Cleveland Indians 4 — New York Yankees 1
The Yankees could not get the offense going in today’s series finale with the Cleveland Indians.
Hiroki Kuroda got the call for today’s game and his first inning difficulties were evident again. Second baseman Jason Kipnis led off with a single and Kipnis advanced to third on a ground out and a wild pitch. All-Star Michael Brantley would hit a single to left field and the Indians were ahead early. The Indians would implement a similar process in the third inning. After a double by Kipnis led off the third inning, Jose Ramirez would advance him to third on a sacrifice and Brantley would hit the productive sacrifice fly to score the Indians second run.
Over the course of today’s game, the Yankees offense never got more than one hit in an inning. That’s not the way to winning games.
Indians starter Carlos Carrasco allowed a single in the first and second inning. After the second inning single by Stephen Drew, Carrasco would retire the next 11 Yankees to come the plate en route to five shutout innings. Carrasco struck out four and walked none.
Hiroki Kuroda would struggle in the fifth inning, hitting a batter and giving up a single. He would walk the bases loaded with two outs and walked in the third and last run of his unsuccessful start. In 4.2 innings, Hiroki Kuroda allowed three runs on five hits while walking four and striking out three. While Carrasco cruised through the five innings he pitched; the five innings that Hiroki Kuroda pitched in, none were a 1-2-3 inning.
A fourth Indians run would score against the combination of David Huff and Shawn Kelley. The Yankees would avoid being shutout for the second game in a row with a solo home run in ninth inning by Jacoby Ellsbury but that is little consolation in a loss.
Win – Carlos Carrasco (4-4)
Loss – Hiroki Kuroda (7-8)
Notables
Indians
*Michael Brantley – 1 for 3, BB, 2 RBI (76)
*Jason Kipnis – 3 for 5, 3 R, 2B
Yankees
*Jacoby Ellsbury – 2 for 4, R, Solo Home Run (10) in the 9th, RBI (52)
*Ichiro Suzuki – 1 for 3, 2B
Current Yankees Record: 61-56
