Tomlin struggles, Tribe falls in '16 WS rematch By Jordan Bastian MLB.com @MLBastian CLEVELAND -- The Indians have been down this road with Josh Tomlin in the past, but it does not make things any easier to handle in the moment.

In a 10-3 loss to the Cubs on Tuesday night, Tomlin's history of being prone to home runs once again hindered Cleveland. The right-hander surrendered four homers, including two to Kyle Schwarber, in an abbreviated outing that dug an early hole and led to the end of the Tribe's modest three-game win streak.

"There's a lot of trust with his desire and everything to be what he needs to be," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Tomlin. "He'll get after it. He'll figure it out. And he won't be alone." Over 3 2/3 innings, Tomlin was charged with five runs, which included solo home runs by Ian Happ and Willson Contreras in addition to Schwarber's shots. It marked the second time this season Tomlin yielded four home runs in an outing, having also done so on April 3 against the Angels.

Complicating matters on Tuesday night was the Tribe lineup's inability to mount much against Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood. The righty lasted six-plus innings for Chicago and dodged the potential damage that could have surfaced in light of his five walks issued. The Indians' only breakthrough against Chatwood came via a run-scoring groundout from Jason Kipnis in the third.

Tomlin, who entered the night averaging 1.6 homers per nine innings in his career, has given up eight blasts in 12 2/3 innings this season. For comparison, Cleveland's top four starting pitchers (Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger) have allowed 10 homers combined in 124 1/3 innings.

All four of the home runs by the Cubs came on pitches in the middle third of the strike zone and off each of Tomlin's pitches. Schwarber tagged a 2-1 changeup for Chicago's first homer in the second, and he later crushed a 2-0 curve in the fourth. Contreras belted a 1-2 cutter from Tomlin for his third-inning homer, and Happ went the opposite way with a 2-1 fastball over the outside edge in the fourth.

"I'm making too many of those mistakes," said Tomlin, referring to pitches over the heart of the plate. "I've got to either make an adjustment quicker than what I'm making or change what I'm doing out there in the moment, try something different at that time. Definitely, what I'm doing right now is not working, so it's something that needs to be addressed."

Tomlin said he would begin poring over video footage of his start on Wednesday, and then the righty will get to work on the identified issues with pitching coach Carl Willis.

Through four appearances this season, Tomlin now has a 9.24 ERA. The right-hander endured a similarly rough start to last year, when he posted an 8.87 ERA in five starts in April. Over his next 21 outings in 2017, Tomlin went 8-6 with a 4.21 ERA, including going 6-0 with a 3.11 ERA in his final 10 turns (55 innings).

"It kind of started out the same last year," Francona said. "It seems like right now when he makes a mistake, catching too much of the plate, and he's paying the price for it right now."

One issue for the Indians at the moment is the fact that right-hander Danny Salazar and lefty Ryan Merritt -- considered the next two arms on the rotation depth chart -- remain on the disabled list. Both pitchers are in extended spring camp working through their respective throwing programs, with Merritt appearing closer to a Minor League rehab assignment.

In the meantime, Tomlin will continue to fight his way out of his early-season slump.

"The good side of it is, knowing Tomlin, he's going to figure it out," Francona said. "He and Carl will get back at it tomorrow, and he's not going to shortchange anybody on effort. We know that."

MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY In the third inning, when the Cubs held a 3-1 lead, Jose Ramirez singled to right field with two outs, and Rajai Davis tried to score from second on the play. Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward made a strong throw to Contreras, who applied the tag as Davis slid across the plate headfirst for the rally-ending out. The Indians challenged the out call, but it stood following a replay review. Francona noted that Davis looked toward right field while rounding third, creating the slightest hesitation that likely cost him on the sprint home.

"He always gives you good effort," Francona said. "He kind of looked over his shoulder a little bit. And we like when they know where the ball is, but I think it might have been the difference of him scoring."

Davis -- a veteran of 13 Major League seasons -- knew his mistake.

"It's a refresher," Davis said. "This is the big leagues. You've got to run -- that's it. Just got a reminder. That's all it is." SOUND SMART Schwarber's first home run of the night off Tomlin included an exit velocity of 117.1 mph, per Statcast™. That represented the fifth-hardest homer in the Majors this season and the hardest hit by a Cubs batter since Statcast™ began tracking the statistic in 2015.

HE SAID IT "Watching those guys go out there and compete and do well, it's fun for me. I enjoy every minute of it. And I will continue to enjoy every minute, whether I throw 15 scoreless innings or whether I give up another 15 runs. That's never going to change. That's never going to waver. It's about trying to get this team to win first, and wherever my stats may be at the end of the year, let them be. But if we end up where we want to end up - - in the playoffs -- I'm fine with that." --Tomlin, on the success of Cleveland's other starters UP NEXT Right-hander Bauer is scheduled to take the mound for the Indians on Wednesday, when they host the Cubs in a 7:10 p.m. ET tilt at Progressive Field. Bauer is 7-5 with a 3.03 ERA in 21 career Interleague appearances. Chicago will counter with veteran lefty Jon Lester.

Brantley defying trend with contact rate By Jordan Bastian MLB.com @MLBastian CLEVELAND -- Baseball has changed, but Michael Brantley's swing has not. As strikeout rates have soared to historic heights, the Indians' veteran outfielder has become a kind of renaissance man in the batter's box.

Throughout his career, Brantley has defied the Major League-wide trends of plummeting contact rate and increasing strikeout percentage among hitters. Through his first dozen games this season, Brantley led baseball with a 97.3 percent contact rate (minimum 50 plate appearances).

"We're just in a different day and age now," Brantley said on Tuesday. "Computers and stuff are telling us different things. Everybody wants to talk about launch angle. It's just a different time. I don't know how to explain it -- the evolution. I just know what's been successful for me in the past and what's worked for me in the past, and I don't want to change.

"I had success doing it my way, and I'll continue to do it my way. That's hitting line drives and getting the barrel to the ball as consistent as possible. It's something I pride myself on, and I will continue to do it."

MLB's league-wide contact rate has dropped to 76.5 percent this year (through Monday's games) from 80.5 percent in 2009. The league's strikeout percentage has climbed accordingly to 22.9 percent this year, compared to 18 percent when Brantley broke into the Majors in '09. For his career, Brantley had a 91.3 percent contact rate and a 10.8 percent strikeout rate entering Tuesday.

Brantley, who received a scheduled day off from starting for Tuesday's game against the Cubs, was batting .320/.346/.460 through 12 games. The All-Star left fielder had only three strikeouts in his 52 plate appearances, which equates to a 5.8 percent strikeout rate. Heading into Tuesday, that ranked third overall in baseball (minimum 50 plate appearances). Brantley's teammate, Jose Ramirez, ranked fifth at 6.7 percent.

"[Brantley] and Josey kind of stick out," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Maybe it's because I'm older, but I like it. Just the idea of making adjustments with two strikes and taking what the other team gives you, hitting the ball the other way, I really do like that." Worth noting • MLB.com confirmed on Monday night that the Indians have reached an agreement on a Minor League contract with veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera, pending a physical. Francona declined to comment on the deal on Tuesday, given that there were still steps to complete in the signing process. "I know it's out there," Francona said. "Until things are official, I need to stay away from it. There will be a time for that. It was on the internet, though, so it must be true."

• This marks the Cubs' first trip to Progressive Field since defeating the Indians in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. Francona downplayed the significance of Chicago's visit to Cleveland.

"It's April. It was two years ago," Francona said. "Maybe for the fans, it will be a little more cool or something. I think under different circumstances -- if it was September or something -- but, no, I think it's more just baseball."

• Infielder Gio Urshela (10-day disabled list), who continues to work his way back from a right hamstring injury, went 1-for-4 with a double on Monday in his sixth Minor League rehab appearance for Triple-A Columbus.

Trevor Bauer is speaking his mind -- and that's a good thing Jerry Crasnick ESPN Senior Writer Trevor Bauer's novel approach to baseball is manifested in word choices that typically don't appear in a major league clubhouse. Some pitchers find it mentally taxing to embrace the concept of "spin rate.'' Bauer is the only one who'll spend the offseason trying to pick up a slider and fretting about the "laminar flow'' and "Magnus force'' required to make the pitch achieve its purpose.

Bauer's innovative take was destined to brand him as a loner, but to his consternation, he has gained an even more notorious designation as a drag on clubhouse camaraderie. Since his days as a star pitcher at UCLA and a 2011 first-round draft pick, he has read and heard that he is aloof and a bit of a mope. Rather than stew over the characterization or become defensive, he did what he usually does when confronting a problem: He turned it into a science project. Pitching has kept the Indians over .500 as the offense sputters through April, but Jason Kipnis & Co. know they have a turnaround in them. After Hurricane Maria hit his native Puerto Rico, Indians catcher Roberto Perez went almost a week without hearing from his family. Now, as the Indians and Twins face off in San Juan, he and his family remember those struggles. Balancing the clubhouse-first instincts of a former player and the analytical mind of a new-age thinker, Philly's manager is learning as he goes.

"I love direction and an answer,'' Bauer told ESPN.com. "I just get this reputation of being a bad teammate, but no one would come in and tell me why. So a couple of years back, I went and asked five or six teammates, 'What makes me a bad teammate?' And I couldn't get a straight answer. Either they didn't want to tell me to my face or they didn't know.

"So I just had to try to figure it out, and one of the things I found out is that I'm quiet. If I'm around people I don't know well -- if I'm at a bar or I'm hanging out with a group of people I don't know or whatever -- I'm quiet. I don't say a lot. I listen. I watch. I observe.

"Because I was drafted high, I got the reputation of being conceited, like I'm too good for this person or that person. That's not the case, but I learned that I had to talk more. So now I joke with people all the time, 'When I didn't say anything, I was bad. But now that I tell you how much you suck, I'm good.' How does that make any sense?''

As Bauer raises his profile by pitching better on the mound, he's straying from his cocoon and embracing his surroundings off it. Throwing a baseball is the same solitary pursuit that it has always been. But on the four days between starts, it's comforting for Bauer to know he's no longer on an island.

The numbers are a testament to Bauer's professional growth. He made strides last year, with a career-high 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings, a 3.2 WAR and 17 wins -- a number he dismisses as totally irrelevant. Entering Wednesday night's start against Jon Lester and the Cubs at Progressive Field, Bauer is rolling along with a 2.67 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, .622 OPS against and 27 strikeouts in his first 20 innings. Bauer's ascent, coupled with the development of Mike Clevinger, puts the Cleveland rotation in a conversation with the groups in Houston, Washington, Boston and Arizona as one of the best in the game. Of all those contingents, no one comes close to the diverse range of personalities found under a single clubhouse roof at Progressive Field.

