Inbox: Do Tribe factor into rotation issues? By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | August 8th, 2016 + 3 COMMENTS @MLBastian what are the pitching staff's stats w and w/o Gomes? Is it a coincidence the recent struggle have been w/o him? Mike, Mt Vernon 11:28 PM - 7 Aug 2016 · Mount Vernon, OH, United States Retweets 1 1 like A lot of Tribe fans have written in with similar questions, wondering if catchers Roberto Perez and Chris Gimenez are at fault at all for Cleveland's recent rotation issues. To me, this looks more like a good old fashioned bad week for the pitching staff. It happens. Unless it persists, it seems mostly like coincidence that the struggles have come without Gomes doing the catching. Consider this: Gomes was injured on July 17. From July 18 through the end of the month, Cleveland's rotation had a 3.41 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and a .227 opponents' average while working with Perez and Gimenez. No one was blaming the catchers for bad pitch-calling during that stretch. Taking it one step further, Corey Kluber, who had used Gomes as his personal for 40 consecutive starts prior to the catcher's injury, has gone 2-0 with a 1.55 ERA in his past four starts with Perez. Granted, things have been uglier of late for the starting staff. In the first seven games of August, the rotation has a bloated 9.74 ERA, a 2.07 WHIP and a .358 opponents' average in 32 1/3 innings. One thing to keep in mind is that includes a two-inning outing from Danny Salazar, who ended up on disabled list with a right elbow issue. Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin and Mike Clevinger (Salazar's temporary replacement) have had rough outings in that stretch, too. Overall, Gomes posted a 3.62 catcher's ERA this season, compared to a 3.88 mark for Gimenez and a 4.89 average for Perez. The have enjoyed working with Perez and Gimenez, and I expect that to remain the case. I wouldn't go sounding the alarms over a one-week sample of innings. The Tribe's rotation is talented, but not immune to a bad week. @MLBastian Do you know if the Indians have expressed interest in signing Napoli beyond this year? 9:35 PM - 3 Aug 2016 Retweets likes With a handful of exceptions over the years, the Indians' usual policy is to handle extension talks before or after the season. Now that the non- waiver Deadline has come and gone, though, it's certainly possible that Cleveland will approach Mike Napoli about his future. He has enjoyed playing for the Indians and the team has been thrilled not only with his production on the field, but his impact in the clubhouse. Napoli's age (34) and injury history make this an interesting case. At the very least, the Indians could explore extending him a qualifying offer for 2017 before the free-agent period begins. Banged On @unibanger @MLBastian What's the status of Michael Brantley? Are we going to see him this year? And if you had to guess, when? #indiansinbox The Indians' left fielder continues to work through a hitting program, but there remains no firm timetable for his return to game activity. There might be more information when the Indians return to Cleveland, where manager can sit down with the medical team and Brantley in person to discuss his progress. At this point, given the ups and downs of his rehab this year, I wouldn't try to guess if or when he will be back for the Tribe. I realize that the non-waiver Trade Deadline has come and gone, but I seem to recall having heard of teams making moves after the Deadline in some cases. Is there any chance the Indians will be able to make some sort of move before the postseason? -- Kevin S., Walnut Creek, Ohio You are correct, Kevin. There is an Aug. 31 deadline for players to be eligible for a postseason roster, but it's a little more complicated than the non-waiver trading period. In order for a player to be dealt to any team, he would first have to clear waivers. If a team puts in a claim on a player exposed to revocable waivers, that team can then try to work out a trade to acquire him. The Indians will surely monitor the waiver wire, especially when it comes to bullpen or bench help, but I don't anticipate them being very active via August trades this year. @MLBastian Now he's cleared waivers, any CLE interest in McCann ($$ aside)? Eric Berkey, Arlington, VA #indiansinbox I don't think "money aside" applies in this case. McCann is 32 years old and is owed $17 million in each of the next two years. While the Indians did target catcher Jonathan Lucroy at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, his contract was more affordable ($5.25 million) next season. In terms of upgrading at catcher, it felt like Lucroy or bust for the Tribe. I don't see McCann being a fit. @SportsNom @MLBastian As someone who hasn't been watching a ton, why wouldn't you just keep Uribe? He seemed to be decent + Uribe was definitely a good influence behind the scenes. He helped the development of some younger players -- Jose Ramirez comes to mind - - and certainly kept things loose in the clubhouse and dugout. Clubhouse leadership can't always overcome poor production, though. Uribe was sporting a .591 OPS and 56 weighted Runs Created Plus (indicating that he was 44-percent below league average offensively). Something had to give, and now Ramirez can shore up the situation at third base. @MLBastian has there been any talk of promoting Yandy Diaz to the bigs? Matt, Boardman OH #IndiansInbox If the Indians believe Diaz can help down the stretch, he will no doubt be considered for a promotion. The only logistical issue standing in the way right now is the fact that the 25-year-old Diaz is not on the 40-man roster, which is at capacity. A subsequent move would need to be made to add him. For now, Diaz (a by trade) will continue to get experience in the outfield for Triple-A Columbus, where he has posted a .909 OPS through 74 games.

