N.Y.) Rumble Ponies who feature former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow.

10 On the season Tebow is hitting.255 with 23 strikeouts, but over the last 10 games he's hitting.303 with 10 hits and five RBI. The Michael Brantley Effect: Indians slugger is making Cleveland's entire lineup better By Joe Noga, CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The man they call Doctor Smooth had his full offensive arsenal on display Friday in the Cleveland Indians' 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners. But Michael Brantley's teammates, and manager Terry Francona, say the 30-year-old outfielder's impact on the Tribe lineup goes beyond what you can read in a postgame box score. Earlier this week Francona said the Indians are "a different team" when Brantley plays. "It's not just his bat and his presence in the lineup," Francona said. "It's his steadiness in the outfield, the teammate he is. The way he competes. I think he makes everybody better. Myself included. I know it's a nice feeling during a game when he's here." Brantley was a double short of hitting for the cycle on Friday, recording his second three-hit game of the season and upping his team-leading batting average to.344 (21-for-61). In the first inning, he joined Cleveland's three-home run parade when he blasted a 1-0 fastball from Seattle starter Erasmo Ramirez 420 feet over the wall in center field for his second long ball of the season. He added an RBI sacrifice fly in the third, and his 18th career triple in the fifth. It was the second game in Brantley's 10-year big league career that he recorded a home run and a triple, having accomplished the feat in 2011 against Texas. Cleveland is 11-4 with Brantley in the lineup this season. Despite missing the first six games of the season on the disabled list recovering from offseason ankle surgery, he leads the club with seven multi-hit games and has at least one hit in 12 of 15 games played. That's a level of consistency his manager and teammates have come to not only expect, but also appreciate deeply. "It's almost like he never lost a beat," said catcher Yan Gomes, who, like Brantley missed a significant number of games due to injury the last two seasons. "He's the centerpiece of this team and we all know it. Having him in the lineup just lengthens it." Francona says Brantley makes hitting look easy because of all the preparation he does between games. It may sound like an oversimplification, however, it's anything but "business as usual." "He's really intelligent, and he watches the game," Francona said. "His swing has such little maintenance. I hate to say it almost because he's such a hard worker." Leadoff hitter Francisco Lindor said he appreciates the way Brantley's presence forces opponents to pitch differently to the middle of the lineup. "He gives protection to (Jose) Ramirez, and when he's behind (Edwin) Encarnacion, he gives Encarnacion protection, so he helps everybody out," Lindor said. "The way he's swinging it lately, the way he has always has swung it, this is extremely important. Nasty and filthy become endearing terms when Indians players describe Tyler Olson T.J. Zuppe Apr 27, Nick Goody and Tyler Olson used to play catch when they were stuck at Scranton, the Triple-A affiliate of the Yankees in But after a while, Goody stopped volunteering to be on the receiving end of Olson s arsenal of arm angles and movement. Why? It put me in a bad mood every morning, Goody said. Was it the conversation? A disagreement? A bad round of Mario Kart? Nope. Not quite. Because he s nasty, Goody said. He s like, Hey, this is coming. And you re like, OK, what arm angle? You have to guess. It s brutal. By now, most Indians fans have grown to appreciate the club s mid-2016 waiver claim from the Royals. Since that under-the-radar pickup, Olson has gradually become one of the most important members of the Tribe s bullpen, carrying over a 20-inning scoreless streak last year into a continued string of solid relief work. Thus far, Olson has struck out 12 of the 28 hitters he s faced over eight innings. Two of the three runs he s allowed came on a homer in his first appearance of the campaign. Since then, he s continued to build on a unique way of missing barrels and creating deception. But maybe the most impressive thing about Olson is how he s handled a lot of new experiences as if he s seen them a million times. For a guy who didn t complete his transition to full-time relief until last season, that s not always the case.