Corey Kluber, Cleveland's staff ace, is so outwardly pulse-free that you wouldn't know if he just won the lottery or learned he's the target of an IRS audit. The Indians describe Kluber as a stealth prankster, but fans would never get that impression when they see him standing stone- faced in the All-Star Game introduction line or reacting to his AL Cy Young Award announcement without even a trace of a smile.

Kluber's stoicism is offset by the easygoing manner of Carlos Carrasco, who is eminently approachable and exudes the same sense of joy whether reflecting on a complete-game shutout or passing his U.S. citizenship test. Carrasco answers to the nickname "Cookie,'' which was given to him by former Indians closer Chris Perez in 2011, after Carrasco celebrated a 1-0 win at Yankee Stadium with a snack of cookies and milk. It suits him perfectly.

Bauer (rhymes with "dour") is the complex, contradiction-laden member of Cleveland's Big Three. He's passionate yet outwardly reserved, a former mechanical engineering major in a world populated more by doers than deep thinkers. One minute he's lamenting all the criticism he receives for being so outspoken. Then he responds to every interview question as if he has been injected with truth serum.

"People get the wrong impression about me,'' Bauer said. "They think I'm elitist or I'm conceited or whatever. But I'm a really good person. I take care of my friends and my family. I'm kindhearted. I'm a better person than a lot of people I'm surrounded by. I'll get chewed up for saying that, but it's true.''

Two under-the-radar acts of charity are a testament to Bauer's selflessness. As a tech geek and avid drone pilot, he keeps tabs on other members of the fraternity and was distressed to learn that one online acquaintance lost his house in a fire during the offseason. So Bauer gathered up $17,000 worth of computers and camera equipment and sent it to the man so he could get his life in order and begin earning an income again.

In 2016, a turbulent period when law enforcement officials were under siege across the U.S., Bauer's social conscience and benevolent side coalesced, and he bought a suite for 26 police officers who were in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention.

Bauer being Bauer, the conventional approach never suffices. After settling for $6.525 million in salary arbitration this year, he was committed to give something back. So he conceived a campaign called "69 Days of Giving,'' marked by personal daily pledges of $420.69 and a final grand donation of $69,420.69 to a charity of his choosing. The off-color sexual joke and marijuana reference were part of his plan.

"If I say I'm giving $100,000 to charity, everybody will be like, 'Oh, that's cool,' but no one will report it,'' Bauer said. "As soon as I attach obnoxious numbers like 69 and 420 to it, and I say in an article that I'm doing it to troll the establishment or whatever, now people latch on to it because they're like, 'That's funny,' and it catches more attention. So now it's a national story instead of just a one-hour story where everyone forgets about it.''

At a time when many athletes dispense sanitized quotes for fear of wading into controversy, Bauer is refreshingly fearless about challenging baseball orthodoxy and authority figures. Last year, he called out White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia for griping about his pitch selection during a head-to-head confrontation. Twice in the span of a month this spring, he took aim at MLB for allegedly censoring him on Twitter and making his life more difficult with the new "Rob Manfred B.S.'' pace-of-play rules.

Bauer's strong political opinions landed him in the middle of a Twitter hornet's nest in February 2017, but his social media presence also provides a forum for his wry sense of humor. If he's not wearing a blue wig in support of Duke University hoops, he's making fun of the platinum blond haircut that Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor sported upon arrival at spring training.

He has a writer's power of observation and an artist's sensibilities. Last summer, Bauer and Carrasco began goofing around with baseballs and cut-off Gatorade cups in the dugout, and a sensation was hatched. Their mini-baseball heads highlighting individual teammates' quirks became a source of clubhouse bonding and amusement among Tribe fans.

The Indians have taken note that Bauer no longer treats every base hit by an opponent as a personal affront. He has shown a willingness to engage along the dugout rail and to patiently answer questions during in-game interviews while teammates pelt him with sunflower seeds. And when someone else is being interviewed, he joins in on the pelting.

"He's made some adjustments along the way, and we've tried to, too, and I think it's working pretty good,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I don't think we ever try to mold people into being something they're not. As long as they show up, they work hard, they're good citizens and good teammates, we kind of let them be who they are.''

The overriding theme is Bauer's desire to press every conceivable advantage. When he arrived in Cleveland by trade from Arizona in late 2012 and extolled the benefits of playing long-toss from a distance of 420 feet or wearing headphones during his bullpen side sessions, it was easy to brand him as an iconoclast or an odd duck. As baseball becomes increasingly more enthralled with analytics and innovative training methods, he looks like a guy who was ahead of the curve.

No one in the Cleveland clubhouse will ever question Bauer's competitiveness. It was on display during the 2016 American League Championship Series, when he sliced his finger in a drone accident and bled all over the Rogers Centre mound in an abbreviated start against the Blue Jays. During a lengthy and insightful interview with SportsTimeOhio and MLB.com earlier this month, Bauer shared his early desire to win -- get this -- eight career Cy Young Awards.

"He's not scared at all,'' Indians reliever Andrew Miller said. "You saw it when he had that injury and pitched in Toronto. He wants the ball every time, and it's really impressive. I think that's one of the biggest hurdles for young players. I know I went through it. It's having confidence and wanting to go out there every single time. He's got no shortage of that. It's paying dividends for him.'' On the value of team camaraderie

"When guys talk and shoot the breeze and joke around, it helps. There's a willingness and a desire to help your fellow teammates because you feel like you're among friends, and you're more apt to help friends than you are to help enemies or competitors or the opposition. When Josh Tomlin had a rough first outing, all of us could go watch video on our own and try to figure out how to help instead of thinking, 'Well, he had a rough outing, and if he does bad, there's more chance that I'll stay in the rotation, so I'm not going to say anything.'"

On the hazards of social media

"Social media is full of negativity. People who appreciate it probably read a story and are like, 'That's really cool,' and they go about their day. And the ones who are just on Twitter and want to get a reaction or get blocked by someone or get a tweet back, they're the ones running their mouths. The squeaky wheel gets the grease."

On blending into the clubhouse

"It just takes people a while to get comfortable with me and for me to get comfortable with people. Every level I've been at, it's been two-and-a- half to three years before the team realizes I'm not a bad guy. They're like, 'Oh, yeah, he's different, and that's fine. That's cool. We don't mind him.' It was that way in high school and college and in the big leagues. At first, everyone freaked out about me being whatever. It's just a natural process of me learning the culture of the clubhouse and the people around and how to interact."

During Bauer's younger, more strong-willed and socially awkward phase with the Diamondbacks, catcher Miguel Montero chastised him for shaking off signs and tuning out advice from the veterans. But he has gradually developed a rapport with Indians catchers Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez.

"It took me a while to understand what he was trying to do and get on the same page,'' Perez said. "Man, he's in another world at times. But I'm just glad I got to know him as a pitcher and what he likes to do to a hitter and what his game plan is. It's been fun.''

For Bauer, compromise will never be confused with conventionality. When the Cleveland pitchers head to the bullpen en masse to watch each other's side sessions, Bauer is the only one carrying a shoulder tube. His teammates have learned to respect his idiosyncrasies, but he still elicits blank stares when he dives too deeply into the metrics.

"I don't want to talk about that,'' Carrasco said when asked about Bauer's love for advanced analytics. "It gets me crazy.'' Three years at UCLA and eight seasons of pro ball have taught Bauer the value of divergent viewpoints in a clubhouse. The adjustments required to be part of a productive workplace atmosphere are just as challenging as the time he logged at the Driveline training facility in suburban Seattle this offseason, trying to get a handle on a bouncing baby slider.

"I think if the clubhouse was full of Trevor Bauers, it would not be nearly as productive as if it's full of Kluber, Carrasco, Clevinger, Bauer, [Josh] Tomlin and all the other players,'' Bauer said. "Obviously, you need different personalities. You need different ways of going about things. Different experiences. Different approaches.

"Just in life in general, people like to feel part of a cause or something bigger than themselves. It gets lonely if it's just yourself. I know for me, personally, when I feel like I'm actually performing well enough to be considered part of the group, that makes me a lot more willing and able to interact like I'm part of the group.''

Singularly, Bauer's career is on the upswing, but the transition from outcast to one of the gang is almost as gratifying. He has discovered that his accomplishments mean more -- and his days at the ballpark are more fulfilling -- when he's surrounded by friends. ‘ Covering the Bases: Game 21 by Jordan Bastian FIRST: Maybe the Cubs’ trip to Progressive Field this week was bring back warm feelings for the fans of the north siders. It probably brought back positive thoughts for the players in the visiting locker room, too.

On Tuesday, though, as a light rain fell and a tarp covered the infield in Cleveland, there were no warm feelings here in Ohio about this reunion of 2016 World Series combatants. That tarp was a harsh reminder of the rain delay heard ‘round the world.

No need to delve much deeper into that still-healing wound here in these parts.

The game that followed on Tuesday was also a nine-inning gut punch for the Tribe. If memories of the ’16 Fall Classic are stirring this week, well, this one felt like Game 6. Tomlin on the mound at the start and a lopsided score on the board at the finish.

Before the game, Indians manager Terry Francona was asked about the pairing with the Cubs, and he did all he could to downplay any of the artificial significance being generated in recent days.

“It’s April,” Francona reminded. “It was two years ago. Maybe for the fans it will be a little more cool or something. I think under different circumstances, you know, if it was September or something, but, no, I think it’s more just baseball. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Upon multiple listens to the recording of Francona’s pregame Q&A with reporters, the manager definitely said “cool.” But, for a moment, it was fair to wonder if he had said “cruel.” For Indians fans, seeing the Cubs back in Cleveland is more cruel than anything else.

SECOND: One year ago, Tomlin endured a tough April and it took time for the right-hander to chip away at his bloated ERA. Well, it’s happening again for the veteran Cleveland starter.

Tuesday’s outing lasted only 3.2 innings for Tomlin, who tied a career-worst by allowing four home runs (a mark he set in his 2018 debut in Anaheim). That’s eight homers in 12.2 innings on the season. Tomlin is prone to giving up the long ball, but not at this kind of excessive rate.

The four homers Tomlin allowed against the Cubs — one each against his cutter, changeup, curveball and fastball — can be seen here within the highlighted box: When Tomlin has missed over the middle, he has been paying a heavy price so far this year.

“And I’m making too many of those mistakes throughout the course of the game right now,” Tomlin said. “It’s one of those things where I’ve got to either make an adjustment quicker than what I’m making or change what I’m doing out there in the moment, try something different at that time.

“Definitely, what I’m doing right now is not working, so it’s something that needs to be addressed.”

