Bauer continues rotation's dominant stretch By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 2:32 AM ET + 0 COMMENTS SEATTLE -- Trevor Bauer's answers were short and his frustration apparent. The Indians pitcher felt out of rhythm at the outset of his outing on Friday night, but he did just enough to put his team in position to win. Cleveland did not win, though, so Bauer was not interested in silver linings.

"We had a lead, and I gave it up," Bauer said. "I didn't do my job." In the immediate wake of Cleveland's 3-1 loss to the Mariners, Bauer's reaction was understandable, but the right-hander did do his job. The Indians' rotation has been superb throughout this incredible month-long for the team, and Bauer's seven- outing may not have been brilliant, but it was certainly effective. In the 29 games dating back to Aug. 24, when the Indians began their -record 22-game winning streak, the Tribe has gone 27-2, and the team's rotation has posted a 22-1 record to go along with a 2.03 ERA. That loss was hung on Bauer, whose latest effort (one run, five hits, three walks and six ) netted him a no-decision. "He's just following suit," said Indians Cody Allen. "These guys have thrown us on their backs for the last two months. We've won 96 games this year and they're probably the biggest reason why." The loss went to Allen, who surrendered a two-run, walk-off to Nelson Cruz in the ninth inning. The bigger issue was the offense, which went silent against Erasmo Ramirez -- for a homer from Giovanny Urshela. The run Bauer allowed in the seventh came on a single to right field, where did not glove the roller off the bat of Yonder Alonso cleanly. That allowed to score from second. That all added up to Cleveland losing by two runs -- a deficit the team had not experienced at any point since Aug. 23. Since then, the Indians have posted a plus-114 run differential, which is a testament to how overpowering the team's pitching has been for the last four weeks. The rotation, specifically, has held opposing hitters to a .223/.272/.336 slash line in that time period, with 180 strikeouts vs. 26 walks in 177 2/3 . Top to bottom, the Indians have not only boasted the best staff in baseball, but one that will go down as an all-time great. Cleveland currently holds the single-season record for strikeouts (1,518 and counting) and is on target to establish an all-time mark for strikeouts per nine innings (9.98 after Friday). The Indians have also moved into a tie with the 1996 Braves for the highest single-season staff WAR (29.5, per Fangraphs) in history. That Braves staff was led by Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. This Indians staff is paced by AL Cy Young contender Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Bauer. Indians does not view his stellar staff as a luxury, but as a necessity. "I can't think of a night when it's not critical," Francona said. "It's so nice when you have a chance to win when you have three hits." Bauer gave the Tribe that opportunity on Friday, but the Indians can't win them all, even if it has felt like it for a month now. "He did a heck of a job," Francona said.

Tribe's road streak interrupted by M's walk-off By Jordan Bastian and Greg Johns / MLB.com | 2:45 AM ET + 55 COMMENTS SEATTLE -- It took a walk-off two-run blast by Nelson Cruz, but the Mariners found a way to derail the red-hot Indians on Friday night with a 3-1 win at Safeco Field and keep their fading postseason hopes alive in the process. The loss ended Cleveland's franchise-record road winning streak at 14 games.

Cruz homered for the third time in the past three games, this one a game-winner off Indians closer Cody Allen after Robinson Cano's leadoff single in the ninth. Cruz now has 36 home runs and an American League-leading 114 RBIs. Though he's 36-plus homers for four straight years, it was his first walk-off since 2010 while with Texas. "For a big power guy, down is probably not [the place to pitch him]," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Allen's pitch to Cruz. "He's been one of the best, productive bats in the league for a while now, and it doesn't seem to be going with age. He seems to be every bit as good as he ever was." The loss was just the second in the past 29 games for Cleveland, one win shy of the best 29-game stretch in MLB history, set by the 1884 Providence Grays. The Indians fell to two games back of the Dodgers for the best record in the Majors at 96-68 after Los Angeles defeated San Francisco on Friday night. Seattle snapped a six-game losing streak behind an outstanding pitching effort by right-hander Erasmo Ramirez. The 27-year-old threw eight innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in his best start since being acquired from the Rays on July 28. The innings and strikeouts both equaled career highs. "That's a great team," said Ramirez, who has a 3.79 ERA in 10 starts for Seattle. "They have so many wins, such great hitters and pitchers. They've been dealing. That winning streak, you don't want to be part of that. To be able to go and execute pitches and go deep in the game was something huge. I am just I'm really happy about what happened today." The Indians' only tally against Ramirez came on a leadoff homer in the third by Giovanny Urshela, after which Ramirez retired 18 straight batters before turning over a 1-1 tie to closer Edwin Diaz, who struck out two in a perfect ninth for the victory. "[Ramirez] pitched really well," Francona said. "He located the fastball, and off of that, whether it was a changeup, cutter or breaking ball, he really pitched a good game. We had a couple swings early where we just missed. But other than Gio, he really just pitched a really nice game." Trevor Bauer was equally strong for Cleveland, as he allowed just one run on five hits over seven innings, the run coming after Jay Bruce bobbled Yonder Alonso's single in the seventh. Bauer, who took the loss in his last start to snap the Indians' 22-game win streak, remains 16-9 with a 4.28 ERA with the no-decision. Seattle's playoff hopes are slim, but the Mariners are 75-79 and five games back of the Twins for the AL's final Wild Card spot with eight games remaining. "The last six days have been tough on the guys," said Mariners manager Scott Servais. "It's really bothered them that we haven't gotten it done after working so hard to get in that spot. I felt today, coming into the clubhouse, our guys were ready to play. We know what we're up against. We played a good game tonight." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Not your normal power source: The Indians have a lot of weapons, but Urshela isn't the guy you'd expect to provide the punch. Yet it was the 25-year-old utility man who got them on the board with his leadoff homer in the third inning, driving a 1-2 pitch over the fence in left field for his first home run in 137 at-bats on the season. Urshela's last big league home run came on Sept. 14, 2015, during his six-homer rookie season. Evening the score: Bauer pitched his way out of trouble a couple of times -- striking out Kyle Seager with a nasty curve after a pair of two-out walks in the first, and getting Cruz to pop out after a pair of two-out singles in the sixth. But Seattle finally pushed a run across in the seventh, tying the game at 1-1 when Seager led off with a double and Alonso singled to right, with Seager scoring when Bruce didn't come up with the ball cleanly. The run wound up being earned when Ben Gamel followed with a flyout that would have scored Seager from third anyway. QUOTABLE "I felt really good out there. I was just kind of off a little bit. I threw a couple bad breaking balls to Cano. When you throw some bad pitches like that to some really good hitters, more often than not they're going to beat you. I felt really good. I felt like I had decent stuff, in terms of velocity and things like that, but just my timing was a little off. It is what it is." -- Allen, who returned after a two-day break because of mild soreness following his save on Tuesday in Anaheim "This was a nice game to win. It's Fan Appreciation Night. We certainly appreciate the fans hanging in with us, because it's not easy. It's not easy for us, the way our season has gone and the way the expectations were and how it's played out. We're hot for a while, we're cold for a while -- it can get frustrating. But we appreciate everybody that was here tonight. It means a lot to us." -- Servais SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Ramirez became Seattle's first starter to go eight or more innings with 10 or more strikeouts since Taijuan Walker on Sept. 13 of last season against the Angels. Though it was Cruz's first walk-off homer since 2010, he's had 10 career walk-off hits, three this season. WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (16-6, 3.48 ERA) will take the ball for the Tribe in Saturday's 4:10 p.m. ET tilt with the Mariners at Safeco Field. Carrasco is 10-2 with a 2.71 ERA in 16 road starts this year, and he is 4-0 with a 1.51 ERA in his last five starts overall. Mariners: Andrew Moore (1-4, 5.40 ERA) gets his ninth start of the season on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. PT. The 23-year-old rookie right-hander has been solid since his September callup, posting a 3.24 ERA in 16 2/3 innings over three outings.

