MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Transcription

1 Napoli brings the party and fireworks on July 4 By Jordan Bastian / 2:08 AM ET CLEVELAND -- The party was at Progressive Field on Monday night. Given the high dose of energy injected into the Cleveland sports scene lately and the promise of Fourth of July fireworks, fans poured into the ballpark for a sold-out show of support for the first-place Tribe. Mike Napoli showed his appreciation with a towering home run in the seventh inning that sailed roughly a quarter of the way up the steep leftfield bleacher seats, providing the decisive blow in a 5-3 win over the rival Tigers. The win was the 15th in the past 17 games for Cleveland, which improved to 10-0 on the season against second-place Detroit and now has a 12-game winning streak at home. Napoli said the postgame party was at his place. "It's at Napoli's, for sure," Napoli said with a grin. The slogan "Party at Napoli's" began with a poster in the stands earlier this season and soon swept through social media. It has become a rallying cry during games and a phrase of celebration following wins, and has gained steam to the point where players are donning blue shirts sporting the phrase. The Indians now sell the shirts in their shop, with a portion of the proceeds going to Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. Napoli has enjoyed watching fans embrace the slogan. "I love it. It's pretty cool," said Napoli, who also doubled and scored in the second inning. "I enjoy it because I can be able to give back." Thanks to a pregame rain delay lasting two hours and 21 minutes, Cleveland's July 4 celebration had carried over to July 5 by the seventh inning. With the game in a 3-3 deadlock, Napoli settled into his stance with one out and Francisco Lindor on first base. Detroit righthander Bruce Rondon unleashed a 96-mph fastball that ran low and inside and right into Napoli's wheelhouse. Napoli sent the pitch towering high over left field, where it crashed deep into the bleachers as the crowd roared with approval. According to Statcast, the ball traveled an estimated 430 feet, but the data stream might as well have spit out "country mile." The two-run blast had an exit velocity of 109 mph and gave the Indians a two-run lead that held up for the win. "Man, it's nice," manager Terry Francona said. "He's done that so many times. We don't live by the home run a ton, but when he's up, I mean, that's why he's here. We certainly try not to run into outs, because we like to get to him and let him take three good swings." Cleveland can work around Napoli's.237 batting average and 34.8 percent strikeout rate because of his power. His homer was his 17th of the season and gave him a team-leading 55 RBIs, making him the first Indians right-handed batter to have at least that many homers and RBIs in a first half since 2001 (Juan Gonzalez). He is also one of nine players this season to have at least six homers with an exit velocity of at least 109 mph. No other Cleveland hitter has even one. "He's a power hitter," pitcher Danny Salazar said. "You can expect something like that at any point in the game, every time he's up. He's great. He always has a lot of energy. He's always laughing, making jokes with us. He's giving us energy, too, when we're kind of down. It's amazing having a guy like that here." In front of a packed house on Monday night, Napoli was the life of the party. He was thrilled to see Progressive Field buzzing, too. "It's a good time to be in Cleveland right now," he said. "We got to be here for the [Cavs' NBA championship] parade and when they clinched. It was exciting to see the fans out there and really excited about it. Hopefully, it keeps up, because it definitely helps us." Tribe extends dominance of Tigers in opener By Shane Jackson and Jason Beck / MLB.com 1:44 AM ET CLEVELAND -- Indians first baseman Mike Napoli lingered for a moment as he watched the ball soar over the towering wall in left field. His 17th home run of the season broke a seventh-inning deadlock with the Tigers and was the decisive blow in the 5-3 victory. Monday's win in front of a sold-out crowd at Progressive Field was Cleveland's 12th straight victory at home. It also moved the Tribe to a 10-0 mark this season against the Tigers. Detroit homered twice in the loss. Outfielder Steven Moya took Danny Salazar deep with a leadoff shot in the fifth inning, then third baseman Nick Castellanos went yard on a two-run homer in the sixth to knot the score at 3. But it was Napoli's blast that proved to be the difference. Per Statcast, the ball traveled an estimated 430 feet at 109 mph. "It's nice, because he's done that so many times," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We don't live by the home run a ton, but when he's up, I mean, that's why he's here. We certainly try not to run into outs, because we like to get to him and let him take three good swings." Neither starter factored into the decision. Salazar, the American League Pitcher of the Month for June, has gotten off to a shaky start in July. For the first time all season, he surrendered multiple home runs, and he was chased after 5 2/3 innings after allowing three runs and a seasonhigh eight hits. Tigers left-hander Daniel Norris exited after just two innings of two-run ball due to a strained right oblique. As a result, Detroit went to its bullpen much earlier than anticipated, allowingdustin Molleken -- a former Indians Minor Leaguer -- to make his Major League debut. Molleken also went two innings, giving up one run on three hits. Detroit used five pitchers in the game. "Guys battled," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "I thought we hit some balls hard tonight. They made some nice plays. The guys were into the game. They were into it and they were focused, down to the last out." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Strained oblique knocks out Norris: Norris battled his way out of a jam in the second inning with one run allowed, but it might have come at a price when he made a lunging attempt at Abraham Almonte's chopper up the middle. Jose Iglesias fielded the ball for the out, but Norris strained his right oblique on the attempt and left after issuing a leadoff walk in the third inning. More > Change of pace: Prior to Monday night, Salazar allowed 0.58 home runs per nine innings (second-lowest among AL starters) and had not given up a long ball on his changeup since Aug. 17 of last season. The Tigers not only hit two home runs off him, but both of them (Moya's leadoff shot in the fifth and Castellanos' two-run blast in the sixth) came against that signature split-change. Salazar said he was elevating the changeup more than usual.