The Indians may try to have Tomlin fight his way though this issue until one of Danny Salazar (right shoulder) or Ryan Merritt (left knee) are deemed healthy and ready to return. We’ll see. Right now, both pitchers remain in extended Spring Training. Merritt looks like he’s closing in on a Minor League rehab. Neither of their timetables are clear, but Salazar’s comeback continues to go slowly.

For fans who are quick to yell, “Call someone up!” Well, the two options on the 40-man roster are Adam Plutko and Shawn Morimando. Plutko, who is coming back from hip surgery, has a 3.13 ERA with 19 strikeouts against seven walks in 23 innings for Triple-A. Morimando has an 8.22 ERA.

One non-roster name to keep an eye on is right-hander Shane Bieber. At Double-A Akron, Bieber has gone 3–0 with a 1.04 ERA through four starts. He has 28 strikeouts against zero walks in 26 innings.

The Indians have given Tomlin rope in the past and that may be the case here again.

Consider last season. Tomlin had an 8.87 ERA and .919 opponents’ OPS through five April starts, but Francona stuck with him. Over his next 21 outings, Tomlin went 8–6 with a 4.21 ERA — fine for a fifth starter. His last 10 outings included a 6–0 record and a 3.11 ERA with 45 strikeouts against three walks in 55 innings.

“It kind of started out the same last year,” Francona said of Tomlin, who has a 9.24 ERA. “Knowing Tomlin, he’s going to figure it out. He and [pitchin coach Carl Willis] will get back at it tomorrow and he’s not going to shortchange anybody on effort. We know that.”

Added Tomlin: “It’s very similar to what happened last year, and it was very frustrating for that first half of the season when it was going on. It is nice to know that that happened last year and I was able to come out of it in the second half and have a pretty good second half. So, there is something to kind of take from last year and build off of it this year and use the information I got last year.

“It might not be the same information, but use the same kind of technique of going about it and facing it head on and getting the work out in the bullpen and not veering away from what you’re capable of doing.”

THIRD: With the final score as lopsided as it was on Tuesday night, one missed opportunity on the bases may not seem like much. At the time, though, Cleveland’s halted rally in the third loomed large.

Bradley Zimmer led off with a bunt single and then moved up 90 feet when Rajai Davis drew a walk. With the Cubs holding a 3–0 lead, Francisco Lindor gave away an out in order to put both runners in scoring position. The sacrifice bunt paid a small dividend when Jason Kipnis’ groundout brought a run home from third.

So, now Cleveland had two outs with Davis on second and Jose Ramirez at the plate. Ramirez pulled a pitch from Tyler Chatwood into right field and Davis tried to score to trim the Tribe’s deficit to one run.

On his way around third, though, Davis did this: Davis looked out toward right field, where Jason Heyward was gathering the ball. That may not seem like much, but Davis held his gaze in that direction for a few steps and Francona felt that may have cost him ever so slightly.

“He always gives you good effort,” Francona said of Davis. “He kind of looked over his shoulder a little bit. And, we like when they know where the ball is, but I think it might have been the difference of him scoring.”

Davis slid across the plate headfirst, while catcher Willson Contreras applied the tag on the outfielder’s backside. It was a close enough play that the Indians challenged the out call, but the ruling stood and the rally ended.

The Cubs spread the game apart from there.

“It’s a refresher,” Davis said. “This is the big leagues. You’ve got to run — that’s it. Just got a reminder. That’s all it is.”

HOME: The one positive within an otherwise ugly game was the continued performance of Ramirez.

The Tribe third baseman finished 3-for-3 with two singles, a double, a walk and a run scored. Ramirez was batting .061 on April 8. Since then, he has hit .413/.429/.848 in 63 plate appearances across 12 games for Cleveland.

The lineup as a whole, however, is still working to get back on track. Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood walked five in his six innings, but Cleveland could not capitalize on his missteps in the same manner that the Cubs did against Tomlin.

“We weren’t really able to make him pay a price for it,” Francona said. “It was one of those games where we got down early and it just… it was 5–1, but it seemed like more and they spread it out. It’s kind of a miserable night and it’s more miserable when you’re losing.”

‘Predictably, Josh Tomlin makes no excuses on his search for better results By T.J. Zuppe 4h ago 6 Josh Tomlin doesn’t operate under some grand misconception about the type of pitcher he is. He’s aware of his physical limitations. And to his credit, he’s never used them as a crutch.

When he’s not pulling his weight or living up to his own personal standards, he doesn’t hide from any sense of accountability. It’s an honorable trait that makes him a pleasure to cover. And it’s probably one of the several features that make him a favorite within the Indians’ clubhouse walls.

Unfortunately, simply earning the respect of your peers doesn’t keep your earned-run average respectable. For Tomlin, that comes through hard work, homework and a reliance on one of baseball’s most accurate pitch arsenals.

For that reason, any slight hiccup in the mechanics, release point or velocity can leave him vulnerable to major damage. Thus far, more than a few hiccups have positioned him as the outlier on a tremendously gifted and productive starting staff.

“I would definitely like to step up and contribute to that, no doubt about it,” Tomlin said. “But there’s no frustration that the whole team is doing well and I’m doing bad, by any means. I’m more frustrated maybe with myself that I’m not helping the team win than anything else.”

In his season debut, it was a bit of a balky back that troubled him in Anaheim. Even with his velocity down a tick and his control anything but typical, he downplayed any injury concerns and put the focus on his lack of execution.

On Tuesday, another pair of factors might have played a role in the four homers he surrendered in just 3 2/3 innings.

Tomlin’s five runs allowed inflated his season ERA to 9.24 in 12 2/3 innings. He yielded an average exit velocity of 97 mph Tuesday night. He’s now served up eight homers in four outings, giving him the majors’ fourth-worst home run per fly-ball rate.

The long ball has always been an issue for Tomlin. But this is far from typical.

Once again, the righty minimized the unfortunate external circumstances that emerged in the 10-3 loss to the Cubs. And to be fair, he could have had some legitimate gripes.

First, the steady drizzle didn’t cause a significant stoppage, but it certainly made the field sloppy enough to warrant constant infield maintenance by the Progressive Field grounds crew.

How much did the wet conditions impact his pitching?

“None,” Tomlin said quickly and emphatically.

Fair. Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood worked around five walks and limited the Indians to just one run in six innings.

Annoying? Sure. But they’ve recently dealt with worse.

Second, due to some off days and rainouts, the outing was just Tomlin’s third start of the season. The righty had appeared in just one game since April 10, that being a relief appearance in the 16-inning affair against the Twins in Puerto Rico nearly a week ago.

How much has the lack of a steady routine altered his performance?

“I still get to throw bullpens,” Tomlin said. “And I still got into a game in Puerto Rico, so I’m still getting off the mound. That’s not an excuse for the mistakes over the plate. That’s more or less me not executing in a certain situation. Whether I’m not in sync or my rhythm’s not really there right now, that’s on me to be able to figure it out.”

His biggest enemy? Some poorly located pitches to some eager hitters. “I’m making too many of those mistakes throughout the course of the game right now,” Tomlin said. “And, even when I do make a good pitch, it’s a foul ball or they get the barrel to it and find a hole.

“For me, missing (by a little bit) compared to anther guy missing by that much with 95 or 86 or 88 (mph), whatever the case may be, that room for error is a lot slimmer than most pitches. And I understand that. To me, it’s about missing barrels, and I haven’t missed too many barrels lately.”

True. And when the next-highest ERA in the rotation is 2.67, his scuffles are inevitably going to stand out to a larger extent.

But Tomlin won’t be on a search for better results alone. That was clear when Francisco Lindor appeared to whisper some encouraging words to the starter just prior to his early exit. The other infielders followed suit with some reassuring glove taps on the leg before Tomlin handed the ball to Terry Francona.

As Rajai Davis later pointed out, with the exception of “superhumans” or “supernatural” forces, everyone is susceptible to a bad stretch.

Even Superman had his Doomsday.

Tomlin will get more than a handful of outings to right himself.

“There’s a lot of trust with his desire and everything to be what he needs to be,” Francona said of Tomlin. “He’ll get after it. He’ll figure it out.”

On that front, Tomlin sees some similarities between last year’s struggles and this year’s pair of forgettable outings. His ERA through his first four appearances last year (9.33) nearly matches his mark in 2018. While he battled some brief health issues in August last season, he recovered from a poor first month, posting a 4.21 ERA after the end of April. His five shutout frames against the Tigers earlier this month show he’s still capable of serving as a perfectly acceptable fifth starter, and maybe with a few slight tweaks, those types of performances won’t be the exception.

For now, he feels fortunate to have some similar experiences to reflect on.

“It is nice to know that (those struggles) happened last year,” Tomlin said, “and I was able to come out of it and have a pretty good second half. So, there is something to kind of take from last year and build off of it this year and use the information I got last year. It might not be the same information, but use the same kind of technique of going about it and facing it head on.”