The ' offense has been much better than you might think Zack Meisel CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Thanks to an abnormally horrendous week of pitching, the Indians' offense appeared inferior to the booming bats of the club's opposition last week. In four losses in a span of five days, Tribe adversaries amassed 48 runs and 33 extra-base hits. The onslaught overshadowed the Indians' own offensive feat: They scored five or more runs in nine straight games, their longest streak since 2002. That the Indians' lineup produced to that degree shouldn't come as a shock. After all, the Tribe's lineup ranks fourth in the majors in runs per game (4.99). The Red Sox are the only American League team ahead of Cleveland in scoring. This isn't a one-dimensional offense, either. Sure, the catcher position has morphed into an offensive black hole at the bottom of the batting order. The rest of the lineup, however, has excelled with power, speed and some timely hitting. All without Michael Brantley, too. Who would have envisioned this? Power The Indians rank eighth in the majors with 144 home runs, though they sit only five long balls from fourth place. During that nine-game stretch, the Indians belted 19 homers. Mike Napoli slugged six himself. His presence in the middle of the order (28 homers, 79 RBI, .513 slugging percentage) has made his $7 million salary a bargain. Napoli open to talking extension Napoli isn't the only one enjoying a power surge this season. Home runs: Napoli: 28 (career high: 30) Carlos Santana: 24 (career high: 27) : 19 (career high, including minor-league seasons) : 13 (career high, including minor-league seasons) Tyler Naquin: 13 (career high, including minor-league seasons) Rajai Davis: 10 (career high, including minor-league seasons) The Indians rank sixth in the majors in slugging percentage. Speed The Indians lead the American League (fifth in the majors) with 80 stolen bases. They have done so at an 80 percent success rate, the second- best mark in the majors. The Indians also rank second in the majors in Reference's extra-base taken category, which measures how often a team advances from first to third on a , first to home on a and so on. Of course, to be able to exploit these advantages on the bases, players have to reach base. The Indians rank ninth in the majors in batting average (14th in on-base percentage). Davis has been responsible for much of the Indians' havoc on the basepaths. He has swiped 28 bags in 31 attempts, the best rate of his career. Davis: 'I've always been faster than everyone else' On Thursday, Davis singled, stole second, stole third and scored on a wild pitch (before executing some sort of Michael Jackson-like moonwalk). Timing The Indians rank fifth in the majors with a .790 OPS with men on base. That, paired with the extra-bases taken stat, creates a prosperous formula. Naquin has thrived when his teammates reach base first. He has posted a 1.098 OPS in such situations. Lonnie Chisenhall owns a .946 OPS (.402 on-base percentage) with men on base. Jose Ramirez is batting .342 with men on base and has a .421 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position. Scoring Screen Shot 2016-08-08 at 10.37.15 AM.png Indians' longest streaks of five or more runs in a game. Via Baseball-Reference.com The Indians have been blanked only three times in 109 games. They have held the opposition to three runs or fewer on 52 occasions; they are 45-7 in those affairs. The Indians have scored three runs or fewer on 38 occasions; they are 7-31 in those contests. When the Indians score four or more runs, they are 55-16. Four of those defeats have come within the last week. Their tendency to score four or more runs, though, has been better than it has in recent years. 2016: 65.1 percent (games with 4+ runs) 2015: 50.9 2014: 50.0 2013: 56.8 2012: 51.2 2011: 56.8 2010: 51.9 2009: 59.3 2008: 60.5 2007: 65.4 For a frame of reference, consider that the 1999 Indians, the only major-league team in the last 65 years to score 1,000 or more runs, scored four runs or more in 72.8 percent of their games. The 1995 Indians, who went 100-44, scored four or more runs in 70.8 percent of their contests.Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 08.09.2016 Michael Brantley's comeback stalls again; Cleveland Indians buckle up for stretch run Paul Hoynes WASHINGTON, D.C. – Michael Brantley's comeback from surgery on his right shoulder has apparently stalled again, which means the Indians will continue to do what they've been doing for most of the season – play without one of their best players. Brantley, who had surgery to repair a torn labrum in November, recently underwent a procedure to break up scar tissue along his right biceps tendon. It initially eased the discomfort in Brantley's swing that has limited him to 11 games this season, but apparently he still can't generate enough pain-free force with the bat to be effective. The Indians' plans don't change much because of Brantley's latest setback. For about the last two months they've been playing with the idea that whatever they can get from him will be a bonus. They will continue to do so for the final 53 games of the season. Still, in the long view of the season, offense hasn't been the Indians' problem. They rank second in the AL in runs scored behind Boston. In fact, until July the Indians have sailed on surprisingly smooth seas. They're still in first place in the AL Central at 62-47 with a two-game lead over Detroit. While the Indians were off Monday, the Tigers played a late game against Seattle at Safeco Field. On July 20, the Indians had a 7 ½ games lead over the Tigers. They've gone 8-9 since then, while the Tigers have gone 12-4. "I never thought we were going to run away and hide in this thing," said manager Terry Francona. "I wish it didn't happen, but I think it's unrealistic to think someone isn't going to make a run." After the Indians acquired left-hander from the Yankees on July 31, Francona held a team meeting to talk about the race ahead. The Indians have pushed all in. The Tribe will reportedly acquire Yankees lefty reliever Andrew Miller in exchange for a haul of prospects that includes Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield. "No.1, when there are outside expectations – we really haven't had that here – I said that the way to come back at it is that (only) the expectations in or clubhouse are important," said Francona. "We expect a lot out of ourselves. "So when you prepare and play the game the right way, that takes away all the anxiety of anything from the outside. The guys who have been through it know how much fun it is to be in a pennant race. And the guys who haven't will learn how much fun it is. "This is what you work for. . .to get into this situation. To not enjoy it would be a big mistake." The Indians big problem over the last month or so has been pitching. First the bullpen, then the rotation struggled. The shuttle between Cleveland and Class AAA Columbus has been running at high speed to help the pen. Danny Salazar's trip to the disabled list with a sore right elbow on Aug. 2 didn't help the rotation, but perhaps consecutive solid starts by Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco on Saturday and Sunday against the Yankees will help restore order in what has been one of the top rotations in baseball for much of the season. MRI showed right-hander Danny Salazar's right elbow is structurally sound. He received a cortisone shot and will be shut down for five to seven days. Mike Clevinger will be recalled from Class AAA Columbus to take his spot in the rotation. The one spot in the lineup that has not been producing offensively has been catcher. The Indians tried to upgrade that with Jonathan Lucroy, but that didn't work. When Lucroy vetoed the trade, the Indians looked at the rest of the available catchers and decided to stay in-house with Roberto Perez and Chris Gimenez. They haven't hit a lot, but the Indians know they're focused on handling the pitching staff, controlling the running game and playing defense. The Indians weren't sure they