2 "Sometimes I was trying to throw it down," Salazar said. "Even when I struck out Victor Martinez [in the fourth inning], I was trying to throw the pitch down. I was just leaving it up for a strike the whole time." Early work: Cleveland has scored first in nine of the 10 meetings with Detroit and outscored the Tigers, 25-1, in the first three frames combined this season. On Monday the Tribe scored a pair of early runs, on an RBI base knock from Carlos Santana in the second and a sacrifice fly from Francisco Lindor in the third. However, the Indians squandered a chance to break open the game early by leaving four runners stranded, including three in scoring position in the first three innings. Double plays erase threats: The Tigers had a chance to rally again in the eighth, putting two on with nobody out. Castellanos hit a sharp ground ball up the middle, but Jason Kipnisranged to his right and shoveled the ball quickly to Lindor at second, starting a double play that took the potential tying run off the basepaths and negated the most dangerous hitter the Tigers have had against Cleveland this season. "It's unfortunate," Castellanos said. "If that ball's another foot, half-foot up the middle, maybe we have bases loaded, or Miggy scores and me and Miggy are on first and second with no outs. That could have been a turning point in the ballgame, too." QUOTABLE "It's a good time to be in Cleveland right now. We got to be here for the [Cavaliers'] parade and when they clinched. It was exciting to see the fans out there really excited about it. Hopefully, it keeps up, because it definitely helps us out to be able to play in front of a lot of fans, just the adrenaline being out there." -- Napoli, on Cleveland's recent success at home "Everybody tomorrow is going to hit their opposite hand. Maybe that would work.... It's baseball. We could come out and beat the Indians by 10 runs tomorrow. It could happen. We could beat the Indians the rest of the season. It's just one of those things." -- Castellanos, on the Tigers' lack of success against the Indians SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Alex Wilson retired the Indians in order on just three pitches in the sixth inning. According to STATS, he became the first pitcher to do that since Tommy Hunter retired the Rays in order on three pitches in the ninth inning on June 29, Though Giants pitcher Cory Gearrinhad UPON FURTHER REVIEW The final out of the came courtesy of a challenge. Iglesias was initially ruled safe on a fielder's choice on a chopper to second base. Francona elected to review the play, the call was overturned and Iglesias was ruled out on a double play to end the game. The review took approximately two minutes and seven seconds. "I didn't even wait, because we didn't have anything to lose," Francona said. "From what I saw on the board, it looked like he was out. I was glad they overturned it, because [Ian Kinsler was up next]. I feel a lot better about our chances to win if he doesn't get a chance to hit." Said Ausmus: "They did have a super-slo-mo that came down after the game, and I still am unsure that Napoli had the ball before Iglesias was on the base. So for me it was not conclusive evidence, but maybe they saw something I didn't, or have better eyes." WHAT'S NEXT Tigers: Anibal Sanchez gets the short-notice starting assignment on Tuesday night in the middle game of the three-game series, filling in for the injured Jordan Zimmermann after Zimmermann was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday night. Sanchez gave up two homers and four runs over five innings against the Indians in his last start, on June 25 at Comerica Park. Indians: Right-hander Carlos Carrasco will make his 11th start on Tuesday. In his last three starts, he has allowed a combined three runs on 12 hits across 23 2/3 innings. He is 5-6 with a 5.25 ERA in 17 appearances (12 starts) against the Tigers in his career. Indians designate Joba, Gorzelanny CLEVELAND -- In need of reinforcements for their pitching staff, the Indians were forced to make a difficult decision on Monday afternoon. Prior to its game against the Tigers, Cleveland designated relievers Joba Chamberlain andtom Gorzelanny for assignment to make room on the roster for a pair of arms. Right-handerMike Clevinger and lefty TJ House were recalled from Triple-A Columbus to help a staff that is still feeling the effects of Friday's 19-inning marathon with the Blue Jays. "It's not something you look forward to, obviously," manager Terry Francona said of parting with Chamberlain and Gorzelanny. "It's kind of the fallout or the ramifications when you play a 19-inning game. There's always the possibility that things like that can happen when you don't have pitchers in the bullpen that have options, or things like that." The Indians now have 10 days to trade or release Chamberlain and Gorzelanny, or reassign them to the Minor Leagues if they clear waivers. Chamberlain has been pitching well in middle relief this season, but the veteran righty became collateral damage in the wake of the past few games, which taxed the relief corps. In 20 games this year, Chamberlain recorded a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings, during which he had 18 strikeouts, 11 walks and a.176 opponents' average (.616 OPS). Gorzelanny allowed seven runs in one-third of an inning in Sunday's 17-1 loss to Toronto, accounting for all the runs he gave up in his seven relief appearances for the Tribe this season. "I wouldn't be surprised if both of them get claimed," Francona said. "And I hope they do, for their sake. They deserve it." House started for Cleveland in parts of the seasons. He began this year as a starter for Columbus but has worked out of the Clippers' bullpen since June 12. In seven relief outings at Triple-A, he had a 2.16 ERA, with six hits allowed in 8 1/3 innings. Overall, he has a 4.45 ERA in 19 games for Columbus this year. "He was having a tough time this year as a starter," Francona said. "He went to the bullpen and, for whatever reason, things have really kicked up. So we wanted to get a look. And it's another guy that can give us some length, because he's been stretched out. We really wanted to try to be cognizant of that." Clevinger recorded an 8.79 ERA in three starts for the Indians earlier this season in his first taste of the big leagues but has had much more success in Triple-A. He has gone 8-0 with a 2.70 ERA for the Clippers in 70 innings (13 starts), striking out 76 and walking 28. "I think it can be good for him to pitch out of the bullpen for a week," Francona said. "And chances are probably better than they aren't that he'll go back to Triple-A and start after the All-Star break, because we don't want to lose that depth starter. But we also think that, one, he can help us in the bullpen, because he's certainly stretched out. And two, he might be a guy down the road that can help us win some games in the bullpen." Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from Read his blog,