Cubs 10, Indians 3: Josh Tomlin hit hard in loss By Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: Baseballs were being hammered all over the ballpark Tuesday night, and with each 100 mph hit came more bad news for Josh Tomlin. The Chicago Cubs teed off on Tomlin to the tune of four home runs in the first four innings, and the Indians dropped the first game of the two-game series 10-3 at Progressive Field. Nearly everything Tomlin threw was hit hard. The final 13 batters to make contact against Tomlin all did so with exit velocities of at least 86.3 mph. Eight of those balls reached 100 mph. Kyle Schwarber belted two home runs, both to right field. The first homer, in the second inning, was blasted with an exit velocity of 117.1 mph, the fifth-hardest hit ball of the 2018 season. Ian Happ and Willson Contreras also added home runs. “It seems like right now when he makes a mistake, [he is] catching too much of the plate and he’s paying the price for it right now,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “I’d say the good side of it is, knowing Tomlin, he’s going to figure it out. He and [pitching coach Carl Willis] will get back at it [Wednesday] and he’s not going to short-change anybody on effort.” Tomlin allowed five earned runs on seven hits in 3 ⅔ innings. The home runs have been the story for Tomlin so far this season. After Tuesday’s start, he has now allowed eight home runs in 12 ⅔ innings, a stark contrast between the effectiveness of the first four starting pitchers in the rotation. It has been an awful start for Tomlin, though he has had to deal with an uncertain pitching schedule because of several off days and rainouts. “It’s one of those things where I’ve got to either make an adjustment quicker than what I’m making or change what I’m doing out there in the moment, try something different at that time,” Tomlin said. “Definitely, what I’m doing right now is not working, so it’s something that needs to be addressed.” Zach McAllister and Matt Belisle were each hit hard as well. In McAllister’s inning of work, the Cubs (11-9) put together a three-run seventh on five singles to extend their lead to 8-1. Belisle gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in the ninth. The Indians (12-9) struggled to get much going against Cubs starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood despite five walks in his six innings of work. With the Indians trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the third, Bradley Zimmer and Rajai Davis walked to open the inning. Francisco Lindor gave up an out with a sacrifice bunt rather than swing away, and Jason Kipnis followed with a groundout that brought Zimmer home. Jose Ramirez drove a single to right field, but Jason Heyward’s throw beat Davis to the plate for the third out of the inning. From that point, the Cubs cruised. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 04.25.2018 Cubs 10, Indians 3: 13 Walk-Off Thoughts on Josh Tomlin and the lack of precision for a pitcher who lives by it By Ryan Lewis 1. For really any pitcher, living on the edge is the goal. For a pitcher like Josh Tomlin, it’s a necessity. He can’t get away with some of the mistakes that a pitcher like Corey Kluber or Carlos Carrasco can simply due to the raw movement and velocity in their arsenal. Those pitchers can blow hitters away with knee-buckling breaking balls or a high fastball that’s already by hitters by the time it’s too late. For Tomlin, it’s a different story. 2. He deals more-so in the dark arts of precision, location, deception and being unpredictable. Even without the raw stuff of a Kluber or a Carrasco (or, these days, a Trevor Bauer or a Mike Clevinger and when he can locate and stay healthy, a Danny Salazar, and on and on), but when he can keep hitters off balance, it can be enough to make it work. He can get enough weak contact to put together five or six quality, efficient innings even while lacking some of the traits that would make a scout drool. 3. In the recent market for starting pitching, Tomlin’s price tag for that production has been a decent return on investment. But it has come with its rough stretches. Right now, Tomlin isn’t locating, and he’ll have to again work to escape the possibility of having too many nights like Tuesday, when the Cubs hit practically everything hard. 4. The Cubs bombarded Tomlin to the tune of four home runs in 3 2/3 innings. He’s now allowed eight home runs in 12 2/3 innings to start the year. One home run from Tuesday night, off the bat of Kyle Schwarber, was hit at 117.1 mph and now stands as the fifth-hardest hit ball of 2018. Schwarber belted two home runs, and both pitches didn’t end up where they were supposed to be. 5. The problem isn’t hard to see. The solution, though, isn’t as clear. When a pitcher with his skill set doesn’t locate, it often won’t have a happy ending. If Tomlin misses, it needs to be off the plate. That wasn’t the case Tuesday night. 6. Said Tomlin: “I’m making too many of those mistakes throughout the course of the game right now. And, even when I do make a good pitch, it’s a foul ball or they get the barrel to it and find a hole. It’s one of those things where I’ve got to either make an adjustment quicker than what I’m making or change what I’m doing out there in the moment, try something different at that time. Definitely, what I’m doing right now is not working, so it’s something that needs to be addressed.” 7. In some ways, this rocky start to 2018 mirrors how he began the 2017 season. In four appearances this season, Tomlin has a 9.24 ERA (13 earned runs, 12 2/3 innings). Through four appearances last year, it was 9.33 (19 ER, 18 1/3 innings). That poor stretch ended up eating up nearly half the season before Tomlin posted a 3.19 ERA in the second half. He’s been through this before, but it doesn’t mean the answer might be the same. 8. Said Tomlin: “It’s very similar to what happened last year, and it was very frustrating for that first half of the season when it was going on. It is nice to know that that happened last year and I was able to come out of it in the second half and have a pretty good second half. So, there is something to kind of take from last year and build off of it this year and use the information I got last year. It might not be the same information, but use the same kind of technique of going about it and facing it head on and getting the work out in the bullpen and not veering away from what you’re capable of doing. It’s just keep staying [with] the plan. I’ll show up tomorrow, go look at film, watch what happened, what went wrong, more so my delivery than anything else, and see why those mistakes are happening and try to fix them as quick as I can.” 9. Tomlin knows he won’t blow hitters away. That if he can’t command like he needs to, he’s exposed on the mound with nowhere to go. That’s the danger. There isn’t as much wiggle room if something is off. And now the search begins for the right adjustment to get him back on track. 10. Said Tomlin: “It could be a tiny, tiny thing in your delivery that throws the whole thing out of whack. But, that’s where it comes into play of trying to be athletic and trying to be able to make those adjustments in-game, or on the fly. And being able to feel those quicker and be able to make those adjustments a little bit faster. But, it could be something small. My mechanics could be spot on with where they were last year. It’s just something with how the feel of the ball coming out of my hand. Little things like that can kind of get you a little bit out of whack. And, for me, missing this much compared to anther guy missing that much with 95 or 86 or 88, whatever the case may be. That room for error, for me, is a lot slimmer than most pitches and I understand that. So that, to me, it’s about missing barrels and I haven’t missed too many barrels lately.” 11. The Indians’ starting rotation as a group has been superb thus far. Corey Kluber (1.96 ERA), Carlos Carrasco (2.31), Trevor Bauer (2.67) and Mike Clevinger (1.75) have all been among the American League’s better starting pitchers in April. There are virtually zero concerns for the rotation’s 1-4 spots. The fifth spot, meanwhile, is one of the bigger question marks on the roster at the moment, with Tomlin, Salazar on the DL and Ryan Merritt at Triple-A all being potential options and all three being in different situations. 12. Salazar has been set back with right shoulder inflammation and has continued to ramp up his workload and increase his bullpen sessions in Arizona. The Indians will have a decision to make in terms of how he might be utilized when he comes back. He could be placed in the bullpen, which might mean a roster move for Matt Belisle. Or, if Tomlin can’t work out of these issues, Salazar could be stretched out to a starter’s workload and Tomlin could see some time in the bullpen to work out his issues. The Indians have options, but the answers are still unclear. 13. Said Indians general Mike Chernoff on Sunday when asked what might happen with Salazar once he’s healthy: “That’s a good question. We’d obviously have to figure that out. It’s baseball. A lot of things can happen. There’s time. He hasn’t even gotten out to a rehab assignment yet. We don’t need to get into hypotheticals that are in the future. We’ve got enough in front of us.” Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 04.25.2018 Indians notebook: Outfielder Melky Cabrera signed to minor-league deal, pending physical By Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: The Indians have signed Melky Cabrera to a minor-league deal, pending a physical, adding to the outfield depth within the organization. The deal, first reported by Hector Gomez of Z 101 and Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, has not yet been confirmed by the club. According to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, Cabrera’s deal would be for $1 million if he’s in the majors, plus another $1 million in incentives and include an out clause, if he passes his physical. Last season, Cabrera, 33, hit .285 with a .746 OPS for the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, not far from his career averages of .286 and .753 in 13 years in the big leagues. Defensively, he accrued -10 defensive runs saved in both left field and right field. Only Denard Span of the San Francisco Giants had fewer defensive runs saved with -27 among qualified outfielders in 2017, according to FanGraphs. The switch-hitting Cabrera offers the Indians a low-risk option to potentially boost the offensive profile of an outfield group that has struggled to stay healthy over the past season-plus and hasn’t offered much production outside of Michael Brantley this season. Rajai Davis adds a speed element to the lineup but has hit just .194 with a .523 OPS. Brandon Guyer, who has been dealing with the effects from offseason wrist surgery, has hit just .129 with a .382 OPS in 31 at-bats. After those two, the only other outfielder on the 40-man roster who isn’t a left-hander is switch-hitter Greg Allen. In need of some offensive production and to balance a left-handed-heavy lineup, Cabrera gives the Indians another candidate to fill those needs. Closing the door The Indians’ starting pitching has been superb to start the season, supporting an offense that has been sluggish out of the gate. Corey Kluber (1.96 ERA), Carlos Carrasco (2.31), Trevor Bauer (2.67) and Mike Clevinger (1.75) have all been among the American League’s better starting pitchers in April. The back end of the bullpen has also been carrying its weight. Entering Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs, Cody Allen and Andrew Miller had each thrown 10 innings. Neither had allowed an earned run. Combined, the duo has given up only 11 hits in those 20 innings. “We’ve played so many close games — yeah, it’s a good feeling,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of their reliability. “People don’t see behind the scenes how hard they work, preparing and everything like that. Andrew, everybody knows what he’s done, but Cody for the last six years here, he’s been about as reliable a reliever as anybody in the league. He works hard to be available and takes a lot of pride in that. I personally think he’s one of the better closers in the game. I know his name doesn’t always pop up on those lists, but I think he’s been really good.” Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 04.25.2018 Josh Tomlin, Cleveland Indians can't contain Kyle Schwarber as Chicago Cubs win, 10-3 By Joe Noga, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Josh Tomlin's latest start at Progressive Field against the Cubs ended up looking a lot like his previous outing against the North Siders, as Chicago came away from Tuesday's rain-soaked game with a 10-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Tomlin (0-3, 9.24 ERA), who previously faced Chicago at home in a 9-3 Tribe loss during Game 6 of the 2016 World Series, allowed five runs on five hits including four home runs in 3 2/3 innings. It was the second outing this season in which Tomlin allowed four home runs. #Cubs @ #Indians Kyle Schwarber blasts solo home runs in each of his first two at-bats to help spark the Cubs past the Indians in Cleveland (00:56) MLB Gameday: https://t.co/07F2rSaQfg pic.twitter.com/Y7kmRvImU0 -- Ballpark Videos (@BallparkVids) April 25, 2018 In three starts this season, Tomlin has pitched into the fifth inning just once, and has allowed more home runs (8) than he's recorded strikeouts (7). The eight home runs allowed is the most in the major leagues this year. "It seems like right now when he makes a mistake, (he's) catching too much of the plate and he's paying the price for it," manager Terry Francona said. "The good side of it is, knowing Tomlin, he's going to figure it out. He and Carl will get back at it tomorrow and he's not going to shortchange anybody on effort." Cubs designated hitter Kyle Schwarber belted a pair of solo home runs against Tomlin, continuing his torrid hitting pace at Progressive Field. In seven career road games vs. Cleveland (including postseason), Schwarber is hitting .517 (15-for-30) with a double, triple, three home runs and eight RBIs. Tomlin exited in the fourth inning after serving up home runs to Schwarber and Ian Happ. He was followed by Dan Otero, Tyler Olson, Zach McAllister, Nick Goody and Matt Belisle out of the bullpen. McAllister surrendered three runs on three Cubs hits in the seventh, while Belisle allowed a pair of runs in the ninth. It was the second time the Indians surrendered double-digit runs this season (also April 3 at Los Angeles), and the most runs Cleveland has allowed at home since April 13, 2017 against the White Sox. Afterward, Tomlin said that he has less room for error in the strike zone than pitchers who throw harder than he does. "To me, it's about missing barrels and I haven't missed too many barrels lately," Tomlin said. Meanwhile, Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood (1-3, 3.74) held the Indians to a run on four hits in six innings to earn his first win of the season. Francona said Chatwood didn't command the strike zone particularly well, but the Indians were not able to make him pay for it. "It was one of those games where we got down early and it was 5-1, but it seemed like more and they spread it out," he said. "It's kind of a miserable night and it's more miserable when you're losing." Jose Ramirez collected three hits for the Tribe, including a double in the eighth inning. Bradley Zimmer picked up his second three-hit game of the season. Ramirez has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games and is hitting .413 in that span. Zimmer is hitting .435 at home with five runs scored and two RBIs. The Indians were 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position, but only scored two runs as Rajai Davis was called out at home plate in the third inning. Davis tried to score from second base on a Ramirez single to right field, but Cubs outfielder Jason Hayward threw to Wilson Contreras, who tagged the diving Davis on the rear end before he touched the plate. Francona said Davis looked back over his shoulder as he was running between second and third base, allowing Hayward's throw to beat him. "It's a refresher," Davis said. "This is the big leagues. You've got to run. That's it. Just got a reminder." #Cubs @ #Indians Jason Heyward scoops up Jose Ramirez's base hit and fires a strike to home plate, nabbing Rajai Davis to retire the side in the 3rd (00:41) MLB Gameday: https://t.co/07F2rSaQfg pic.twitter.com/fMFPFWT1XR -- Ballpark Videos (@BallparkVids) April 25, 2018 Remembering 'The Sax Man' The Indians paid tribute to longtime Cleveland saxophonist Maurice "The Sax Man" Reedus Jr., who died April 16 at age 65. Reedus entertained downtown Cleveland sports fans and theater patrons with crowd-pleasing numbers for years. As fans rose for Tuesday's seventh-inning stretch, the left field scoreboard played a video tribute of Reedus on stage performing his signature "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." What it means The Indians have dropped four consecutive games to the Cubs at Progressive Field by a combined score of 22-11 dating back to Game 2 of the 2016 World Series. The pitches Tomlin threw 61 pitches, 40 (65 percent) for strikes. Chatwood threw 92 pitches, 49 (53 percent) for strikes. Rain or shine The Indians and Cubs drew 16,408 rain-soaked fans to Progressive Field on Tuesday. First pitch was at 6:10 p.m. with a temperature of 56 degrees. A light rain fell throughout the contest. Next The Indians and Cubs conclude their two-game interleague series Wednesday when Trevor Bauer (1-2, 2,67) faces John Lester (2-0, 3.10) at 7:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, ESPN and WMMS 100.7 FM will carry the game. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.25.2018 Apparently, there really is rest for the weary, and 4 other things we learned about the Cleveland Indians By Joe Noga, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With Cleveland Indians starting pitchers eating up innings, Tribe relievers (not named Andrew Miller or Cody Allen) have had precious few chances to see the mound in the first month of the season. Entering Tuesday's action, Indians starters had worked at least seven innings in 12 of the Tribe's 20 games. That's the most of any team in the big leagues. Meanwhile, Allen and Miller have 10 appearances each, while the other five bullpen pitchers have made a combined 32 appearances totaling 32 1/3 innings. The Indians had won seven out of their previous eight games where a starter lasted at least seven innings. But manager Terry Francona said he's not concerned about a buildup of rust on his bullpen arms. Come August and September, he said, Indians relievers are going to be happy about the rest they're getting now. "Every one of them (relievers) will have their innings when it's all said and done," Francona said. "It never fails." And, Francona added, having a good mix of veteran and experienced relievers in the pen makes it easier to reassure them that there will be plenty of work to go around. "They're not guys that are first-year guys anymore," Francona said. 1. Yonder Alonso is settling in nicely Francona said Yonder Alonso's success at the plate during Cleveland's recent six-game road trip came from simply swinging at pitches in the strike zone. "When he stays in the zone, he is really dangerous," Francona said. Alonso hit .292 (7-for-24) with three home runs and five RBIs in the six road games. He walked once and struck out four times in 25 plate appearances. Francona said Alonso did not get frustrated that balls were not falling in for base hits during the Tribe's previous eight-game homestand. "He hit some balls right on the nose and didn't get rewarded for it," Francona said. "It's human nature to start going out of the zone a bit. When he stays in the zone and especially when he stays in the middle of the field, then he sets himself up to be able to pull the ball like he did (in Baltimore). It makes him more dangerous on more pitches." 2. A little bit of Brantley makes everything better Left fielder Michael Brantley was given a scheduled night off Tuesday, but Francona was asked about Brantley's contribution since joining the roster April 6. "I think he makes everybody better, myself included," Francona said. "I know it's a nice feeling during a game when he's here." Brantley's seven-game hitting streak came to an end in Baltimore, but the 30 year old slugger had collected six multi-hit games in that span. Prior to his first-inning strikeout against Baltimore's Kevin Gausman on Sunday, Brantley had not whiffed his previous 42 plate appearances. He currently leads the team with a .320 batting average (16-50). Francona said Brantley and Jose Ramirez stick out as players who find a way to get the bat on the ball and put it in play. "Maybe its because I'm older, but I like it," Francona said. "Just the idea of making adjustments with two strikes and taking what the other team gives you. Hitting the ball the other way." 3. Preparation leads to success for Miller and Allen Entering Tuesday's game against the Chicago Cubs, Indians relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen each had yet to allow a run during the 2018 campaign. The duo is among just give pitchers in Major League Baseball to have thrown at least 10 scoreless innings this season. And Cleveland is the only team in MLB with two pitchers who fit the bill. "We've played so many close games," Francona said. "It's a good feeling." Francona said Miller and Allen's behind-the-scenes preparation is a big reason for their success. And for Allen to be getting credit for his hard work is a big plus. "Andrew, everybody knows what he's done, but Cody for the last six years here, he's been about as reliable a reliever as anybody in the league," Francona said. "He works hard to be available and takes a lot of pride in that. I personally think he's one of the better closers in the game." 4. Francona thinks the young Cubs are impressive Francona said the Cubs' group of young players have continued to demonstrate their talent, even beyond Chicago's 2016 World Series run. "Some of their younger players are really getting good," he said. "(Javier) Baez and (Wilson) Contreras and those guys. They've now got a couple years under their belt and they're getting pretty good. Baez entered Tuesday having hit safely in his previous six games with seven home runs and a National League-high 23 RBIs. And 15 of his 21 hits had gone for extra bases. Contreras had a two-run double on Saturday and had hit safely in 13 of 16 games. The patience Chicago showed in bringing young players such as Baez and Contreras has paid off for the franchise. "They've done a good job," Francona said. "They (Cubs) kind of bit the bullet there for a couple of years and now you're starting to see the fruits of it." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.25.2018 Josh Tomlin gives up four home runs in less than four innings as Cubs hammer Indians Chris Assenheimer ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-TelegramPublished on April 24, 2018 | Updated 6:27 a. m. CLEVELAND — The Indians received a surprisingly poor effort from its top-shelf rotation Tuesday night in the series opener with the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field.

