Lindor's 33rd HR sets Tribe middle-INF record By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | September 23rd, 2017 + 1 COMMENT SEATTLE -- As Francisco Lindor sprinted around third base, the Indians' turned to look at the third-base dugout at Safeco Field. While his teammates cheered and pounded the rail, Lindor's eyes went wide and he dropped his jaw. Maybe he is even surprised by what he is doing right now.

The leadoff home that Lindor launched to open Saturday's game lit the spark on an 11-4 romp over the Mariners. The shortstop has been bursting with energy of late and setting a torrid tone atop the lineup, but has wanted to give him a breather. They compromised with a day spent as the designated hitter, and keeping his bat in the mix proved important once again.Full Game Coverage "I'm fine," said Lindor, who flashed the smile that's seemingly becoming more famous by the day. "There's no point to having an off-day when we've got another one on Monday." The was Lindor's 33rd of the season, giving him the most in a season by a middle infielder in franchise history. The previous mark of 32 was set by Hall of Famer in 1948, when the Indians last won the . Cleveland can only hope that a footnote such as that one is offering a bit of foreshadowing, because Lindor is hoping to help the Tribe end that championship drought. Lindor has done more than his part of late. Over the Indians' past 30 games, in which the club has notched 28 victories, Lindor has .339/.414/.737 in 133 plate appearances. In that time period, the switch-hitting shortstop has hit more homers (12) than doubles and triples combined (nine). He has more walks (14) than (13), and he has as many RBIs and runs scored as games played (28). In Saturday's win, Lindor went 2-for-5 with a homer, a double and three runs. "He's dynamic, man," Indians outfielder Jay Bruce said. "He takes really, really good at-bats and he's not just a home run threat. He hits the ball all over the field, switch-hitter. So, he's tough. It kind of mitigates the matchup opportunity. He's impressive -- he really is." It is funny that Bruce would describe Lindor as being more than "a home run threat," because this many homers were not a part of the projections during the shortstop's early days as a prospect. Yet, here Lindor is with 30-plus homers and 40-plus doubles, joining Travis Hafner (2005), (1996), ('95), Hall Troski ('34 and '36) and ('34) as the only Indians players to achieve those marks in one season. Lindor is the only player in Cleveland history with at least 10 steals, 30 homers and 40 doubles in a single campaign. Justin Upton is the only other player in the Majors to claim that kind of season this year, and it is something that has only been done 59 times since 1913. Asked if he envisioned himself as a 30-homer hitter, Lindor smiled. "I envisioned myself driving the ball," Lindor said. "If it goes out 30 times -- 33, 34 or 20 times -- I'm fine with it. As long as I'm helping my team win. That's what it's all about." And, when Lindor trots around the bases, he will keep looking back at his teammates in the dugout. "I love it," Lindor said. "Whenever I hit a home run and they're right there on the top step cheering me on, it's pretty cool."

Tribe eyes AL edge behind ace Kluber By Josh Horton / MLB.com | 27 minutes ago + 16 COMMENTS Two of the hottest on their respective teams go toe to toe on Sunday, as Seattle's Mike Leake faces Cleveland's Corey Kluber to cap off a three-game series between the Mariners and the Indians at Safeco Field. The Tribe is 1 1/2 games ahead of the Astros for the best record in the and 1 1/2 games behind the Dodgers for the best record in baseball. The Mariners are six games back of the Twins for the AL's second Wild Card spot.

Kluber hasn't just been one of the best pitchers on his club, he's also been one of the most dominant in the game. The 31-year-old right-hander, pitching on six days' rest, has not allowed a run in 22 consecutive innings, and he has won five consecutive decisions. He owns a 1.52 ERA in 10 starts dating back to Aug. 3. For the Indians, who have lost only twice in September, the challenge will be balancing their sweltering hot month and building momentum with resting key contributors, especially Kluber, for the postseason. "It's sort of a give and take," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We're trying to put a lineup out there where we can win every day -- that's your goal -- but we're also trying to accomplish some things. We need to kind of keep our house in order." Leake, whom the Mariners acquired in a trade with the Cardinals on Aug. 30, has obtained his success by keeping the ball on the ground and not giving out free passes. He owns a ground-ball rate of 50.4 percent, and he has issued 0.91 walks per nine innings in four starts since joining Seattle, a stretch in which he owns a 2.13 ERA. Leake is excited to face Kluber in his fifth start with Seattle. "That will be very cool," Leake said. "He's been the guy in charge of the AL for the last couple of years, and it will be a nice matchup to put in the books. I look forward to watching him and learning from him and seeing what he does. It will be good to see a different arm. I haven't seen him pitch. Seeing a different way to get ground balls and strikeouts will be fun to watch and compete against." Three things to know about this game • Mariners manager Scott Servais said on Saturday that right-handed reliever Tony Zych was shut down from throwing, and he will not pitch again this season. He's missed 30 games with a right elbow flexor bundle strain. • Edwin Encarnacion is expected to be back in the lineup Sunday after missing Saturday's game, as well as Jason Kipnis, who received a scheduled day off. • Yandy Diaz (jammed right middle finger) might be back Sunday. Saturday was the fourth game in a row in which he's been out of lineup.