3 Brantley set to take BP at Progressive Field By Shane Jackson / MLB.com July 4th, 2016 CLEVELAND -- There has been little for outfielder Michael Brantley to be happy about for much of the season, but prior to the series opener with the Tigers, the Tribe gave him a reason to get excited. On Monday, manager Terry Francona said that Brantley will go through "a normal day" prior to Tuesday's tilt. This means that for the first time since May, when he went on the DL with an injured right shoulder, Brantley will take batting practice at Progressive Field. "He's genuinely excited about where he is at," said Francona. "I'm kind of looking forward to seeing this." Prior to Sunday's lopsided loss to Toronto, Brantley was transferred to the 60-day DL after being on the 15-day DL since May 14. He is eligible to be activated on Saturday but still has plenty of hurdles to clear, including a possible rehab stint. Brantley started the season on the DL before making his season debut in late April. He played just 11 games before experiencing lingering discomfort in the shoulder and going back on the shelf. "I think for a while he was cautiously optimistic, which I get," Francona said. "But I think right now he feels pretty good. Just the look on his face, it's good to see him feel like that." Carrasco faces Tigers aiming to build on 14-K outing The Indians and Tigers will continue a three-game divisional clash on Tuesday at Progressive Field. Right-handers Carlos Carrasco of Cleveland and Anibal Sanchez of Detroit will take the mound in the 11th meeting of the season between the two clubs. Carrasco will be making his 11th start for the Tribe. After spending a good chunk of the season on the disabled list, he has found a rhythm in his last three starts, allowing three runs on 12 hits across 23 2/3 innings. During that span he has 27 strikeouts and just seven walks. Last time out, on June 30 against Toronto, Carrasco punched out a season-high 14 batters. He spun 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits. He finished June with a 2-2 record and 2.61 ERA in six starts. Sanchez will take the mound for the Tigers in place of Jordan Zimmermann, who had been scheduled to start before being sent to the disabled list on Monday with a strained neck. Sanchez began the season in the rotation but was shifted to the bullpen after some early struggles. In a relief role, he has a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings. Sanchez has made two starts this season against the Tribe, including a spot start on June 25 in which he gave up four runs on five hits over five innings. Over all outings against the Indians this season, he is 0-2, having given up 11 runs (10 earned) on 14 hits in 7 1/3 innings. Three things to know about this game Carrasco has made 17 appearances (12 starts) against Detroit in his career, going 5-6 with a 5.25 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. Sanchez has a career 4-6 record and 3.97 ERA against Cleveland, with 65 punchouts in 70 1/3 innings. Detroit's Miguel Cabrera has had success against Carrasco in his career, hitting.357. Shane Jackson is a reporter for MLB.com based in Cleveland. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its Hillman among top prospect performers Monday Indians No. 10 prospect Juan Hillman extended his scoreless innings streak to 16 by throwing 5 2/3 frames of three-hit ball for Class A Short Season Mahoning Valley in a loss to Vermont. The 19-year-old lefty issued one walk and set a career high with eight strikeouts. Through four starts, Hillman has posted a 1.31 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. Hillcats' Mejia extends hitting streak to 30 games Indians' No. 8 prospect's hitting streak is longest in pro baseball this year It's official: Francisco Mejia owns the longest hitting streak in professional baseball in The Indians' No. 8 prospect delivered a single on the second pitch he saw on Monday night to extend his hitting streak to 30 games and pass the streaks of the Red Sox's Jackie Bradley Jr. and Triple-A El Paso's Alex Dickerson (Padres' No. 23), both of whom hit safely in 29 straight games earlier this season. Mejia finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate for Class A Advanced Lynchburg, which fell to Frederick, 9-6. Complete Indians prospects coverage at MLBPipeline.com/indians Mejia last failed to record a hit in a game was May 25, when he was still a member of Class A Lake County. At that time, the 20-year-old backstop owned a.295/.333/.418 slash line through 36 games for the Captains. Since then, Mejia has hit.410 with 17 extra-base hits including six home runs and 12 multi-hit performances in his last 30 contests. Meanwhile, the fact that he was promoted to Lynchburg from Lake County on June after pacing all Midwest League hitters with a.347 average through 60 games -- makes his feat all the more impressive, as he's managed to extend his streak in each of his first six contests with the Hillcats. Jim Callis Kreiger represents Hillcats at 2B on Prospect Team of the Week 2B: Tyler Krieger, Lynchburg Hillcats (Class A Advanced) (Indians No. 21 prospect) 6 G,.381/.444/.857, 7 R, 8 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB One of four honorees this week who also had earned PTOW acclaim earlier this season -- Benintendi, Renfroe and Twins right-hander Jose Berrios are the others -- Krieger had no problems getting acclimated to Class A Advanced after making the jump last Monday. He opened his first full pro season in the Class A Midwest League, where he batted.313/.385/.427 with 15 steals in 69 games. Indians cut Chamberlain, Gorzelanny in bullpen shuffle CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Indians have designated veteran reliever Joba Chamberlain for assignment. The team made several moves to help its overworked bullpen before Monday night's game against Detroit. Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny also was designated for assignment, while right-hander Mike Clevinger and lefty T.J. House were recalled from Triple-A Columbus.