The guy offering up the stinker wasn’t so surprising, though.

Cleveland got another dismal outing from right-hander Josh Tomlin, who didn’t make it through four innings, paving the way for the Cubs to roll by the Indians 10-3. It was Chicago’s first visit to Cleveland since its Game 7 victory in the 2016 World Series. And Tomlin made them feel right at home, allowing five runs on seven hits — four home runs, including two to Kyle Schwarber — before departing with two outs in the fourth and the Cubs in front 5-1. “When he’s really good, he’s commanding,” manager Terry Francona said of his team’s fifth starter. “He’ll run his cutter in on the lefties, spin his breaking ball, throw his change-up and really command and stay out of the middle. It seems like right now when he makes a mistake, catching too much of the plate and he’s paying the price for it right now.”

“I’m making too many of those mistakes throughout the course of the game right now,” Tomlin said. “And, even when I do make a good pitch, it’s a foul ball or they get the barrel to it and find a hole. It’s one of those things where I’ve got to either make an adjustment quicker than what I’m making or change what I’m doing out there in the moment, try something different at that time. Definitely, what I’m doing right now is not working, so it’s something that needs to be addressed.”

Like last year, the season has begun horribly for Tomlin, who has allowed 14 runs on 22 hits, including a major league-high eight homers, in four appearances (three starts) covering only 12 2 ⁄3 innings.

He was able to turn things around in the second half of 2017, going 6-0 with a 3.11 ERA over his final 10 starts.

“It kind of started out the same way last year,” Francona said. “I’d say the good side of it is, knowing Tomlin, he’s going to figure it out. He and (pitching coach) Carl (Willis) will get back at it and he’s not going to shortchange anybody on effort. We know that. There’s a lot of trust with his desire and everything to be what he needs to be. He’ll get after it. He’ll figure it out. And he won’t be alone. Carl will help him and they’ll get it going.” “It’s very similar to what happened last year, and it was very frustrating for that first half of the season when it was going on,” Tomlin said. “It is nice to know that that happened last year and I was able to come out of it in the second half and have a pretty good second half. So there is something to kind of take from last year and build off of it this year and use the information I got last year. “For me, missing this much compared to another guy missing that much with 95 mph, whatever the case may be, that room for error, for me, is a lot slimmer than most pitchers and I understand that. To me, it’s about missing barrels and I haven’t missed too many barrels lately.”

A scuffling Indians offense proved it was not equipped to handle the big deficit, needing to manufacture its lone run off Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood in the third.

Bradley Zimmer reached on a bunt single to lead off the inning, then moved to second after Rajai Davis walked. Francisco Lindor bunted both up a base and Jason Kipnis scored Zimmer on a grounder to third.

Chatwood allowed four hits and walked five over six innings.

“He hasn’t been commanding very well early in the season,” Francona said of the right-hander. “We weren’t really able to make him pay a price for it. It was one of those games where we got down early and it just … it was 5-1, but it seemed like more and they spread it out. It’s kind of a miserable night and it’s more miserable when you’re losing.”

Cleveland, which entered the night batting only .189 with runners in scoring position and tied with Baltimore for the majors’ worst team average (.215), struck out 10 times.

“This is part of baseball,” Davis said. “It’s tough to be perfect, excellent or ‘on your A-game’ every single day, 162 games. It’s not going to happen, unless you’re superhuman, supernatural. I haven’t seen too many of those running around here. We’re all going to have human experiences. Often. We happened to have that here today.”

Zimmer and Jose Ramirez were the only productive members of the offense combining for six of the Indians’ nine hits.

Ramirez has been one of Cleveland’s few hitters to emerge from a season-long slide. He’s hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, batting .413 (19-for-46) with six homers, two doubles, nine runs and eight RBIs over the span.

