MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

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1 Kluber extends Tribe's winning streak to five By Ian Browne and Jordan Bastian / MLB.com 12:22 AM ET BOSTON -- Corey Kluber navigated out of some early trouble to turn in a strong start on Friday night, leading the Indians to a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park. After giving up two runs over the first two innings, Kluber was unscored on for the rest of his performance. Over seven innings,the righty scattered five hits and two runs while walking two and striking out six. "Early on, they were getting their hits and they scored a couple," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "And then when we scored, [Kluber] went out there and really started getting after it. He used his changeup. He pitched in. That was good to see. That's what your ace is supposed to do, but it's easier said than done. That's a heck of a lineup and he really did a good job." Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his hitting streak to 25 games, the longest in the Major Leagues this season, when he clubbed a leadoff homer to center in the second. "Got to play the course," said Bradley. "I think the wind was blowing out today, so figured get in there and have a chance." Jason Kipnis drilled a three-run homer in the third to give the Indians the lead. Jose Ramirez lofted a sacrifice fly to give Cleveland four runs in the inning against Clay Buchholz. Boston's right-hander was haunted by that one tough inning. Buchholz turned in a quality start, allowing five hits and three earned runs over six innings. "All in all it wasn't a terrible outing, but it's hard to swallow getting beat on home runs every time out," said Buchholz. "Keep pushing along and find a way to get through it." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Electric slide: Francisco Lindor used a creative slide to score from third on a sacrifice fly by Ramirez in the third. As the throw came in from Bradley in center, Lindor dove through the plate head first, rolling onto his left side to move his right arm up and out of the way of the tag attempt by catcher Christian Vazquez. As the shortstop dodged Vazquez's glove, he touched the plate with his left hand. When home-plate umpire Chad Fairchild called Lindor safe, the shortstop jumped into the air and pumped his fist in celebration. "I was very, very pumped, as you saw," Lindor said. "Running in, I saw [Vazquez] going to my right, so I tried to go to my left. As soon as I hit the ground, all I thought was try to get that right hand up. I screamed, 'Safe!' And as soon as I saw him moving his hands and saying safe, I just went crazy." According to Statcast, Lindor hit a top speed of 20.8 mph on his dash home, and Bradley's throw of 247 feet registered 96.9 mph. More > Red Sox have record HR streak: Bradley's shot in the second extended Boston's team streak of at least one home run to 20 games, a franchise record. The 1996 Red Sox held the previous mark of 19. The 2013 Mariners were the last MLB team to homer in at least 20 straight games, as they went deep in 23 consecutive games. Fenway kind to Kip: Kipnis headed into Friday's game with a.952 career OPS at Fenway Park. The second baseman built on that success in the third inning, when he pulled a Buchholz pitch down the right-field line for a three-run home run. That shot was Kipnis' sixth in 19 career games in Boston, and pushed the Indians ahead, 3-2. "One good swing tonight kind of changed the game," Francona said. "It's interesting, because he's such a good hitter in that situation, where he can lay a bunt down and I know he was thinking about it. But he got a fastball. They were trying to go in and they didn't quite get it in far enough. Fortunately for us, that changes the game." Swihart handles chances in LF: In his return to the Red Sox, Blake Swihart looked comfortable in his first start in left field, handling the four fly balls that were hit to him. At the plate, the switch-hitter went 0-for-3. "He handled the chances he had cleanly," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "He wasn't really tested in terms of any kind of throws. It's him getting acclimated to the position." More > QUOTABLE "That's a great job by the offense to go out and put up four runs in one inning. I personally didn't change anything. I was trying to keep pitching the same way that I was early on. I didn't get great results the first two innings, but I was trying to pitch in and I felt like we did that enough early on to kind of open up some other pitches later in the game." -- Kluber SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Bradley's streak is the longest by a Red Sox player within a single season since Dustin Pedroia in David Ortiz hit in 27 straight over two seasons ( ). TEK, WAKE, LUCCHINO HONORED A day after Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Larry Lucchino and the late Ira Flagstaff were inducted into the Red Sox's Hall of Fame, they were recognized in a pregame ceremony. Lucchino was first to walk on the red carpet on to the field. Wakefield and Varitek soon followed, to the delight of the roaring crowd. The men participated in a group first pitch, with Varitek throwing to Ryan Hanigan, Lucchino throwing to Dustin Pedroia and Wakefield fittingly tossing his to fellow knuckleballer Steven Wright. WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Trevor Bauer (3-1, 3.89 ERA) is scheduled to take the ball for the Tribe in a 4:05 p.m. ET clash with the Red Sox on Saturday at Fenway Park. So far this month, Bauer has fashioned a 2.79 ERA and a.162 opponents' average in three starts, striking out 19 in 19 1/3 innings in that span for Cleveland. Red Sox: Right-hander Joe Kelly makes his return from the disabled list to start Saturday's game against the Indians. Kelly had been sidelined since April 20 with a right shoulder impingement. Kelly made three starts before the injury and didn't go more than five innings in any of them. Swim training: Lindor makes acrobatic slide By Jordan Bastian / 12:41 AM ET BOSTON -- Francisco Lindor made his opinion on the matter heard. After pulling off a headfirst, rolling slide at the plate, the Indians' dynamic shortstop sprung to his feet, thrust his arms out and shouted as he waited for home-plate umpire Chad Fairchild to make the call. "I screamed, 'Safe!'" Lindor said after Friday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox.