Tribe maintains home-field lead after W vs. M's By Greg Johns and Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 12:11 AM ET + 118 COMMENTS SEATTLE -- It's not like the Indians need a lot of help these days, but Cleveland took advantage of five Mariners errors and a five-run ninth on Saturday to roll to an 11-4 victory and even the series at Safeco Field.

Carlos Carrasco won his career-high 17th game, allowing one run and six hits over 5 2/3 innings, and the Indians blasted four home runs, including a pair by Yan Gomes. Gomes went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and Jose Ramirez was 3-for-3 with a home run and another four RBIs as the Indians rebounded from a rare loss to win for the 28th time in their past 30 games. "It's part of the game," Gomes said of bouncing back from Friday's walk-off loss. "I could've told you that we were going to lose before the season ended. That's part of this game. Any time something happens, the best thing we do is just come back and put that behind us. I think we've done that all year. Whatever it is, we just put games behind us and go out there and compete." The Indians remain 1 1/2 games ahead of Houston for the best record in the American League, at 97-58, after the Astros topped the Angels. They're one back of the Dodgers (98-57) for the best mark in the Majors. Carrasco improved to 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA over his past six starts, and the lone run he allowed came on an RBI double by in the sixth inning. "He's a good ," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We feel like we have a good chance to win whenever he pitches." Francisco Lindor went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double and three runs scored for the Indians, while Austin Jackson had three hits, including a double, along with two runs and an RBI. Ramirez had a pair of sacrifice flies along with a two-run homer in the ninth, his 28th of the season. Mariners designated hitter homered for the fourth straight game with a solo shot in the eighth off reliever Nick Goody, giving him 37 homers and an AL-leading and career-high 115 RBIs. The Mariners' five errors equaled their season high for a game. They committed five in the first inning in a 10-1 loss at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 27. "We played a nice clean game last night, but today was just the opposite," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "It was sloppy. You can't make five errors and think you're going to stay in the game with a quality team in the other dugout." The Mariners have lost seven of their past eight games, slipping to 75-80, and they are on the brink of being mathematically eliminated from AL Wild Card contention with seven games remaining. Any combination of two Twins wins or Mariners losses will end Seattle's postseason chances. Rookie right-hander Andrew Moore took the loss for Seattle as he fell to 1-5 with a 5.34 ERA, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) over four innings. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Don't wait around: Lindor got the Indians started with his third leadoff home run of the season as he rifled a 3-2 from Moore over the right-field fence for the quick lead. It was Lindor's 33rd homer, the most ever in a season by a Cleveland middle infielder. Hall of Fame Joe Gordon hit 32 for the Tribe in 1948. Over the Indians' past 30 games, Lindor has hit .339/.414/.737 with 12 homers, 19 extra-base hits and 28 RBIs. "I like leading off. I think it's pretty cool," Lindor said. "It gives me a chance to be the first one to see what the pitcher's going to bring that day. It's fun. I like competing. I like getting things going and helping my team early in the game, so that's something that I look forward to doing it for a long time." Miller time: With two outs and a runner on second in the sixth, the Indians turned to relief ace Andrew Miller, who is still trying to find his rhythm after returning from a right knee injury. Miller issued a pair of walks to load the bases, but then he escaped with a called of Guillermo Heredia on an inside, 96-mph fastball. Miller then set the Mariners down in order in the seventh, marking his first multi-inning test since coming off the DL. "It was nice, because he actually was better when he went back [out]," Francona said. "You could tell he was trying to find it the first couple hitters and then like he can, as he gets some pitches under his belt, he starts to get a feel for his . That was another good step for him." QUOTABLE "It was about catching the baseball and doing things right, fundamentally. We've struggled with that, and it's an area that needs to be addressed here as we go forward. That's an area we need to take more pride in doing, and it starts with me and the coaching staff and down through the players. You've got to protect the baseball. Every out is so crucial in this game, and if you don't get them, you pay the price." -- Servais SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Mariners lefty Ariel Miranda no longer is in the starting rotation, but he gave up two homers in the ninth to Ramirez and Gomes and moved back into the lead for the most home runs allowed in the Majors this year with 37. As a team, Seattle is fourth in MLB in home runs allowed with a club-record 228. INJURY UPDATES Indians right fielder Jay Bruce exited Saturday's game in the fifth inning due to left heel discomfort, according to the team. With Bruce out, shifted to right from center and rookie Greg Allen came off the bench to take over in center. Cleveland announced that Bruce was removed as a precaution. "It comes and goes," Bruce said of the heel issue. "I've had it off and on for my whole career. It's bad sometimes. I wanted to get ahead of it today and just make sure it didn't cost me any more time. Hopefully, I'll be back DHing [on Sunday]." Carlos Santana was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning, and he was taken for a precautionary X-ray on his left shoulder, per Francona. In the fifth, Santana had his arm bent back by Segura, who was trying to leg out a grounder. Santana stayed in the game and had two more at-bats before being pulled. "We won't play [Santana] tomorrow," Francona said. "But, you could see the way he was swinging. He was letting it go pretty good." Segura left the game in the ninth inning with a sprained right middle finger after being struck on an errant throw to second base from Miranda. Servais said X-rays were negative, and that he did not dislocate it. Segura is day to day. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Mariners unsuccessfully challenged a safe call on a pickoff attempt by reliever in the sixth inning on Naquin, who had reached base on a one-out on Gonzales. After a two-minute, 35-second review, the call stood. Naquin wound up advancing to second on a single by Giovanny Urshela, but he was stranded there. In the seventh, the Indians challenged an out call at first base on a chopper from Lindor. First baseman Yonder Alonso booted the grounder, which was quickly retrieved by second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano fired to pitcher Dan Altavilla, and Lindor was initially ruled out. The challenge and quick replay review resulted in an overturned call. Lindor later scored on a from Ramirez. WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Ace Corey Kluber (17-4, 2.35 ERA) will continue his AL Award candidacy on Sunday in the Tribe's 4:10 p.m. ET clash with the Mariners at Safeco Field. Kluber, who is riding a 22-innings scoreless streak, is 9-1 with a 1.52 ERA in his past 10 starts, piling up 91 strikeouts against seven walks in 77 innings in that span. Mariners: Mike Leake (3-0, 2.13 ERA) gets the start in Sunday's 1:10 p.m. PT home finale. The 29-year-old right-hander has been outstanding since his acquisition from the Cardinals on Aug. 30. He's 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA in six starts vs. the Indians, but he hasn't faced them since 2015.