Coming off rare loss, Tribe calls on Carrasco By Josh Horton / MLB.com | 2:54 AM ET + 10 COMMENTS Fresh off handing the Indians just their second loss in their last 29 games, the Mariners will call on Andrew Moore for the second game of the series on Saturday afternoon at Safeco Field. Cleveland still has the best record in the American League, but AL West champion Houston has closed to within 1 1/2 games. Meanwhile, Seattle is still holding out hope for an AL Wild Card spot, though it trails by five games with eight to play.

With potentially two starts to go, Indians starter Carlos Carrasco (16-3, 3.48 ERA) has already set a career high for innings pitched with 186. The clean bill of health has allowed him to reach his potential. "Other than a couple hiccups here and there, which other than [Cory] Kluber pretty much everybody has, he's been good, man," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He's at an innings high, which shouldn't be unique, because he's built for it. For whatever reason, the injuries he's had have limited him, and they're not necessarily arm injuries. But this is kind of what we envisioned." Carrasco will be pitching on six days' rest for the fourth time this season. His last appearance was in the Indians' 8-4 win over the Royals on Sept. 16, during which he allowed four runs on eight hits. The 30-year-old righty has made one start against the Mariners this season, allowing three runs on six hits over eight innings while striking out seven in a 3-1 loss. Moore (1-4, 5.40 ERA) got the nod over Mariners left-hander for this start. He was handed his fourth loss of the season his last time out after allowing three runs on seven hits in the Mariners' 7-1 setback vs. the Astros. Mariners manager Scott Servais said Moore had earned the right to start, as he owns a 3.24 ERA in three September appearances. Things to know about this game • The Indians haven't lost back-to-back games in exactly one month, Aug. 22-23 vs. the Red Sox. • Carrasco is 10-2 with a 2.71 ERA on the road this season, and 6-4 with a 4.38 ERA at home. • Moore has allowed a .309 batting average the first time through the lineup, it dips down to .270 the second time around and then plummets to .176 the third time around. • Lefty relief ace Andrew Miller's next test in his comeback from a right knee injury is expected to be back-to-back appearances. That could come as early as Saturday and Sunday in Seattle. He did not appear in Friday's game.

Communication with Tito crucial to bullpen By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 1:55 AM ET + 2 COMMENTS SEATTLE -- The Indians expect to have closer Cody Allen and relief ace Andrew Miller shoulder important innings in October, when the champs will attempt to return to the World Series. With that in mind, manager Terry Francona appreciates the honesty that Allen displayed this week.

After Allen felt some mild soreness after his outing on Tuesday against the Angels, the closer looped in Francona, who decided to rest the right- hander for the next two games in Anaheim. Allen returned to the mound in the ninth inning on Friday, but yielded a two-run walk-off homer to Nelson Cruz in the Tribe's 3-1 loss to the Mariners. The good news is that Allen said he felt better physically. "I felt really good out there. I was just kind of off a little bit," Allen said. "When you throw some bad pitches like that to some really good hitters, more often than not they're going to beat you. I felt really good. I felt like I had decent stuff, in terms of velocity and things like that, but just my timing was a little off. It is what it is." While Allen took his two games off, Bryan Shaw worked a two-inning save on Wednesday, and lefty Tyler Olson picked up his first career save on Thursday. Francona said the honest feedback he gets from his relievers is critical right now. "They've kind of grown into it," Francona said of the honest feedback he gets from his relievers. "I think everybody's first feeling is, 'I can pitch.' We know that. Shoot, we appreciate it. We respect how much they pitch. But, that way, when we pitch them, we know they're OK. And that's why we wanted to give him a day or so, just to kind of catch up a little bit, which he did." During that Tuesday outing, Allen allowed a home run to Justin Upton, but escaped the rest of the ninth unscathed for his 28th save. It is worth noting that Allen averaged 93.2 mph on his fastball on Tuesday, representing his lowest rate since July 24. Allen, who has a 2.57 ERA with 84 strikeouts against 21 walks through 63 innings, has averaged 94.3 mph on his heater this season, per Statcast™. "I was a little sore the night that I threw," Allen said. "So, I just figured this is probably a good time to take a couple days. We have a full bullpen right now, everybody seems pretty well rested. ... I'm not a fan of not pitching, not being available. But also, at the same time, there's a fine line there. Taking those couple days off is probably in the best interest of myself and in the best interest of this ballclub. "You give yourself a little break, a little bit of boost, where when you come back, you just feel good and then can kind of ride a good rhythm through the rest of the year and the postseason." Woth noting • Francona noted that outfielder (right calf) is scheduled to resume running on Saturday at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Outfielder Brandon Guyer (left wrist) will be re-evaluated when the Indians return home and might be cleared to resume hitting next week. • Third baseman Yandy Diaz has been out of the starting lineup for the past three games due to jamming his right middle finger on a slide into second base on Tuesday. Francona said Diaz is doing better and could return to the mix as early as Saturday in Seattle. • Right-hander Danny Salazar logged 54 pitches in his start on Thursday and the Indians plan on continuing to stretch him out to leave all options open ahead of the playoffs. Francona said Salazar will make another start, but the timing is still being worked out. • Francona said he is planning on meeting with Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, general manager Mike Chernoff and other members of the front office and coaching staff on Wednesday to discuss options for the postseason roster.

