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Home , Adam Miller (baseball), Adam Plutko, Brandon Guyer, Chance Adams, Columbus Clippers, Dane Dunning

A letter to the twin boys the 26th Man never got to meet By Zack Meisel 11 The day your mom learned she was pregnant last July, she swore your dad to secrecy. By the time he left the ballpark that day, an umpire, a player and, probably, a cotton candy vendor, ticket scalpers and a guy sweeping discarded peanut shells into his dustpan all were privy to the couple’s big news.

Your dad tried to reason with your mom.

“They don’t know you!” She laughed. Oh, Matt. Always befriending everyone. Always addressing casual acquaintances as if they had maintained a friendship since kindergarten.

Your parents met about two hours north of here — at a stadium, of course — when they worked for the nearly a decade ago. You know, the prototypical love story. He was the clubhouse , at every player’s beck and call. She was an intern selling tickets. He asked her out on occasion for more than a year before she finally caved. They went on some dates. He charmed her. They fell in love.

“I was a bratty 21-year-old who was just out of college,” your mom says. “He stuck with it, though.”

Your dad actually began working in baseball when he was in high school, serving as the Captains’ bat boy. He started with Class AAA Columbus in 2010. Your mom joined the Clippers’ ticket office a year later.

Anytime a player needed anything, he knew to head to the office near the clubhouse. There was a nameplate to match the ones that reside above the players’ lockers.

Matt Pruzinsky, clubhouse manager

“That was our whole life,” your mom says. “It was a lot of baseball for a long time.”

This was the life your dad had scripted in his mind: twin boys, healthy, happy and, of utmost importance, sleeping through the night; a job with atypical hours and loads of responsibility, the baseball clubhouse his kingdom; a wife who appreciated the quirks of his work and the quirks of his outgoing (she calls it “embarrassing”) personality.

Your dad ditched spring quarters at State so he could assist the Indians with their operations in Arizona. Your mom teased him because they both graduated college in 2008, even though she was two years younger.

Really, she could tease all she wanted. His plan unfolded just as he had envisioned.

See, there will come a day, Matthew and Brayden, when you two will toss the baseball back and forth in the backyard and your mom will smile. Maybe a tear will tumble down her cheek.

Your dad lived for baseball, lived to smell the fresh-cut grass and the steaming hot dogs, lived to hear the smacking of the ball against a glove and the snapping of the aluminum tab on a chilled beer can. He didn’t mind his peculiar hours or his seemingly ceaseless task list. He dealt with bitter veterans and eager prospects, two groups that wanted nothing to do with the level below the big leagues. And yet, your mom never heard him complain.

“Until his last day,” she says, “that’s all he ever wanted to do.”

Those late nights at the ballpark fueled a disjointed schedule. Long after the players departed, your dad did their laundry, hung jerseys and sorted equipment. When he finally returned home, he watched TV or played Xbox online with his friends, headset and all, in those cushy theater chairs in the basement.

Your mom knew not to bother him when the sun rose. No rooster could spring him awake. Only an Ohio State football game or a Browns tailgate could do the trick. He would wake up on a brisk Sunday morning and start prepping for a Browns game before dawn. He and a friend refurbished an RV, painting it brown and orange, with a sketch of the skyline. On Sundays, they parked it in the Muni Lot, on the shores of . (Your mom spent the early hours of those tailgates asleep in the RV.) When the Cavaliers won the NBA title in 2016, breaking Cleveland’s 52-year championship hex, your dad called your great-grandfather, Moe, and the two exchanged their emotions, built up from instance after instance of athletic heartbreak. Moe was desperate to witness a Cleveland triumph. Your dad couldn’t have been more thrilled that he was granted his wish.

He couldn’t pop champagne in the living room, though. He had to run off to Huntington Park to move players’ cars from the secure lot to the stadium plaza, where the team would soon arrive after a road swing through Rochester and Syracuse.

At Browns games or Cavs contests or USA soccer matches, your dad would chant and cheer, boo and jeer, join in on any heckling or shouting. It often approached a point of humiliation for your mom, the innocent bystander cringing beside the howling goof.

Your mom would shoot him those icy looks, the ones that say: “Must you be so embarrassing?”

But as your mom notes: “It was all through passion, so you, at least, have to appreciate that.”

Deep down, your dad wanted to work for the Indians. He dreamed of roaming the clubhouse, scooting from locker to locker to tend to each big leaguer’s needs, be it retrieving food or ordering batting gloves or locating a missing helmet. Incredibly, your dad was disorganized at home, which clashed with your mom’s neat-freak manner. But when it came to his job, he was as orderly as could be — a critical attribute for governing a clubhouse full of athletes.

He might have forgotten something your mom reminded him 100 times, but he never lost track of a ballpark task. Players, coaches and colleagues would bug him at all hours of the day and night, but he never ignored his phone, never skirted a request. He treasured his time in the clubhouse and at the field, whether his workday lasted three hours or 15.

“He was just like a friend back home,” says.

Your dad sorely wanted to return to Cleveland one day, near your grandparents and aunts and uncles. Your mom is certain he would’ve worked his way to . She’s confident his call to the majors was on the horizon.

After all, he made things happen.

Your mom loves the zoo. Your Grandpa Ed loves the zoo. The entire family gathered for what your dad presented as a behind-the-scenes tour at the Columbus Zoo shortly before Christmas in 2015. Your mom was growing restless as they all waited in the cold for the tour guides. Your dad pleaded patience. At last, zoo employees brought out a baby kangaroo wearing a miniature backpack. They asked your mom to hold it. As she fawned over the little marsupial, your mom noticed a Christmas tag dangling from its neck.

“Oh, it’s cute,” she said.

“Read it!” everyone shouted.

“It’s a Christmas tag. Get over it,” she replied, confused by their adamancy.

“Read it!” they implored.

She finally obliged.

Will you marry me?

Ten months later, they were married, on the night the Indians secured a 3-1 lead against the Cubs in the . They ensured there was a TV at the reception. Matt spent nearly 15 years working in the Indians organization. He and Shannon were married in 2016. (Courtesy of Shannon Pruzinsky) Your dad was eager to start a family. He counted down the days until he would become a father. Your parents never selected baby names; they thought they had ample time to sift through the options. But after your dad suffered cardiac arrest on that hellish December day, it just felt right to carry on his name. And your dad loved the name Brayden.

“You just knew, once he found out that he was having babies,” Tomlin says, “that, with how he took care of everybody, he was going to be an unbelievable dad.”

You boys were born on Feb. 26, which might seem trivial until you understand your dad’s role at work. The Clippers considered him to be the 26th Man, an irreplaceable cog who kept the team functioning properly.

That explains the gray T-shirts with the “MP 26th Man” display on the chest that players and coaches throughout the Indians’ organization have sported since spring training. That also explains the number choice for the Pruzinsky uniforms in your bedroom, sent by Fletcher Wilkes, the clubhouse manager at the team’s Arizona facility.

Your dad couldn’t wait to meet you guys.

An umpire wrote your mom a card to express how excited he was for your parents. By the end of last season, every Columbus player knew. They would slip him a gift or a check to say, “Here, buy something for the twins.” Your dad was best friends with everyone he encountered.

He was ready to be a father, ready to bid farewell to the nights out on the town, the early tailgates, the impromptu trips to Jacksonville to visit friends. He built your cribs. He sketched out a plan to construct your changing table. (Your grandfather was able to examine the blueprint and take the reins.) Your dad was pretty handy. He would watch a YouTube video to learn the process and then he’d tackle a project. The TV stand in the living room? That used to be a dresser before your dad pieced together the shelves and the sliding doors. Your mom sanded it, though. She’s careful to ensure that she receives credit for that.