4 Cleveland is coming off a series in Toronto that included a 19-inning game Friday. The Indians went to their bullpen early on Sunday when starter Corey Kluber lasted only 3 1/3 innings in a 17-1 loss. The 30-year-old Chamberlain was signed in the offseason and had no record with a 2.25 ERA in 20 appearances. The right-hander was selected in the first round of the 2006 draft by the New York Yankees, and also has pitched for Detroit and Kansas City. Gorzelanny allowed seven runs in one-third of an inning Sunday. Clevinger is 0-1 with an 8.79 ERA in three starts for the Indians. He has gone 8-0 with a 2.70 ERA at Columbus. Napoli's homer continues Indians' mastery of Tiger By STEVE HERRICK (Associated Press)7 hours agoap - Sports CLEVELAND (AP) -- Mike Napoli found the perfect way to lift up a weary baseball team. Napoli hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Cleveland Indians remained perfect in 10 games against the Detroit Tigers this season with a 5-3 victory on Monday night. The win also ended Cleveland's two-game skid that followed a franchise-record 14-game winning streak set with a 19-inning victory in Toronto on Friday. The Indians dropped the final two games of the series and saw the start of Monday's game delayed by rain for 2 hours, 21 minutes. ''We've got some guys who are tired and grinding to the All-Star break,'' Napoli said. ''You get on that run and then lose two and you're like, oh what's going on? We understand we have to finish strong so we can get some rest.'' The win came in front of a crowd of 34,163, the Indians' second sellout of the season and first since opening day. Cleveland has outscored Detroit this season and the Indians now lead the Tigers by 6 1/2 games in the AL Central. Napoli hit an 0-1 pitch from Bruce Rondon (2-1) into the left-field bleachers, helping the Indians to their 12th straight win at home. ''He throws pretty hard,'' Napoli said. ''I was trying to stay short to the ball and I caught it right.'' ''We don't live by the home run a ton but when he's up, that's why he's here,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said. ''We like to get to him and let him take three good swings.'' Jeff Manship (1-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Cody Allen worked the ninth for his 18th save. The game ended when Jose Iglesias bounced into a double play. Iglesias was called safe at first, but it was reversed after a replay review. Nick Castellanos and Steven Moya homered for Detroit, which had won six straight. ''The guys battled and fought down to the last out, but we hit into some bad luck,'' Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. ''And in the end, they beat us.'' Rondon struck out Jason Kipnis to start the seventh, but walked Francisco Lindor before Napoli hit his 17th homer. Detroit starter Daniel Norris was pulled in the third with a strained right oblique. The Tigers announced he'll have an MRI on Tuesday. Danny Salazar allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings and has a 2.36 ERA, the lowest in the AL. Dustin Molleken made his major league debut when he replaced Norris in the third. Molleken was called up from Triple-A Toledo when righthander Jordan Zimmermann was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a neck strain. Friday's marathon, along with Sunday's 17-1 loss to the Blue Jays, forced the Indians to make several roster moves to help an overworked bullpen. Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzelanny were designated for assignment while Mike Clevinger and T.J. House were recalled from Triple-A Columbus before the game. COMEBACK TRAIL Indians OF Michael Brantley, on the DL for the second time after offseason shoulder surgery, will take batting practice Tuesday. He began the season on the DL and played 11 games before being sidelined again May 14. Brantley had a cortisone shot for biceps tendinitis last month. TRAINER'S ROOM Tigers: Zimmermann, who had been scheduled to start Tuesday, won his first five starts but is 4-4 in 10 starts since. Indians: 3B Juan Uribe returned to the lineup after being hit on the right hand by a pitch Saturday. UP NEXT Tigers: RHP Anibal Sanchez (3-7, 6.71 ERA), who lost his spot in the rotation on May 31, fills in for Zimmermann. Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (4-2, 2.56 ERA) struck out a season-high 14 over 7 1/3 innings in his last outing, a 4-1 win at Toronto last Thursday Indians shake up bullpen after 19-inning marathon in Toronto; Michael Brantley genuinely excited By Ryan Lewis Published: July 4, 2016 Having a 19-inning game within a 162-game season has ramifications on a pitching staff. On Monday, the Indians bullpen felt the brunt of those consequences. Needing fresh arms available to log multiple innings, the Indians designated relief pitchers Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzelanny for assignment and called up pitchers Michael Clevinger and TJ House. The Indians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 on Friday but needed 19 innings to do it. Saturday s scheduled starter, Trevor Bauer, ended up getting the win by throwing five scoreless innings. It led to the Indians having to piece together Saturday s game with Zach McAllister getting the start and Shawn Morimando getting called up from the minors at the expense of utility man Michael Martinez. Sunday s game also didn t go as planned, as Corey Kluber was hit hard and catcher Chris Gimenez had to throw two innings. It effectively made Chamberlain and Gorzelanny casualties of the bullpen s situation heading into the final homestead before the All-Star break. [It was] kind of the fall-out or the ramifications when you play a 19-inning game, Francona said. You try to wait and hope [on Sunday] with Kluber you d go deep. Well, that didn t happen. Chamberlain had been a strong investment by the Indians, turning a non-roster invite to spring camp into 20 solid innings of relief with a 2.25 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Gorzelanny logged only three innings for the Indians, allowing seven runs. He wasn t able to make a large impact in the Indians bullpen, especially with such a short timeframe, though Chamberlain had certainly earned his spot. I wouldn t be surprised if both of them get claimed, Francona said. And I hope they do, for their sake. They deserve it.