Despite injuries, lineup shuffles, experiments, Indians keep chugging along in the win column Zack Meisel SEATTLE — The Indians’ roster has ballooned to 38 players. Terry Francona has tinkered with his lineup every day this month to account for injuries, rest and opportunities for youngsters. He used six pitchers to patch together the nine innings of the win Thursday in Anaheim, California. The past couple of weeks have had a spring training feel to them, but don’t suggest that to Francona. “No, no, no,” he said from his office Friday afternoon, a blue bucket containing 300 pieces of Dubble Bubble resting beside his leather chair. “Spring training is so different.” Well, it is, in one, significant way: the final score matters. “Even though there are a lot of (moving parts), like Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, the game still (counts),” Francona said. “It revolves around that. You try not to forget that.” It makes it even more impressive that the Indians have won 27 of 28 — the only team in the past 100 years to produce such a stretch — all while juggling a laundry list of injuries and holding auditions for October. It’s probably easier to list who is healthy than who is suffering from some bumps and bruises. But here’s the latest injury roll call: *Yandy Diaz jammed his finger when sliding into second base during the series in Anaheim. He could be used as a pinch hitter Friday night. *Jose Ramirez returned to the lineup Friday night after getting a day to rest his sore hamstring. *Cody Allen was expected to be available for the series opener against the Mariners after being shut down for two days because of soreness. *Lonnie Chisenhall is scheduled to run on the field in Cleveland on Saturday as he recovers from a right calf injury *Brandon Guyer is expected to resume hitting early next week. *Andrew Miller is slated to pitch on back-to-back days this weekend for the first time since late July. *Michael Brantley will be re-evaluated late next week after receiving a second opinion on his sprained right ankle. *Bradley Zimmer won’t be ruled out for postseason play, should the Indians make a deep run, but the timetable on the broken bone in his left hand cast doubt on a return this season. *Danny Salazar, who logged 2 2/3 innings Thursday, will likely make another start next week. Got all that? Now imagine being Francona and bench coach Brad Mills, attempting to devise a daily lineup and to give guys appropriate rest in preparation of the playoffs, all while trying to win. The winning part, incredibly, hasn’t been an issue. The Indians will meet next week — likely Wednesday — to map out their plans for the postseason roster. There’s plenty to discuss, with Jason Kipnis still learning center field and a slew of players still working their way back from injury. Oh, and there’s the matter of narrowing the field to 25 players. It's a lot to sort through, but the wins certainly make this tricky process more enjoyable for the Tribe.

Mariners' Nelson Cruz beats Indians with walk-off HR off Cody Allen The Associated PressPublished on Sept. 23, 2017 | Updated 3:14 a. m. SEATTLE — Nelson Cruz breathed a little extra life to the ’ dwindling playoff hopes — and slowed baseball’s hottest team in the process.

Cruz hit a game-ending two-run home run in the ninth inning off closer Cody Allen, lifting the Mariners to a 3-1 win over the on Friday night.

Seattle snapped a six-game skid that all but crushed its hopes for the second wild card in the American League. The Mariners are five games behind Minnesota for the last AL playoff spot with eight games remaining.

Cruz has homered in three straight games and has 36 this season.

“He’s special. He’s a special player,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.

It took a major punch from Cruz to finally knock down the Indians. Cleveland lost for the second time since Aug. 23, a span of 29 games that included an historic 22-game winning streak. It ended a franchise-record 14-game road winning streak — the Indians hadn’t lost away from home since Aug. 20 at Kansas City.

“He’s been one of the best, productive bats in the league for a while now and it doesn’t seem to be going with age,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said of Cruz. “He seems to be every bit as good as he ever was.”

Cruz lined a 2-1 pitch from closer Allen (3-7) out to deep right-center field after Robinson Cano had opened the inning with a single. Each of Cruz’s last three home runs have gone to the opposite field, and he upped his AL-leading RBI total to 114.

“I threw a couple bad breaking balls to Cano. You throw some bad pitches like that to some really good hitters, more often than not they’re going to beat you,” Allen said.

It was a pitchers’ duel most of the way between Seattle’s Erasmo Ramirez and Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer. Giovanny Urshela homered for the Indians’ only run, and Seattle pulled even in the seventh. Kyle Seager led off with a double, and Yonder Alonso followed with a single to right. Seager was initially held at third, but Jay Bruce mishandled the ball, and the error allowed Seager to score and tie the game.

Urshela’s homer was his first of the season and seventh of his career. His last home run came on Sept. 14, 2015.

Ramirez tied a career high with eight innings, getting there for the first time since Sept. 18, 2012 — during his first stint with the Mariners. Ramirez kept the Indians guessing throughout, also matching a career-high with 10 strikeouts. He retired his final 18 batters after Urshela’s homer in the third inning.