Your dad accompanied your mom to every doctor appointment during her pregnancy, even the simple, 10-minute checkups. If she wanted ice cream, he swung by Giant Eagle and scooped up five pints of Baskin-Robbins’ chocolate peanut butter.

Your father was going to come home from work in the wee hours of the morning and tend to you guys. Your mom was certain it would be the perfect system. He would play with you during the day, before he trekked to the ballpark. There’s no doubt he would’ve sacrificed his precious morning sleep to spend time with you guys.

“If I didn’t have them,” your mom says, “I’d be completely lost. As hard as it is, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. This is what we always wanted.” When your mom looks at you guys, she considers everything he has missed. But she can’t help but to smile when she looks into your eyes, Brayden. Or when you fall asleep, head tilted back, while sitting up on her knee, Matthew.

Your Aunt Laura has preserved articles written about your dad since his passing. She wanted a way to document how much your dad meant to so many people. He dedicated his life to baseball and to the players he aided every day.

It’s appropriate, then, that you both regularly wear your Indians onesies. Matthew’s has the Block C logo. Brayden’s says: “Eat. Sleep. Baseball. Little Fan’s Checklist.”

Your dad would leave for a six-week spring training stay at the end of each February. Your mom would cry her most devastating tears every time she dropped him off at the airport. The 2,000 miles between them were brutal. The communication-hindering three-hour time change might have been worse.

“I thought that was the hardest thing,” your mom says. “It turns out it wasn’t. I would take him being there for a year instead of this.”

Your mom always said she was going to visit him in Arizona, but she never did. She had to prepare for the Clippers’ new season or tend to her part-time gig with the Blue Jackets, in which she assisted the players’ wives. She plans to bring you there, though. Fletcher wants to meet you guys. You can see your dad’s imprint, see what he handled every day, meet more of the people who miss him dearly.

There will be plenty of baseball in your lives, even with your dad not around. You attended the Clippers’ home opener this year. Grandpa Ed threw out the first pitch. You’ve visited Classic Park, too, to see the Captains.

Everyone wants to meet you, hold you, see how much you look like your father. Matthew, says you look just like your dad. The eyes, the brow line, something about the way your forehead looks when you scrunch your eyebrows.

Maybe as you grow older, you’ll both take on his mannerisms. Maybe you’ll be as caring and giving, more concerned with others’ needs than with your own. Maybe you’ll want to shout the news to the world when you have your own children on the way. Maybe you’ll learn to cherish the Indians and Cleveland sports. Hopefully you’ll be slightly less embarrassing when supporting your teams.

Either way, your mom will have no choice but to smile.

Carrasco puts clamps on White Sox bats By John Jackson Special to MLB.com CHICAGO -- Through two innings on Monday night, Carlos Carrasco's pitch count was at 50 and he seemed headed for an early exit. But the veteran right-hander settled down to have perhaps his best outing of the season.

Carrasco tossed two-hit ball over seven innings, homered and drove in two runs to power the Indians to a 4-0 victory over the White Sox on at .

Lonnie Chisenhall added three hits and an RBI as the Indians beat Chicago for the fourth straight time this season.

Overall, the Indians have won five of six to stretch their lead in the Central to 5 1/2 games, the biggest division lead in the Majors.

Carrasco (8-4) struck out 11 and retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced after giving up a pair of hits in the second inning.

"The first couple of innings, he was trying to get a feel [for] his pitches," said Gomes. "He had some pretty long at-bats against some guys and that'll get your pitch count up.

"But after that, the third inning he had a nice, quick inning and he started rolling from there."

Carrasco has had success against Chicago before, having gone 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in four starts against the White Sox last season.

Chicago starter (4-7) rolled through the first three innings, allowing just a couple of baserunners on walks. He then retired the first two batters in the fourth, before issuing back-to-back walks to and .

Chisenhall followed with a bloop to shallow center that dropped in front of the glove of a diving , as Alonso scored from second to make it 1-0.

Gomes then turned the rally into a big inning by lacing a double down the left-field line to plate Cabrera and Chisenhall for a 3-0 advantage.

"Scoring first is always good," manager said, "But then when he came up with that double to give us a couple more … the way Carrasco was pitching, that's a good thing." Brantley stretched the lead to 4-0 in the fifth with a solo blast to right. Carrasco was on cruise control after the second, but was helped out by a couple of nice catches to haul in deep drives. In the fifth, Chisenhall raced back to catch a drive by Engel just in front of the right-field wall. In the sixth, Brantley caught a drive by Jose Abreu in front of the left-field wall.

Chicago's best scoring threat came in the second when singled with one out. Charlie Tilson followed one out later with an infield single to second. Carrasco, though, struck out Engel looking to end the inning.

"It was great to settle down and to get back to my rhythm," Carrasco said.

Relievers Zach McAllister, Oliver Perez and Neil Ramirez held the White Sox hitless over the final two innings to complete the two-hitter.

SOUND SMART With Carrasco's performance on Monday, the Indians have 29 starts of seven innings or more this season, the most in the Majors.

"When you get good starting pitching, it allows the to not get overused," Francona said.

HE SAID IT "We wanted to blame the weather, we wanted to blame some other things, but we just got some guys rolling. We just try to put some runs on the board and get the rolling." -- Gomes, on the Indians rebounding from a slow start

UP NEXT (3-0, 3.93 ERA) is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Columbus to start Tuesday night in the second game of the series at 8:10 p.m. ET. The right-hander is looking to become the first Indians to win his first four career starts since Scott Lewis in 2008. This will be Plutko's second start in Chicago. He tossed six scoreless innings in beating the Cubs at on May 23. James Shields (1-7, 4.92) goes for the White Sox.

Indians catch break regarding Perez's hand CHICAGO -- After Roberto Perez was hit on the right hand by a pitch on Sunday in Detroit, the Indians feared the worst, but received some surprisingly good news on Monday.

X-rays were negative and the veteran is optimistic he can avoid a trip to the disabled list. "He showed up today, he feels way better," manager Terry Francona said before the opener of a four-game series against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday night.

"Even if he were to be DL-ed, we dodged a big bullet. I mean, when you saw it happen and you saw how bruised it got so quick, it's just hard to imagine that something wasn't really bad."

The team was so concerned that catcher/ Francisco Mejia -- the team's No. 1 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was summoned from Triple-A Columbus on Sunday night. Mejia was activated on Monday, with right-hander Evan Marshall being optioned to Columbus. Marshall was going to be sent down on Tuesday anyway to make room for Adam Plutko, who is scheduled to start the second game of the series.

"We'll carry three tonight and give [Perez] another day," Francona said. "If he's able to be OK [on Tuesday], then we can send Mejia back. If not, we'll have to DL [Perez].

"If [Roberto] is down, it'll be a really good opportunity for Mejia to play a game or two or whatever and just be around here."

The Indians also received good news on some of their other injured players on Monday. Edwin Encarnacion (right ankle) and (neck stiffness) took batting practice on Monday and the hope is that both will be back in the lineup on Tuesday. Encarnacion hasn't played since Friday, and Kipnis left Saturday's game.

Left-hander (right knee) threw a 30-pitch bullpen -- two 15-pitch sessions with a break in between -- and felt fine. Miller also threw a 30-pitch bullpen on Friday in Detroit.