Schwarber’s success at Progressive Field continued. The Middletown native who still lives in the city, is batting .500 (15-for-30) with three homers and eight RBIs in seven games (four in the World Series) at Cleveland’s park.

TRIBE NOTES Indians notes: Francona won't confirm, but it seems like Tribe has signed veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera Chris Assenheimer ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-TelegramPublished on April 24, 2018 | Updated 6:43 a. m. CLEVELAND — Indians manager Terry Francona would not confirm that the team had signed veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera to a minor league contract.

“I know it’s out there,” Francona said prior to Cleveland’s interleague series opener against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday at Progressive Field. “Until things are official, I need to stay away from it. There will be a time for that. It was on the internet, though, so it must be true. There will be a time. I know it’s out there. We’ll get to it.”

It certainly appears an announcement is imminent. When that happens, Cabrera, 33, is expected to report to extended spring training in Goodyear, Ariz., before joining Triple-A Columbus.

The free agent has been training in Tampa, Fla., after batting a combined .285 last year with 17 home runs, 85 RBIs and a .746 OPS in 156 games for Central Division rivals Chicago and Kansas City.

Cabrera, a career .286 hitter over 12 seasons, was an All-Star in 2012 with San Francisco.

The Indians lost right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall to a calf injury shortly into the season and Tyler Naquin and Brandon Guyer have struggled in his absence. If Cabrera proves he can still produce, he could be an option, with Naquin likely heading back to the minors.

He has fared well at Progressive Field, where he is a career .312 hitter with 10 homers and 33 RBIs in 55 games.

Brantley bit

Michael Brantley had the choice of playing Monday in the series finale in Baltimore or Tuesday against the Cubs, as the Indians continue to ease the left fielder back into the everyday lineup.

He chose wisely after the Indians arrived in Cleveland early Tuesday morning, thanks to problems with the team plane.

“I thought he made a good decision,” Francona said. “Nobody knew our plane wasn’t going to be ready. If he didn’t play (Monday) night and we get home at 3 a.m., that’s not a big break. So I thought it made sense.”

Brantley, who began the season on the disabled list following offseason surgery on his right ankle, is off to a hot start, leading the team with a .320 batting average, one homer and eight RBIs in 12 games.

“I think our team is different when he’s here,” Francona said. “Not just his bat, his presence in the lineup. But his steadiness in the outfield, the teammate he is. The way he competes. I think he makes everybody better. Myself included. I know it’s a nice feeling during a game when he’s here.”

In today’s all-or-nothing approach and rising strikeout rates, Brantley is a throwback hitter. He’s struck out only three times in 50 at-bats.

“He and (Jose Ramirez) kind of stick out,” Francona said. “Maybe it’s because I’m older, but I like it. Just the idea of making adjustments with two strikes and taking what the other team gives you. Hitting the ball the other way. I really do like that.”

Francona believes baseball’s cyclical nature will see more players use the approach.

“I think to have success, you’re going to have to see that,” he said. “Because you’re seeing so many guys get shifted now. You’re going to see guys work on being better bunters. Because that was a bit of a lost art at times.

“That’s one way. Hitting the ball the other way. And it’s not all the time. Because you don’t want to make guys just have singles. But leading off innings. Things like that. When a baserunner can be just as important as a double. I do think you’ll see that. If you don’t see that, you’re going to see run production go down.”

Pen pals With the rotation off to a spectacular start, innings have been tough to find for Indians relievers. No member of the bullpen had logged more than 10 innings over the first 20 games through Monday.

“Come August and September, every one of those guys is going to be glad they had a little bit of a blow or whatever,” Francona said. “We’ve been really fortunate the last week where our starters have gotten deep. Every one of (the relievers) will have their innings when it’s all said and done. It never fails. And I think they know it. They’re not guys that are first-year guys anymore. I think they know that.”

Not surprisingly, Andrew Miller (10 games, 10 innings) and closer Cody Allen (nine games, 10 innings) had appeared the most through Monday, with neither allowing a run.

“We’ve played so many close games ... yeah, it’s a good feeling,” Francona said of employing the duo at the back end. “People don’t see behind the scenes how hard they work, preparing and everything like that. Andrew, everybody knows what he’s done, but Cody for the last six years here, he’s been about as reliable a reliever as anybody in the league.

“He works hard to be available and takes a lot of pride in that. I personally think he’s one of the better closers in the game. I know his name doesn’t always pop up on those lists, but I think he’s been really good.”

Allen had converted all four of his save opportunities through Monday. Roundin’ third Tuesday was the anniversary of the Indians’ first game in 1901, an 8-2 loss in Chicago to the White Stockings. Ramirez entered Tuesday with six homers over his last 10 games. He led the team with seven through Monday and his 16 homers since Sept. 1 are tied for third most in the majors over the span. Former Ohio State football coach and current president of Youngstown State University, Jim Tressel, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.

MLB | Cubs 10, Indians 3: Schwarber hits 2 home runs in Series rematch By STEVE HERRICK, Associated Press CLEVELAND — The memories of winning a championship two years ago came flooding back for the Chicago Cubs when they arrived at Progressive Field on Tuesday.

The positive feelings continued once the game began.

Kyle Schwarber hit two of Chicago’s four solo home runs during a 10-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the first meeting between the teams since their classic 2016 World Series.

The Cubs won Game 7 of that Series in Cleveland for their first championship since 1908. While the significance of the latest victory didn’t come close to matching that, the Chicago players were reminded of it everywhere they turned. “I like to think about the World Series, especially about all of the adversity we faced,” Schwarber said. “That was the moment we all live for, and we want to get back to it.”

Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, who doubled and scored in the second, was excited about the return.

“Just walking off the bus, into the stadium, you get a sense of nostalgia,” he said. “The first thing I noticed when we got in the clubhouse was they replaced the carpet, which was nice. I think we messed it up pretty good. I was thinking about that great memory, walking around with my World Series champion shirt on.”

Even the weather was similar. Game 7 was delayed by rain in the 10th inning shortly before Chicago took the lead. This matchup was played in a steady rain that began before the first pitch. The Cubs won three games in Cleveland’s ballpark during the 2016 Series and continued the trend against Josh Tomlin (0-3), who allowed all four homers. Schwarber connected leading off the second and fourth. Willson Contreras went deep in the third and Ian Happ homered in the fourth.

Schwarber is batting .500 (15 for 30) with three homers and eight RBIs in seven career games at Progressive Field, including the postseason. The left-handed hitter, who grew up in southwest Ohio, made his major league debut in Cleveland in 2015. He had six hits in his first two starts.

“Obviously, he sees the ball well here,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “His debut was here, so that was adrenalin. The World Series was adrenalin. Now he’s starting to hit the ball really well, so he showed up in Cleveland at the right time.”

Tyler Chatwood (1-3) won for the first time with the Cubs, allowing one run in six-plus innings. He was pulled after a leadoff single in the seventh.

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was out of the lineup two days after being hit in the head by a pitch. Maddon said before the game that the 2016 NL MVP has a cut above his left eye but no concussion after being drilled Sunday by Colorado’s German Marquez. Maddon said he would speak with Bryant before making out Wednesday’s lineup.

Happ was 3 for 4 with two RBIs, and Contreras hit his first home run of the season.

Tomlin has allowed eight home runs in 12 2/3 innings over four appearances. The right-hander gave up five runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Jason Kipnis had an RBI groundout in the third, but right fielder Jason Heyward’s throw home got Rajai Davis at the plate to end the inning. Davis tried to score from second on Jose Ramirez’s single, but was out on a headfirst slide. Cleveland challenged but the call was upheld.

Heyward also took a hit away from Kipnis with a sliding catch in the sixth.

“It was one of those games where we got down early and it just ... it was 5-1, but it seemed like more and they spread it out,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “It’s kind of a miserable night and it’s more miserable when you’re losing.”

The teams complete the two-game series Wednesday night. The Cubs have won four of five and are two games over .500 (11-9) for the first time this season. The rain intensified throughout the game, leaving puddles in the infield and causing Cubs reliever Steve Cishek to slip on the mound several times. The inclement weather led to a crowd of 16,408.

MORE FLASHBACKS It only seemed natural the topic of the World Series was brought up before the game.

“It was one of the most interesting Series, probably ever,” Maddon said.

Davis’ eighth-inning home run off closer Aroldis Chapman tied the game and caused the ballpark to shake from the crowd reaction. Davis downplayed the significance of that moment on this series.

“We have to put it in perspective,” he said. “It’s not October, nor is it November. It’s not World Series baseball. It’s a lot different.”

Clippers 3, RailRiders 2 | Barnes homers, helps Clippers to victory Brandon Barnes hit a solo homer and scored the game-winning run on a double by Yu Chang as the visiting Clippers edged Scranton/Wilkes- Barre 3-2 on Tuesday at PNC Field.

With the Clippers trailing 2-0 after the first inning, Barnes’ second home run of the season sailed over the left field wall in the top of the second to cut Columbus’ deficit in half.

In the sixth, Eric Haase reached first base on a fielder’s choice, stole second and advanced to third on a single by Barnes. Haase and Barnes scored on a one-out double by Chang.

Shawn Morimando allowed two runs in the first, and he yielded eight hits and two walks before exiting the game after 4 2/3 innings. Louis Head (1-0) retired the side in the fifth inning to earn the victory, and Evan Marshall and Neil Ramirez each tossed two scoreless innings. Ramirez, who struck out four, picked up his second save. Ryan Bollinger struck out five and allowed four hits and an earned run through five innings for the RailRiders, before reliever Joe Harvey (0-1) coughed up four hits and two runs in the decisive sixth inning.

Shane Robinson and Kyle Higashioka had two hits and an RBI each for Scranton.

Rosenthal: Yankees’ patience pays off; Machado’s potential landing spots; Kapler, continued; more notes By Ken Rosenthal 1h ago 1 The 2016 non-waiver deadline was not the first time the New York Yankees wanted infielder Gleyber Torres.

The Yankees identified Torres as their No. 1 target in the 2013-14 international class, but something went amiss after their international scouting director, Donny Rowland, called general manager Brian Cashman and former vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman from Venezuela and said, “We’ve got to get this guy.”

“The next day, literally the next day, he disappeared,” Rowland said. “I couldn’t find the dude.”

Torres, it turns out, had reached a verbal agreement with the Chicago Cubs to sign for $1.7 million, then went underground, according to major league sources. Players in the international market typically stop attending tryout camps once they cut such deals with help from their agent/trainers, who are known as buscones. The signings become official on July 2.

The Cubs did nothing underhanded with Torres, who made his major league debut for the Yankees at age 21 on Sunday and is 3-for-12 since his debut. Virtually every club strikes verbal deals with international players before July 2, following an accepted practice similar to the one in which colleges reach verbal commitments with recruits. The Yankees later learned that the Cubs had informally agreed with Torres the previous Thanksgiving, sources said. But on July 25, 2016, in a trade for closer Aroldis Chapman that later would help the Cubs win the World Series, the Yankees finally got their man.