Ramirez was the first Seattle pitcher to go eight innings since Andrew Moore on July 3. Edwin Diaz (4-6) pitched the ninth to cap a three-hitter.

“To be able to get back on track after that homer was something huge, for me and for the team, too,” Ramirez said.

The outstanding performance from Ramirez kept Bauer from being able to match teammate Corey Kluber with his 17th victory. Bauer scattered five hits over seven innings but was lifted before the eighth with his pitch count at 116 pitches. It was his eighth start of the season allowing one earned run or fewer.

Long time coming

While Cruz has three game-ending hits this season, it was the first time he homered to end a game since Sept. 10, 2010, when he was playing for Texas. It was the fifth time in his career he ended a game with a long ball.

Trainer’s room Cleveland: OF Lonnie Chisenhall is scheduled to begin running Saturday as he continues to recover from a calf strain that has kept him out since July. Chisenhall will begin his running rehab back in Cleveland.

** OF Brandon Guyer (wrist) will be re-examined when the team returns to Cleveland next week but could be soon cleared to resume hitting.

Award season Cruz and teammates and Nick Vincent were honored by the local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America on Friday. Cruz was named the team’s MVP, Paxton was voted the pitcher of the year and Vincent was honored with the “Unsung Hero” award.

“For a long time, he was probably the MVP of our team,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said of Vincent.

Up next Indians: Carlos Carrasco (16-6) tries to match Kluber with 17 wins. Carrasco will be making his 31st start and has won his past four decisions.

Mariners: RHP Andrew Moore (1-4) makes what could be his last start of the season. It will be Moore’s ninth career start and his first against Cleveland.

Meisel’s Musings: The rarity of an Indians loss and the man with the mullet and the football by Zack Meisel SEATTLE — The man with the dark mullet never stands still.

He bounces around his corner, where Yesler Way intersects 1st Avenue in Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle. Wearing a tan crewneck and black shorts that rest a couple of inches above his knees, he clutches a weathered football in his right hand as he searches for eye contact with passersby.

If anyone meets his gaze, he’ll offer a pump fake. If the person resembles a deer in headlights, the interaction typically ceases. Some take him up on his proposal, though, including the tall gentleman who caught his pass with a bright blue post office bin.

Robert has manned this corner, the front yard of a Starbucks (what else?), for 15 years. He started the practice when he was selling homeless community newspapers. It gave him something to do to kill time. Now 55, he still hikes up his white socks to his calves and seeks a partner for his simple game of catch.

Over the years, he has met Scottie Pippen this way. He got Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman to autograph his football. He exchanged pleasantries with Marshawn Lynch (well, at least Robert’s side of the conversation was pleasant). Robert could tell Lynch wasn’t in the mood to sign anything or stick around for much dialogue.

This is the Indians’ only visit to Robert’s gridiron this year. They’ll open the 2018 campaign at Safeco Field in late March. The Mariners snapped the Tribe’s 14-game road winning streak on Friday night, with a walk-off victory for the home crowd on Fan Appreciation Night.

Here are a few thoughts on the Indians, who plummeted to 20-2 in September.

1. What a month: It reached midnight on the East Coast before Nelson Cruz delivered the decisive two-run homer, so, technically speaking, the Indians made it one month between games in which they trailed by more than one run.

During their 22-game winning streak, they rarely fell behind, and if they did, they essentially waved an index finger at the opposing team and said, “Not so fast,” before responding with a few tallies of their own. Prior to Friday’s final pitch, the Indians last trailed by two or more runs on Aug. 23, the night before they rattled off an American League-record 22 consecutive victories.

2. Different vibes: When the Royals snapped the Indians’ historic run last weekend, the home clubhouse at Progressive Field still shook from the heavy bass of the rap music blaring from the speakers. The Indians patted themselves on the back with some postgame music.

The customary, post-loss, library-like atmosphere returned to the Tribe clubhouse on Friday. Cody Allen, his right shoulder and elbow wrapped, stared at his phone for a few minutes at his corner locker before addressing reporters. Trevor Bauer swiftly answered four questions, but did so in a more terse, dejected manner than he did after his last start.

3. Bauer outage: Bauer and manager Terry Francona evaluated the right-hander’s start differently, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence.

He limited the Mariners to one run on five hits over seven innings. Francona said he “thought he was really good. He followed Roberto (Perez) the entire way and I thought he did a heck of a job.”

Bauer, on the other hand, said “not a whole lot” was working. He pointed to an extra day of rest between starts as a factor. Well, his next start will likely come with an extra day of rest, and his first postseason start will likely come with an extra day of rest.

Bauer owns a 2.52 ERA over his last 11 starts, with 77 strikeouts and 19 walks over 71 1/3 innings.

The rotation as a whole, over the last 29 games, has produced a 22-1 record, a 2.03 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, a .223/.272/.336 opponent slash line and a 180-to-36 -to-walk ratio. 4. Keep your friends close: We know all about the Gray Cloud, Francona’s buddy who has a penchant for attracting rainclouds. But does the manager hear from other friends when the Indians play well?

“Not my good friends,” he said. “My good friends, they just know (not to). We play 162 games. That’d be a lot of texts.”

5. Hit me with your best shot: Consider what it required to conquer the Indians on Friday night.

Erasmo Ramirez authored one of the best starts of his career. Seattle scored its first run when Kyle Seager slapped a double just beyond the reach of Carlos Santana at first base and Yonder Alonso followed with a single to right that Jay Bruce mishandled. Otherwise, the Mariners’ bats remained quiet until the ninth.

The Indians finally made a costly mistake. They haven’t committed many unforced errors recently.

Allen pitched for the first time since Tuesday, as he was shut down for two days because of soreness. He refused to blame the loss on any rust or injury.

“I’m not going to cop out to that,” he said. “I just made some bad pitches. I’ve thrown (63) innings this year and took a couple days off. When you have a bad one, you can’t have that excuse. I just flat-out didn’t make good pitches.”