could find the same qualities if they brought a catcher in from the outside. If Indians and Texas meet in the postseason this year, the Jonathan Lucroy's vetoed trade will make for a good storyline. The Indians have been watching the progress of third baseman/outfielder Yandy Diaz at Class AAA Columbus. They've been impressed, but the trade for Brandon Guyer from Tampa Bay gives them an experienced big league outfielder, who is hitting left-handers well. It also lets Francona play Jose Ramirez almost fulltime at third base. Right now there isn't a need for Diaz, but that's not to say there won't be in the coming weeks, especially when the rosters expand on Sept. 1. The Indians were looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder who could hit left-handed pitching. They settled on Tampa Bay's Brandon Guyer, sending two prospects to the Rays before Monday's 4 p.m. deadline. Monday was the 66th day this season that the Indians have been in first place in the Central. From here on out each day the Indians can stay there grows in importance. "If someone asked me on March 15 if I would take being three games up on the Tigers in the loss column on Aug. 8, sure I would have said yes," said Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations. "That's the position we're in. It's exciting. Every game from here on out is going to be fun. "Hopefully, we play well enough to earn a spot in the postseason, but we know it's not going to be an easy road."Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 08.09.2016

Cleveland Indians, series preview, pitching matchups Paul Hoynes WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Here is the series preview and pitching match ups for the two-game series between the Indians and Nationals in Washington, D.C. Where: Nationals Park, Tuesday through Wednesday. TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7. Pitching probables: RHP Trevor Bauer (7-5, 4.08) vs. RHP (12-6, 2.87) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. and RHP Josh Tomlin (11-4, 3.81) vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez (7-9, 4.13) Thursday at 4:05 p.m. Tuesday: Bauer allowed eight runs, seven earned, in 2 2/3 innings against the Twins in his last start. He's 0-3 in his last five starts and will be facing Washington for the first time. is 2-for-3 against him. Scherzer, 4-1 in his last seven starts, is 9-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 19 starts against the Indians. The current Tribe's roster is hitting a combined .196 (37-for-189) against Scherzer. Wednesday: Tomlin started this trip with a loss to the Yankees, allowing seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. He's never faced Washington, but Chris Heisley is hitting .500 (4-for-8) against him. Gonzalez has a no decision against the Indians this season. He's 5-0 with a 1.07 ERA lifetime against them. Mike Napoli is hitting .286 (4-for- 14) with one homer and five RBI against Gonzalez. Series: The Indians are 1-1 against the Nationals this year. The two teams have split 14 games overall. Team updates: The Tribe lost two out of three against the Yankees and is 10-11 since the All-Star break. The Nationals have won eight of their last 11 games Players to WATCH: Jose Ramirez, who had two hits Sunday against the Yankees, has hit in 12 straight games for the Indians. Washington's catcher Wilson Ramos, who leads MLB catchers with 18 homers, has hit safely in 19 of his last 22 games. Injuries. Indians – RHP Danny Salazar (right elbow), RHP (right wrist), RHP Joe Colon (right shoulder), C Yan Gomes (right shoulder), RHP (back) and LF Michael Brantley (right shoulder) are on the disabled list. Nationals – RHP (right shoulder), C Jose Lobaton (left elbow), 2B (vertigo), 1B (left wrist), RHP (right elbow) are on the disabled list. RF has missed the last two games with a sore neck. Next: The Angels visit Progressive Field on Thursday to start a four-game series.

Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 08.09.2016

Should we be more excited about the Nationals?