Clevinger moving to 'pen for postseason By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | September 23rd, 2017 + 31 COMMENTS SEATTLE -- The Indians are leaning toward going with a four-man rotation for the American League , but Mike Clevinger will not be one of them. Manager Terry Francona announced Saturday that Clevinger will be moved to the bullpen with the hope of giving the Tribe another high-leverage arm.

"We told him that," Francona said. "He's not been banished to the bullpen. He's been sent to help us win, and he understands why. When we get into a playoff series, we value the innings of our bullpen." As things stand, Cleveland's top three starters are ace Corey Kluber, along with righties Carlos Carrasco and . The fourth starter is likely veteran Josh Tomlin, but Francona was not ready to show his hand about that decision. The manager also noted that there is still internal debate about the potential role for righty Danny Salazar, who could start or come out of the bullpen if he is included on the ALDS roster. Francona said that he plans on meeting with members of the front office and coaching staff over the next several days to continue the roster discussions. "There's a lot of stuff that we're talking about," Francona said. "I'd just keep it at that." Clevinger will be available out of the bullpen starting on Saturday, because Francona wants to the right-hander to use the remaining regular- season games to adjust to the role change. Clevinger, who headed into Saturday with a 1.65 ERA in his past eight appearances for the Tribe, spent time in the bullpen down the stretch and in the postseason last year. "I'm ready for the task," Clevinger said. "I was preparing for a playoff start, but this could be just as vital of a role, if not more vital than what I do if I potentially threw Game 4, or maybe not even throw Game 4. I guess we'll see how it plays out." Due in part to an injury-riddled rotation, Cleveland's bullpen logged nearly as many innings (64 2/3) as the starting staff (69 1/3) during the 2016 postseason. Francona has a healthier pitching staff this year, but he has shown a willingness to go with abbreviated starts in favor of leveraging his relievers in an October setting. Clevinger potentially gives the manager one more multi-inning option for such situations. "We plan on using him as a weapon," Francona said, "just like [Bryan] Shaw, Cody [Allen], Andrew [Miller]. There's a reason we did it. Now, nobody has a crystal ball, but that's the reasoning." Worth noting • Francona noted earlier this week that Miller (recently back from a right knee issue) was potentially able to work in back-to-back games during the current series in Seattle. The manager said Saturday that Miller, who logged 26 pitches in a high-stress inning on Thursday, will now complete that consecutive-games test at some point during the upcoming homestand. • Yandy Diaz (jammed right middle finger) remained out of the starting lineup on Saturday, marking his fourth game in a row on the bench. Francona said Diaz could have played, but the manager preferred to take a conservative approach to help the infielder recover. • Lefty Shawn Morimando was allowed to head home to begin his offseason, but the pitcher will still receive his Major League salary and service time. Francona felt bad that he was unable to find innings for Morimando, who joined the team during September callups.