2 Fairchild agreed, setting off a celebratory leap from Lindor, who pumped his fist in the air as the Fenway Park crowd groaned in the third inning. The shortstop has turned this trick a few times before, but this was Boston's first look at the creativity of the Tribe's budding star. Cast your Esurance All-Star ballot for Lindor and other #ASGWorthy players In this win -- the fifth in a row for the Indians -- Lindor showed off his all-around skill set. He made a barehanded grab-and-throw on a Xander Bogaerts grounder for an out in the first inning. In the same frame, Lindor sprinted into shallow center field to make an over-the-shoulder catch to rob Travis Shaw of a possible hit. Lindor drew two walks. He collected two hits. He stole a base. And then, there was that slide, the one tailor-made for GIFs and Vines. Vine: Lindor's stellar slide "Players like that," Indians manager Terry Francona said, "the game's not going as fast as it is for the rest of us. He's obviously got athleticism, but his instincts are really good, too." The situation presented itself with one out, Lindor on third base and Jose Ramirez at the plate. Three batters earlier, Jason Kipnis put a charge into a pitch from Clay Buchholz, launching a three-run home run that gave Cleveland a 3-2 advantage. When Ramirez later lofted a pitch to center field, Lindor saw an opportunity to add to the Indians' lead. Lindor tagged up at third base, watching as the ball flew off Ramirez's bat and fell into the glove of Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. According to Statcast, Bradley unleashed a 96.9-mph throw from the outfield, firing the baseball 247 feet to catcherchristian Vazquez on one hop. Lindor, sprinting from third base, hit a top speed of 20.8 mph as he closed in on the catcher. In that moment, Lindor noticed Vazquez moved to the right of the third-base chalk line. "I saw him going to my right. He went on the other side of the line," said Lindor, who has hit.486 (17-for-35) in his past eight games. "That's why I went inside, and I didn't think he was going to be able to get his body all the way to me." As Lindor slid headfirst to the inside part of the plate, the young shortstop rolled onto his left side and pulled his right arm into the air. Vazquez received the ball and made a quick move in an effort to apply the tag, but he swung and missed as Lindor touched the dish with his left hand. After Fairchild called Lindor safe, Boston manager John Farrell moved to the top step of the home dugout, waiting for word from the clubhouse that he should challenge the ruling. That call never came. Lindor simply had pulled off another magic trick. "Some guys may want to do that," Francona said, "but [they] can't quite get their body to go that way." Asked about the slide, Indians outfielder Rajai Davis smirked. "We're talking about the swim move?" Davis said. "That was real beautiful. Actually, I thinkdustin Pedroia patented that move. I think he owns the rights to that." Kipnis was also impressed. "He's had a couple good slides. We've seen him to do that," Kipnis said. "He makes the slide very hard [for the defender]. He knows with reviews all you have to do is get that finger in there first. He got his whole palm in there before the other guy tagged him. It was a great slide and a big run at the time." Davis hit on hand, but play ruled strikeout By Jordan Bastian / 12:58 AM ET BOSTON -- In an unusual situation on Friday night, Indians outfielder Rajai Davis was hit by a pitch against the Red Sox, but he was charged with a strikeout. During the fourth inning of Cleveland's 4-2 victory, Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz sent a 1-2 changeup tailing inside to Davis, who began to swing at the offering. By the time the outfielder stopped the forward momentum of his bat, the baseball hit low on the handle, striking the fingers on Davis' right hand. "I committed to swing. Therefore it was a strikeout," Davis said. "I thought I checked it up. I think it's a call that can go either way. It was a tough break. Fortunately for me, my finger is fine." Davis hopped around in pain and jogged down to first base, where Indians manager Terry Francona and a team trainer checked on his condition. Once Davis was deemed fine, he and his manager huddled with all four umpires on the infield grass down the first-base line to discuss the play. Francona said he was talking with crew chief Jim Joyce about how, if at all, he could challenge a call in that type of situation. "Jimmy Joyce was explaining to me the whole thing, and I didn't have a problem with his explanation at all," Francona said. "I was just trying to ask him, and ask them, what my options were if the ball had hit the bat. That's where we just had a little bit of confusion. I don't think the ball did anyway, but there was just some confusion in either the way I was understanding it or the way they were explaining it." Following a lengthy conversation -- one that elicited some boos from a Fenway Park crowd that was growing impatient -- it was ruled that Davis struck out. In the view of the umpires, Davis' bat traveled far enough to be considered a swing. Since he was hit by a pitch in the act of swinging, the call was a strike, rather than a foul ball. "It's not just a foul ball. It's an out," Francona said. "I understand it." Mengden, Urias among top prospect performers Friday By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com 1:51 AM ET Opponents have had trouble scoring runs off Daniel Mengden this season, both at the Double- and Triple-A levels. That trend continued on Friday as the A's No. 14 prospectimproved to 4-0 with seven innings of one-run ball for Triple-A Nashville in a win over Sacramento. Mengden scattered five hits and walked one while tallying eight strikeouts in the outing, matching his season high, and he's now punched out exactly eight hitters in five of his eight starts on the year. More impressive, the 23-year-old righty has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any start this season, and, overall, he's yielded just four earned runs across 50 frames (0.72 ERA). Acquired from Houston last July in the Scott Kazmir trade, Mengden began 2016 at Double-A Midland where he posted a 0.78 ERA with a 28/12 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 23 innings (four starts). He moved up to Nashville in early May and has been even better there, recording a 0.67 ERA, a 0.74 WHIP and a 23/4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 27 innings (four starts).