Former Cleveland Indians pitcher Mudcat Grant still busy promoting diversity in baseball By Branson Wright, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- His fastball is the only thing that has slowed down for former Cleveland Indians pitcher Jim "Mudcat" Grant. Grant, 82, has been in perpetual motion since he arrived in Cleveland this weekend. It began with a visit to Lincoln-West High School where Grant spoke to the students on various issues, including anti-bullying, which he promotes on his website -- wetalkmusic.org. He also found time to talk about one of his other favorite subjects. "We talked about baseball and I even got to talk with some of the kids in Spanish," Grant said. "That was great because that's something I haven't done since I played in Cuba." Grant is also in town to participate in the second annual Pleibol! Latinos and African Americans Breaking the Color Barrier in America's Favorite Pastime. The event is this weekend at Historic League Park. This is the second year of the event. Pleibol! attempts to create an inspiring celebration of the history and legacy of Latinos and African Americans in baseball. "A connection of and young people are very important," Grant said. "As a youngster, I didn't get a chance to ask [former or current] major league players questions like we do today." Grant was a member of the Tribe from 1958-64. He finished his career in 1971 with the Oakland A's. In 1965, Grant became the first black pitcher to win 20 games in a season in the American League. He was also the first black pitcher to win a World Series game for the American League. He was 145-119 in 14 years. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.23.2017 Keys to October for Cleveland Indians: Fly balls for Jason Kipnis, health for Andrew Miller By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com [email protected] SEATTLE - The Indians already have their first postseason appointment scheduled. The opponent and ballpark aren't known, but they will open the AL on Oct. 5. They have nine regular season games left to play between then and now. In the eternity that is a baseball season, that is a snap of the fingers. But to Jason Kipnis and Andrew Miller those nine games are all the time they have to prove to the Indians, and more importantly themselves, that they are ready for what the postseason will bring. Kipnis, a three-time visitor to the disabled list this season, is in the most difficult position. He is trying to move from second base to center field. He's played three games at his new position and has yet to catch a fly ball. What solace can the Indians take from that? "He looks comfortable out there," said manager Terry Francona. Comfortable is good, but is it good enough to send Kipnis out to center field for Game 1 of the ALDS? He has not played the position on a regular basis since 2009, the year the Indians drafted him out of Arizona State. He made his debut Sunday against Kansas City and saw no action before being removed after five innings. As soon as he left, rookie Greg Allen handled two fly balls to center. Kipnis played five innings again on Tuesday night against the Angels. In the fifth, with a runner on first, Andrelton Simmons singled to center field. Kipnis, set up deep, played the ball on a bounce as Kole Calhoun went from first to third. "I think that's a ball that maybe, in another week, he might catch," said Francona. "He's playing a little deeper now by design. I think as he gets confident he'll probably move in a couple of steps and catch that ball. But he looks comfortable out there. "He's not getting hit a ton of balls, but he doesn't look out of place." Kipnis agreed. "I'll probably get to that ball soon," he said. "I'm just playing deep right now just to make sure nothing goes over the head." On Wednesday, Justin Upton drove a double over Kipnis' head in the first inning. He had no chance to make the catch. Simmons and Upton singled to center in the next two innings, but when Kipnis was replaced by Allen after seven innings, he still had not caught a fly ball. What Kipnis did do was double and single, which is the real reason Francona would love to see him succeed in his rush job to center. Adding his bat to the lineup only improves the Tribe's chances in October. It's not like the Indians have a lot of options. Bradley Zimmer has a broken left hand and Lonnie Chisenhall is Cleveland nursing a right calf injury. They have Allen, a talented switch-hitting rookie and a natural center fielder. After replacing Kipnis on Tuesday, he singled, stole second and scored to start a three-run ninth inning rally in the Tribe's 6-3 win. If you're the Indians do you open the postseason with a September call up or a two-time All-Star, albeit at a second base, in center field? Austin Jackson, who had four hits Tuesday and two more on Wednesday, made his name as a center fielder. But the Indians have been reluctant to play him every day seemingly because his 30-year-old legs have a lot of miles on them. Could they turn to him in the postseason, which features more off days? When Francona answered that question, he said he Jackson would play some center field in the last nine games of the regular season, but was reluctant to talk about the postseason. Still, that might be his best option if the Kipnis experiment doesn't work. The progress of Miller has been more encouraging. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning Tuesday, retiring the Angels in order. Miller ended the inning by striking out Calhoun on a 94 mph four-seam fastball. "It was good to see him reach back and get some velocity when he needed it," said Francona. Said Miller, "I think I'm getting better. The whole plan is to sharpen up and feel good doing it. I think I'm accomplishing that now." In Thursday's 4-1 win, Miller pitched into a bases-loaded jam, once again in the seventh inning, but struck out the next two batters to escape. He threw 26 pitchers, which made it his first legitimate test since coming off the DL. Picking a postseason bullpen won't be nearly as hard as trying to figure out who is going to be in the outfield. That includes center field where one would hope Kipnis has handled at least one fly ball by the time the ALDS opens. Then again, analytics say that the Indians pitching staff has been so good this year that they don't allow many fly balls to center field. A recent mlb.com story calculated that Tribe center fielders get an average of just 2.4 plays per game because their pitchers have struck out more batters, 1,511, in a single season than an any other team in history. Kipnis, with just three games of big-league experience in center field, has no reason to disagree with those analytics. But are the Indians willing to take those numbers to the bank in October? Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.23.2017 Cleveland Indians fall to Seattle, 3-1, on Nelson Cruz's walk-off homer in the ninth By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com [email protected] SEATTLE - The Indians record-setting 22-game winning streak ended Sept. 15 against Kansas City at Progressive Field. The son of that streak, a five-gamer, ended late Friday night as Nelson Cruz hit a two-run walk-off homer against Cody Allen to give the Mariners a 3-1 win over the Indians at Safeco Field. The Indians had won 27 of their previous 28 games. Allen had not pitched in save situations on Wednesday and Thursday after complaining of soreness following Tuesday's appearance. Robinson Cano started the ninth with a single and Cruz ended it with a homer to right center field off Allen (3-7). It was the first time the Indians have been held to one run since Aug. 23, the day before their 22-game streak started. "I felt really good out there, really good," said Allen. "I was just off a little bit. You throw bad to guys who are really good hitters and more often than not they're going to beat you. "I thought I had decent stuff in term's of velocity, but my timing was a little off." Trevor Bauer started and pitched seven strong innings. He allowed one run on five hits. Erasamo Ramirez, Seattle's starter, allowed one run on three hits in eight innings for the Mariners. He struck out 10 and retired the last 18 batters he faced. "I guess it's nice for seven innings," said Bauer, when told he kept his team in the game. "We lost, so nothing is real nice right now. I don't know. We had a lead and I gave it up. So I didn't do my job." Giovanny Urshela supplied the Indians' only run, a leadoff homer in the third. He lined Ramirez's 83 mph breaking ball over the left field fence for his first homer in 59 games this year. Urshela was 0-3 going into that at-bat against Ramirez. The homer was Urshela's first in the big leagues since Sept. 14, 2015. Francisco Lindor started the game with a drive to the warning track in right. Austin Jackson followed with a double, but Ramirez struck out the next two batters. The Indians couldn't do anything against Ramirez after that. Jason Kipnis had a two-out single in the second, but after Urshela's homer, the Indians' offense disappeared. Bauer held the Mariners scoreless through six innings, but they tied the score in the seventh with the help of some shaky defense. The Indians entered the game with the top fielding percentage in the American League. Kyle Seager started the inning with a double off a diving Carlos Santana's glove at first. Yonder Alonso followed with a double to right. Seager was going to stop at third, but the ball ricocheted off Jay Bruce's glove and Seager scored. A well-turned double play by Lindor, Ramirez and Santana ended the inning with the score still tied at 1. "I thought Trevor was really good tonight," said manager Terry Francona. "I know he gets frustrated when he doesn't strikeout a lot of guys, but he followed Roberto (Perez, ) the entire way. I thought he did a heckuva job." Ramirez came into the game with a 1-2 record and a 4.58 ERA against the Indians. "We came in trying to get aggressive against him and he had a real good game plan for that," said Kipnis, who had one of the Tribe's three hits. The loss was just the second for the Indians since Aug. 24. The win ended a six-game losing streak for Seattle. The Tribe still has a 1 1/2 game lead over Houston for home-field advantage in the AL. They trail the Dodgers by two games for home-field in the World Series. Bauer threw 116 pitches, 70 (60 percent) for strikes. Ramirez threw 105 pitches, 70 (67 percent) for strikes. Kipnis ended the second inning by catching Carlos Ruiz's routine fly ball to center. It was his first catch in the outfield since he made his debut on Sunday against Kansas City. Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco will face right-hander Andrew Moore (1-4, 5.40) and the Mariners on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game. Carrasco is 0-1 against the Mariners this year, but is 10-2 with a 2.71 ERA on the road. Moore, a rookie, will be making the ninth start of his career. Moore, who will be facing the Indians for the first time in his career, is coming off a 7-1 loss to the Astros. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.23.2017 On being an unstoppable force and 5 hot takes on the Cleveland Indians SEATTLE – The Indians have officially reached the unstoppable force status. The impetus, of course, was the 22-game winning streak from Aug. 24 through Sept. 14. It’s the longest streak in American League history and the longest in the big leagues in over over 100 years. After the streak was stopped by the Royals on Sept. 15, something unexpected happened ... the Indians continued to win. They entered Friday’s game against the Mariners having won 27 of their last 28 games. Only two other teams, according to Elias Sports Bureau, have done that in the same season – the 1916 New York Giants and the 1884 Providence Grays. The Indians are tied with the Giants, but the Grays’ run included winning 28 of 29 games, something the Indians could match Friday night. “We want to keep it going,” said reliever Dan Otero. “I mean it’s crazy. This stuff doesn’t happen in baseball.” The one difference between the Indians and Grays is that the Indians don’t have Old Hoss Radbourn on the mound. Radbourn, a Hall of Famer, started and completed 27 games during Providence’s 28-1 run. He won 26 of those 27 starts. The Grays played in the from 1878 through 1885. They won the World Series in 1884. No complaints on short transition to winter Indians from B1 We'll talk again in Cleveland The brass has left the building. Chris Antonetti, Mike Chernoff and Sky Andrecheck joined the Indians in Anaheim, Calif., for the three-game series to talk about the postseason roster and other plans. Owner Paul Dolan, who was already on the West Coast, joined them. “I thought they’d be coming to Seattle, too,” said manager Terry Francona, “but they went back to Cleveland. No wonder we were meeting so much. We’re going to meet again on Wednesday when we get home.” Asked if he had his postseason roster completed, Francona shook his head and said, “I’ve got about six of them.” The Indians clinched the AL Central on Saturday. Lindor home runs break ties, seal wins in 2 straight games Shortstop works out to avoid Sept. slump Indians from B1 Francisco Lindor vs. Martin Maldonado There’s something go on between shortstop Francisco Lindor and Angel catcher Martin Maldonado. It started in July when Lindor singled home a run in the seventh inning to give the Indians a 2-1 lead. As he headed to first base, he looked back at Maldonado and screamed at him. It happened again on Wednesday at Angel Stadium. In the seventh inning, with the score tied, 2-2, Lindor hit a two-run homer as the Indians went on to beat the Angels, 6-3. Once again he looked back and yelled at Maldonado. “In Cleveland I told him he smelled good,” said Lindor with a laugh. Francona saw what was going on Wednesday. “I think it was something about Frankie’s bat,” said Francona. “But I liked the way Frankie answered.” Lindor and Maldonado are from Puerto Rico. They were teammates on Puerto Rico’s World Baseball Classic team in March. “We’re not fighting,” said Lindor. “We’re just kidding each other.” Maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe, Maldonado is just tired of losing to the the Indians. They've beaten the Angels in 11 straight games. How does 100 wins sound? The Indians, with nine regular season games left, need four more wins to reach 100 for the season. They would be just one of three teams in franchise history to win 100 games in a season. The 1954 club holds the franchise record with 111 wins. The 1995 team won 100 games in a strike-shortened 144-game season. This year’s Indians could become the second-winningest team in club history by going 5-4 to end the regular season. When asked about the possibility, Francona said, you can't win 100 games until you win the game at hand. If the Indians beat the Mariners on Friday, that would be No. 97. Danny Salazar will get another start Francona said Danny Salazar will get another start before the regular season ends on Oct. 1. Salazar started Thursday’s game against the Angels and lasted 2 2/3 innings. He allowed one run and struck out four. “The plan is to start him the next time through the rotation,” said Francona, “but we reserve the right to change it. But right now that’s the plan.” The Indians still don’t know if Salazar will make the postseason roster. It could be in the rotation, bullpen or not at all. But they want to keep all their options available. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.23.2017 Austin Jackson: Man of action, determination | Indians playoff preview By David Glasier, The News-Herald Austin Jackson was in the thick of things Sept. 17 in the home clubhouse at Progressive Field.

