Corey Kluber doesn’t often appear hittable
Authentic Terrelle Pryor Sr. Jersey , beatable or unremarkable.It’s a baseball rarity, like a triple play.On Friday night, it happened.Kluber had a rare rocky performance, lasting just five innings and losing for the first time in seven starts as Kyle Gibson outpitched the Cy Young winner and
Brian Dozier hit a two-run homer off him to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 6-3
win over the Cleveland Indians.”I guess he proved he’s human,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. ”He doesn’t look like it very often.”Kluber (10-3) allowed a homer on his fourth pitch of the game to Eddie Rosario and was pulled after throwing just 65 pitches by Francona, who wants to
preserve his ace for bigger games ahead.”If we want to get where we want to go, he’s going to have a major part in that,” Francona said.It was the shortest outing this season for the All-Star, who came in 5-0 with a 0.76 ERA against AL Central teams and was riding several other impressive
streaks.Kluber didn’t offer any excuses and understood Francona’s rationale for lifting him.”Just out of whack a little bit mechanically,” Kluber said. ”Obviously didn’t make good pitches to a few guys. Made some mistakes and they took advantage of
it.”Gibson (2-4) limited the Indians to one run and three hits in seven innings and got his first win since his season debut on March 31.Yan Gomes homered in the ninth and the Indians closed to 6-3 before closer Fernando Rodney struck out Francisco Lindor with one on for his 15th save.The Twins came into the series struggling at the plate and figured to be in for a tough time against Kluber, who has been as dominant this season as any
stretch of his career and was seeking to become baseball’s first 11-game
winner.Kluber, though, wasn’t Kluber.With Joe Mauer returning from the disabled list after missing 25 games with a strained neck and concussion-like symptoms, Minnesota manager Paul Molitor
dropped Dozier from the leadoff spot to No. 5 and the second baseman responded
with his two-run homer in the fourth and three RBIs.Minnesota’s plan was to be aggressive against Kluber and it worked.”He’s not really a guy where anybody’s too comfortable getting behind or hitting with two strikes
Darius Leonard Youth Jersey ,” Molitor said. ”A lot of our damage was aggressive at-bats, Rosie first pitch and Doz I think maybe second pitch of his at-bat, so
we were trying to get after him a little bit.”Dozier put the Twins ahead 4-0 in the fourth, when Kluber allowed his first walk in seven starts.After Rosario doubled, Kluber threw four balls to Eduardo Escobar, snapping his string without a walk at 46 1/3 innings – the longest for a Cleveland
pitcher in 11 years. Rosario then scored when Lindor’s return throw to first
after a force out nearly went into Minnesota’s dugout.Dozier followed by snapping an 0-for-20 slump with his 10th homer, a shot that put Kluber in an unfamiliar hole. The steady-and-stoic star had not given
up more than three runs in a game since Aug. 3, a span of 27 starts and
testament to his consistency.ERROR PRONELindor had two more errors, giving the Indians All-Star shortstop 10 this season, tying his total from 2017.Francona isn’t concerned about it becoming a lasting trend.”Shoot, he’s so good,” Francona said. ”We forget how young he is sometimes, because he’s so good. If that’s the worst thing we can come up with, he’s pretty
good. ”SIDELINEDThe Indians were without starting first baseman Yonder Alonso
Authentic Harold Landry Jersey , who was placed on the family-medical-emergency list and will miss at least this series.CLEVELAND ROCKSA trip to Progressive Field may have helped Dozier snap out of his funk. His homer was the 14th of his career at the ballpark, his most in any visiting
stadium. Dozier has reached base in each of his last 19 games in Cleveland,
batting .316 (24 for 76) with eight homers and 19 RBIs.TRAINER’S ROOMTwins: OF Byron Buxton (toe fracture) is working out with the team and could begin a minor league rehab assignment in a few days. He was injured May 29 and
placed on the disabled list the following day.Indians: There’s still no definitive plan with All-Star LHP Andrew Miller, who has been out since May 24 with right knee inflammation. Francona said the
team is taking a ”long-term” approach with the elite reliever, who has been on
the DL twice this season. ”When we get him back, we want to keep him back,”
Francona said.UP NEXTIndians RHP Carlos Carrasco shut out Chicago with 11 strikeouts in seven innings in his last outing. He’ll make his third start this season against the
Twins, who will counter with Fernando Romero.—In early April, Chris Herrmann was a free-agent catcher sitting on his couch at home wondering if he was going to play baseball again.Now he is. And the Mariners are glad they found him.Herrmann hit his first home run for Seattle, and Marco Gonzales pitched six solid innings to lead the Mariners to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels
on Thursday night.Gonzales (9-5) gave up five hits while striking out seven in a 102-pitching outing. The lone run he gave up was Kole Calhoun’s sacrifice fly in the fourth
inning to tie the game at 1.Considering how rough a first inning the left-hander had, Gonzales gladly took the outcome.”It was a constant chess game,” Gonzales said.He had no control over his sinker. His changeup wasn’t getting over the plate. And he was working with a catcher in Herrmann – called up from the minors
in late-May – with whom he had no familiarity.But after regular catcher Mike Zunino was placed on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with a bruised left foot, it was up to Herrmann and Gonzales to figure
things out.”In that first inning, (Gonzales) did not have it. He really didn’t
Cheap Josh Allen Jersey ,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. ”I’ve been around a long time, and you see pitchers with six-to-seven years’
experience in this league that panic. They don’t have it, and they throw in the
towel.”It says a lot about his maturity and where he’s at.”Gonzales escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first by getting Albert Pujols to ground into a double play.”Give Gonzales some credit,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ”He made some pitches and got out of it.”In the fifth, Guillermo Heredia’s line drive went over Justin Upton’s head in left field for an RBI double gave Seattle the lead back at 2-1.In the seventh inning, Herrmann’s solo blast off reliever Miguel Almonte carried deep into the right-field bleachers. Not a bad ending for a guy who did
not find out he was in the starting lineup until five hours before first
pitch.”I know a lot of pitchers here have a lot of confidence behind Mike behind the plate, and I hope I can gain that confidence from these guys as well,” said
Herrmann, who was signed by the Mariners to a minor league deal in early April
after being designated for assignment by Arizona at the end of spring training.
”I am trying to do my part and fill in while he is gone.”Dee Gordon tripled into the right-field corner with two outs, and Jean Segura greeted reliever Cam Bedrosian with a high-chopping RBI single to third baseman
David Fletcher to extend Seattle’s lead to 4-1.Gordon also saved a run in the eighth with his highlight-reel diving catch of Ian Kinsler’s line drive behind second base.”It was just instincts. I just jumped as far as I could,” Gordon said.Edwin Diaz struck out the side in the ninth to lock up his major league-leading 34th save.The Mariners have not lost a home series since May 6, when they dropped two of three games to the Angels. They are 6-0-3 during that span.Angels starter Jaime Barria (5-5) gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings.HERNANDEZ BACK `BETTER’Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez insists he feels much better before his scheduled start Friday against Colorado than he did nearly a week ago.Hernandez tweaked his back during a workout in Baltimore. It tightened on him before his start Saturday against Kansas City – one in which he surrendered
three earned runs before recording an out in a 6-4 victory. With the help of
heat and ice packs, and more stretching, Hernandez’s back has felt better this
week. He even threw an abbreviated bullpen session.”I am better today
Paul O'Neill Jersey , more loose,” Hernandez said. ”I will be fine.”BIRTHDAY BOYWhat did Japanese star Shohei Ohtani get on the day of his 24th birthday Thursday in Seattle? He got a seat on the bench against Gonzales, a left-hander.
With Albert Pujols serving as the designated hitter, Jefry Marte got the start
at first base after being activated from the 10-day disabled list earlier in the
day.Ohtani struck out in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter against Diaz.ROSTER RESHUFFLINGAngels: To make room for Marte, the Angels sent outfielder Jabari Blash to Triple-A Salt Lake.Mariners: Left-handed pitcher Ariel Miranda, who started 29 games last season, was granted his unconditional release from Triple-A Tacoma to pursue
playing opportunities in Japan.TRAINER’S ROOMAngels: Outfielder Chris Young (left hamstring) had an MRI test on his hamstring Thursday. Results weren’t revealed, but he is still expected to be out
past the All-Star Break. … Right-hander Nick Tropeano (right shoulder) will
pitch Saturday as part of a rehab assignment. He will be limited to 60 pitches,
Scioscia said. … Right-hander Jim Johnson (back) threw a bullpen session and is
approaching a rehab assignment as well.Mariners: Zunino (left ankle) was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a bruised left foot. He rolled his ankle late in Seattle’s 7-4 loss Wednesday
running the basepaths and was walking around in a boot in the clubhouse
Thursday. David Freitas was recalled from Tacoma to serve as the backup catcher
behind Herrmann. … Outfielder Mitch Haniger was scratched from the starting
lineup because of a bruised right knee. Heredia took his place.UP NEXTRockies: Right-hander German Marquez (6-8, 5.14 ERA) faces off against one of his famous Venezuelan countrymen in Hernandez. He has never faced the Mariners,
but is 2-0 in .