"Had his best 'pen so far," Francona said. "The [coaches] felt it was pretty solid.

"Nothing's in stone, but I think Wednesday he'll throw another one. Then, if everything keeps going according to plan, when we get home, he'll face some hitters."

Outfielder Brandon Guyer (left cervical strain) rejoined the team Monday, but will not be activated just yet. Guyer was hit on the wrist by a pitch on Sunday during a rehab game with Columbus.

"It's not broken or anything, but he got a pretty good whack, so he's kind of day to day," Francona said.

The original plan was for Guyer to be activated on Monday. He'll still likely be activated during the series, but Francona isn't exactly sure when.

Indians call up top prospect Mejia The Indians called up Francisco Mejia, who is the team's No. 1-ranked prospect and No. 11 overall according to MLB Pipeline, optioned right- hander Evan Marshall to Triple-A Columbus and released pitcher Matt Belisle from his Minor League contract on Monday.

Mejía, 22, has spent the entire season to date in Triple-A Columbus, batting .214 (41-for-192) with 9 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs and 25 RBI in 50 games. Over his last 11 games since May 26 he has batted .350 (14/40) with 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR & 10 RBI, hitting safely in 10 of the contests. On the year he has appeared in 27 the plate, 16 in left field and one in right field.

Starting 9: The historic chase of José Ramírez, promising draftees, a first-time All-Star case, and a bullpen find? Travis Sawchik Jun 11, 2018 6 1: Ten-plus wins above replacement seasons are incredibly rare. There have only been 51 in major-league history. There has never been a 10- plus WAR season by a primary third baseman. José Ramírez is on pace to become the first as Jay Jaffe researched at FanGraphs. Ramírez has already accumulated 4.4 WAR. Even if he cannot keep up his torrid pace through the first third of the season, FanGraphs’ projection systems forecast another 3.8 WAR this year, which would give him an eight-win season.

There have been 12 eight-WAR or better seasons in Indians history among position players, with ’s 10.9-win season in 1948 being the record. But no Indians position player has produced an eight-win-plus season since Al Rosen’s MVP and 9.1-WAR campaign in 1953. ( had a 7.9-win campaign in 2006, a 7.5-win season in 1999.) Quite simply, José Ramírez is on track to post the finest season in modern club history.

2: Since 2016, covering two-plus seasons, Ramírez has accumulated 15.8 WAR. Since the start of last season he’s produced 11 WAR. That alone is a market value of about $90 million worth of production with a one WAR estimated to cost a little more than $8 million on the open market. What has Ramírez earned since the start of last season? About $1.5 million. So he’s already produced a surplus value — market value minus actual wages — of nearly $88.5 million. It’s a contract that could become the most club-favorable in franchise history, and it explains why was willing to turn down a reported $100 million contract extension during the previous offseason. If both club options are exercised, Ramírez will remain under contract through 2023 at a total cost to the club of $50 million spread over seven seasons. The contract is already a major win for the club.

3: There are evaluators who believe you cannot improve the hit tool, bat-to-ball skills, but that power can be taught — particularly in this age of launch angle and upper-cut swings. (See: Ramírez and Lindor, who were never thought to project as power hitters.) With that in mind, the Indians could have really found something in first-round pick Noah Naylor, a catcher, and brother of Padres prospect (a 2015 first- rounder), who had one of the best hit tools in the prep class. It remains to be seen whether Naylor can stick at catcher. If he has to move, it will likely be to third base where his arm can continue to be an asset. said on MLB Network that Naylor could be a sort of reverse . Martin began as an infielder with the Dodgers and then moved behind the plate, where he’s been an excellent catcher and has had a long MLB career. The Indians would gladly sign up for similar value.

4: Perhaps most intriguing among all the Indians’ draft selections last week is second-round selection , who posted absurd numbers at Southern Miss. In 102 innings as a junior this spring, he allowed just 55 hits and struck out 144. He posted a 1.06 ERA. Why wasn’t he drafted higher? For starters, he’s a modest 5-foot-11, 170 pounds. He also has an unusual skill set as he throws different pairings of pitches from three arm angles. He throws with a high spin rate and can touch 94 mph. With the 67th overall pick, it seems like excellent value. In 2006, was passed over by the first nine teams of the draft due to his lack of size and unorthodox delivery. Sometimes it’s best to trust the production.

5: is making a strong case to be named to the American League All-Star team. After his 12-, one-walk performance Friday, allowing just a run in eight innings, Bauer ranks fourth in the AL in pitching WAR (2.9). He trails only Justin Verlander (3.5), Luis Severino (3.2) and (3.0). Bauer ranks third in per nine (11.4), trailing Cole (12.7) and Chris Sale (12.1), sixth in ERA (2.62) and seventh in innings (86). If the first half ended today, Bauer ought to be a first-time All-Star. also ought to be on the team as he ranks fifth in the AL in pitching WAR (2.7) and second to Verlander (1.45) in ERA (1.99). The Indians, at the moment, have two legit aces in Kluber and Bauer.

6: The Indians bullpen remains the club’s greatest weakness and a major concern. That was demonstrated yet again Saturday night. But the Indians might have found something.

The Indians signed Neil Ramírez, a former prized pitching prospect with the Rangers, to a minor-league contract in November. He was coming off several turbulent years bouncing between the majors and minors. What the Indians knew they were getting was a high-spin that averaged 2,350 rpm from 2015-2018, according to Statcast data. The fastball is averaging 2,429 rpm early this season, an elite mark that makes the pitch appear to rise. Perhaps the Indians saw that Ramírez could be better locating that pitch up in the zone to maximize its effect:

Ramírez’s 2015-17 fastball location. Ramírez’s 2018 fastball location: This season Ramírez is getting batters to swing and miss at 24.9 percent of his offered at, which ranks 33rd out of 420 pitchers to have thrown at least 50 fastballs.

Ramírez has also shed his ineffective (opponents have a .328 career average against) for more sliders (.122 opponent average), which he’s throwing nearly a third of the time. The result? In 10 appearances this season for the Indians, he’s striking out better than a batter per inning — walking fewer than two per nine — and getting swinging strikes at an elite 18 percent rate. His command has greatly improved.

Can he keep it up? Ramírez doesn’t need to be elite to help. He simply needs to provide an upgrade.

7: The Indians’ top pitching prospect, Triston McKenzie (foreman), made his season debut Thursday. He is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the system and 21st overall in the game, according to MLB.com. McKenzie threw 43 of his 63 pitches for strikes and gave up just one hit in five innings. He struck out four and walked two. While ’s rise has perhaps challenged McKenzie for top pitching prospect status in the organization, McKenzie has greater upside with a plus curveball that could play as a major strikeout weapon at the major-league level.

8: For as remarkable as Bieber’s command and rise have been, he has a Josh Tomlin-like problem as The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh noted on the “Effectively Wild” podcast. Tomlin has allowed more home runs (160) than unintentional walks (128) in his major-league career, which is so unusual it seems impossible. In his professional career, Bieber has allowed 14 home runs and 18 unintentional walks. While Bieber has held his HR/FB in check at the minor-league level, the ball — and hitters — are different at the major-league level. If he does indeed have a home- run problem, it could hold him back. Still, the Indians will take Bieber’s potential top-of-the-scale command, and his raw stuff far exceeds that of Tomlin. He looks like a future rotation piece, but it’s just unclear where he will sit in the rotation.