Covering the Bases: Game 155 by Jordan Bastian FIRST: With consistency comes comfort. Mike Clevinger has spent time both as a starter and reliever over the past two seasons for Cleveland, but this year he received regular turns as a starter. Given that opportunity, Clevinger has thrived and become a reliable arm.

Clevinger says there is nothing quite like navigating through a “seven-inning chess game.”

“It’s what I fell in love with in the beginning of pitching,” Clevinger said on Saturday.

Over his past eight games for the Indians, Clevinger posted a 6–1 record with a 1.65 ERA. He piled up 52 strikeouts against 18 walks in 43.2 innings. He and catcher Roberto Perez found a strong rhythm and rapport in the process, making him a formidable arm behind Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer. And now, Clevinger is moving back to the bullpen.

Prior to Saturday’s win, Indians manager Terry Francona announced that Clevinger will spend the rest of the regular season as a reliever, noting that the righty will be in the ‘pen for the American League Division Series. Francona said he explained to Clevinger that this is not a demotion, but rather a way to utilize the righty as a multi-inning leverage option.

“We plan on using him as a weapon,” Francona said. “Just like Shaw, Cody, Andrew. There’s a reason we did it. Now, nobody has a crystal ball, but that’s the reasoning.”

Clevinger took the news in stride.

“It’d be easy to take it as, ‘You’re going to the ‘pen,’” Clevinger said. “During the playoffs, the ‘pen and rotation share innings pretty equally. There’s just as much weight on that end as there is on the front end, so if we need to tip the scale a little bit, then so be it.”

To that end, it’s worth noting that the Indians’ bullpen logged nearly as many innings (64.2) as the rotation (69.1) in the playoffs last year. Yes, I know the rotation was working with two starters and another with nine functional fingers. Even with a healthy staff, though, Francona has a bullpen that can quickly be summoned if a start goes awry.

Francona did not name his №4 starter for the ALDS, but all signs would point to Tomlin. He is a reliable strike thrower and, as Francona loves to note, he controls the running game well and is a sound defender. Translated: Tomlin doesn’t beat himself. That’s something Tito values highly, especially in the playoffs.

There is also the fact that Game 4 in the ALDS is not guaranteed. Maybe Tomlin doesn’t make that start. And, if the series does go there, Francona can have a quick hook. If the Game 4 starter navigates through the order two times, then the ‘pen can take over. Francona used that approach with Bauer, Tomlin and Ryan Merritt last October.

And, in the meantime, Clevinger is an option for Games 1–3.

“He’s not been banished to the bullpen,” Francona said. “He’s been sent to help us win, and he understands why. When we get into a playoff series, we value the innings of our bullpen.”

That said, Clevinger wasn’t necessarily imagining himself in a relief role when he allowed himself to daydream about the upcoming playoffs.

“I was preparing for a playoff start,” Clevinger said. “But, this could be just as vital of a role, if not more vital than what I do if I potentially threw Game 4, or maybe not even throw Game 4. I guess we’ll see how it plays out.”

SECOND: Can we talk about Austin Jackson for a second? The Indians’ outfielder has undergone several changes throughout this season due to necessity. Tyler Naquin didn’t last long as the center fielder. and Brandon Guyer have dealt with health setbacks. Michael Brantley has been gone for the bulk of the past two months. went down with injury earlier this month. Jason Kipnis is now playing center.

Now, Jackson has had some injury issues of his own, but he’s been a godsend for the outfield over the past few weeks.

“He’s saved our [rear],” Francona said.

On Saturday, Jackson was back in the second slot of the lineup — sandwiched between MVP candidates Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez — the the outfielder churned out three hits and reached back four times. Over his past seven games, Jackson has hit .500 (14-for-28) with a 1.206 OPS.

“You can keep asking [me about him],” Francona said, “because he keeps getting hits and he plays the game right. He doesn’t just get hits, but he runs the bases intelligently and aggressively and he’s always in the right place. He’s been really welcome. Both times he’s come off the DL, we’ve needed him and he’s done great.”

Lindor agreed.

“He’s been huge. He’s been huge,” Lindor said. “He’s a guy that we can count on. He’s playing the game extremely well right now, and he works hard. He works hard day in and day out and he’s having fun while he’s doing it. It makes it easy to cheer on a guy like that. It’s pretty cool watching him.”

THIRD: Hey, Lindor homered again. That’s 33 shots on the season for a player that was considered a defense-first prospect way back when. Lindor still has the glove going for him, but now he’s developing into an all-around threat far more than anyone imagined. The shortstop was asked if he ever envisioned himself hitting 30-plus homers.

“I envisioned myself driving the ball,” Lindor said. “If it goes out 30 times — 33, 34 or 20 times — I’m fine with it. As long as I’m helping my team win. That’s what it’s all about.”

