Indians left fielder Michael Brantley went 8-for-16 with three walks in a four-game series against Toronto, including 2-for-3 with two walks in a 10-7 victory Sunday.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley combined to go 6-for-8 with four RBI and five runs as the Indians defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 10-7, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field. Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:
A split that feels like a victory: The Indians (9-15) went 2-2 in the series when they easily could have gone 1-3. In the finale, they rallied from a five-run deficit after 3 1/2 innings against MLB's highest-scoring team.
Given how their season has begun, the Indians will take a series split without complaint and seek to build on it. They snapped a four-series losing streak and are 1-5-2 overall.
Professional hitting: Game No. 24 revolved around the Indians' ability to produce a steady flow of quality plate appearances. If they weren't getting hits (13) or drawing walks (seven), they were moving runners, making the pitchers work to get outs or being denied by slick fielding.
Kipnis and Brantley showed the way.
Kipnis went 4-for-5 with five quality PA's in five chances. His out, a grounder to second in the first inning, came on the ninth pitch.
Brantley was 2-for-3 with five quality PA's in five chances. He walked twice. His out was a sharply hit grounder down the first-base line that Edwin Encarnacion dived to stop to end the first. Encarnacion denied Brantley twice in the series.
Among other Indians who hit the ball hard without a positive result: Michael Bourn, grounder up the middle in the third, and David Murphy, double-play grounder up the middle to end the fourth. Toronto shortstop Ryan Goins handled both because of shift-based alignments.
Kip it and rip it: Kipnis's banner day, which included a homer and double, capped a huge series as he continues to get comfortable in the leadoff spot. His pitch recognition and barrel awareness have been superb.
In the opener Thursday night, Kipnis went 0-for-5 in 21 pitches as the Tribe lost, 5-1. But his swing mechanics were sound. He wasn't missing by much.
On Friday night, Kipnis went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and walk in a 9-4 victory. He saw 21 pitches. On Saturday afternoon, he was 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs in an 11-4 loss. He saw 25 pitches.
On Sunday, Kipnis drove in two and scored three. He saw 27 pitches. Here is a breakdown of his plate appearances:
First inning vs. RHP Drew Hutchison (none on, none out) -- 89 fastball called strike; 84 off-speed ball; 90 fastball foul; 86 changeup low; 92 fastball low; 92 fastball foul; 92 fastball foul; 92 fastball foul; 87 changeup, grounder to second.
Skinny: Productive out, especially as leadoff batter in the first. Hutchison and catcher Russell Martin grew tired of Kipnis spoiling the fastball; Hutchison sold the changeup with good arm action and put it in a decent spot, down and away.
Third inning vs. Hutchison (none on, two outs) -- 92 fastball called strike; 82 breaking pitch outside; 92 fastball called strike (inside corner); 85 slider down and in; 93 fastball foul; 88 off-speed down and in; 86 changeup foul; 93 fastball foul (lined down left-field line); 85 slider, homer to right.
Skinny: Martin was set up inside for the decisive slider; unlike earlier in the AB, it didn't get inside quite far enough, but the real problem was elevation. Kipnis reacted to what he saw while resisting the temptation to over-swing.
Fifth inning vs. Hutchison (runners on first and second, one out) -- 93 fastball high; 93 fastball, RBI single to left.
Skinny: Excellent approach; Kipnis took what Hutchison gave him and hit it sharply. The grounder caromed off third baseman Josh Donaldson, who was ranging to his left.
Sixth inning vs. RHP Miguel Castro (none on, one out) -- 96 fastball outside; 97 fastball foul (outer half); 88 changeup foul; 90 changeup, single to left.
Skinny: Kipnis stayed on a good pitch -- off the outside corner at the knees -- and was rewarded with a bloop to left.
Eighth inning vs. RHP Scott Copeland (none on, none out) -- 90 called strike; 90 fastball called strike (inner third); 91 fastball, double to left-center.
Skinny: Another terrific piece of hitting. Kipnis tracked a sink piece that tailed to the outside corner at the knees. It became a hustle double because he read how far left fielder Michael Saunders needed to go to stop the ball.
Dr. Smooth locked in: No. 3 batter Brantley finished the series at 8-for-16 with one homer, three doubles, three walks, six RBI, four runs and two steals. Other than that, he was quiet.