9: Don’t sleep on the impact Lonnie Chisenhall could make. Chisenhall demonstrated a swing change and performance gain, engineering his bat path for more power and more balls in the air last season. Those gains have carried over in small samples at the minor- and major-league levels this spring. Moreover, Chisenhall doesn’t necessarily need a platoon partner if the Indians have further depth issues in the outfield. Chisenhall has actually been better against left-handed pitching than last season and has a 93 wRC+ for his career against lefties compared with a 102 wRC+ mark against righties.

The Indians’ center fielders rank 27th in the majors in weighted runs created plus (65), a measure that takes into account park- and run-scoring environments for a context-neutral measure of performance. A wRC+ of 100 is considered league average. ’s struggles had him demoted to Triple A last week. has been better than Zimmer but is still a below-average offensive producer. Rajai Davis has been worse than both Zimmer and Davis. While bullpen remains the most glaring need, center field is another need area. The Indians were willing to experiment with Chisenhall in center last season with mixed results. Ought they consider it again? After all, defensive opportunities have declined by 20 percent compared with a decade earlier in large part due to strikeouts. The Indians have an elite strikeout rotation.

STAT OF THE WEEK: 168

Streak of consecutive batters faced in which Corey Kluber has not allowed a walk. Perhaps the AL’s best pitcher is improving his command. Kluber has a 103-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

HE SAID IT

“We’re excited about Noah’s (Naylor) bat. He controls the strike zone. He has really good hand-eye coordination. He can drive the ball to all fields and there’s power there. … Defensively, he’s a stay-behind-the-plate catcher with arm strength. He’s athletic enough to move around the field and play other positions also.” — Indians first-year scouting director Scott Barnsby.

THEY SAID IT “This class is exciting. Noah Naylor (1) has a chance to hit for power while either catching or playing third base. … Ethan Hankins’ (comp 1) breaking stuff wasn’t as crisp this spring as it was last summer, but the arm strength is still there, so he may bounce back. … Lenny Torres (CBA) is a fresh, northeastern arm who is very young for the class, has electric arm acceleration and has flashed a starter’s mix at times. … Nick Sandlin (2) has ridiculous numbers. Some of it is a mirage because college hitters struggle with submariners like Sandlin, but his stuff is just as good as many of the college pitchers who went in rounds two and three. Towson SS Richie Palacios (3) is a 65 runner who can put the bat on the ball.”

— The Indians’ draft class received positive reviews from FanGraphs.

Indians promote top prospect Francisco Mejia Catcher Francisco Mejia, the Indians top prospect, was promoted from Triple-A Columbus on June 11 to the Tribe’s 25-man roster.

Mejia should be available when the Indians begin a four-game series with the White Sox on June 11 in Chicago.

Mejia is hitting .214 over 50 games with the , but he has been on a hot streak since May 26. He is batting .350 over the last 11 games with three doubles, a triple, a and 10 RBI while collecting 14 hits in 40 at-bats. He has four home runs and 25 RBI on the season.

The Indians wanted Mejia to work in the outfield in Columbus because Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez are established at catcher with the Tribe. Mejia has appeared in 27 games behind the plate with the Clippers, 16 in left field and one in right field. Mejia appeared in 11 games with the Indians in 2017.

Pitcher Evan Marshall was optioned to Columbus to clear a roster spot for Mejia. In another transaction, Matt Belisle was released from his minor-league contract to pursue other options. Carrasco strikes out 11, Indians beat White Sox 4-0 Andrew Seligman | The Associated PressPublished on June 12, 2018 | Updated 6:29 a. m. CHICAGO — His pitch count soaring in the early going along with his strikeout total, Carlos Carrasco looked as though he might be in for a rather short night.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona thought so. Turned out he was wrong, and that was just fine with him.

Carrasco struck out 11 while pitching two-hit ball over seven innings, and the Indians beat the 4-0 on Monday.

“It's hard not to look at it and go, ‘Man, maybe a five-, six-inning game,’” Francona said.

Michael Brantley hit his 11th homer and the AL Central leaders took advantage of another wild outing by Lucas Giolito to win for the fifth time in six games. They improved to 4-0 against Chicago.

Carrasco (8-4) gave up singles to Kevan Smith and Charlie Tilson in the second before striking out Adam Engel to end the threat. The right- hander issued just one walk, giving him a total of two to go with 21 strikeouts while winning his past two starts.

Carrasco piled up 50 pitches in the first two innings, though he did whiff five batters. But he threw only eight pitches in the third and rolled the rest of the way.

“That was weird,” he said. “But it was great ... to get back to my rhythm.”

Three relievers combined to work the final two innings, with Neil Ramirez retiring all three batters in the ninth to complete the two-hitter.

Giolito (4-7) threw more balls (47) than strikes (46) in giving up four runs and four hits in five-plus innings. The 23-year-old righty walked four to bring his season total to 43 as the White Sox opened a seven-game homestand on a losing note after taking two of three at .

“I'm confident in my stuff,” Giolito said. “I know I throw the ball over the plate, I command my stuff, I'm going to get a lot of guys out. It's just ... don't have good feel, getting kind of frustrated, I have to do a better job of staying with myself and just letting my talent play out there.”

Manager said the White Sox haven't had “any more discussions” about sending Giolito to the minors. “Not at all,” he added.

HURT BY WALKS

Owner of the majors’ second-worst ERA coming into the game, Giolito ran into trouble in the fourth when he walked Yonder Alonso and Melky Cabrera with two outs.

Lonnie Chisenhall blooped an RBI single in front of a diving Engel in center before Yan Gomes lined a two-run double to left.

Brantley added a long drive down the right-field line in the fifth.

ROSTER MOVES The Indians recalled catcher and outfielder Francisco Mejia from Triple-A Columbus and optioned right-hander Evan Marshall to the minor league club. They also released right-hander Matt Belisle from his minor league contract.

TRAINER'S ROOM Indians: 2B Jason Kipnis was out of the lineup for the second straight game and 1B Edwin Encarnacion (ankle) for the third in a row. ... Francona said LHP Andrew Miller had his “best” bullpen session since he was placed on the 10-day disabled list in late May because of inflammation in his left knee. Miller will likely throw another one Wednesday and could start facing hitters once the team opens a nine-game homestand on Friday. ... Francona said the Indians were waiting another day to decide whether to place catcher Roberto Perez on the DL. He was hit by a pitch in the right wrist against Detroit on Sunday. ... The Indians held off on activating OF Brandon Guyer after he was hit on the wrist during a rehab game for Columbus on Sunday.

White Sox: General manager Rick Hahn said OF Avisail Garcia (strained right hamstring) will start a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Charlotte, and OF Leury Garcia (sprained left knee) is close to going on one. ... Hahn said RHP Alec Hansen (forearm) — one of Chicago's top minor league prospects — will make his season debut with Double-A Birmingham this weekend.

UP NEXT Indians: Plan to call up RHP Adam Plutko (3-0, 3.93 ERA) from Triple-A Columbus to pitch Tuesday night against Chicago. He has won all three starts for Cleveland this season, though he gave up five runs in a win over the White Sox on May 28.

White Sox: James Shields (1-7, 4.92) once again tries for his first win since a season-opening victory over Kansas City. The veteran right- hander is 0-7 in his past 12 starts and 13 games.

Cleveland's Miller getting close to facing live batters The The Associated PressJun 11, 2018, 8:06 PM CHICAGO (AP) -- star reliever Andrew Miller is just about ready to start facing live batters.