Lindor now has 30+ homers and 40+ doubles. Here are the other players who have done that in a season in Indians history:

Travis Hafner (2005) Manny Ramirez (1996) Albert Belle (1995) Hal Trosky (1934, ‘36) Earl Averill (1934) Here is the list of players in Indians history with 10+ steals, 30+ homers and 40+ doubles: Lindor (2017) That’s it. It’s only been done 59 times in MLB history going back to 1913, as of right now. Jose Ramirez (15 steals, 28 homers and 51 doubles) could join him with two more homers. That would make the Indians the first team in MLB history with two players meeting that criteria in the same season.

Over the Indians’ past 30 games, Lindor has hit .339/.414/.737 with more homers (12) than doubles and triples combined (nine), and more walks (14) than strikeouts (13). On top of that, he has as many runs and RBI as games played (28) in that span.

Lindor has a 60-game stretch from May 3-July 15 in which he hit .227 with a .661 OPS. His average dropped to .249 from .302 in that time period. I picked those dates because A) It’s the last time Lindor was batting .300+ and, B) It’s the last time his average dipped below .250.

Well, in the 65 games since July 15, Lindor has hit .313/.378/.601 with 19 homers, 37 extra-base hits, 44 RBI and 47 runs.

“He’s dynamic, man,” said Jay Bruce. “He takes really, really good at-bats and he’s not just a home run threat. He hits the ball all over the field, switch-hitter. So, he’s tough. It kind of mitigates the matchup opportunity. He’s impressive — he really is.”

HOME: Say what you want about RBI — for the record, I’m not a huge proponent of that statistic — but there is an interesting did-you-know that has developed within the Indians’ offense as this season winds down.

The position that has generated the most RBI for the Indians this season is designated hitter with 104 overall. That’s not a surprise. That’s where Edwin Encarnacion spends the bulk of his time, with Carlos Santana filling in on occasion, too.

No, what’s surprising is the position that has produced the second-most RBI for Cleveland. That’d be the Tribe’s , who have combined for 90 RBI on the year after Yan Gomes’ two-homer, four-RBI showing on Saturday.

“When we get our names called, we try to do our jobs,” Gomes said. “We’ve got a good enough pitching staff that they can do their own thing, and anytime a situation comes up and we come up with a hit, that’s a plus. We’re just trying to do our jobs when our names get called.”

Meisel's Musings: Mike Clevinger's move, the Indians' powerful middle infield and the surging Austin Jackson Zack Meisel SEATTLE — Mike Clevinger had envisioned standing atop the mound at the beginning of a playoff game, with every seat filled, every fan howling and every eyeball fixated on his next move. The Indians, however, moved Clevinger to the bullpen in preparation for the postseason. The hurler will have to settle for the sudden burst of adrenaline that accompanies the call to the bullpen phone. “I will miss the seven-inning chess game,” Clevinger said Saturday afternoon after the Indians’ 11-2 dismantling of the Mariners. “It’s what I fell in love with in the beginning of pitching. I’m still going to miss that, but that adrenaline rush, it’s not a second to that, really.” Tribe manager Terry Francona revealed that the Indians will operate with a four-man rotation for the American League Division Series. That fourth spot, however, will go to either Josh Tomlin or Danny Salazar, even though Clevinger had asserted himself as a consistent force in the club’s rotation. Clevinger has logged a 3.13 ERA this season, while limiting the opposition to a .210 average and a .665 OPS. Francona cited the desire to use Clevinger “as a weapon” out of the ’pen as the impetus for the shakeup. “I was preparing for a playoff start, but this could be just as vital of a role, if not more vital than what I do if I potentially threw Game 4, or maybe not even throw Game 4,” Clevinger said. “I guess we’ll see how it plays out.” Tomlin would seem to be the favorite in the chase for the final playoff rotation spot. Salazar is still working out some kinks stemming from his recent stint on the disabled list. “I knew I have versatility in going both ways,” Clevinger said. “We have a lot of good arms. I trust what (Francona) sees.” 1. From the injury ward: Jay Bruce exited Saturday’s matinee because of left heel discomfort. He said he has dealt with a mild case of plantar fasciitis for most of his career. He plans to start as the designated hitter on Sunday. Carlos Santana is expected to undergo a precautionary X-ray on his left shoulder after he had it stretched awkwardly on a collision with at first base in the fifth inning. Francona didn’t seem concerned, though he offered that Santana would rest on Sunday. “You could see the way he was swinging,” Francona said. “He was letting it go pretty good.” The Indians are already dealing with injuries to Michael Brantley, Bradley Zimmer, Brandon Guyer and Lonnie Chisenhall, while juggling workloads for Jason Kipnis, Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Yandy Diaz and Danny Salazar because of various maladies. 2. Power hour: Nearly every major-league hitter has flexed his muscles more often at the plate this season, but did anyone anticipate Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez combining for 61 home runs with a week remaining in the regular season? Lindor and Ramirez 2017: 61 HR in 1,306 plate appearances 2016: 26 HR in 1,302 plate appearances Lindor said he has never heard of Joe Gordon, the previous holder of the Indians’ record for home runs in a season by a middle infielder. Gordon, elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 2009, slugged 32 home runs for the Indians in 1948, the year of the franchise’s most recent championship. “It’s something special,” Lindor said. “It’s cool.” Lindor now has 33 homers and 41 doubles this season. Tribe players with 30+ HR and 40+ doubles in a season: 2017: Francisco Lindor 2005: Travis Hafner 1996: Manny Ramirez 1995: Albert Belle 1936: Hal Trosky 1934: Hal Trosky, Earl Averill Ramirez has totaled 28 homers and 51 doubles this season. He could soon join that exclusive list. 3. Action Jackson: Austin Jackson collected three more hits and a walk Saturday. Ho hum. The veteran outfielder, signed to what now looks like a bargain of a one-year deal, owns a .324/.389/.500 slash line this season. He has fit in nicely in the No. 2 spot in Francona’s , between Lindor and Ramirez. In his past 18 games, Jackson is batting .371 (26-for-70). “He’s been huge,” Lindor said. “He’s a guy that we can count on. He works hard day in and day out and he’s having fun while he’s doing it. It makes it easy to cheer on a guy like that.” 4. Center of attention: Kipnis has been flawless in center field since his switch to the position. (OK, so he’s registered only one putout in four games.) Still, the Indians are encouraged. “He’s playing about four or five steps shallower,” Francona said, “which means he’s getting more confident. I think, all things considered, he’s going to be just fine. We have the ability to defend late in games if we want.” That message could aid Greg Allen’s campaign for the postseason roster. Allen, regarded as a more-than-capable center fielder, has periodically served as a defensive replacement since his promotion to the big-league roster at the start of September.