The Indians were celebrating their clinching of the American League Central Division title. Players were pouring beer and champagne over each other in the home clubhouse

It was a wet, loud and joyful scene.

Jackson, 30, and a veteran outfielder in his eighth big-league season, was wearing ski goggles to avoid the blinding sting of ice-cold champagne and beer being poured over heads and sprayed everywhere. He joined teammates in sharing embraces, handshakes and high- fives. This wasn’t Jackson’s first time at the often chaotic dance of a big-league clinch party He was a core player on ’ playoff teams that had their share of clubhouse celebrations in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

”I’d like to say this is routine. But it’s not routine. It takes a special group,” Jackson said, smiling, as the celebration swirled around him

Looking at Jackson in the middle of this joyful melee, it seemed a distant memory when he came to spring training in Goodyear, Arizona, having to prove to Indians manager Terry Francona that he deserved one of 25 spots on the active roster.

Jackson was in that unenviable position despite solid career numbers because of an injury-plagued 2016 season with the . He played in only 54 games, his season cut short in June 2016 by a knee injury that required surgery.

Francona and his staff liked what they saw of Jackson in spring training and gave him that roster spot. It proved to be a wise move. Jackson has been a consistent contributor at the plate, batting .318 in 78 games with seven home runs and 33 RBI. He’s been solid in the outfield, too, playing all three positions as needs arose because of injuries to Bradley Zimmer, Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer.

Given his track record, it’s not surprising that a healthy Jackson has thrived with the Indians as a platoon player facing mostly left-handed pitchers..

In five seasons with Detroit, Jackson batted .277 with 46 home runs and 234 RBI.

He hasn’t matched that production since the Tigers traded him to Seattle in July 2014. He subsequently was dealt by Seattle to the in August 2015. After a brief stay with the Cubs, he was granted free agency and signed with the cross-town Chicago White Sox in March 2016.

Then came the signing with Cleveland and a season Jackson said has been as rewarding as any in his career.

Shortly before he waded back into the clinching celebration, Jackson was asked for a one-word description of a season that has seen the Indians work through inconsistencies to find their stride and have the best record in baseball since the All-Star break.

The surge produced an American-League record 22 straight wins.

“Determination, that’s the right word,” Jackson said. “We’ve had ups and downs and battled injuries. But from the start, this has been a determined team.”