By Dan Steinberg August 8 at 8:32 AM

The Nationals have the second-best record in baseball. They seem certain to finish in first place for the third time in five years, something no Washington baseball team has ever done. They’re on pace to finish with their best run differential since baseball returned to Washington. They have at least one MVP candidate, at least one candidate and a strong chance to open the playoffs at home yet again. And yet two of the strongest voices in Washington baseball have, over the past two days, suggested that this team’s apparent greatness might not be fully appreciated. “Whenever I’m around town talking to friends or just people at different establishments, the first thing people say to me is what’s wrong with so and so, how come so and so’s not doing [well],” MASN analyst F.P. Santangelo said during Saturday’s broadcast. “You’re 21 games over .500. You’re seven games in first place. And everybody wants to talk about what’s wrong with somebody. And I’m starting to wonder if that’s just the mind-set of a fan. . . . “And I’m starting to get short with people,” he said, moments later. “I am. I’m like okay, do you want to talk about ? Something really good that’s going on? They’re 21 [games] over. It’s really getting old. It is. I mean, if you’re not happy with a team 21 games over and seven games in first, you’re never going to be happy watching baseball. Pick another sport.” Then came Thomas Boswell’s excellent column after the Nats took two of three against the Giants, one of their likely NL playoff opponents. His point was more about how much potential this particular team has than whether it’s properly appreciated. But you could at least sense a trend. Washington fans sometimes get spoiled by this franchise — how it contends consistently yet never mortgages the future, not even for [Mark] Melancon. At the trade deadline, general managers were in a holding pattern over Rizzo’s phone trying to pry away prospects like Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Koda Glover and Victor Robles. The Nats, with the game’s second-best record, weren’t antsy. They may know, better than most fans, how pretty they’re sitting with seven- and nine-game leads over the Marlins and Mets. The Nats’ odds to win the division: 97 percent. If it happens, that would be three division titles in five years. How rare is that? The Rockies and Marlins have never finished in first place in their divisions in their histories. The Orioles have finished first twice in the last 33 years. In the last 20 years, the Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox and Reds all have three first-place years. The world champion Royals have one in the last 30 years. The Mets have been first only twice in the last 27 years. Others with one or zero division flags in the last 20 years: Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Toronto. The Nats have much to prove in October. But what they’ve built and maintained for the last five years is remarkable. That’s hard to argue. So then, how exactly would you measure whether a team is underappreciated? I have no idea. Attendance has been fine; while the Nationals rank sixth in attendance of the NL’s top seven teams, they’re ahead of two AL division leaders and comfortably in the top half of the league. TV ratings have also been fine; Washington’s 2.75 average rating around the all-star break (via Sports Business Journal) ranked 21st in the league, the audience was up slightly over 2015, and up significantly over 2014. Sports-radio hosts joke about the lack of callers for Nats topics, but that’s not a change, and probably speaks more to the audience local sports radio has cultivated than anything about this team. So we’re now dipping into pure speculation, concerning non-measurable things. But it seems to me there is a bit less euphoria than there was during Washington’s 2012 playoff run, and a bit less unrestrained enthusiasm than there was during the 2014 resurgence. Why? Again, this is speculating about shifting waves of jello. But I think there are a few factors. I know that I’ve been waiting for three months for something to go wrong: for Daniel Murphy or Wilson Ramos to regress, for to get injured, for some of the team’s veteran bats to dissolve into dust. I know, too, that I’ve been affected by the modest preseason predictions. If these Nationals had been considered favorites, and then had consistently flirted with .600 baseball for four months, I think the hype would be noticeably increased. That the Nats weren’t even favored to win their own division makes some of this feel too good to be true. Then there are the struggles of reigning MVP Bryce Harper, far and away the team’s most popular (and famous) player. If Harper were scorching the league yet again, perhaps