Former Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver said the key to winning is ”pitching
Nate Orchard Jersey , fundamentals and three-run homers.”Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona can go one better: grand slams.
Yan Gomes hit a grand slam in the sixth inning and the Indians rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Tuesday night.
The Indians lead the American League with eight grand slams and it was their second in two nights. Francisco Lindor hit one Monday.
”I’m glad,” Francona said. ”I hope we have a ton more opportunities. I’m really happy about that. That’s really good for us.”
Edwin Encarnacion led off the sixth with a walk and Brandon Guyer was hit by Danny Duffy’s pitch. Yonder Alonso’s infield single loaded the bases before
Gomes drove Duffy’s 1-0 changeup into the left-field bullpen.
”I hope it’s not contagious, because that means people are going up there looking to hit a grand slam,” Gomes said. ”You really just want to get up there
and try to keep the line moving. I hope if we get more bases-loaded
(situations), we’re just able to drive more guys in, whether that’s a sac fly or
a base hit or a grand slam.”
Gomes is 10 for 26 (.385) with three home runs and eight RBIs off Duffy.
Shane Bieber (4-0) allowed all the Kansas City runs in the first two innings, and remains undefeated in his first five big league starts.
”Things got a little ugly,” Bieber said. ”They could have gotten a lot worse. I was trying to go out there and compete and move on to the next pitch.”
Chad Allen got the final four outs for his 17th save in 18 chances and his fifth of more than one inning. He stranded two runners in the ninth after a
single and a walk.
Duffy (4-8) yielded six runs on eight hits, two walks and a hit batter. He is 0-3 against the Indians this season and has lost eight in a row against them
dating to May 6, 2015.
”It was belt high and right out over the plate for him to tattoo and that’s what he did,” Duffy said of the grand slam. ”I hate that old song and dance
these things happen, bull, but these things do happen. And it’s happened to us a
lot lately. It’s really frustrating. I gave up six runs today
Paxton Lynch Jersey , which means I didn’t pitch very well.”
It took Duffy 25 pitches to record an out with Lindor, Michael Brantley and Jose Ramirez opening the game with singles. Ramirez’s single deflected off
Duffy’s glove to score Lindor. Alfonso’s fly to center scored Brantley with the
second run.
”The first inning was a grind for Danny, 36 pitches, but he really did a pretty good job of limiting the damage there with only two runs and kind of got
on a roll,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.
Lucas Duda homered with Rosell Herrera, who had three hits, on board to tie it in the bottom of the first.
The Royals forged ahead 4-2 in the second. Whit Merrifield singled home Adalberto Mondesi and scored on Herrera’s two-out double.
The Royals lost for the 24th time in 29 games. They did manage 12 hits, ending a club record of 24 straight games without getting double-figure
hits.
ROSTER MOVES
Indians: Recalled OF Greg Allen from Triple-A Columbus, where he was hitting .487 in a nine-game hitting streak at the time of the promotion. He hit .204 in
34 games earlier this season with Cleveland. ”It definitely helps to have gone
through it before,” Allen said. ”That just comes with experience.”
DRAFT SIGNINGS
Indians: They signed their first two draft picks, Canadian high school C Noah Naylor and Cumming, Georgia high school RHP Ethan Hankins. Naylor, the 29th
overall pick
Sammie Coates Jersey , signed for $2,578,138, while Hankins, the 35th overall pick, signed for $2,246,022.
Royals: RHP Brady Singer, the 18th overall pick, signed for $4.25 million. He was the college player of the year, going 12-3 with a 2.55 ERA as a Florida
junior.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: OF Lonnie Chisenhall (strained left calf) was placed on the disabled list. This is the second straight year he has been set back by calf injuries. He
missed 50 games earlier this season with a left calf injury. He was out most of
the second half of last year with a right calf injury.
Guyer left in the ninth after fouling a pitch off his left knee. Francona said the X-rays were negative.
Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (strained left oblique) was placed on the disabled list retroactive to June 30th. . 3B Mike Moustakas (lower back spasms) was a
late scratch. Yost said his back tightened up after he lifted one of his
children.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer is 0-1 with a 3.55 ERA in two starts this season against the Royals.
It’s official. Chad Kelly is currently the No. 2 quarterback in Denver. For now.
??ight now, he?? our backup,” coach Vance Joseph said on the day that the second-year
Zach Zenner Jersey , seventh-rounder received reps with the second-string offense for the first time. “Again, your roster is pretty much
formed until something happens out there. So, right now, Chad is our backup.
Things change in this league all the time, but right now he is our backup.”
The reason is simple. In a merit-based business, Kelly has shown the necessary merit.
??had has played well,” Joseph said. “He played well in the scrimmage and he played well Saturday night, so he deserves a chance to be the two right
now.??/p>
Joseph said Kelly will run the second-string offense all week, culminating in a preseason game against the Bears.
??t was nice,” Kelly told reporters regarding the news of the promotion. “I wouldn?? have gotten there if it wasn?? for my teammates. Those guys made the
plays, they got me in the right protections and the guys with the ball in their
hands made plays. Like I said, it?? not just me that got to that position. It??
those other guys around me that helped me get there.??/p>
Paxton Lynch, a first-round pick in 2016 Eric Ebron Jersey , now plunges to No. 3.
??He was] obviously disappointed, but he understands it?? a performance business,” Joseph said regarding Lynch. “He has great potential — physical
potential — but it?? got to equal performance eventually. He understands that.
It?? a performance league, and everything we do is graded and it?? counted. It??
really more about what Chad?? done, honestly. Chad has played well. He?? played
with poise, he?? played with confidence. He moved the ball for us on Saturday
night. It?? been that way since the spring. He had a great spring, he?? had a
great camp and so it?? his turn to be the two. He?? earned that right.”
It’s a great story, and it’s hard not to wonder whether Kelly is just getting started. With starter Case Keenum under contract for only two years, Jim Kelly’s
nephew could eventually be the No. 1 quarterback for John Elway’s
team.
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