Francisco Lindor smiles as he rounds the bases after hitting a leadoff home run against the Mariners Saturday in Seattle. AP / ELAINE SEATTLE — Now that he’s set a Cleveland record for home runs by a middle infielder, Francisco Lindor would rather remember 2017 for a far bigger accomplishment.

Lindor led off the game with his 33rd home run, and the Indians routed the 11-4 Saturday for their 28th victory in 30 games.

“It’s cool. Something that’ll be there for a long time,” Lindor said, “but I’m just focusing on trying to win. When you focus on winning, those things happen.”

Carlos Carrasco (17-6) matched teammate Cory Kluber and Boston’s Chris Sale for the most wins in the AL, allowing one run and six hits in 52 ⁄3 innings. Yan Gomes homered twice and had four RBIs, and Jose Ramirez homered and drove in four runs.

Cleveland, which set the AL record with a 22-game winning streak this month, matched the 1884 Providence Grays for the best big league record over a 30-game span at 28-2. The Indians (97-58) lead Houston (95-59) for AL home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Lindor, a 23-year-old shortstop, homered on the eighth pitch from Andrew Moore (1-5) and surpassed the 32 home runs hit by second baseman Joe Gordon in 1948, the last year Cleveland won the World Series.

Lindor began the year without power expectations.

“I envisioned myself driving the ball,” he said. “Going 30 times, 33, 34 or 20 times, doesn’t matter to me, as long as I’m helping my team win.”

He has 18 home runs in 55 games hitting leadoff and 15 in 93 times in the No. 2 hole.

“I like leading off,” Lindor said. “I get to see what the pitcher is going to bring that day. I like getting things going.”

Seattle, which won 3-1 Friday, committed five errors and lost for the seventh time in eight games. The Mariners fell six games behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card with seven games left.

“I’m disappointed. ... We just didn’t respond today,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “It was about catching the baseball and doing things right fundamentally. We haven’t done that. We’ve struggled with that. That’s one area we need to address here as we go forward.”

Nelson Cruz hit his 37th home run for Seattle, his fourth in four games. Mariners shortstop Jean Segura was hit in the hand by a thrown ball in the ninth and was removed. X-rays were negative.

Cleveland right fielder Jay Bruce also exited the game early because of a nagging heel injury. He is expected to be a designated hitter in today’s series finale.

Playoff positioning Cleveland manager Terry Francona is focused on both home-field advantage and preparing the AL Central champions for the Division Series.

“We’re trying to put a lineup out there to win every day, but we also need to keep our house in order.”

Francona has moved starter Mike Clevinger to the bullpen.

“We kind of think he could be a weapon out there,” the manager said.

Jason Kipnis is making the transition from the infield to the outfield. Reliever Andrew Miller, coming back from a DL stint, is to pitch in consecutive games next week.

Trainer’s room Indians: INF Yandy Diaz has missed three games since spraining the middle finger in his right hand against the .