5 Clevinger returns to the Indians hoping to improve upon his three major league starts in May in which he posted an 8.79 ERA. In Triple-A Columbus, he s 8-0 with a 2.79 ERA in 13 starts. For the upcoming week, Clevinger will appear out of the bullpen and then possibly return to being starting depth in the minors. I think it can be good for him to pitch out of the bullpen for a week, Francona said. We also think that one: He can help us in the bullpen, because he s certainly stretched out and two: He might be a guy down the road that can help us win some games in the bullpen. House began the year in Triple-A Columbus as a starter but was recently converted to the bullpen with better results. Acting as a reliever, he has a 2.16 ERA in 8 1/3 innings pitched. For whatever reason, things have really kicked up, Francona said. So, we want to get a look. It s another guy that can give us some length because he s been stretched out. We really want to be cognizant of that. Positivity The Indians are still without outfielder Michael Brantley as he rehabs his surgically repaired non-throwing shoulder. He recently received a second anti-inflammatory shot and sought a second opinion. Now that the team is back from the road trip, there are some positive vibes surrounding his situation. We finally got our eyes on him [Monday], which was nice. He s really excited, Francona said. He s genuinely excited about where he s at. I m looking forward to seeing this. I think for a while there he was cautiously optimistic, which I get. I think right now he feels pretty good. Just the look on his face, it s good to see him feel like that. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Indians notebook: Indians shake up bullpen after 19-inning marathon in Toronto; Michael Brantley genuinely excited about progress Ryan Lewis Having a 19-inning game within a 162-game season has ramifications on a pitching staff. On Monday, the Indians bullpen felt the brunt of those consequences. Needing fresh arms available to log multiple innings, the Indians designated relief pitchers Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzelanny for assignment and called up pitchers Michael Clevinger and TJ House. The Indians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 on Friday but needed 19 innings to do it. Saturday s scheduled starter, Trevor Bauer, ended up getting the win by throwing five scoreless innings. It led to the Indians having to piece together Saturday s game with Zach McAllister getting the start and Shawn Morimando getting called up from the minors at the expense of utility man Michael Martinez. Sunday s game also didn t go as planned, as Corey Kluber was hit hard and catcher Chris Gimenez had to pitch two innings. It effectively made Chamberlain and Gorzelanny casualties of the bullpen s situation heading into the final homestead before the All-Star break. [It was] kind of the fall-out or the ramifications when you play a 19-inning game, Francona said. You try to wait and hope [on Sunday] with Kluber you d go deep. Well, that didn t happen. Chamberlain had been a strong investment by the Indians, turning a non-roster invite to spring camp into 20 solid innings of relief with a 2.25 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Gorzelanny logged only three innings for the Indians, allowing seven runs. He wasn t able to make a large impact in the Indians bullpen, especially with such a short timeframe, but Chamberlain had certainly earned his spot. I wouldn t be surprised if both of them get claimed, Francona said. And I hope they do, for their sake. They deserve it. Clevinger returns to the Indians hoping to improve upon his three major league starts in May in which he posted an 8.79 ERA. In Triple-A Columbus, he s 8-0 with a 2.79 ERA in 13 starts. For the upcoming week, Clevinger will appear out of the bullpen and then possibly return to being starting depth in the minors. I think it can be good for him to pitch out of the bullpen for a week, Francona said. We also think that one: He can help us in the bullpen, because he s certainly stretched out and two: He might be a guy down the road that can help us win some games in the bullpen. House began the year in Triple-A Columbus as a starter but was recently converted to the bullpen with better results. Acting as a reliever, he has a 2.16 ERA in 8 innings pitched. For whatever reason, things have really kicked up, Francona said. So, we want to get a look. It s another guy that can give us some length because he s been stretched out. We really want to be cognizant of that. Positivity The Indians are still without outfielder Michael Brantley as he rehabs his surgically repaired right (non-throwing) shoulder. He recently received a second anti-inflammatory shot and sought a second opinion. Now that the team is back from the road trip, there are some positive vibes surrounding Brantley s situation. We finally got our eyes on him [Monday], which was nice. He s really excited, Francona said. He s genuinely excited about where he s at. I m looking forward to seeing this. I think for a while there he was cautiously optimistic, which I get. I think right now he feels pretty good. Just the look on his face, it s good to see him feel like that. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Mike Napoli lifts Indians to 5-3 win against Detroit Tigers with seventh-inning home run By Ryan Lewis Published: July 5, 2016 Fans at Progressive Field had to wait until Tuesday morning to see it, but Mike Napoli delivered one of the loudest home runs of the season and lifted the Indians to a 5-3 win against the Detroit Tigers. Monday s sellout on July 4th was delayed two hours and 21 minutes due to rain. As the clock ticked over to Tuesday, the Indians and Tigers were still tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning. With Francisco Lindor on first after a walk, Napoli crushed a Bruce Rondon offering 430 feet two-thirds of the way up the bleacher seats in left field to break the deadlock and put the Indians up 5-3. Per Statcast, Napoli s 17th home run of the season had an exit velocity of 109 mph and a launch angle of 32 degrees.