“I personally believe there is a psychology to this stuff. Players you want in the draft who you don’t get, players you want internationally who you don’t get, it’s hard to let them go,” Cashman said. “They’re always in the back of your mind. Unless they fall off the grid with terrible pro performance in the minors, you’re going to try to reach for those guys again.

“You didn’t get them in the amateur world even though you wanted them. So you just keep following them. And if they continue to improve and be what you thought they could be as an amateur, if you have a chance in the pro world to get them, you do.”

Thus, Cashman locked in on Torres when he engaged the Cubs on Chapman; Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Cashman reminded him the Yankees had wanted Torres as an amateur. After the completion of the trade — Chapman for Torres, right-hander Adam Warren and outfielders Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford — Cashman reached out to Rowland with the good news.

“Donny, I’m getting Gleyber — I’m finally getting him,” Cashman recalled saying. “It’s years later, but we got him.”

“He had big leaguer written all over him”

The Yankees had better luck with Miguel Andújar as an amateur than they did with Torres. The $750,000 bonus they awarded Andújar, a native of the Dominican Republic, was the highest in their 2011-12 international class, which also included right-hander Luis Severino at $225,000.

“He had well-above-average bat speed for his peer group,” Rowland said of Andújar, who on Monday joined Mickey Mantle as Joe DiMaggio as the only Yankees under 24 to produce an extra-base hit in seven straight games.

“He very rarely swung-and-missed. There are not too many kids down there at that age who hit breaking balls, (but) his quality contact on fastballs was very high. He had swagger. He had confidence. He took up the batter’s box — it was his batter’s box. He had big leaguer written all over him. He was a guy we were licking our chops over the whole time.”

Andújar, who turned 23 on March 2, raised concerns with his defense in the spring of 2017, but he showed improvement last season at Double A and Triple A and again during spring training.

“The bat has just been ahead of the glove — and it’s not the glove, it’s just his footwork on certain plays,” Cashman said. “He throws from a low arm angle. Sometimes on a specific play, his feet don’t match up with his arm and a ball can sail. But defensively he has definitely progressed. I don’t think we have any worry with him defensively right now at the big league level at all.”

And what about Manny? For all the talk about the Yankees signing the Baltimore Orioles’ Manny Machado as a free agent, the rise of Andújar and uncertainty over Brandon Drury demonstrate how quickly the dynamics of a potential acquisition can change.

The Yankees control Andújar for six seasons, Drury for four. They still might pursue Machado — who currently is playing shortstop and not third base — if Andújar proves less than they envision and if Drury is unable to make a successful comeback from migraines. Either or both also could be traded, given the Yankees’ likely need for a starting pitcher. But at least for the moment, the chances of the Yankees signing Machado seem to be diminishing.

A more immediate question: Which teams will be the most likely trade suitors for Machado, considering the Orioles entered Tuesday 12 games out of first place?

At least one of the clubs expected to pursue Machado as a free agent, the Chicago White Sox, almost certainly would balk at Machado as a rental while in the middle of the rebuild. Another, the Philadelphia Phillies, might take the same view, unless they continue their surprising early- season run.

The Cubs, one of the teams that talked to the Orioles about Machado last off-season, might be more interesting, considering they rank 24th in the majors with a .597 OPS at shortstop. Addison Russell might need to be the centerpiece of a Machado trade, presuming the Orioles viewed him as a viable solution while he is under control through 2020; Baseball America ranked the Cubs’ system the game’s third-worst before the season started. The Cubs then could attempt to sign Machado long-term as a buffer against third baseman Kris Bryant departing as a free agent after ‘21. If they failed, they could move Javier Báez to short and find a second baseman.

The St. Louis Cardinals, another team that pursued Machado last off-season, might have a need for him at third, given that Matt Carpenter opened the season in a miserable slump. But then, what would the Cardinals do with Carpenter, who is owed $13.75 million this season and $14.75 million next season plus had a $2 million buyout? José Martínez, who produced a .910 OPS in his first 413 major league plate appearances, isn’t about to vacate first.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, yet another team that pursued Machado, rank 22nd in OPS at shortstop. Still, they will be in better position to give Chris Owings more playing time at short once right fielder Steven Souza returns from a strained right pectoral muscle, and again will be set at third once Jake Lamb returns from a sprained left AC joint.

Twins’ Dozier poised to strike it rich? It’s no secret the big names in free agency will be Machado, Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper and Los Angeles Dodgers left- hander Clayton Kershaw, who can opt out of his contract at the end of the season. But here’s a sleeper who might fare rather well: Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier.

Dozier, who turns 31 on May 15, is sandwiched in age between two other potential free-agent second basemen — the Colorado Rockies’ DJ LeMahieu, 30, and the Nationals’ Daniel Murphy, 33. But he is a better hitter than LeMahieu, as evidenced by his 132 to 111 advantage in OPS-plus (OPS adjusted to ballpark and league) since the start of the 2016 season. And he is a better defender than Murphy, generally rating out as average to slightly above-average according to the advanced metrics.

Power from a second baseman is a rare commodity. Dozer is the leading slugger at the position — his 80 homers at second since the start of 2016 are 16 more than the player with the next-highest total, Robinson Canó. The Rockies, Nationals, Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, and New York Mets are among the teams that will have potential needs at second this off-season.

The Kapler Chronicles (cont.) One executive who knows Phillies manager Gabe Kapler well says he has never been around someone who is so open to constructive criticism, who listens to it, internalizes it and reacts to it accordingly.

Kapler heard all kinds of criticism in his first week as manager, some of it harsh, much of it constructive. Larry Bowa, a former manager who is now a senior advisor with the Phillies, said he noticed Kapler adjust quickly.

“I think the one thing he has done a little bit — and this is my own opinion — I think he’s gone a little bit with the eye test as well as the sabermetrics,” Bowa said in an interview with MLB Network on Tuesday.

“To me, there are a lot of good sabermetrics, and a lot of sabermetrics that really don’t mean that much. But I think lately he has been going with his eye test, letting these pitchers pitch a little bit longer, knowing when they hit a wall and not just looking at the charts and saying, ‘Oh, he’s got to be out of there.’ I think he’s definitely made some adjustments in that area.”

Before Tuesday night, Phillies starters had allowed three or fewer runs in 12 straight starts for the first time since April 27 to May 11, 2011. The team is third in the National League with a 3.18 rotation ERA.

Teoscar lighting up Toronto

The trade, one of 15 last July 31, created little stir. The Houston Astros, needing a left-handed reliever, acquired Francisco Liriano from the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Nori Aoki and another outfielder who appeared expendable because of the depth in their organization, Teoscar Hernández.

The Jays had targeted Hernández, intrigued by his minor-league performance, athleticism and raw tools. To get the deal they wanted, they included about $2.6 million in the deal to account for the difference in Liriano’s and Aoki’s salaries, sources said. And while Liriano retired a hitter in each of the final two games of the World Series, Hernández appears to stand a decent chance of swinging the deal in the Jays’ favor.

While it’s too early to say Hernández might haunt the Astros in the manner of J.D. Martinez, he is outperforming Derek Fisher, who entered Tuesday night batting .128 with a .423 OPS before hitting a home run off Angels right-hander Shohei Ohtani.

Hernández, 25, is a year older than Fisher, and some with the Astros were concerned his swing-and-miss rate would reduce him to a fourth outfielder. That still might happen, but Hernández batted .261 with eight homers and a .908 OPS with the Jays last September, and is batting .316 with four homers and a 1.065 OPS in 42 plate appearances this season.

The Jays appeared to layer over Hernández when they acquired Randal Grichuk from the Cardinals on Jan. 19 and signed free agent Curtis Granderson on Jan. 23 — Grichuk was out of options, and the team already had Kevin Pillar and Steve Pearce in their outfield, not to mention younger possibilities.

Hernández, though, was unfazed, demonstrating why Jays GM Ross Atkins refers to him as, “a great human being, extremely smart, a very, very good teammate.”

“It would have taken an injury or a trade for him to make the team,” Atkins said. “I called him, communicated that to him. He handled that extremely well. I sat down with him the first day of spring training (to explain the situation again). He handled that extremely well. He said, ‘I will control what I can control.’ He did that. He absolutely did that.

“Throughout spring training, he was very upbeat, very positive, and he performed arguably better than anyone else. When we sent him to Triple A, he said, ‘I understand, I know this is part of it.’ I called him after he was in Buffalo just to check in and say hello. He was the exact same person. More often than not, with a player in that situation, there is a hiccup in his attitude, his energy, his effort. With Teoscar, there was no hiccup whatsoever.”

Hernández joined the Jays on April 13 after the team placed third baseman Josh Donaldson on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. His ascent has created a logjam in the Jays’ outfield and might force the club into an uncomfortable decision with Grichuk, who is off to a 5-for-58 (.086) start. At least for now, Hernández is going to play.

Cingrani haunting Cincinnati The Cincinnati Reds made manager Bryan Price the scapegoat for their 3-15 start, but the organizational failure included the team’s dubious trading record and inability to develop pitching. Price, a former pitching coach, cannot be absolved of the pitching issues, but the success of left-hander Tony Cingrani since joining the Dodgers last July 31 is another development that reflects poorly on the franchise.

At the time of the trade, Cingrani was averaging 9.3 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per nine innings, but had allowed six homers to 43 left-handed hitters. Some with the Reds viewed him as hard-headed, and perhaps he simply needed a change. Still, consider Cingrani’s combined regular- season and postseason numbers since joining the Dodgers in a deal for outfielder Scott Van Slyke, who left for the Miami Marlins as a free agent, and Class A catcher Hendrik Clementina, who, according to MLBPipeline.com, is not among the Reds’ top 30 prospects:

IP 33.2, H 24, K 47, BB 9. Cingrani, 28, also has reduced his home runs against left-handed hitters, allowing two to 59 batters faced. The Dodgers viewed him as an upside play, and they are getting the benefit of that upside. Whatever problems Cingrani had with the Reds, he seemed to leave them in Cincinnati. Around the horn *The sample size is a mere seven innings, but the Dodgers so far are benefiting from the addition of right-handed reliever JT Chargois, whom they claimed on waivers from the Twins on Feb. 23.

The Dodgers were surprised they were awarded Chargois, whom they viewed as a legitimate candidate to help their bullpen rather than simply a depth piece. Twenty-eight other teams passed on Chargois, who had to pass through the entire American League and every NL club that had a worse record than the Dodgers last season.