Bad luck and/or Toronto defense prevented at least 11-for-16.
The 1-3 punch: On Sunday, the Indians scored their runs in the third inning (one), fourth (one), fifth (six) and sixth (two). Kipnis and Brantley combined to go 5-for-5 with a walk.
Not what it appears: If ever a pitching line deceives, it is Tribe right-hander Trevor Bauer's from Sunday -- 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, K.
Bauer was not masterful, but he wasn't anything close to awful, either. Brain cramps and bad luck foiled him as much as lack of execution on certain pitches.
Here is a breakdown of Bauer's start:
FIRST INNING
(R) Devon Travis -- 92 fastball high; 92 fastball called strike; 74 curve high (squirted); 82 called strike; 83 slider fly to right.
(R) Josh Donaldson -- 91 fastball grounder to short.
Skinny: Pitch on inner third tied up Donaldson.
(R) Jose Bautista -- 83 slider low; 92 fastball fly to left.
Skinny: Bautista barely missed a pitch to hit.
(eight pitches)
SECOND INNING
(R) Edwin Encarnacion -- off-speed high; 81 low; 93 fastball, grounder to third.
Skinny: Encarnacion was too eager to pull fastball on outer third.
(R) Russell Martin -- 93 fastball, fly to center.
(R) Kevin Pillar -- 94 fastball, called strike; 92 fastball, foul; 88 in dirt; 93 grounder to second.
(eight pitches)
THIRD INNING
(L) Michael Saunders -- 92 fastball called strike; 83 breaking pitch called strike; 77 curve outside; 92 fastball foul; 87 changeup low; 85 changeup low; 93 outside, walk.
Skinny: Saunders showed good discipline.
(L) Ryan Goins -- 92 fastball outside; 94 fastball low; 93 fastball; 92 fastball inside, walk.
(L) Ezequiel Carrera -- 92 fastball low; 86 changeup low (ninth straight ball); 93 fastball, sacrifice bunt 5-4.
(R) Devon Travis (middle of infield back, even at corner) -- 93 fastball called strike; 86 breaking pitch chop to Santana, fielder's choice 3-2.
Skinny: Good pitch, down and away, had Travis reaching. It turned into an out at the plate.
(R) Josh Donaldson -- 85 off-speed low; 94 fastball up and in; 83 breaking pitch low and outside; 93 fastball high, walk.
(R) Jose Bautista -- 95 fastball swinging strike (over plate at knees); 95 fastball high; 85 slider down and away; 95 fastball foul (inner half); 79 curve, swinging strikeout (three-quarters swing).
Skinny: Nasty curve that dived into the dirt. Bauer's best pitch of the game, in a ginormous spot.
(25 pitches)
FOURTH INNING
(R) Edwin Encarnacion -- 92 fastball high; 92 fastball high; 93 fastball foul; 83 slider down and away; 92 fastball called strike (outside corner at knees); 94 fastball, infield single to third.
Skinny: Bad break for Bauer. Encarnacion reached for a good pitch -- fastball on the outside corner at the knees -- and chopped it off the plate. Lonnie Chisenhall made a nifty pick of the second hop on the edge of the infield grass and fired to first baseman Carlos Santana. Umpire John Hirschbeck called Encarnacion safe on a bang-bang play.
Fox SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "That was a good play. I didn't think Chisenhall even caught the ball.''
The Indians opted not to challenge.
Fox SportsTime Ohio play-by-play voice Matt Underwood said: "I think it's a smart non-challenge. It looked like, especially on that last angle, that his foot was there ahead of time by a hair. If anything, it would be impossible to get it overturned.''
(R) Russell Martin -- 85 off-speed, bunt fielder's choice 5-4.
Skinny: Martin, with Chisenhall back, bunted for a hit. But the ball stayed in the air long enough that Encarnacion needed to wait before heading to second. Easy play for Chisenhall.
(R) Kevin Pillar -- 83 called strike; 92 fastball up and in, hit by pitch.
(L) Michael Saunders -- 85 changeup foul; 93 fastball foul; 78 curve down and in; 95 fastball, RBI single to left (Martin to third).