Against all odds, Cruz homers in ninth to lift Mariners past red-hot Cleveland, 3-1 Ryan Divish So the team that had lost six consecutive games and looked lifeless in doing so goes up against the team that had won 27 of its past 28 games and looked unbeatable during that stretch. What happens? Well, baseball. Of course, the Mariners, the team with a near flatline pulse and on the verge of mathematical elimination, defeats the hottest team in baseball, the Cleveland Indians, who set a record with a 22-game winning streak and rolled into Safeco Field on Friday having lost just once in the past 28 games. Nelson Cruz crushed a two-run walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth off Indians closer Cody Allen to give the Mariners a 3-1 victory and a reason to celebrate in a week that hasn’t been much fun. It was his third consecutive game with a home run, giving him 36 on the season and adding to his career-high total of 114 RBI. “That’s the best team in the American League,” Cruz said. “They have the record and good offense and pitching.” And the Mariners beat them to improve to 75-79, staving off official elimination for another few days. The randomness of a 162-game season leads to moments like that. It’s what makes baseball beloved by most and loathed by others. It’s also served as an exasperating reminder of how good the Mariners can be when they perform at expected levels, which hasn’t happened enough this season. “We played a good game tonight,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “It was obviously led by our pitching from Erasmo Ramirez. Offense was a challenge, and we got some hits late. That’s what you need to beat good teams, get the big hit late and make big plays late in the game. Obviously, the last six days we haven’t done that.” With the scored tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Robinson Cano singled to right off Allen to bring Cruz to the plate. On a 2-1 fastball, he crushed a towering shot to deep right center. “We have a day game tomorrow,” he joked. “It was time to end it.” While Cruz was the hero late, Ramirez was the reason the Mariners even had a chance at victory. Facing a potent lineup and knowing he wouldn’t get much run support with Trevor Bauer starting for the Indians, Ramirez delivered an exquisite outing — his best since becoming a Mariner again. The right-hander pitched eight complete innings, allowing one run on just three hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts. The eight innings pitched and 10 strikeouts both tied career-highs. “I’m just happy,” he said, grinning. “I cannot describe how I feel. It’s so great to be back on the winning side.” Is that as well as he can pitch? “This year, yes,” he said. “That’s the longest I’ve gone and the best execution I’ve had with the pitches, especially in tough counts. Even being behind in the count, I was able to execute pitches against a good team with great hitters.” It was just the fourth time this season a Mariners starting pitcher had given the team eight complete innings. The last to do so was Andrew Moore on July 3 against the Royals when he allowed three runs in a 3-1 defeat. James Paxton tossed eight shutout innings on April 15 against the Rangers. Ariel Miranda allowed one run in a complete-game victory over the Rays on June 4. “We haven’t had an outing like that in quite some time,” Servais said. “He was awesome. He kept attacking. It starts with him.” Acquired at the deadline in a trade that didn’t exactly inspire Mariners fans, Ramirez has been better than expected in his return to Seattle. After pitching out of the bullpen for June and July for the Rays, it took Ramirez a few starts to get stretched out to a starter’s pitch count. But once he did, he became one of the few healthy starters who could consistently keep the Mariners in games. He’s pitched six innings or more in seven of his past eight outings. “Jerry (Dipoto) and the guys in the front office have always been turning over every rock trying to find something that would work,” Servais said. “I think the biggest draw on Erasmo is that he had a track record of getting through the lineup three times, and he has the weapons to do it. Some days are easier than others for him. But for the most part, he’s been one of our most consistent guys since we’ve acquired him and got his pitch count up.” Ramirez’s only run allowed came in the third inning when the No. 9 hitter, Giovanny Urshela, took advantage of a misplaced changeup on a 1-2 count, lifting a fly ball that just cleared the wall in left field for his first big-league homer. From there, Ramirez didn’t allow another base runner, retiring 18 consecutive batters and exiting to a standing ovation after completing the eighth inning. Seattle had just one hit over the first five innings against Bauer — a fourth-inning single from Cruz. The Mariners picked up two more in the sixth and their first run off in the seventh. Kyle Seager led off with a double down the right-field line and Yonder Alonso followed with a single to right. , the third-base coach, initially held Seager up at third base. However, Jay Bruce misplayed the ball in right field, and Seager was able to hustle home to tie the game. Three takeaways after Cruz’s walk-off blast lifts Mariners past Tribe BY BOB DUTTON Say this much. The Mariners know how to stage a Fan Appreciation Night. Nelson Cruz delivered a two-run homer Friday in the ninth inning that produced a 3-1 walk-off victory over Cleveland’s nearly unbeatable Indians at Safeco Field after Erasmo Ramirez worked eight dazzling innings. All of which proves you just never know. The Mariners had lost a season-high six games in a row before Cruz’s 405-foot blast against Cody Allen (3-7) sent the Indians to only their second loss in the last 29 games. "They’re the best in the American League," Cruz said. "They have the (best) record, and they good offense and good pitching. Ramirez was the key. He kept us in game until we were able to score some runs." Cruz’s homer was his 36th of the season and boosted his American League-leading RBI count to 114. It also came after he was honored as the Mariners’ player of the year in a pre-game ceremony. "That’s what you need to beat good teams," manager Scott Servais said. "You’ve got to get the big hit late. You’ve got to make the plays late in the game. Obviously the last six days we haven’t done that." Ramirez settled for a no-decision after allowing just one run and three hits over eight innings. He also had 10 strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter. The eight innings and 10 strikeouts matched career highs. And yet… "I’m just happy," he said. "I can not describe how happy I am. To be able to get back on track after that homer (by Giovanny Urshela), it was something huge. It’s so great to be back on the winning side." It represented a fabulous bounce back by Ramirez after giving up six runs over four innings in his previous start against Houston. Prior to that, he had a string of six straight quality starts. "We haven’t had a outing like that in quite some time," Servais said. "To get through eight innings against a very talented team. It really all starts with pitching, and the job he did on the mound tonight was awesome." Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer, who suffered the only loss in the Indians’ previous 28 games, was nearly as good in limiting the Mariners to one run and five hits in seven innings. The victory lifted the Mariners to 75-79 but, with eight games left, they remained five games behind Minnesota in the race for the American League’s final wild-card berth. The Indians opened the scoring when Urshela led off the third inning with a no-doubt homer to left. It was his first big-league homer of the season and came in his 146th plate appearance. The Mariners didn’t get even until Cleveland’s defense betrayed Bauer in the seventh inning. Kyle Seager led off with a double off the glove of first baseman Carlos Santana. Yonder Alonso followed with a single through the right side. Seager initially stopped at third but chugged home when right fielder Jay Bruce misplayed the ball. It stayed 1-1 until Cruz’s boomstick moment. THREE TAKEAWAYS: ***The Big E: Ramirez is just 1-3 in 10 starts since rejoining the Mariners in a July 28 trade from Tampa Bay despite compiling a 3.79 ERA in that span. "He’s been one of our most consistent guys since we’ve acquired him and got his pitch count built up," Servais said. "Nothing really fazes him. He’s got a happy-go-lucky personality, and it worked out great." As a point of reference, the Mariners’ club ERA is 4.44, and the American League average is 4.37. Further, much of the damage against Ramirez came in two starts: five runs in five innings on Aug. 6 at Kansas City, and six runs in four innings in his previous start against Houston. Take those two games out of the mix, and Ramirez’s ERA since the trade drops to 2.44. ***Still another free out: Before his walk-off blast, Cruz added another chapter to the Mariners’ season-long baserunning blues. He had just gotten the Mariners’ first hit against Bauer with a one-out single in the fourth inning when, inexplicably, he tried to steal second base. "I was timing him," Cruz explained. "I thought I had it timed. One-two-three, he was going (to the plate). One-two-three, he was going. One-two- three and he waited a little bit longer. And he got me." When Cruz broke for second, Bauer simply stepped off the rubber and threw to shortstop Francisco Lindor, who applied the tag for the out. ***Web gems: The Mariners supported Ramirez by executing two sparkling defensive plays in the fifth inning. First, catcher Chooch Ruiz pounced on what initially appeared to be a well-placed bunt by Roberto Perez. Ruiz then made a strong throw to first for the out. Urshela followed with a hard grounder up the third-base line that Seager backhanded and turned into the third out. Seager also charged in for a barehanded pickup on Edwin Encarnacion’s soft grounder in the seventh inning. Seager’s strong on-line throw produced an out. News Tribune LOADED: 09.23.2017