6 Bryan Shaw worked into and then out of trouble in the eighth, holding that two-run lead. Miguel Cabrera singled and Victor Martinez walked, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate with no outs. Shaw induced Nick Castellanos into a double play and then ended the inning by getting Justin Upton to fly out to right field. In the ninth, Cody Allen closed the door and earned his 18th save of the season. The game ended on a double play which required an Indians' review after Jose Iglesias was called safe. Danny Salazar threw 5 2/3 innings, allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out six. Jeff Manship came on in relief and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The Indians (50-32) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Carlos Santana s RBI-single off Tigers starter Daniel Norris that followed Napoli s double to center field. That lead was pushed to 2-0 in the third after Norris had to leave the game with an injury in favor of Dustin Molleken, making his major-league debut. Rajai Davis walked, advanced to third on Jason Kipnis double and scored on the first of two Francisco Lindor sacrifice flies to center field. Salazar cruised for four innings until Steven Moya belted a solo home run to bring the Tigers to within 2-1. In the bottom half of the third, the Indians answered with Lindor s second sacrifice fly, again scoring Davis, who singled to right field. The Tigers (44-39) finally tied it in the sixth. A single by Martinez was followed by Castellanos, who drove a two-run home run off Salazar to left field to knot it up 3-3. That was prior to the calendar flipping over to Tuesday, and Napoli s two-run shot being the difference. With the win, the Indians improved to 10-0 against the Tigers this season. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Indians 5, Tigers 3: Ryan Lewis 14 Walk-Off Thoughts on Mike Napoli, Danny Salazar, beating Detroit By Ryan Lewis Published: July 5, 2016 Here are 14 Walk-Off Thoughts on the Indians 5-3 win against the Detroit Tigers Monday night (Tuesday morning). 1. The Indians took down the Tigers again and are now 10-0 against Detroit this season. It s the longest winning streak over the Tigers in a single season since the Indians won 12 straight in It s also the longest active winning streak in the majors involving any team over another. 2. The Indians 12-game home winning streak is the longest since they won 14 straight at Progressive Field in And it s the longest home winning streak in a season for any team since Arizona won 15 consecutive home games, also in A lot has been made about attendance at Progressive Field. But in recent weeks, and especially during the Cavaliers run to the title, the Indians have noticed the increased support at games. 4. Said Mike Napoli, It s a good time to be in Cleveland right now. We got to be here for the parade and when they clinched. It was exciting to see the fans out there and really excited about it. Hopefully, it keeps up because it definitely helps us out to be able to play in front of a lot of fans, just the adrenaline being out there. 5. And said Danny Salazar, That was amazing. That was great all the fans here. I wish the game would've started earlier at 7, so everybody could watch the game. I know a lot of people left, because they have to work tomorrow. But, we really appreciate that. It's great every time we have a crowd like that. 6. Monday s sellout crowd had to wait more than two hours for this one to start due to rain. To just about everyone s credit, the stadium still looked pretty full at the 9:31 p.m. first pitch. And it appeared as though most stayed well into Tuesday morning for the final out. 7. It was Napoli s bat that sent them home happy. Tied 3-3 in the seventh, Napoli crushed a two-run home run off Bruce Rondon to the bleacher seats in left field. Per Statcast, it had an exit velocity of 109 mph, a launch angle of 32 degrees and a distance of 430 feet. It landed two-thirds up the bleachers, and it was the difference Tuesday morning (that term isn t used often). 8. Said Napoli, I went down there and looked at it on video to just see what my hands did. He throws pretty hard, so I was just trying to stay short to the ball, drive it gap to gap. My hands just reacted and caught it right. 9. It s the kind of power the Indians have enjoyed with Napoli this season. He s already hit 17 home runs in 76 games after the hit 18 home runs in 133 games last season, to go with a team-leading 55 RBI. To date, he s been exactly what the Indians had hoped they would get in their free-agent signee and middle-of-the-order first basemen. 10. Said Indians manager Terry Francona, He had taken some good swings in his previous at bats. He hit that double. Even that at-bat he struck out he took some pretty good swings. Man it s nice because he s done that so many times. We don t live by the home run a ton but when he s up, I mean that s why he s here. We certainly try not to run into out because we like to get to him and let him take three good swings. 11. And Napoli was asked after the game where the party was. It's at Napoli s for sure. 12. Danny Salazar cruised until Steven Moya and Nick Castellanos each hit home runs off of him to tie it 3-3. They both came off of his splitchange, which has become one of the best pitches in the game. 13. Said Salazar, Not command [as the problem]. I was throwing it for a strike the whole game, actually. Sometimes I was trying to throw it down. Even when I struck out Victor Martinez, I was trying to throw the pitch down. I was just leaving it up for a strike the whole time. 14. Said Francona, Really good stuff. He left a changeup up for the home run that kind of change the game a little bit. He had some traffic but pitched out of it. Then just left one up to Castellanos and he hit it a long way and that kind of changed things. I thought he got a little bit tired. Not that he had warmed up but he had gone out and thrown before then we had to sit for awhile. He was at 96 or 98 and we thought that was enough. [Jeff Manship] did a great job. He came in and got outs. He finished the inning and then went out and had a nice inning. That was really big for us, to have a chance to regroup so when Nap hit the home run it was meaningful. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: Bullpen shakeup: Cleveland Indians drop Joba Chamberlain, Tom Gorzelanny Zack Meisel, July 04, 2016 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For two weeks, it seemed as though the Indians had no need for a bullpen at all, let alone one with eight relievers.