passions would be higher. And in any case, it makes sense that a third division title would be less exhilarating than the first two. The 2012 playoff run — at least minus the Strasburg shutdown talk — was just about pure bliss, unencumbered by nagging fear. Which leads me to my bigger theory: Washington sports fans burned by previous playoff failures — from the Nats, the Capitals and even the Redskins — are holding themselves back here. It feels so familiar to what I wrote about the Capitals in February: that shadowy history is interfering with carefree regular season enjoyment. Sure, the Nats have only done this finish-first-but-lose-in-the-first-round thing twice. But I think many local fans associate those two seasons with the larger story of Washington sports — the feeling of surging hopes, and then bitter, heartbreaking disappointment. I asked this question on Sunday night — while watching Bethesda’s own Katie Ledecky dominate the world — and I got a mixed response. Some fans strongly agreed. Some just as strongly thought I was crazy. “Hate to say this, but Nats suffer from angst of Caps’ fans,” one wrote. “Regular season excellence drowned in post season failure.” “Disagree. Lifetime DC sports fan here and the Nats feel different,” another wrote. “Caps/RG3/Gibbs 2/Spurrier/KD2DC/NLDS 2012 game 5/NLDS 2014 game 2/WSorBust/2015 Nats season,” one wrote. “All of the above.” “I would disagree,” another wrote. “My expectations with Caps this past year were a lot higher than what I have with Nats now.” “It all falls under the DC Sports umbrella. The bastion of skepticism and sadness,” one wrote. “Huge faction of Nats fans are also Caps fans,” another agreed. “Feelings cross over sports — especially for city w/o title since 91.” “Not the same,” another disagreed. “Caps been doing this since the 80’s. Nats have been good for six years, here 10. Huge difference.” So maybe that’s bunk. Maybe — probably — the enthusiasm levels will rise as the playoffs get . Certainly, a first-ever trip to the NLCS would do it. And maybe the excitement right now is just as high as it was in 2014, and this is just an impossible thing to measure. Either way, the Nats might have their best team ever, and are completing one of the best five-year regular season runs this city has ever seen. You might think that would put all grumbling to rest. That it hasn’t, I think, shows that something since 2012 has changed. “I’m talking about people that I’m close with,” Santangelo said during Saturday’s broadcast. “And it’s not about ‘Hey, this team’s 21 [games] over, they’re seven games in first place, that’s one of the biggest leads in baseball.’ It’s always about what’s wrong with somebody. And quite frankly, it’s getting old. I mean, this is a first-place club. Dusty Baker’s done a nice job. He’s got them set to play deep into October. This is by far the best team since I’ve been here, with speed, average, power, bullpen, starting pitching. And it just seems like everybody wants to talk about what’s wrong with somebody.” Washington Post LOADED: 08.09.2016 Tanner Roark continues to pitch like one of the ’s best By Jorge Castillo August 8 at 6:00 AM Tanner Roark confronted a jam with two runners on base in four of the seven innings he pitched at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon. Each time, the Nationals right-hander defied the odds and maneuvered out of the predicament. The last dodge was the unlikeliest of them all, a thrilling escape punctuated by Ben Revere’s over-the-shoulder catch on the warning track in center field that kept the Giants from scoring two runs in the seventh inning. With that highlight, Roark’s day was over. He added another seven shutout innings to his sneakily impressive 2016 résumé and eventually bested Giants ace Madison Bumgarner because Wilson Ramos led the bottom of the inning off with a for his 12th win. Roark wasn’t as dominant as Bumgarner — Bumgarner surrendered two hits across eight innings — but he executed pitches in precarious situations to dance out of trouble in Washington’s 1-0 victory as he has most of the season. [Ben Revere’s game-saving over-the-shoulder catch brought him back to his football days] “I didn’t want to get beat with my best stuff,” Roark said. “I wanted to throw the right pitch and be aggressive in the zone, not be afraid of giving up a hit or walking somebody.” Roark wasn’t originally scheduled to pitch Sunday. Stephen Strasburg was supposed to go opposite Bumgarner in a duel between frontrunners. The matchup changed when the Nationals chose to skip the fifth starter’s spot — a possible option because of Thursday’s off day — and Strasburg was moved up to Saturday. But Roark, 29, has cemented his standing as one of the National League’s best — if unsung — pitchers himself and was a worthy foe for Bumgarner. Eleven days after limiting the Giants to one run over seven innings in San Francisco, he was even stingier Sunday. On the season, his 2.88 ERA ranks 12th in the NL. His 150 rank fourth. Sunday’s effort was the seventh time he’s tossed at least seven scoreless this season. That’s more than anyone else in baseball. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of names ahead of him, and it shouldn’t be that way, in my personal opinion,” Ramos, his catcher, said in Spanish. “He’s done a very good job, and I hope he can continue working that way. His numbers have been very impressive this season. I know they don’t see him much, or put his name up there, but I know he’s a pitcher that can be above a lot of the other names.” When Dusty Baker was named Nationals manager last fall, he reached out to Roark and asked which role the righty envisioned for himself on the pitching staff. Roark was adamant that he wanted to become a full-time starter again, a role he excelled at in 2014 with 15 wins before being relegated to the bullpen last season. Roark’s determination impressed Baker, as has his resolve in tight spots throughout the campaign. Last week, Baker said, Roark “got some big ௗௗ. you know .ௗௗ. some, uh, some guts.” He needed some more Sunday, and he delivered. >>> During his synopsis of Sunday’s win, Baker included a telling line about Mark Melancon’s performance in converting his first save opportunity with the Nationals. “Melancon did it without drama or anything,” Baker said. “He was psyched to come in that game.” Drama-free ninth innings were not the norm for the Nationals before they acquired Melancon from the Pirates. Jonathan Papelbon had mastered testing stress levels by the end of his tenure as the closer. He has since become a middle reliever used for mop-up duty. [Jonathan Papelbon catches some rays in the Nats’ bullpen] Meanwhile, Melancon has allowed one baserunner and struck out six batters in four innings with Washington. On Sunday, he had two in a perfect inning. His ERA tumbled to 1.38. The save was his first with the Nationals, but his 31st overall this season. Shawn Kelley tossed a clean eighth inning. >>> Bryce Harper wasn’t in the Nationals’ lineup Sunday after exiting Saturday’s loss because of a stiff neck. Baker said Harper hadn’t undergone any testing, and he gave him the day off because, combined with Monday’s off day, he’ll have three days of rest for Tuesday’s series opener against the Indians. Baker added that he expects Harper to play then. >>> Jose Lobaton said Sunday that his injured left elbow has improved and he has taken swings but he still hadn’t played catch yet. On the disabled list since July 29 with left elbow tendinitis, the catcher said catching and framing pitches caused the most pain in the elbow before he was shut down. He said he planned to play regular catch over the next couple days. If that goes well, he’ll then catch from the crouched position to test the elbow. Washington Post LOADED: 08.09.2016 Despite loss, Carrasco impressive By Joshua Needelman / MLB.com | August 7th, 2016 NEW YORK -- By Carlos Carrasco's admission, "everything was working" for the right-hander in the Indians' 3-2 loss to the Yankees in the series finale at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. Carrasco had some missteps, like the that sent into the right-field seats in the fourth. But after a poor start Tuesday against the Twins, Carrasco and Indians manager Terry Francona were pleased with his seven-inning outing. "Every mistake, it seemed like he really paid for," Francona said. The first mistake came on Carrasco's very first pitch, which Brett Gardner ripped into center field for a triple. Two pitches later, Jacoby Ellsbury lofted a sacrifice fly that allowed Gardner to score to put Carrasco in an early hole. "He never swings at the first pitch," Carrasco said of Gardner. "I went fastball." He would only allow four more hits, but the Yankees made the most of their opportunities. After Gregorius' blast, doubled in Ellsbury in the fifth to put the Yankees up 3-0. Carrasco was dominant from there, though, retiring the final seven batters he faced. After allowing eight earned runs over 3 2/3 innings his last time out, Sunday was a step in the right direction. "I think our guys are past the point where if they have a bad game they're going to collapse," Francona said. But with the Indians' offense struggling -- the Tribe finished 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position -- Carrasco was handed his sixth loss of the season. The 29-year-old wasn't overly concerned with the result, though. He said his fastball, , and curveball were all working, and he recorded nine strikeouts against two walks. "It was great to pitch the way that I did today," Carrasco said.