Up next Kluber enters today 5-0 with a 1.15 ERA in his last five games and has not allowed a run in 22 innings. He is 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA in three career starts against Seattle.

RHP Mike Leake (3-0 for Seattle and 10-2 overall, is 2-1 with a 3.69 ERA in six starts against the Indians.

Playoff picture clearing with Mike Clevinger sent to bullpen and plan for four-man playoff rotation by Zack Meisel SEATTLE — The puzzle is far from complete, but Terry Francona fit together a few pieces Saturday morning.

The Tribe manager revealed two, related bits of information. There remain, however, a litany of questions that figure to be answered over the next week.

1. The Indians will likely carry a four-man rotation during the American League Division Series.

2. Mike Clevinger will pitch out of the bullpen for the remainder of the year.

Surely, those two statements prompt follow-up questions. Let’s attempt to tackle those topics.

Why is Clevinger headed to the ‘pen?

Here’s Francona’s explanation: “We think that he can be a weapon, but we want to give him a week to fit in out there. … He hasn’t been banished to the bullpen. He’s been sent to help us win. … When we get into playoff series, we value the innings in our bullpen. We plan on using him as a weapon, just like (Bryan) Shaw, Cody (Allen), Andrew (Miller).”

Clevinger was available Saturday afternoon.

Miller is still shaking off some rust after battling a knee injury during the second half. Allen was shut down for a couple of days this week because of soreness. So, perhaps the move was designed in part to give the Indians an extra layer of insurance in the ‘pen.

Who does that leave as the No. 4 starter?

Josh Tomlin has to be considered the front-runner, given the uncertainty surrounding Danny Salazar, who looked anything but sharp in his brief start Thursday against the Angels. Tomlin and Salazar will start the first two games against Minnesota this week at Progressive Field.

In his past eight starts, Tomlin has posted a 2.74 ERA while holding the opposition to a .593 OPS.

Who won’t it be? Well, um, the Indians sent Shawn Morimando home to begin his offseason, since the lefty wasn’t going to have a chance to pitch. He’s still earning big-league pay for the rest of the month.

Also, a four-man rotation means Corey Kluber won’t be pitching on short rest in the first round. Last fall, because of injuries to Salazar and Carlos Carrasco, the Indians leaned on Kluber, Tomlin and Trevor Bauer, who all pitched on short rest.

Hasn’t Clevinger had the better season?

There’s no arguing this.

Clevinger: 3.13 ERA, .210/.309/.356 opponent slash line

Tomlin: 4.98 ERA, .293/.315/.484 opponent slash line Salazar: 4.48 ERA, .249/.329/.410 opponent slash line

Tomlin doesn’t really profile as a reliever, though, and Salazar hasn’t tossed more than 54 pitches in an outing in five weeks. It’s possible Salazar doesn’t make the ALDS roster at all.

Last postseason, the Indians received 69 1/3 innings from their rotation and 64 2/3 innings from their bullpen, nearly an even split. Now, that’s partially a result of having only 2.9 healthy starters (if counting Trevor Bauer’s functioning digits). But during the playoffs, managers tend to rely more heavily upon their relief corps. That could hold especially true for the Indians if Clevinger is indeed turned loose.

The Indians likely wouldn’t be seeking more than four or five innings from their No. 4 starter anyway.

(And, yes, the team probably trusts Tomlin because of his efforts last postseason. There is likely some loyalty involved.)

How does this affect the makeup of the bullpen?

It’s safe to say that six guys are locks: Clevinger, Miller, Allen, Shaw, Joe Smith and Tyler Olson. That leaves Nick Goody, Dan Otero, Zach McAllister and either Tomlin or Salazar for one or two spots.

The final bullpen tally will be linked to the position-player decisions. The Indians still have to determine if Jason Kipnis can handle center field, if Brandon Guyer and Lonnie Chisenhall can recover from their injuries and if Yandy Diaz and Giovanny Urshela both deserve a spot on the playoff roster.

The Indians’ decision-makers held court for a bit Saturday morning to assess the situation. There promise to be several more discussions before the puzzle is complete.