7 A 19-inning game can change quite a bit. The six-hour marathon created a ripple effect that led to a pair of transactions on Monday. The Indians designated relievers Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzelanny for assignment and added Mike Clevinger and TJ House. Chamberlain, sporting a T-shirt and backwards hat, said goodbye to his teammates in the Indians' clubhouse on Monday afternoon, shortly before batting practice. Prior to Friday's 19-inning affair in Toronto, the Indians' bullpen needed to cover only 21 total innings over the club's previous 13 games. Tribe relievers tossed 13 scoreless innings on Friday (including five from starting pitcher Trevor Bauer). That forced the team to start reliever Zach McAllister for a makeshift bullpen day on Saturday. McAllister lasted only one frame. Shawn Morimando joined the club for the afternoon and made a spot relief appearance. Corey Kluber lasted only 3 1/3 innings on Sunday, a truncated outing that fueled the decision to have backup catcher Chris Gimenez log the final two frames. "It's not something you look forward to, obviously," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. "[That's] the fallout or the ramifications when you play a 19-inning game. There's always a possibility that things like that can happen when you don't have pitchers in the bullpen that have options." Chamberlain posted a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings for the Indians. He walked 11, struck out 18 and limited the opposition to 12 hits and one home run. He walked three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings of Sunday's lopsided loss. Thanks Cleveland it was a blast. The loved y'all showed me was incredible. Relationships I will never forget. Here's to another chapter Joba Chamberlain (@Joba_44) July 4, 2016 Gorzelanny's stay on the active roster lasted a little more than a month. He totaled three innings in seven appearances. He hadn't allowed a run before he surrendered seven in one-third of an inning on Sunday. Clevinger and House will pitch out of the bullpen. Clevinger posted an 8.79 ERA in three starts for the Indians earlier this year. At Triple-A Columbus, he went 8-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 13 starts, with 76 strikeouts in 70 innings. Francona explains cuts of Joba, Gorzelanny "I think it can be good for him to pitch out of the bullpen for a week," Francona said. "And chances are that he'll go back to Triple-A and start after the All-Star break, because we don't want to lose that depth at starter. But we also think that: One, he can help us in the bullpen, because he's certainly stretched out; and two, he might be a guy down the road that can help us win some games in the bullpen." House moved to a relief role at Columbus in mid-june. In 8 1/3 innings out of the Clippers' 'pen, he has logged a 2.16 ERA, while limiting opponents to a.634 OPS. "He was having a tough time as a starter," Francona said. "[He] went to the bullpen, and for whatever reason, things have really kicked up. So, we want to get a look. It's another guy that can give us some length because he's been stretched out." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley finally ready to advance to batting practice Zack Meisel, July 04, 2016 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians' brass finally had a chance to meet with Michael Brantley on Monday. Now, the leftfielder will ramp up his rehab process. Brantley had a lighter day of recovery work on Monday. He'll go through a typical day of pregame work on Tuesday, a significant step forward for the man who has logged only 43 plate appearances this season. Brantley will take batting practice and play catch, among other activities. It will be his first bout of batting practice since he was on the active roster in early May. Since then, he has suffered a series of setbacks, received multiple injections and second opinions and wondered when he would be healthy enough to contribute to the Indians' lineup. "He's genuinely excited about where he's at," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. "I'm looking forward to seeing this. I think for a while there, he was cautiously optimistic, which I get. I think right now, he feels pretty good. Just the look on his face, it's good to see him feel like that." Brantley quipped on Monday that he feels "like a million bucks." He underwent shoulder surgery in November, returned to the active roster in late April and was placed back on the shelf in May after he suffered shoulder fatigue and soreness. The maladies appeared after he played six times in a seven-day span. Brantley's recovery in June stalled and doctors discovered biceps tendinitis. He was shut down for nearly a week before his latest comeback attempt. Eventually, he'll need to advance to a minor-league rehab assignment before the Indians would consider activating him. The day after: Chris Gimenez was a bit concerned that his right arm would be barking when he woke up on Monday morning, but that wasn't the case. Gimenez tossed two innings of relief in Sunday's blowout loss in Toronto, a critical pick-me-up for a bullpen that was running on fumes. Gimenez retired the Blue Jays in order in his first inning, but he surrendered four runs in his second frame, pushing his career ERA to in three innings. Gimenez joked that, after his first inning (the second of his career), he boasted the best ERA and WHIP in league history (0.00). That all crumbled when he served up four hits, including a two-run homer to Justin Smoak. Another one: The Indians have locked up 25 of their 41 draft selections. On Monday, they signed 11th-round choice Andrew Calica, an outfielder from UC Santa Barbara. Home cooking: The Indians just completed a pair of 10-game road trips, sandwiched around a six-game homestand. The club went 8-2 in Detroit, Atlanta and Toronto. Francona was relieved to be back. "I've got clean underwear," he said. "I think it is. Looked clean. Long trip. We started in Detroit and then we went all the way down to Atlanta and then up to Toronto, so it was a long trip. It's nice to be home. "We have to grind through this week and then they can have a well-deserved rest." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Mike Napoli's fireworks power Cleveland Indians to 5-3 win against Tigers, Cleveland's 10th straight victory vs. Detroit Zack Meisel, July 05, 2016 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The rain had disappeared, much of the fog had vanished and the clock had crept past midnight.