3 Though it's still early in the season and he has little upper-minors experience, Mengden has made an undeniably strong case to get a look in the big leagues sooner rather than later, especially given the mixed results from Sean Manaea so far. The rest of the best performances from top prospects Friday No. 2 overall prospect Julio Urias (Dodgers' No. 1) extended his scoreless innings streak to 27 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City by throwing five dominant frames of three-hit ball in a win against Salt Lake. The 19-year-old lefty struck out five without issuing a walk in the outing, giving him an impressive 44/8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and he owns a 1.10 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP in 41 innings on the season. No. 12 overall prospect Blake Snell (Rays' No. 1) worked a season-high six scoreless innings and fanned nine hitters for a second straight turn for Triple-A Durham in a win over Rochester. In his first scoreless Minors start since making his big league debut on April 24, Snell allowed three hits and walked two while throwing 63 of his 93 pitches for strikes. It shouldn't be long until the 23-year-old lefty gets another chance with the Rays. No. 20 overall prospect Franklin Barreto (A's No. 1) turned in his fifth three-hit performance of the season for Double-A Midland, going 3-for- 5 with a double in a loss to Corpus Christi. Matt Chapman (No. 6) homered for a second straight day and extended his hitting streak to nine games in the process. No. 24 overall prospect Clint Frazier (Indians' No. 2) powered Double-A Akron to a win over Binghamton, going 3-for-4 with his sixth home run of the season, two runs scored and two RBIs. The 21-year-old outfielder has been red hot of late, with a.462 average (18-for-39), three homers and 14 runs scored in his last 10 games, and three hits in three of his past four contests for the RubberDucks. Overall, Frazier owns a.312/.392/.539 slash line with 22 extra-base hits and 37 runs scored through 38 games. No. 51 overall prospect Jake Thompson (Phillies' No. 2) established a pair of new season highs with eight strikeouts in eight innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a no-decision against Toledo. After a shaky start to his season, Thompson has posted a 1.33 ERA and 0.81 WHIP over his last 27 innings (four starts) for the IronPigs. Padres No. 8 prospect Jacob Nix had a forgettable season debut for Class A Fort Wayne on April 10, when he allowed four runs on five hits and lasted just 1 2/3 innings. Since then, however, the 2015 third-rounder has given up just two earned runs in 24 frames (0.75 ERA) over his last seven starts. Twins No. 17 prospect Fernando Romero dominated in his first start in nearly two years, firing five no-hit innings for Class A Cedar Rapids in a shutout over Quad Cities. The 21-year-old right-hander last pitched on June 22, 2014, before undergoing Tommy John surgery and subsequently missing all of '15. Romero struck out four in the outing behind a fastball that reportedly touched 99 mph. Cardinals No. 17 prospect Austin Gomber had another strong showing for Class A Advanced Palm Beach, tossing seven innings of one-run ball in a win over Clearwater. After going 15-3 with a 2.67 ERA in 22 starts for Class A Peoria last season, the 22-year-old southpaw has opened 2016 by winning four of his eight starts while posting a 2.64 ERA over 47 2/3 innings in the Florida State League. A's No. 24 prospect Daniel Gossett paced Class A Advanced Stockton in a 7-0 shutout of Visalia with seven innings of two-hit ball and nine strikeouts, matching his career high. The 23-year-old righty had a shaky full-season debut in 2015 but has seemingly turned the corner this year in the California League, as he's now 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings (eight starts) after Friday's performance. Royals No. 24 prospect Brandon Downes blasted a grand slam and collected a season-high four hits to pace Class A Advanced Wilmington's offense in a win against Carolina. The four-hit performance raised the toolsy 23-year-old outfielder's average 20 points, from.239 to.259, and he's now driven in 18 runs in 38 games for the Blue Rocks. Otero gives Tribe reliable arm in bullpen By Jordan Bastian / May 20th, 2016 BOSTON -- There are such things as fluke seasons. After examining Dan Otero's performance last season, the Indians decided that was exactly what the reliever experienced, leading the Indians to acquire him via a trade in the offseason. "I'm not saying it's bad luck or good luck," Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway said, "but he did all the right things last year to have success. It just didn't happen for him. That's one of the reasons we wanted to get him. We knew it was going to come back around and even out." So far, Otero has backed up that belief for the Tribe. Otero has provided Cleveland with another solid relief arm, helping chew up some innings to reduce the workload for back-end arms like Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw and Zach McAllister. Heading into this weekend's series in Boston, Otero had a 1.20 ERA in 13 appearances, in which he struck out 11, walked three and held opposing hitters to a.224 batting average. There has not been a drastic change in how Otero has pitched, though. The velocity on his various offerings is right in line with where it has been for the past few years. Last season, Otero had a 6.75 ERA in 41 games for the A's, but most of his peripheral numbers -- contact rate, ball-play rate and strike rate, among others -- were similar to his previous campaigns, along with this season. Otero's home-run rate (1.4 per nine innings in 2015, compared to 0.3 from ) is what stood out the most last year. View image on Twitter This year, Otero has ditched a cutter that he used mostly in the first half last year and has leaned more on his slider. The right-hander felt that throwing the cutter negatively impacted the release point for his sinker, so he ditched that offering completely for Perhaps that slight change can help explain his return to success, which includes an increase in ground-ball rate over last year. View image on Twitter Through Thursday, Otero had a 59.6-percent ground-ball rate, which was up from 48.5 percent in This season's showing to date is more in tune with his career rate (55.3 percent) as well. The right-hander's work this year is closer to what he did from , when he had a 2.01 ERA in 105 games for Oakland. "It's only been six weeks," Otero said. "You just forget about last year's results and just try to keep throwing the ball well. And the more you throw the ball well, at the end of the day, you'll end up getting good results. Last year was tough mentally, but I think it made me better. I'm using some of what I learned last year.... I just think it's a mindset. I think last year I got caught up in guiding the ball a little bit. "This year, I said, 'Forget it. I'm just going to throw it. I'm keeping my fingers on top of the ball and I'm thinking down in the zone.'"