Manager Terry Francona says the two-time All-Star had his ''best'' bullpen session Monday since he was placed on the 10-day disabled list in late May because of inflammation in his left knee. He will likely throw another one Wednesday and could start facing some hitters once the team opens a nine-game homestand on Friday.

Francona says the Indians were waiting another day to decide whether to place catcher Roberto Perez on the DL. He was hit by a pitch in the right wrist against Detroit on Sunday.

The Indians recalled catcher and outfielder Francisco Mejia from Triple-A Columbus and optioned right-hander Evan Marshall to the minor league club

Steven Wright and his could fill key role for Red Sox David Schoenfield The have spent most of the season in first place or tied for the lead in the . Entering last weekend, they had spent just six days out of first place, and two of those were the first two days of the season. The bats dried up in dropping two of three to the Chicago White Sox, however, and the Red Sox fell out of first place on Friday.

Heyward, Cubs somehow get to Hader, Brewers Facing one of the best relievers in the game in a lefty-lefty matchup, Jason Heyward defied the odds by using a new approach at the plate. Power Rankings: Rivals stake their claims for Astros' throne The Yankees and Red Sox are piling up wins, and not even the AL West is safe for Houston anymore. Who's our new No. 1? Real or not? Dodgers getting lift from surprising sources Power-hitting Max Muncy, lights-out Ross Stripling and rejuvenated Matt Kemp are leading the way for L.A. -- just like the Dodgers drew it up.

They were just a half-game behind the as they began a 10-game road trip to Baltimore, Seattle and Minnesota on Monday, but the 2-0 win over the in 12 innings felt bigger than a win over the Orioles should feel. With the bats scratching out just six hits, and five relievers were superb in spinning just the eighth extra-inning shutout in Camden Yards history.

Wright's potential emergence could be a big factor in the AL East battle royale with the Yankees. With on the disabled list, Wright has started twice and allowed no runs in 13 ⅔ innings against the and Orioles. This isn't necessarily a fluke for the knuckleballer; remember, he was an All-Star in 2016 before injuring his shoulder in August while pinch running. He had knee surgery in 2017 and missed most of the season, then was suspended 15 games this year after violating MLB's domestic-violence policy.

His performance comes at a time when the Yankees suddenly are scrambling in their rotation. Jordan Montgomery is out with surgery, Masahiro Tanaka just landed on the DL after tweaking both hamstrings running the bases over the weekend, Domingo German has a 5.32 ERA filling in for Montgomery, Luis Cessa is on the DL with an oblique strain and prospect Chance Adams has struggled at Triple-A.

At the same time, the Red Sox's bullpen has kept pace with the Yankees' pen, with a small edge in ERA (2.98 to 3.02) and a bigger edge in -to-blown saves ratio (24/5 to 18/8). As Monday's game indicated, the Red Sox have solid depth in front of closer Craig Kimbrel. The Yankees may be the team looking for additional bullpen help, especially with a rotation that isn't eating up as many innings as one would like. Indeed, the back page for the New York Post on Tuesday features reliever Brad Hand and the subhead, "Why Padres' star reliever may be best cure for Yanks' pitching problems."

Also, Mookie Betts made a surprising return to the Boston lineup, eschewing any rehab games in his first action since May 27. He went 1-for-5. The Cubs scored five runs in the 11th and improved to 8-1 against the Brewers (who are 38-19 against everyone else). The Cubs also became the first team to beat the Brewers this year in a game Josh Hader pitched. Chicago tied the game with a run off Hader in the eighth.

Not to be confused with Jack Bauer: Jake Bauers has been one of my favorite sleeper prospects in the minors. He has put up solid, if unspectacular numbers as he has progressed, but he has always been young for his league. He's still just 22 and in his fifth major league game cracked his first home run while adding a double and two walks in an 8-4 win over the Blue Jays: The Cardinals' unsung hero: Paul Goldschmidt has been on a tear for the Diamondbacks, but so has Jose Martinez for the Cardinals. He went 3-for-4 in a 5-2 win over the Padres, including his 10th home run -- and fifth in five games. He has raised his average from .294 to .327 with a nine-game hitting streak in June in which he's hit .531. Overall, he's at .327/.397/.531, and while he's a liability at first base -- he's at an ugly minus-8 Defensive Runs Saved -- he's been the team's best hitter.

Oh, note that may also be heating up: He's at .395/.439/.763 in June.

Braves fans showing up at ballot box: The first results are in for the NL All-Star voting and , and lead at their positions. It's hard to argue against any of the three, although Markakis has slowed down with one home run in his past 30 games and Albies is hitting .206 over his past 23 games with just two home runs. The voting leaders: The last Braves player to start the All-Star Game was in 2012 -- even though he hit just .221/.351/.395 in the first half.

Miracle Mariners: The Mariners began their tough stretch of 13 games against the Angels, Red Sox and Yankees with a 5-3 win over the Angels as Nelson Cruz swatted two home runs.

Mariners notes: -- The leadoff hitter has drawn four walks all season.

-- The No. 2 hitter has drawn 11 walks. -- The All-Star second baseman has been suspended since May 13. -- Kyle Seager is hitting .225 with a .277 OBP. -- Ryon Healy, the , has a .271 OBP. -- Mitch Haniger has hit .231/.319/.343 since the beginning of May. -- Felix Hernandez has a 5.70 ERA. -- The top two setup guys at the start of the season are both on the DL. -- Ichiro played on this team (no extra-base hits in 44 at-bats). -- Heck, backup infielder has one extra-base hit in 51 at-bats.

-- They've used eight starting pitchers and 22 pitchers overall while Houston has used five and 14.

This team is a half-game ahead of the Astros.

The agony of defeat: Auburn and No. 1 Florida, playing for a trip to the , were tied in the bottom of the 11th when this happened: Austin Langworthy's home run -- with help from Auburn right fielder Steven Williams. The Gators head to their fourth straight College World Series. The opening matchups in Omaha:

Saturday: No. 3 Oregon State vs. No. 6 North Carolina (3 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Saturday: Washington vs. Mississippi State (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday: No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Texas (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Sunday: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Texas Tech (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Ryan McGee has a rundown of the eight teams here.

The Cinderella team is Washington, making its first trip to the CWS. In a thrilling Super Regional win over Cal State Fullerton, the Huskies blew a 3-1 lead in the top of the ninth, tied it in the bottom of the ninth, saw Fullerton hit a rare home run in the top of the 10th (Fullerton had hit just 13 home runs all season), then scored twice in the bottom of the 10th to walk it off.