*Sunday’s 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres provided a good example of the efficiency of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, which leads the majors by a considerable margin with a .523 opponents’ OPS, thanks in part to the fifth-lowest walk rate.

The D-Backs wanted to avoid using closer Brad Boxberger, preferring to give him a second straight day off after he worked three consecutive games. Not to worry: Yoshihisa Hirano, Jorge De La Rosa and Archie Bradley combined to get nine outs on 34 pitches with no walks. *The Astros will need a better left-handed reliever than Tony Sipp, but manager A.J. Hinch quietly has taken an important step, establishing that he will use Chris Devenski, Brad Peacock or Ken Giles to close out games, seemingly without damaging Giles’ psyche.

Devenski has two saves, Peacock and Giles one each (if, as MLB Network’s Brian Kenny would say, you’re into that sort of thing). Giles has produced five straight scoreless outings, striking out only three in seven innings, but walking none.

*Speaking of bullpens, some with the Boston Red Sox believe the team again will need to add an eighth-inning type at the non-waiver deadline, the way they did with right-hander Addison Reed last season.

Might be tricky, though: The Athletic’s Peter Gammons reported on Twitter that the Sox are just $3.1 million from being taxed at a 62 percent rate for every dollar above the $197 million threshold, as well as suffering severe draft and international ramifications.

*Marlins rookie center fielder Lewis Brinson had a two-homer game on Thursday against his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, but is batting just .150 with a .484 OPS in 87 plate appearances.

“We let him continue and fight through those ups and downs as long he continues to work and doesn’t lose his confidence. He is doing those things presently,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said in an email on Sunday.

*The Nationals’ Victor Robles, 20, is the No. 6 prospect in MLBPipeline.com’s top 100, but some scouts believe a younger Nats outfielder — Juan Soto, 19 — will become an even better player.

Soto, MLBPipeline’s No. 29 prospect, batted .373 with five homers and a 1.300 OPS in his first 16 games at Low A this season, prompting a promotion to High A.

Kris Bryant sits out Cubs’ return to Cleveland, eyes Wednesday return Gordon Wittenmyer CLEVELAND — Third baseman Kris Bryant took batting practice Tuesday but was held out of the Cubs’ lineup two days after he was hit in the head by a pitch against the Rockies. Bryant, who told team officials he felt fine, did pregame work under the supervision of a trainer and underwent a precautionary examination from the Indians’ team doctor. He has not been put in Major League Baseball’s concussion protocol, and the exam suggested no change in his condition since Sunday, when an initial exam suggested he had avoided a concussion. The Cubs had Monday off. ‘‘He’s not bouncy, but he’s fine,’’ manager Joe Maddon said. ‘‘He’s very lucid. He’s fine. ‘‘I said: ‘Listen, you need to evaluate this yourself. You need to do what you think is the right thing to do. You know how you feel.’ ’’ Bryant’s status was to be evaluated again Wednesday. He was hit in the front of the helmet by a 96 mph fastball from the Rockies’ German Marquez in the first inning Sunday. The force of the pitch spun the helmet, broke his sunglasses and left a small cut above his left eye. He appeared dazed but never left his feet and was helped off the field. Russell back in lineup After being taken by ambulance to a hospital in Denver because of an allergic reaction to the postgame meal in the clubhouse Sunday, shortstop Addison Russell was back in the lineup, meaning he didn’t miss a game. How complete was his recovery? He doubled in his first at-bat and drove a ball deep to center in his second. ‘‘I’m glad everything’s feeling normal,’’ said Russell, who swelled up significantly enough for the team to call paramedics and for him to require IVs at the hospital. ‘‘The vitals are normal, and I’m back to the same routine.’’ Russell is careful with what he eats because of a shellfish allergy, but he didn’t see a label on the item that caused the issue. ‘‘I thought it was lemon chicken, and it turned out to be shrimp,’’ he said. Other players said they thought it looked like chicken, too. Rug burn Most of the visitors’ clubhouse, weight room and surrounding areas at Progressive Field looked unchanged when the Cubs got to the park for their first game there since Game 7 of the World Series almost 18 months ago. Except for one thing. ‘‘I see that they replaced the carpet, which is nice,’’ Russell said. ‘‘I think we messed it up pretty good.’’ It might have been the most champagne and beer sprayed in a baseball clubhouse. ‘‘Yeah, it was probably necessary,’’ Maddon said of the new carpet. ‘‘So some good things come of all that stuff for the visitors, too. You’ve got new interior decorating.’’ Javy heat Second baseman Javy Baez, who entered the day leading the National League in slugging percentage (.736) and RBI, drove in run No. 24 with a grounder to second in the seventh inning. He also extended his hitting streak to seven games with a double in the first, then added another in the ninth. Seventeen of his 23 hits this season have gone for extra bases. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.25.2018

Cubs find Legend of Kyle Schwarber right where they left it: Cleveland Gordon Wittenmyer

CLEVELAND — Maybe it’s the smokestacks. Maybe it’s the lake water. Or maybe it’s something in the rain that seems to follow the Cubs to this ballpark. Whatever it is about the place, Kyle Schwarber returned Tuesday to Cleveland and found his Hall of Fame career path right where he left it 18 months ago. Whether he carries it with him when the Cubs leave Progressive Field for home later in the week, he delivered two powerful reminders — at least for one night — about how he once captivated a national baseball audience and earned all those comparisons to Ruth, Gehrig and Bunyan. Home runs in his first two at-bats staked the Cubs to an early lead and set the tone for a 10-3 victory against the Indians in their first trip to Cleveland since their victory in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series on another rainy night. Schwarber returns to the dugout after his second-inning homer in the Cubs' return to Cleveland Tuesday night. In seven career games in Cleveland, including his big-league debut in '15, Schwarber is 15-for-30 with three homers, six RBI and a 1.445 OPS. ‘‘I guess I just hit well here, I don’t know,’’ said Schwarber, whose star dimmed as a leadoff man in 2017 almost as quickly as it burned its brightest when his improbable World Series comeback from a 6½-month knee injury launched him to widespread fame as the Cubs won their first championship in 108 years. Schwarber went from going 7-for-17 in the 2016 World Series to the minors by the end of June after a .171 start to last season. ‘‘This game can throw a lot of wrenches at you,’’ he said. ‘‘That was the biggest thing from last year. The year before, you’re on top of the world. Then last year, it’s not where you want to be. It’s always a good reminder just to be able to take it a day at a time and just have that attitude stay the same.’’ For all the effort and force of will it took for Schwarber to return to the field on the biggest stage — after barely a week of actual practice — it was what happened last season that might yet make the difference in his career. ‘‘To me, that was his sophomore year,’’ manager Joe Maddon said. ‘‘The sophomore year is when guys don’t adjust back to what the [opponent is] trying to do to you based on what they’re seeing. That was the sophomore slump. ‘‘I’m seeing the adjustments [by Schwarber] right now.’’ Schwarber is hitting .302 with six homers and 16 RBI this season. The last two numbers rank second on the team to Javy Baez. And he has a 1.048 OPS. In seven games in Cleveland in his career, he’s 15-for-30 with three homers, six RBI and a 1.445 OPS. After spending last weekend in Denver hitting the ball up the middle and to the opposite field, Schwarber lined a hanging changeup from Josh Tomlin over the right-field wall in the second inning for the first run of the game. ‘‘It’s been a good start to the season so far,’’ said Schwarber, who refuses to get ahead of himself. ‘‘Just stay the course. I’m not going to try to do anything extraordinary.’’ Such as leap tall buildings in a single bound? Or impersonate Babe Ruth for the rest of his career? ‘‘It was crazy,’’ Schwarber said of the public mystique and media hype that followed him throughout his four-game run of heroics as the Cubs’ designated hitter during the World Series games in Cleveland. ‘‘I’m not saying that I expected myself to do that, but I just wanted to go out there and be competitive, and that’s what happened. The guys that were in the clubhouse at that time definitely helped me a lot throughout the way. ‘‘And that was the big motivator there when I was on the field: I was doing it for those guys, not myself.’’ Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.25.2018

Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ pace Cubs to 10-3 victory over Indians Mark Gonzales The return to Progressive Field on Tuesday night didn’t possess the same buzz as Game 7 of the World Series did 18 months ago, when the Cubs celebrated their first championship since 1908. But even without the services of Kris Bryant or Anthony Rizzo hitting at full capacity, the Cubs played as if another trip to the series could be on their menu. Thanks to the dominance of Kyle Schwarber and resurgence of Ian Happ, the Cubs coasted to a 10-3 victory over the Indians. Under wet conditions that were colder than their dramatic Game 7 victory here on Nov. 2, 2016, the Cubs provided plenty of offense without Bryant, who was held out of the lineup after getting beaned with a 96 mph pitch from the Rockies’ German Marquez in the first inning of Sunday’s 9-7 victory. Bryant wasn’t made available to reporters, but manager Joe Maddon said the third baseman was wearing a black T-shirt with the words "Chicago Tough" on the front. Bryant has remained in contact with team doctors and has not been ruled out of Wednesday night’s series finale. “He’s not bouncy, but he’s fine,” Maddon said after Bryant took batting practice in the indoor cage. From a power standpoint, Schwarber more than compensated for Bryant’s loss with home runs in his first two at-bats. In seven games at Progressive Field — including four Series games — Schwarber is batting .500 (15-for-30) with one double, one triple, three home runs and six RBIs. “I’ve always thought this was a good park to hit in,” Schwarber said. “I just hit well here.” Schwarber admitted to reminiscing about the World Series but strictly as motivation. “I don’t think anyone in here doesn’t think about it — I think about it all the time,” said Schwarber, whose seven career homers as a designated hitter tops the Cubs. “That’s that moment we all live for, and it’s an addicting feeling. We want to get back there and do it, so we have to take it a step at a time.” Rizzo was jammed in each of his final two at-bats but managed to collect hits to raise his batting average to .170. Maddon seemed encouraged that Rizzo wasn’t trying to hit home runs and that the Cubs carried out Maddon’s philosophy to hit to all fields effectively. “I hope that doesn’t end until 2019 spring training,” Maddon said. “We can work on it again. This is the approach we’re looking for.” Happ is starting to rebound after an awful start. He collected his first three-hit game of the season and is 5-for-9 after a 0-for-8 rut that dropped his average to .204 and put him under the private tutelage of hitting coach Chili Davis. Happ’s average has risen to .259. “We’re going to pick each other up,” Schwarber said. “Rizzo doesn’t have to be hot all the time or Kris doesn’t have to be hot all the time. There are guys who can do that job. “I get the frustrations and everything like that. We all know Rizz is going to be right where he needs to be at the end of the year. And let’s say I start slumping. This team is going to pick me up. That’s what this team is all about.”Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.25.2018