4 Carrasco getting closer to rehab assignment By Jordan Bastian / May 20th, 2016 BOSTON -- Carlos Carrasco is one step closer to returning to the Indians' rotation. Prior to Friday's game against the Red Sox, Cleveland manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway both indicated that everything went smooth in Carrasco's simulated game one day earlier. The right-hander logged two innings against hitters from Class A Lake County and did some fielding drills to test his recovering left hamstring. "It went really good," Callaway said. Callaway noted that Carrasco -- placed on the 15-day disabled list on April 25 due to the strained hamstring -- threw 38 pitches in the simulated game on Thursday. The pitching coach estimated that the right-hander went through his fielding workout at an 80 percent effort level. That consisted of handing comebackers, bunts, jogging to first and mixing in some side-to-side and stop-and-go tests. The plan now is for Carrasco to take the next three days off from mound workouts before going through a three-inning (55 pitches) simulated game on Monday. If all goes well in that outing, and in the subsequent days, the pitcher might then be cleared to begin a Minor League rehab assignment. "That's the plan, as of now," Callaway said. "Obviously, we'll see how he feels. He's got to be able to cover first.... That's going to be the last thing he's able to do full speed." In four starts this season, Carrasco went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings, in which he struck out 20 and walked five. The pitcher injured his left hamstring while covering first base in the third inning of the Indians' 6-3 win over the Tigers on April 24 in Detroit. Carrasco's initial timetable for return was estimated to be four-to-six weeks. Francona has been encouraged by Carrasco's diligence with his rehab behind the scenes. "He's done a good job," Francona said. "You can't make something heal, but... he's doing everything he can. It sure seems like he's doing well. And his arm, if you see him throw, you can tell it's a hammy and not an arm. He's firing it. So, that's good." Indians aim to push winning streak to six games By Deesha Thosar / MLB.com May 20th, 2016 Jackie Bradley Jr. looks to push his hitting streak to 26 games, already the longest in the Major Leagues this season, during Saturday afternoon's matchup between the Red Sox and Indians at Fenway Park. The battle features the return of Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly, who was on the disabled list for 28 games with a right shoulder impingement. The Indians counter with righty Trevor Bauer, who took a tough loss against Minnesota on Sunday, giving up three runs in 6 2/3 innings. Kelly went 8 2/3 innings during three April starts, with his shoulder worsening after his 4-2 win against Baltimore on the April 13. He lasted just two-thirds of an inning on April 19 against the Rays before exiting with the injury. "The progression and number of pitches thrown, the velocity that he held, the command of his pitches... have all been very solid," Red Sox manager John Farrell said about Kelly's recovery. "His work here yesterday in the bullpen was strong, so he's set to go tomorrow." Bauer (3-1, 3.89 ERA) moved into Cleveland's rotation on April 30, after Carlos Carrasco wound up on the 15-day DL with a left hamstring injury. The righty has a.188 opponents' average (.619 OPS) in four starts, in which he has 23 strikeouts against nine walks in 23 1/3 innings. Three things to know about this game Kelly had a quality start during his last time on the mound against Cleveland on Aug. 19, The righty went six innings, allowing just one run on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Kelly won the start, 6-4. Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis has enjoyed hitting at Fenway Park over the years. Kipnis'.982 OPS in Boston's home is his secondhighest mark among American League ballparks. In 19 games at Fenway, Kipnis has hit.324 (24-for-73) with six home runs. The Red Sox have homered in 20 straight games, the longest such streak in franchise history. The last Major League teams to homer in at least 20 consecutive games during a single season were the 2013 Mariners (23) and '08 Brewers (20). Covering the Bases: Game 39 by Jordan Bastian FIRST: Francisco Lindor brought his traveling magic show to Fenway Park on Friday night. In the first inning, Red Sox fans got to see him not only make a barehanded grab-and-throw for an out, but also pluck a would-be bloop single out of thin air for a long running catch. They saw Lindor draw two walks and collect two singles. They watched as he stole second base and skipped to third on the play due to a throwing error by the catcher. And, they saw this Yes, Lindor pulled off the ol swim-move slide once again. But, rather than stick to doing that move at second base, the shortstop tried it out at the plate. He slid, rolled, maneuvered and then jumped and yelled in celebration. We first saw this particular play from Lindor on Sept. 1 in Toronto last season: Lindor has done it a handful of times since. He actually tried the same move in the third inning on Wednesday in Cincinnati. On a single to center, the shortstop tried for a double, did the swim-move slide at second base and looked safe on the replays. He was called out on that one, though, and Lindor said he thinks he did pop off the bag for a split second during the tag. On Friday night, the play came about in the third inning, when Lindor was on third and Jose Ramirez was at the plate. Ramirez skied a pitch to center, where Boston s Jackie Bradley Jr. made the catch. He came up firing and Lindor tagged and sprinted for home. Catcher Christian Vazquez received the ball on a one-hopper from Bradley, who uncorked an incredibly strong and accurate throw. Vazquez was set up in foul ground, though, so Lindor moved to the inside of the plate and decided to go in head first. Sliding that way into home isn t typically advised, but Lindor didn t feel like he d be in harm s way. I didn t think he was going to get to me, Lindor said. I didn t think it was going to be that close. I knew the tag was going to be there, but I didn t know his body was going to get there. I saw the video and I m glad I took my hand out of there. Indians manager Terry Francona was fine with Lindor s approach, too.