Indians notebook: Indians promote top prospect Francisco Mejia; Andrew Miller progressing By Ryan Lewis The Indians on Monday recalled top prospect Francisco Mejia and optioned reliever Evan Marshall to Triple-A in the wake of Roberto Perez’s hand injury. During Sunday’s game in Detroit, Perez was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Detroit Tigers reliever Drew VerHagen and underwent X-rays. He was a candidate to hit the 10-day disabled list, but for now will remain active. Mejia’s promotion, of course, points to Perez being down for at least a few days. Mejia struggled to start the season but has begun to heat up in June, hitting .357 with a .928 OPS this month. Earlier this season, he was ranked by as the No. 1 catching prospect in the game and a top-20 prospect overall. In an effort to create another path for his bat to reach the majors, the Indians had Mejia play some outfield (17 games) as well as behind the plate (27 games) at Triple-A this season. The Indians also released reliever Matt Belisle from his minor-league deal so that he can pursue another professional opportunity. Belisle opened the 2018 season with the Indians but struggled to a 5.06 ERA in 10 ⅔ innings. Miller makes progress Indians reliever Andrew Miller is just about ready to start facing live batters. Manager Terry Francona said the two-time All-Star had his “best” bullpen session Monday since he was placed on the 10-day disabled list in late May because of inflammation in his left knee. He will likely throw another one Wednesday and could start facing some hitters once the team opens a nine-game homestand on Friday. Brandon Guyer still waiting: Cleveland Indians, White Sox starting lineups for Monday, Game No. 64 By Paul Hoynes CHICAGO -- Manager Terry Francona said outfielder Brandon Guyer was scheduled to be activated before Monday night's game against the White Sox, but while playing in his last rehab game at Class AAA Columbus on Sunday, he was hit in the wrist with a pitch. "They went and X-rayed him and it's not broken," said Francona, "but he took a pretty good whack. So he's kind of day-to-day. I told him we're facing a lefty (Carlos Rodon) on Thursday. "We're not trying to slow him down. He's been a good soldier about this and we appreciate that. I explained our roster situation and said, 'Hey, man, let's make sure we do the right thing.' At some point he'll be activated here. We just don't know if it will be Tuesday or the next day." Guyer has been on the disabled list with a strained neck. He burned through his 20-day rehab assignment and joined the Indians on Monday in Chicago. Guyer's last game with the Indians was May 19. Cleveland Indians recall Francisco Mejia from Columbus, but Roberto Perez not placed on disabled list By Paul Hoynes CHICAGO -- The Indians have recalled catcher Francisco Mejia from Class AAA Columbus, but did not put catcher Roberto Perez on the disabled list. Right-hander Evan Marshall was optioned to make room for Mejia. Perez was hit by a pitch while batting Sunday in the sixth inning against Detroit right-hander Drew VerHagen at . He took first base and scored on Erik Gonzalez's three-run double, but he left after that inning for X-rays. It has not been an enjoyable start to the season for Perez. He's lost playing time to Yan Gomes and he isn't hitting. Perez is hitting .130 (10-for-77) with one homer and four RBI. The switch-hitting Mejia has started slowly at Columbus where he's been catching and playing some outfield. He's hitting .214 (41-for-214) with nine doubles, four homers and 25 RBI. He's struck out 45 times and walked 13. The Indians could have recalled catcher , but he's struggling as much as Mejia. Haase, added to the 40-man roster over the winter, hitting .207 (40-for-211) with seven doubles, four homers and 17 RBI at Columbus. He's striking out in almost 30 percent (63-for-211) of his at-bats. Mejia got his first big-league hit against the White Sox on Sept. 4 of last season. Marshall has posted a 6.75 ERA in nine games for the Indians. In 6 2/3 innings, he's allowed five runs and 10 hits. In another move the Indians gave veteran reliever Matt Belisle his release from Class AAA Columbus so he could sign with another team. Belisle made the Indians roster, but was designated for assingment. He then re-signed with the Indians and was sent to Columbus. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2018 Triston McKenzie's Akron RubberDucks debut moved to Tuesday By Elton Alexander, CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The timeline has moved up for pitcher Triston McKenzie's home debut with the Akron RubberDucks. The Cleveland Indians No. 2 prospect, who came off the disabled list last week, will throw Tuesday at 7 p.m. vs. New Hampshire at . McKenzie, 20, in extended spring training with forearm stiffness until last week, had a solid outing in his debut against New Hampshire last week, throwing five shutout innings, the first four hitless. He had four strikeouts and two walks, throwing 63 pitches, 43 for strikes. McKenzie (6-5, 165) established himself last season at Class A Lynchburg, going 12-6 on the season with a 3.46 ERA and an eye-popping 186 strikeouts in 143 innings vs. just 45 walks. "It was a good thing to be back out there,'' McKenzie told The Plain Dealer on Monday afternoon, shortly after the Ducks ended a road trip with a long bus ride back to Akron. "I'm not out there trying to make up for lost time.'' Instead, McKenzie, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and raised in Florida, said his focus now is more on the quality things, tightening up his pitches so he can throw any of them in any count. He said he feels "100-percent mentally" and ready to get on with the season. "It's a steady progression,'' he said. "I want to make sure I do a good job at every level." There will be no marquee matchup between McKenzie and highly-touted Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as the 19-year-old has been sidelined with a knee injury, taking his .407 batting average out of the lineup. Guerrero Jr. is one of three sons of famous baseball fathers with New Hampshire, including Bo (Dante) Bichette and Cavan (Craig) Biggio. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2018 Terry Francona on Roberto Perez and piecing together the Cleveland Indians' 25-man roster By Paul Hoynes CHICAGO a Catcher Roberto Perez took a 94 mph fastball off his right hand on Sunday at Comerica Park. On Monday he walked into Guaranteed Rate Field on the south side of Chicago feeling much better than the Indians expected he would. Perez felt so good that the Indians didn't place him on the disabled list even though they recalled catcher Francisco Mejia from Class AAA Columbus in anticipation of the move. Manager Terry Francona said Perez could still end up on the DL Tuesday, but as of Monday he was scheduled to play catch and hit off the tee. The Indians' roster is moving in several directions at once. Adam Plutko joined the team on Monday. He's scheduled to start against the White Sox on Tuesday after throwing a no-hitter for the Clippers on June 2. To create a roster spot for Plutko, the Indians were going to option Evan Marshall to Columbus, but Marshall was optioned Monday to make room for Mejia. Plutko finishes off no-hitter for Clippers So it's likely that either Perez will go on the DL or Mejia will be sent down on Tuesday so Plutko can face the White Sox. "Even if Roberto was a DL, we really dodged a big bullet," said manager Terry Francona. "When you saw it happen and you saw how bruised it got so quick, it's just hard to imagine something wasn't really bad. But he's in a pretty good spot." DH Edwin Encarnacion and second baseman Jason Kipnis did not start Monday night. Encarnacion jammed his ankle running the bases on Friday against the Tigers and hasn't played since. Kipnis left Saturday's 12-inning loss to Detroit with a stiff neck and has been sidelined since. Encarnacion and Kipnis said Monday they were feeling better and could be back in the lineup on Tuesday night. Kipnis said he injured his neck making a tag in the seventh inning Saturday. "It just locked up on me," he said. "I'm going, 'Please don't hit a ball to me and of course I've got to catch a pop. I had to do the limbo to make .'" Left-hander , on the DL since May 26 with a sore right knee, threw a bullpen session on Wednesday. He simulated throwing two innings, taking a break between innings, and impressed the coaching staff. "He had his best pen so far," said Francona. "The guys (pitching and bullpen coach Scott Atchison) felt it was pretty solid. Nothing is written in stone, but I think Wednesday he'll throw another one. If everything keeps going according to plan, when we get home, he'll face some hitters. But one step at a time." Mejia, the Tribe's top position player prospect, is hitting .214 (41-for-192) with four homers and 25 RBI in 50 games at Columbus. In his last 11 games, however, he's hitting .350 (14-for-40) with one homer and 10 RBI. He has appeared in 27 games at catcher, 16 in left field and one in right field. "Mejia has picked it up offensively, which I think everybody knew he would," said Francona. "I think we thought if Roberto is down, it would be a real good opportunity of Mejia to play a game or two. . .whatever. But we'll see what happens today and tomorrow." A roster never really stops shaping itself. Francona said outfielder Brandon Guyer was scheduled to be activated on Monday. But on Sunday he was hit by a pitch on his wrist while playing his final rehab game at Columbus. Francona talked to Guyer about taking things "day-to-day," but told reporters that he expects him to be activated sometime during this four-game series against Chicago. But that is a decision for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Who knows what could happen between now and then? Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2018 Cleveland Indians draft 2018: Tribe close to signing second- and third-round picks By Paul Hoynes CHICAGO -- The Indians are close to signing two of their first five picks in the June draft. Southern Mississippi right-hander Nick Sandlin and Towson University shortstop Richie Palacios are said to be close to reaching deals with the Indians. Sandlin went to Cleveland on Sunday for his physical and will report to Goodyear, Ariz., with other drafted players to sign and go through an introduction to the organization. The Indians took Sandlin in the second round with their fourth pick and the 67th overall pick in the draft. They selected Palacios in the third round with their fifth pick and 103rd overall pick in the draft. Sandlin, moving into the rotation for the first time this year, went 10-0 with a 1.06 ERA. He struck out 144 batters in 102 1/3 innings and led the nation in ERA. Palacios, a left-handed hitter, batted .301 with 18 doubles, eight homers and 31 RBI for Towson this year. In his three-year career, he batted .323 with 38 doubles, 19 homers and 98 RBI. It's expected that Sandlin and Palacios will sign below their slot values of $939,700 and $544,200, respectively. They are college juniors with limited bargaining power. Such is not the case for the Tribe's top three picks -- catcher Noah Naylor and right-handers Ethan Hankins and Lenny Torres. They just finished their high school careers and have college scholarships waiting for them. The slot values for Naylor, Hankins and Torres are $2,332,700, $2,016,400 and $1,744,800. If the Indians can sign Sandlin and Palacios below slot value, the money they save can help them sign Naylor, Hankins and Torres. The Indians' signing bonus pool for the first 10 rounds of the draft is $9,145,200. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2018 Cleveland Indians continue to roll with 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CHICAGO -- Indians manager Terry Francona goes day by day during the baseball season. He gives no thought to the past. The future does not interest him. It is the day and game at hand the consumes him. So before the Indians beat the White Sox, 4-0, Monday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, he was asked in so many words if he feels that his team is comfortably in charge of the AL Central. If Francona's bald head wasn't tanned a deep brown, it may have turned red from the blood rushing to it. Comfortably in charge of a division on June 11? No manager, especially, Francona, would ever say such a thing. Some might not even think it for fear of angering the baseball gods. Yes, the Indians entered the game with the the biggest lead of any division leader at five games. Yes, the division is filled with rebuilding teams that are playing poorly. But no one owns a division on June 11. "We are not ready to set our postseason roster yet, if you get my point," said Francona. "We're only four or five games over .500. We are not where we want to be. "We're fortunate no one in our division has run away with it. We need to do what we always do: Show up and play today." That's what they did Monday night in winning for the 11th time in the last 15 games. Carlos Carrasco (8-4, 3.90) pitched seven scoreless innings despite throwing 50 of his 108 pitches in the firsat two innings. Yan Gomes doubled home two runs for a 3-0 lead in the fourth against Lucas Giolito (4-7, 7.09). On Sunday, Gomes hit a two-run homer in a 9-2 win over Detroit. Carlos Carrasco throws 50 pitches in the first two innings before settling down Two-run hits are good no matter how far they travel. Lonnie Chisenhall collected three hits for the second straight game. Chisenhall is 6-for-8 in his last two games. Michael Brantley made it a 4-0 game with homer down the right field line in the fifth. It was Brantley's 11th homer in his 54th game this season. Last year he hit nine in 90 games. Carrasco is 4-0 with a 0.99 ERA in the last two years against the White Sox. In his last two starts for the season, he's allowed one run in 14 innings with 21 strikeouts. "It was weird," said Carrasco. "I threw 50 pitches in the first two innings and then whatever in the next five. I'm just glad I found my rhythm." Said Francona, "I thought he did a really good job of making the adjustment. He got out of the second inning, they really made him work, but he made pitches. He established the fastball and threw the breaking ball and change up off of that and really threw a good game." Giolito, 0-2 against the Indians this season, held them scoreless through three innings. But he ran into two-out trouble in the fourth when he walked Yonder Alonso after retiring the first two batters. Terry Francona on offense provided by Yan Gomes and Lonnie Chisenhall Then he walked Melky Cabrera before Chisenhall blooped a single into center field for a 1-0 lead. Gomes followed with a rocket into the left field corner to make it 3-0. "Fortunately, it was in no man's land," said Chisenhall. "Adam Engel is a good center fielder. He can fly. If anybody is going to come close to that ball, it's him." Carrasco, Zach McAllister, Oliver Perez and Neil Ramirez completed the two-hitter. Carrasco allowed his only hits in the second on singles by Kevan Smith and Charlie Tilson. It was the sixth shutout of the season for the Indians and their low-hit game of the year. What does it mean The Indians have won 10 of their last 11 games against the White Sox. They are 4-0 against them this year. The pitches Giolito threw 93 pitches, 46 (49 percent) for strikes. Carrasco threw 108 pitches, 74 (69 percent) for strikes. Thanks for coming The Indians and White Sox drew 13,125 fans to Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday night. First pitch was at 8:10 with a temperature of 65 degrees. Next Adam Plutko (3-0, 3.93), just promoted from Class AAA Columbus, will face the White Sox and Dylan Covey (2-1, 2.22) on Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WMMS and WTAM will carry the game. Plutko is 1-0 against the White Sox this season, doing a five-and-fly against them on May 28 in a 9-6 win. Covey started the game and went 4 1/3 innings in a no decision. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 06.12.2018 Giolito wild again in Chicago White Sox's loss to Cleveland Scot Gregor Carlos Rodon is back in the White Sox's starting rotation after missing the first third of the season recovering from shoulder surgery. With impressive showings in three of his last four outings, Dylan Covey is trying to stake his claim, and pitching prospect should be in the starting five at some point in July. After that, , Alec Hansen, and Spencer Adams represent the next wave of potential Sox starters. For now, Lucas Giolito is in the rotation. But as the White Sox showed with , the No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, they will demote starting pitchers who consistently fail to throw strikes. Giolito is swimming in those treacherous waters, but he is still afloat. "I'm very confident in myself as a pitcher," Giolito said after the Sox lost to the Indians 4-0 Monday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. "I'm confident in my stuff. I know if I throw the ball over the plate, command stuff, I'm going to get a lot of guys out." Giolito showed he's capable of pitching for the Sox late last season when he was 3-2 with a 1.83 ERA over his final 6 starts. The 23-year-old righty has 5 quality starts this year, but a lack of command hurt Giolito again in the loss to Cleveland. Giolito (4-7, 7.09 ERA) got the first two outs in the fourth inning of a scoreless game, but back-to-back walks to Yonder Alonso and Melky Cabrera proved costly. Both runners scored and the Indians went on to defeat the White Sox for the 10th time in 11 games dating to last season. In 66 innings this year, Giolito has issued 43 walks. "I just have to do a better job of staying within myself and letting my talent play out there," he said. "I'm beating myself, 100 percent. I'm going out there and walking a bunch of guys. I'm not going to have success that way." Status quo: General manager Rick Hahn has been asked since the beginning of May about when Class AAA Charlotte Michael Kopech and AA Birmingham outfielder Eloy Jimenez are going to join the White Sox, and that was the case again Monday. Hahn has been consistent with his reply -- he's not sure. "It's going to be based strictly upon their own development and when they are ready for the next challenges presented by the big-league level," Hahn said. "Eventually, they will tend to force that issue. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Eloy is going to stop in Charlotte. "So those thinking his next stop is Chicago haven't been paying attention to what the developmental plan is for him. "Kopech, he's put together a few real good starts and had others that still show you the elements he needs improvement in. But he's certainly getting closer." Perfect pick: Just over two weeks before the draft, Sox GM Rick Hahn traveled to Southern California to get a firsthand look at . Suffice to say, Hahn was thrilled when the Sox used the No. 4 overall pick in last week's draft to select the Oregon State star. "Very well-rounded baseball player," Hahn said. "Tremendous feel for the barrel. Does the little things well. Saw it the other day in the (NCAA) super regional, hitting behind the runner, pulling off the hit-and-run. "Plus speed, defensively ability with very strong chance to be a premium defender up the middle, an important cog at the top of the lineup. "It becomes a scouting cliché, but we want well-rounded baseball players, guys with the ability to beat you both offensively and defensively, and ability to beat you with their speed. Nick fits right into that mold." Daily Herald Times LOADED: 06.12.2018 News and notes from White Sox GM Rick Hahn by Daryl Van Schouwen White Sox general manager Rick Hahn touched on a number of subjects before the White Sox opened a four-game series against the Indians Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field: *Hahn said that right fielder Avisail Garcia’s minor league rehab assignment could last seven to 10 days. Garcia sufferered a Grade 2 hamstring strain and has been out since April 23. *Outfielder Leury Garcia (knee sprain) is “not too far behind” making a rehab assignment, Hahn said. Regarding Sox top prospects dealing with or getting over health concerns: Right-hander Alec Hansen, last seen pitching for the Sox in a Cactus League game during spring training, will make his first start of the season this weekend for Class AA Birmingham. Hansen, the Sox’ second-round pick in 2016, has been working at extended spring training after he was shut down with forearm soreness in March. *Outfielder Micker Adolfo’s followup MRI (sprained UCL) was encouraging enough to allow him to get on a throwing program with Class A Winston-Salem. Adolfo has been limited to designated hitter duty this season. “The goal being to get him back in the outfield and avoid surgery,” Hahn said. *Outfielder , who started late at low Class A Kannapolis due to a spring training thumb injury, will move up to Winston-Salem in seven to 10 days. Robert is batting .304 (7-for-23) with two doubles and six strikeouts and one walk in seven games. *Right-hander , a first-round pick in 2016, is throwing with the goal of entering spring training next year without restriction. Hahn said it’s “conceivable” he could pitch in the , if not sooner. Hahn said both have “various developmental matters that each of them are working on” and what happens on the field at the major league level — the Sox entered Monday’s game with a 22-41 record, “is going to have nothing to do when these players arrive.” Kopech walked nine over his last two starts covering eight innings. He also struck out 10 in six innings in his most recent start. He is 2-4 with a 4.70 ERA with 80 strikeouts, 34 walks and seven hit batters in 59 1/3 innings. “He’s put together a few real good starts and had others that still show you the elements he needs improvement in,” Hahn said. “But he’s certainly getting closer.” Jimenez, the No. 3 ranked prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, is batting .321/.373/.576 with 10 homers, 13 doubles and two triples in 47 games. Before he gets to the majors, he will make a stop at Charlotte, Hahn said. “It’s going to be based strictly upon their own development and when they are ready for the next challenges presented by the big league level,” Hahn said. “Eventually they will tend to force that issue. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Eloy is going to stop in Charlotte. So those thinking his next stop is Chicago haven’t been paying attention to what the developmental plan is for him.” Abreu’s value An ongoing talking point about the Sox rebuild is whether Jose Abreu, 31, will be part of it after his contract runs out after next season. Abreu is in his fifth year with the Sox and is not only their top player but has had a meaningful influence on the younger players in particular and prospct Luis Robert, both fellow Cubans. “We’ve made no secret about our affection for Jose, and it’s not just based upon the contribution between the white lines, it’s based on what he does in that clubhouse,” Hahn said. “I don’t think there’s a finer representative for what it means to be a White Sox or what we hope for our players to be on and off the field and what Jose Abreu provides us. Again, we don’t have to make any decisions on how he fits for the long term for a little while now. He’s under control through the end of next season. If at that point, before that point, if we haven’t come to terms on an extension we certainly will have time then to revisit that.” Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.12.2018 Another wild ride with Lucas Giolito, another loss for the White Sox in 4-0 defeat to Indians Teddy Greenstein Catching Lucas Giolito must be exhausting. Watching him certainly is, at least at times. And Monday night was one of those times. Giolito continued his “Wild Thing” routine, reclaiming the American League lead in walked batters. He issued four free passes over five-plus innings in the White Sox’s 4-0 home loss to the Indians. “He was missing his spots,” manager Rick Renteria said. “He was missing locations.” And it’s not as if home-plate umpire Paul Nauert was an accessory. Giolito threw a pitch that sailed over catcher Kevan Smith’s head and several more that almost did. He missed high, low, inside, outside. Of his 93 pitches, 46 went for strikes. The game’s best control pitchers throw strikes more than two-thirds of the time. The Sox drew only one walk Monday and managed two hits against four Indians pitchers. “I didn’t have a very good feel tonight,” Giolito said. “A lot of misfires. I need to do a better job of staying relaxed and trusting my stuff.” Giolito (4-7) had shown progress in his previous two starts, walking just two batters over a combined 12 innings and throwing 61.1 percent strikes. “His last start was a step forward and the one before that a modest one,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said before the game. “We all saw in spring training and at the end of last season what he’s capable of doing. It’s in there. Just a matter of getting it back out.” A 23-year-old Californian with an ideal 6-foot-6, 245-pound frame, Giolito teased the Sox when he posted a 2.38 ERA in seven starts last season from Aug. 22-Sept. 24. He averaged fewer than two walks per appearance. But something has gone wrong with his delivery, and the result was a brutal fourth inning Monday. With one out, he froze shortstop Francisco Lindor on a pitch that missed Smith’s target but still caught the plate. Effectively wild. But then he missed badly on a 3-2 fastball to first baseman Yonder Alonso, yelling to himself. His first pitch to Melky Cabrera almost sailed to the backstop, and his 3-1 pitch missed by three feet. Wild. He got unlucky on an inside fastball to right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall, who flared it into shallow center for a run-scoring single. Then catcher Yan Gomes lined a double into left, giving the Indians a 3-0 lead. After Giolito induced an inning-ending groundout, he walked off the mound with his glove pressed against his mouth. He appeared to be muttering to himself. Last month in , Giolito said he would not be able to fix his mechanical issues during bullpen sessions between starts: “It’s stuff I need to fix in the gym. Movement patterns. Rebuild athleticism that I’ve lost. I can work on my delivery all day outside but when you get in the heat of the moment, in the game, your body will go to default mode. For me it’s getting in the gym, working on mobility and other things and then I don’t have to worry about it when I’m throwing.” Giolito’s ERA rose a tick, from 7.08 to 7.09, the highest in the AL. The Sox seem to believe it’s best to keep Giolito in the big leagues, to let him vie for progress under the tutelage of pitching coach . “When you’re dealing with young players, you try to take the holistic approach with their development,” Hahn said. “Fundamentally the first step is dealing with mechanical issues. You (also) need to make sure they’re unclogged between the ears.” Chicago Tribune LOADED: 06.12.2018