8 Independence Day was, technically speaking, in the rear view, but Mike Napoli opted to produce one, final firework. The Indians' slugger delivered a timely, two-run blast in the seventh inning to fuel Cleveland to its 10th consecutive win against Detroit this season, this one by a 5-3 margin. Only the pesky left-field bleachers interrupted the flight of Napoli's majestic shot, which sent the sellout crowd at Progressive Field into a frenzy. It provided the fans and the Tribe players some relief, too. The Indians stranded a moderately populated village on the bases in the early going. They squandered several opportunities and found themselves tied in the sixth when Nick Castellanos launched a two-run homer to left off Danny Salazar (10-3, 2.36 ERA). Cleveland plated the game's first run on a Carlos Santana single in the second inning. Jose Ramirez doubled and Santana advanced to third, but Yan Gomes and Juan Uribe struck out and Abraham Almonte grounded out. The Tribe added a run in the third, but Napoli struck out with a runner on third and one out and Ramirez grounded out with men on the corners to end the threat. In the fifth, Francisco Lindor recorded his second sacrifice fly, but Ramirez and Gomes struck out with the bases loaded as the Tigers again averted disaster. Castellanos' homer, his 15th of the season, altered the course of Salazar's evening. The right-hander allowed three runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He retired the first two batters in the sixth before Victor Martinez singled, Castellanos homered and Justin Upton and Stephen Moya walked. Jeff Manship, who ended up earning the win, fanned James McCann to preserve the tie. Napoli, Francona discuss Napoli's HR Napoli deposited a 96-mph fastball from Bruce Rondon -- located right near the middle of the plate -- halfway up the bleachers. The power display measured 430 feet, per the league's Statcast data. Napoli has now clubbed 17 or more home runs in nine straight seasons. The Indians' record against the Tigers remained unblemished, as Cleveland has outscored Detroit this season. The Tribe had amassed a mark against its division foe over the previous three years. What it means The Indians (50-32) extended their lead in the American League Central to 6 1/2 games over the Tigers and seven over the Royals. The club also began the 2007 season with a mark through its first 82 contests. It has not started better than since The Indians extended their home winning streak to 12 games. That has to hurt Tigers starter Daniel Norris departed in the bottom of the third with a strained right oblique. He is expected to get an MRI on Tuesday morning. Mother Nature's wrath A two-hour, 21-minute rain delay pushed back first pitch until 9:31 p.m. No sweat Miguel Cabrera singled and Martinez walked against Bryan Shaw to begin the eighth, but the right-hander induced a double play ball off the bat of Castellanos. Jason Kipnis corralled the bouncer and flipped to Lindor, who double-clutched, but still threw out Catellanos in plenty of time. All aboard Manship lowered his ERA to 2.22 as he retired all four batters he faced. They came, they saw An announced crowd of 34,163 watched the affair. It marked the first non-opening Day sellout at Progressive Field since July 4, What's next The Indians and Tigers will reconvene at Progressive Field for a 7:10 p.m. affair on Tuesday. Jordan Zimmermann was scheduled to start for Detroit until he landed on the disabled list on Monday. Anibal Sanchez, who is 0-3 with an 8.79 ERA against Cleveland this season, will start in his place. Carlos Carrasco (4-2, 2.56 ERA) will take the hill for the Tribe. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 'It's a good time to be in Cleveland right now': With Indians surging, the 'Party At Napoli's' carries on Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians were in the thick of a homestand when the Cavaliers clinched the city's first major professional championship in 52 years. Mike Napoli noticed the uptick in positive energy throughout the city, especially the day of the Cavs' parade. The Indians (50-32) followed the Cavs' lead and rattled off 14 consecutive victories to establish a new franchise record. They dropped their final two encounters with the Blue Jays over the weekend, but they returned home on Monday and continued their domination of Detroit. "It's a good time to be in Cleveland right now," Napoli said, after the Tribe's 5-3 triumph. The fans have bought in to the Indians' recent surge. They packed Progressive Field to capacity on Monday. The club expects similarly sizable crowds later this week when the Yankees march into town. "It seems like we've been on the road the whole month," Napoli said. "Two 10-day trips -- we have some guys who are tired and grinding until we get to this All-Star break. [Monday] was awesome with the fans, to have them -- it gave us a little more energy, adrenaline to get through this." Here are five thoughts on the Tribe. 1. Where's the party? Napoli's teammates have frequently sported "Party At Napoli's" T-shirts before games the last few weeks, as the phrase has gained popularity throughout the Indians' clubhouse. The team is selling the shirts at the ballpark team shop, with a portion of the proceeds going toward Cleveland Clinic Children's. "I enjoy it because I'm able to give back," Napoli said. After his decisive home run on Monday, despite the game stretching into the wee hours of the morning, there was no doubt about the location of the after-party. "It's at Napoli's for sure," said the gracious host. The Indians slugger delivered a timely two-run blast in the seventh inning to fuel Cleveland to its 10th consecutive win against Detroit this season, this one by a 5-3 margin.