5 If he was diving into the catcher, that s one thing, said the manager. But, he sees where the catcher is. It s really like going into second. It s not like there s going to be contact. And, there wasn t. Lindor rolled onto his side, pulled his right arm away from the tag and touched the plate with his left hand as he slid through. I was very, very pumped, as you saw, Lindor said. As soon as I hit the ground, all I thought was try to get that right hand up. I screamed, Safe! And, as soon as I saw [the umpire] moving his hands and saying safe, I just went crazy. Lindor has been on a tear of late for the Tribe, too. Since going 0-for-7 against Houston on May 11, Lindor has turned in a.486/.538/.657 slash line in eight games for Cleveland. In that time period, he has 17 hits, including one homer and three doubles. He has six RBIs, eight runs, four walks and three steals. Lindor has a multi-hit game in seven of those eight games, including the past five in a row. I m just loading early and letting my eyes do the work, Lindor said. I let my eyes tell me what I want to do, and then let the hands release and whatever happens after that, it happens. Just load early, see the ball, let it travel and just release the barrel. Added Francona: Since last June, he s been pretty good. Sometimes, players kind of get through a period where maybe they re getting a little tired and then get their second wind. I think the timing is really good. He looks like he s got another step back where he s got some life in his legs, which is good. SECOND: Corey Kluber was solid in this one for the Tribe, but the encouraging element to the outing was the fact that he locked in once he got a lead. Kluber allowed one run in the first and then gave up a leadoff homer to Bradley in the second, spotting Boston a quick 2-0 lead. Cleveland s offense then responded with a four-run showing in the third and the Indians starter made the lead stick. After Bradley s blast, Boston went just 2-for-20 with 10 outs via grounders and six strikeouts. When we scored, Francona said, he went out there and really started getting after it. He used his changeup. He pitched in. That was good to see. That s what your ace is supposed to do, but it s easier said than done. That s a heck of a lineup and he really did a good job. One at-bat in particular stood out to me in this one. In the fifth inning, the Red Sox had two outs, a runner on second and David Ortiz at the plate. Kluber walked Big Papi in their first meeting and struck him out in the next confrontation. For this third matchup, Kluber said: The game plan for that at-bat was really to kind of make him go out of the zone, if we were going to get him to swing. Otherwise, be just patient and, if he took his base, we ll take our chances with the next guy. Kluber s first pitch was a 92-mph cutter low and in the dirt for a ball. For the 1-0 offering, Kluber went to his sinker. Papi fouled off the 94-mph away pitch. Now 1-1, Kluber returned to the cutter (90 mph this time) middle-in. Ortiz pulled it foul. Said Kluber: Once you get to two strikes, we got him with a pitch in the pitch before that [fourth pitch], and we were just trying to expand in again. Catcher Yan Gomes moved into a higher crouch and positioned his glove well above the strike zone and inside. Kluber sent a 94-mph fastball high and tight with precision. Ortiz swung through the pitch for an inning-ending strikeout. On the 1-1 pitch, he threw a good fastball in that David pulled foul, Francona said. And I just think making him aware that you will come in there gives you a better chance. I m not saying that you re going to get him out, but it gives you a better chance. And then he elevated by design. I just thought he made some really good pitches to some really good hitters. THIRD: It s been well-documented that Jason Kipnis plays well in his hometown of Chicago, but the second baseman has also done exceptionally well in his career at Fenway Park. In Friday s win, Kipnis belted a three-run homer in the third inning to put the Indians ahead for good, and ended the day 2-for-5. His.329 average at Fenway is his second-best mark among American League stadiums. His.603 slugging percentage here is his best showing in AL parks. With Friday s effort, his Fenway OPS is up to.983, too. More important is the fact that Kipnis has to this point been more consistent than streaky for the Tribe. He hit.274 (.760 OPS) in April and is now batting.297 (.827 OPS) in May. He also has six homers after having nine in all of last season. I might beat nine, Kipnis quipped. I put in the work in the offseason and got stronger. I ve got my swing going right now. I m more consistent. I don t think you re seeing those cold spells and hot streaks that I had in the past, where April would be.180 and May would be.420. Hopefully, lets hover around.300 the whole year. I ve got a good approach. Good things are happening right now. I m going to try not to change too much. HOME: An odd situation came up in the fourth inning on Friday night. Boston righty Clay Buchholz sent a 1-2 changeup inside to Rajai Davis, whose right fingers were hit by the pitch as he tried to check his swing. Davis went to take his base, but was ruled out via strikeout by the umpires. The reasoning? The umpires deemed that Davis swung, so it s a strike, even though he was hit by the pitch. I committed to swing. Therefore, it was a strikeout, Davis said. I thought I checked it up. I think it s a call that can go either way. It was a tough break. Fortunately for me, my finger is fine. Before the strikeout call, Francona met with all four umpires for a lengthy on-field discussion. The manager said he was talking to crew-chief Jim Joyce about what, if anything, could be challenged in such a scenario. Jimmy Joyce was explaining to me the whole thing, Francona said, and I didn t have a problem with his explanation at all, actually. I was just trying to ask him, and ask them, what my options were if the ball had hit the bat. That s where we just had a little bit of confusion. I don t think the ball did anyway, but there was just some confusion in either the way I was understanding it, or the way they were explaining it. But I had no issue with Jimmy Joyce, the way he explained it.