Skinny: Bauer needed to put away a struggling hitter such as Saunders when ahead in the count, 0-2. At the same time, Saunders deserves credit for a good piece of hitting. He laid off the curve, then went with a fastball on the outer third at the knees and shot it into the hole at short. With Martin on second and Saunders at the plate, Indians shortstop Jose Ramirez was shaded up the middle. Ramirez would have been able to field the ball in his conventional spot.
(L) Ryan Goins -- 85 off-speed foul; 93 fastball foul; 78 curve outside (barely); 93 fastball, grounder to first/fielder's choice -- no out recorded.
Skinny: Brutal baseball. After Bauer tied up Goins with a pitch up and in, Santana fielded the one-hopper and spotted Pillar far off third. Santana ran at Pillar -- and kept running, until Pillar dived back safely. Santana never threw the ball and was late with the diving tag attempt.
Manning said of Santana: "You've got to give it up. You run at him, and you make him make a commitment to go one way or the other. He didn't. He kept waiting and running and running, and he was letting Pillar get back to the base....When (Pillar) stopped, you have to force him to go one way or the other. But for whatever reason, (Santana) just held onto it. You've got to get rid of it.''
Manning and Underwood pointed out that Santana had another option on the grounder.
Manning said: "I'll tell you, as hard as that ball was hit, he could have gone for the double play.''
Underwood said: "I thought initially that's what he was going to do.''
Manning said: "You know what: He thought twice about it. Then he wanted to get the guy at home and made a mistake there. It might not be listed as an error, but that's an error. That's a mental error.''
(L) Ezequiel Carrera -- 85 changeup swinging strike (down and in); 85 changeup (down and away); 85 changeup, infield single to pitcher.
Skinny: Another bad break for Bauer, who compounded it. Tripling up on the changeup should have worked, but it didn't. Carrera took a half-swing at a pitch off the outside corner at the knees and chopped it off the plate. Bauer fielded with his back to the plate on the first-base side of the mound, turned and looked toward home. When Bauer realized he had no chance to get Pillar, he threw to first, but it was too late to erase the speedy Carrera.
Manning said of Bauer: "He had no play at home plate. Even thinking home is not a right move....Once you go back (toward second), you only have one play -- first base....I really think that the Santana thing messed with him. I really do. You talk about gift-wrapping an inning....Just get an out: That's the bottom line.''
(R) Devon Travis -- 85 backup slider, foul; 94 fastball, homer to left-center.
Skinny: Travis made the Indians pay full price for their mental mistakes. He pulled in the hands on a fastball on the inner third at the thighs and hammered it over the wall.
Underwood said of the Indians: "If they just take the outs that were given, Travis doesn't even get to the plate.''
(R) Josh Donaldson -- 83 off-speed high; 82 backup slider called strike; 83 backup slider, pop fly to right.
(R) Jose Bautista -- 83 slider foul; 85 changeup low; 94 fastball low; 85 changeup low; 94 fastball called strike (outside corner); 81 backup slider foul; 94 fastball, double to left.
(R) Edwin Encarnacion -- 94 fastball low; 86 off-speed in dirt (wild pitch); 94 fastball, pop to third.
(76 total)
FIFTH INNING
(R) Russell Martin -- slider swinging strike; 82 slider swinging strike; 76 curve foul; 92 fastball outside; 82 slider, infield single to third.
Skinny: Martin used and emergency hack and reached for the pitch. Chisenhall went to his knees to glove with the backhand and fired to Santana, who stretched but was unable to hold onto the ball. Even though the play was ruled a single, it should have been an out.
Manning said: "Just one of those day for Santana.''
(R) Kevin Pillar -- 82 breaking pitch outside; 84 slider high; 92 fastball called strike; 91 fastball, pop to right.
(L) Michael Saunders -- 86 changeup in dirt; 85 changeup swinging strike; 84 backup slider foul; 92 fastball high and away; 85 off-speed, single to right.
Skinny: Bauer unable to put away Saunders after 1-2 count. Typical of Bauer's day, though, the ball was not hit all that hard but found the hole past Kipnis.
(14 pitches)
(Bauer hooked for lefty Marc Rzepczynski.)
At this point, the Indians were down, 6-2, and seemingly headed for another defeat. But they bowed collective necks and authored a stirring comeback.