6 Francisco Lindor does 'The Swim' in Cleveland Indians win over Boston Red Sox By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com BOSTON Baseball is a lot like rock-n-roll. Somewhere along the line every note has already been played, it's just a matter of presentation and packaging. So when Francisco Lindor used the "swim move' to score on a headfirst slide at the plate Friday night in the third inning of a 4-2 Indians victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park, it wasn't like he just sat down and wrote Johnny B. Good. No, the swim has been swum before. Kenny Lofton used it with the Indians. Dustin Pedroia does it for the Red Sox. Lindor, to his credit, has added a new wrinkle where he flips on his side and grabs the bag or slaps the plate when he skids past. While it might be the same old tune, it is a something to behold. "We're talking about the swim move," said outfielder Rajai Davis, when asked about Lindor's slide. "That was real beautiful." When asked if he'd seen anyone else do the move, Davis said, "Actually, I think Dustin Pedroia patented that move. I think he owns the rights to that." Hey, but there's no patent on a good idea. The Indians had just taken a 3-2 lead in third inning on a three-run homer by Jason Kipnis off Clay Buchholz. Lindor followed Kipnis with a walk and then took over. He stole second and went to third on catcher Blake Swihart's throwing error. Mike Napoli couldn't get Lindor home as he struck out. Jose Ramirez, however, hit a fly ball to medium center field where Jack Bradley Jr., and his strong right arm, were waiting. Bradley made a strong one-hop throw to Swihart with Lindor about to dive toward the plate. "I was very, very pumped as you saw," said Lindor. "Running in, I saw him going to my right (the backside of the plate). So I tried to go to my left (the front of the plate). As soon as I hit the ground, all I thought was to try and get my right hand up. I screamed safe. As soon as I saw him (the umpire) moving his hands and saying safe, I just went crazy." Lindor broke out the swim move last year when the Indians were playing in Toronto. He stretched a single into a double with a dive and a flop. On Wednesday in Cincinnati he tried it at second base, but was called out. The Indians challenged the call without success, but manager Terry Francona still thinks Lindor was safe. The swim cannot be planned. It's spontaneous. "It just happens," said Lindor. "As I'm running, I can try to be aware of what's going to happen, how close it's going to be. I try to do something to avoid the tag." Sliding headfirst into the plate with a padded catcher waiting is not always the best of ideas. Francona said he wasn't worried about Lindor getting hurt. "He's so athletic and he's a smart kid," said Francona. "I think sometimes players like that, the game's not going as fast as it is for the rest of us. He's obviously go athleticism, but his instincts are really good, too. Some guys may want to do that, but can't quite get their body to go that way." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Corey Kluber superb as surging Cleveland Indians defeat Boston Red Sox: DMan's Report, Game 39 By Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Corey Kluber allowed two runs in seven innings and Jason Kipnis hit a three-run homer as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox, 4-2, Friday night at Fenway Park in Boston. Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his hitting streak to 25 games with a second-inning homer. Here is a capsule look at the key aspect(s) of the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Time Ohio: Tito's Fun Bunch: Manager Terry Francona's Indians (22-17 overall, 11-9 on road) have won a season-high five in a row. Stumbling: The Red Sox (25-17 overall, 14-9 at home) have lost three of four. Finding a way: The Indians prevailed despite going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. They stranded nine. Terrific performance: Kluber gave up five hits, walked two and struck out six. He threw 66 of 105 pitches for strikes. Kluber (3-5, 4.10 ERA) was highly effective against an offense that entered leading the majors with 240 runs and ranked first in the American League in average (.296) and on-base percentage (.357). In their previous nine home games, the Red Sox scored eight, eight, 14, 13, 13, 11, six, six and 10. On Friday, the Red Sox scored in the first and second innings. Mookie Betts led off with a double and advanced to third on Dustin Pedroia's sacrifice bunt. New-schoolers who root for the Olde Towne Team no doubt fired objects at the TV as they watched Pedroia bunt. Xander Bogaerts grounded off Kluber's glove to shortstop Francisco Lindor, who seamlessly threw to first for the out as Betts scored to make it 1-0. If Kluber had fielded the ball cleanly, Betts would have been forced to hold. David Ortiz walked. Hanley Ramirez singled to center, Ortiz stopping at second. The outing could have gone sideways for Kluber in a hurry, but Lindor made a running catch in shallow center to deny Travis Shaw. #lindor pic.twitter.com/uvsrjevl8s

7 Dennis Manoloff May 21, 2016 Yes, center fielder Rajai Davis was charging hard and in the neighborhood -- but it still is a great play by Lindor. Shaw, a Kent State product, has hit Kluber and the Indians well in his two years in the majors. The Red Sox have outscored opponents, 45-15, in the first inning. Bradley led off the second by drilling Kluber's 1-0 pitch (90 mph) into the center-field seats. The pitch was a fastball with nothing on it or a cutter that didn't cut -- a legitimate mistake, but one of just a handful of Kluber pitches that was available to mash. There is no shame, of course, in giving up a hit to Bradley at the moment. Nor is it unexpected to give up a homer to the Red Sox. Bradley enabled the Red Sox to set a franchise record for consecutive games with a homer (20). Bradley finished 1-for-2 with two walks. He is batting.340. Solving Big Papi: The work done by Kluber and Bryan Shaw against Ortiz factored heavily in the outcome. (In the first-inning plate appearance, Kluber barely missed outside with a 3-1 fastball.) *With none on and one out in the third, Kluber struck out Ortiz swinging at a nasty 2-2 breaking pitch (84) below the knees. *With a runner on second and two outs in the fifth, Kluber struck out Ortiz swinging at a 1-2 fastball (94) up and in. The previous pitch was a cutter inside that Ortiz fouled. It is one thing for a pitcher to say he will pitch Ortiz inside at Fenway; it is an entirely different matter to actually execute it. Kluber likely surprised Ortiz by going inside with back-to-back hard stuff. Terrific execution. pic.twitter.com/d6mkoqhzid Dennis Manoloff (@dmansworld474) May 21, 2016 The Tribe remained in front, 4-2. *With a runner on first and one out in the eighth, Shaw fell behind, 2-0. He threw a cutter in the middle of the zone, but the best Ortiz could do with it was a grounder to second. Kipnis triggered a double play. Cody Allen worked around a Bradley walk in the ninth to secure his 10th save. Kip, Kip, boom: Kipnis's homer was part of a four-run third that accounted for the final margin. Rajai Davis led off against righty Clay Buchholz with a single to shortstop. Carlos Santana walked in four pitches. Kipnis ambushed Buchholz by socking a first-pitch fastball (92, inside edge at knees) deep and inside the Pesky Pole. Lindor walked, stole second and scooted to third on catcher Christian Vazquez's throwing error. When Jose Ramirez hit a one-out pop to center, Lindor tagged and scored with a ridiculously good head-first slide after Bradley's throw beat him. Ramirez owes Lindor dinner. Kipnis finished 2-for-5. In his career at Fenway Park, he is batting.329 with six homers and 11 RBI. Absolutely love this. pic.twitter.com/wa9tbnwry7 Dennis Manoloff (@dmansworld474) May 21, 2016 Kipnis, being interviewed by Fox Sports Time Ohio ace reporter Andre Knott, refused to be bothered by teammates' projectiles. Lindor went 2-for-3 with two walks. During the winning streak, he is a tidy 13-for-24 with five RBI and six runs. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Five and counting: Cleveland Indians beat Boston Red Sox, 4-2, behind Kluber, Kipnis By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com BOSTON The Red Sox aren't the Cincinnati Reds. They're not rebuilding. They've got Big Papi and they're trying to win the World Series. The Indians, well, they're taking on the kings and jesters of the baseball world and living to tell about. After scoring 46 runs in a four-game sweep of the Reds, the Indians used the pitching of Corey Kluber and the home-run power of Jason Kipnis to beat the Boston, 4-2, Friday night at Fenway Park. The Indians have won five straight and seven of their last 11 games. They are 12-6 in May and 11-9 on the road. Kluber ended a personal two-game losing streak by holding the the MLB's top-scoring team to two runs over seven innings. Boston scored in the first and second inning before being shut down by Kluber and the bullpen. In his last two starts, Kluber (3-5, 4.10) allowed nine earned runs on 12 hits in 9 1/3 innings. He walked six and struck out 10 in losses to the Twins and Astros. Friday night he struck out six, walked two and allowed five hits. Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen pitched the eighth and ninth to finish the job Kluber started. Allen is 10-for-10 in save opportunities. Kipnis gave the Indians a 3-2 lead with a quick-strike, three-run homer in the fourth off Clay Buchholz (2-4, 5.92). Kipnis pulled Buchholz's first pitch down the right field line for his sixth homer of the season. Last year Kipnis ended the season with nine homers. Rajai Davis started the inning with a single to short. He beat the throw from Xander Bogaerts with a head first slide. After Carlos Santana walked, Kipnis delivered, but the Indians weren't done.

8 Terry Francona on Corey Kluber, Francisco Lindor Manager Terry Francona really liked the way Corey Kluber pitched Friday night against a powerful Boston lineup. Kluber allowed two runs in seven innings. Francisco Lindor walked, stole second and went to third on catcher Blake Swihart's throwing error. Mike Napoli, in his homecoming to Fenway, had a chance to deliver Lindor, but struck out. Jose Ramirez sent a fly ball to short center field to score Lindor on a close play at the plate for a 4-2 lead. Lindor used a head first slide -- complete with his swim move where he pulls his arm back to avoid the tag -- to beat Swihart's tag and a strong throw from Jackie Bradley Jr. Head first slides into an armored catcher invite injuries, but Lindor had no fear. "I didn't think he was going to get to me," said Lindor. "I knew the tag would be there, but I didn't think it would be that close. I didn't think he'd get his body to me like he did. I saw the video and I'm glad I pulled my arm back." The Red Sox struck early for a 2-0 lead. Mookie Betts started the first with a double, took second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Bogaerts' bouncer back to the mound that deflected off Kluber's glove. Bradley made it 2-0 with a leadoff homer to center field in the second. It was Bradley's eighth homer and extended his AL-high hitting streak to 25 games. The Indians threatened in the first. Santana hit a leadoff double off The Monster. Kipnis moved him to third with a ground out to first, but the Indians couldn't get him home. Lindor walked, but Napoli hit a grounder to third and Santana was caught in a rundown. Ramirez popped up to second. "Early on they were getting their hits and scored a couple," said manager Terry Francona. "Then we scored and he (Kluber) went out there and really started getting after it. "He used his change up. He pitched in. That was good to see. That's what your ace is supposed to do, but it's easier said than done. That's a heckuva lineup and he did a really good job against it." The pitches Kluber threw 105 pitches, 66 for strikes. Buchholz threw 96 pitches, 56 for strikes. In two starts against the Indians this season, Buchholz has walked seven and struck out seven. The win made Kluber 1-1 against the Red Sox this year. He's 2-3 against them in his career. Timing is everything The Red Sox honored Napoli with a video tribute on the scoreboard before the bottom of the second inning. As the fans cheered, Napoli tipped his cap at first base. Moments later Bradley homered for a 2-0 lead. Napoli played 2 ½ years with the Red Sox and helped them win a World Series in His first game back did not go well as he took a 0-for-5, struck out twice and commmitted an error. Multiple man Lindor went 2-for-3 with two walks Friday for his fifth straight multihit game. It was his 17th multihit game of the season. "I'm letting my eyes do the work," said Lindor. "I'm letting my eyes tell me what I want to do and then let hands release. Whatever happens after that happens." Thanks for coming The Indians and Red Sox drew sellout crowd of 37,354 to Fenway Park on Friday night. First pitch was at 7:11 p.m. and the temperature was 62 degrees. What's next? Trevor Bauer (3-1, 3.89) takes the mound Saturday against Boston. He's expected to face right-hander Joe Kelly (1-0, 9.35), who has been on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder. SportsTime Ohio and WMMS/FM will carry the 4:10 p.m. game. Bauer lost his last start against the Twins, but pitched well. He's 0-1 with a ERA in two starts against Boston. David Ortiz is 2-for-2 against him with a double and a homer. Kelly hasn't pitched in the big leagues since April 19 because of a right shoulder problem. He's 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA against the Tribe. Juan Uribe is hitting.364 (4-for-11) against him. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: What will Cleveland Indians do with Abraham Almonte when 80-game ban ends? Paul Hoynes, BOSTON On Saturday the Indians will play their 40th game of the season. Besides being a traditional point in the season where teams begin to reveal their true face, it will be the hallway point of Abraham Almonte's 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Almonte came to spring training scheduled to be the opening day center fielder. Word of his positive test was announced on Feb. 26 and the Indians' outfield has been scrambled ever since.

9 The question is how much impact, if any, will Almonte make on the Indians when his suspension is over? This could go a couple of different ways. Almonte has an option left so the Indians could send him to Class AAA Columbus. Or they could add him to the big league team. "It will depend on team need and where he is and how he's looking," said GM Mike Chernoff. "I wouldn't rule either of the scenarios out. He could go down and be depth for us or join the major league team." Almonte can play only in extended spring training games in Goodyear, Ariz. He cannot play in minor league games affiliated with MLB. "At the end of his suspension he can go on a rehab assignment for 10 days in the minors," said Chernoff. When the regular season opened, the Indians projected starting outfield was nowhere to be found. Almonte was suspended and Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall were on the disabled list. Brantley was activated on April 25, but returned to the disabled list on May 14. Chisenhall was activated on April 20, went on the bereavement list on May 13 and was activated again on Tuesday. The Indians have used eight different outfielders through their first 38 games. The starting outfield Friday against Boston had Rajai Davis in center, Jose Ramirez in left and Chisenhall in right. The Indians acquired Almonte from San Diego at the July 31 trade deadline last year. He took over in center for departed Michael Bourn and hit.264 (47-for-178) with nine doubles, five triples, five homers and 20 RBI in 51 games. Testing, testing: Carlos Carrasco threw 38 pitches in two innings Thursday in a simulated game at Class A Lake County. He'll jump to 55 pitches and three innings Monday in his recovery from a strained left hamstring. "Carrasco did fine," said pitching coach Mickey Callaway. "He's right on schedule." After Thursday's simulated game, Carrasco also did some fielding drills. "We just wanted him to get out and move around a little," said manager Terry Francona. Carrasco strained his left hamstring on April 24 at Comerica Park while covering first base. The Indians said at the time of the injury he would need four to six weeks to recover. Mum's the word: There is still no word on who will make a spot start for the Indians on Monday when they play a doubleheader against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. If it is Cody Anderson, Callaway said he will have to do two things to be successful pitch with confidence and keep the ball down. "He's got to tackle his confidence," said Callaway. "He was pitching like something bad was going to happen. Anytime you're doing that it's really tough to succeed. "Second, we've got to get the ball down. We've got to get that sink when he gets when his ball is down in the zone. Everything was middle up." Anderson was optioned to Columbus for the second time this season Tuesday after allowing six runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings against Cincinnati on Monday night. Anderson has allowed 10 homers in 32 2/3 innings. Feasting: The Indians have surged into second place in the AL in runs thanks to their 46-run outburst in a four-game sweep of the Reds. They have scored 186 runs, tying them with Texas for the second place. In May, the Indians have scored 95 runs, second most in the big leagues next to Boston. They entered Friday night's game against the Red Sox with an 11-6 record in May. Finally: In the four-game sweep over the Reds, the Indians hit.346 (56-for-162) as a team...mike Napoli met with reporters before Friday's game upon his return to Boston for the first since being traded to Texas last year. Napoli helped the Red Sox win the World Series in "It's a little weird coming here on the visiting side, but I'm going to have fun with it," said Napoli. "It has a special place in my heart, but I'm a competitor and I'm going to do everything I can to beat them." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Lynchburg Hillcats weekly: Cleveland Indians Minor League Report 2016 By Branson Wright, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Righty Julian Merryweather of the Lynchburg Hillcats was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week. He received the honor based on his previous two starts. In those starts, Merryweather earned two wins and struck out 17, and walked only four in 12 2/3 innings. He gave up only nine hits in that span. Last Saturday, Merryweather tied a career high with nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings at Carolina. He did not allow a run and only surrendered four hits and two walks. Merryweather has not allowed an earned run in five of his seven starts, and three of his outings have led to combined team shutouts. Merryweather was a fifth-round pick by the Indians in 2014 out of Oklahoma Baptist University. Merryweather has six wins with an 0.63 ERA. Who's hot: Bobby Bradley leads the Carolina League with nine home runs and 38 RBI. He also ranks fifth in the league in extra-base hits (18) and second in walks (29). Notable: Lynchburg leads the league with 32 home runs through 39 games. The Hillcats' longest streak without a home run is just four games. Three Hillcats are currently on pace for a combined 115 homers this year. Hillcats update: Lynchburg will hit the road and head to Myrtle Beach with Luis Lugo (2-1, 4.17) on the mound for a 7:05 p.m. start time. This will be the first matchup between the 'Cats and Pelicans in Listen to the game