Cleveland Indians' Mike Clevinger will open postseason in bullpen By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com [email protected] SEATTLE -- Manager Terry Francona said Saturday that 11-game winner Mike Clevinger will open the postseason in the bullpen. The Indians open the AL Division Series on Oct. 5. Francona said the Indians will open the postseason with a four-man rotation. The first three spots will go to Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer. The fourth starter, with Clevinger out of the picture, comes down to Josh Tomlin, Danny Salazar and Ryan Merritt. Salazar, said Francona, will take Clevinger's next start. But he did not name Salazar as the fourth starter. Right now, Tomlin could be the favorite only because he pitched well in the postseason last year and can pitch deeper into games than Salazar, who just came off the disabled list. Merritt has not appeared in a game since beating the Yankees on Aug. 30, which takes him out of the running unless there's an emergency. The Indians changed their rotation for their upcoming series against the Twins with Tomlin starting Tuesday and Salazar on Wednesday at Progressive Field. "We put Clev in the bullpen," Francona told reporters. "He'll be available out of the pen today. The reason is we'll try to assimilate him to the pen because we think he can be a weapon, but we want to give him a week to fit in out there. "Sometimes you take starters and put them in the bullpen and it throws everybody out of whack a little bit. We don't want to do that. So we want him to be a part of what we're doing out there so we can try to find some rhythm." Clevinger (11-3, 3.13) has been on a great roll. He's struck out 133 and walked 58 in 118 innings. He's made 24 appearances, including 21 starts. "He has not been banished to the bullpen," said Francona. "He's been sent there to help us win. He understands that. "When we get into a playoff series, we value the innings from out bullpen. We plan on using him as a weapon -- just like Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen and Andrew Miller. There's a reason we did this." Clevinger pitched out of the pen last postseason, but he didn't have the kind of numbers he had this year as a starter. He has won his last five starts, allowing just two earned runs in 29 2/3 innings with 34 strikeouts and 10 walks. "I think it's pretty safe to say we'll go with a four-man rotation," said Francona. "We're still lining up stuff. The way we go -- we think we know what we want to do, we just want to make sure. There's no reason to tie yourself to one thing with the exception of you want the pitchers to pitch on the right days. Mickey (Callaway, pitching coach) is talking to them right now. "Do they want extra rest now, do they want it later? We're just trying to tie all that together." When asked about Salazar's status, Francona said, "There's a lot of stuff we're talking about. I'll just keep it at that." Clevinger gives the Indians a safety net in case a starter is injured before the postseason. "One day you can feel like you're in good shape," said Francona. "The next you say, 'Where did they go?'" Clevinger's addition to the pen means someone is going to get knocked off the postseason roster. Clevinger, Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Andrew Miller and Joe Smith seem secure. Now the question is will the Indians carry seven or eight relievers? Francona's options are Zach McAllister, Dan Otero, Nick Goody, Tyler Olson, Shawn Armstrong, Craig Breslow, Klyle Crockett and Salazar, if he doesn't make the rotation. Last year the Indians used an 11-man staff in the ALDS, but it included eight relievers. send Shawn Morimando home with full pay, service time By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com [email protected] SEATTLE -- The Indians have sent left-hander Shawn Morimando home, but it's not because he did anything wrong. There were just no innings for him to pitch as the Indians prepare the pitching staff for the postseason. Manager Terry Francona felt bad that he couldn't get Morimando into any games and gave him permission to go home. He will still receive big-league service time and pay through the end of the regular season. Morimando joined the Indians on Sept. 1 from Class AAA Columbus. The Indians played a doubleheader that day against the Tigers and Francona wanted to make sure he had enough pitching protection. "We had no innings," said Francona. "We wanted to protect ourselves for that doubleheader. Once we got through that there were no innings. He's still getting paid. He's still getting his service time. We just didn't think it was fair to him." In 26 starts at Columbus this year, Morimando went 10-9 with a 4.41 ERA. He struck out 128 and walked 57 in 159 1/3 innings. He was a combined 15-5 in 2016 at Columbus and Class AA Akron. Morimando was an 19th round pick in 2011. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.24.2017 Cleveland Indians: Inside story of Mike Clevinger trade -- Terry Pluto By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When the Cleveland Indians traded for Mike Clevinger, he was pitching for a team called Inland Empire. The date was August 7, 2014. Clevinger was a 23-year-old righthander with a 5.37 ERA in the Class A California League. Oh, he also was recovering from 2012 Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. He was still ranked as the No. 17 prospect in the California Angels organization, but there were a lot of question marks about that rating because it was done at the start of the 2014 season. Clevinger's entire minor league experience with the Angels consisted of a 5-5 record covering 130 innings and a 4.29 ERA. Remember, this was August 7, 2014. Clevinger couldn't believe the Indians or anyone else would want to trade for him at that point in his career. "It was a total shock," Clevinger told me in spring training. Clevinger had been shelled for five runs in 2 2/3 innings in his previous start. He walked six. "I was throwing in the high 80s mph, still building up my arm strength after surgery," he said. "I was in the weight room. The pitching coach came in and said, 'Put those weights down right now, we need to talk to you.' I figured I had done something wrong." Clevinger was told he had been traded to Cleveland. "I didn't even know who I was traded for until later," he said. "I saw on ESPN (the crawl line) it was for Vinnie Pestano." THE LITTLE DEAL "It was a waiver deal." That's the first thing Tribe general manager said when I asked him about the Clevinger trade. It was early August, 2014. The Indians were playing .500 baseball, and it was very unlikely they'd make the playoffs. That was the situation when the Indians put Vinnie Pestano on waivers. Once a valuable part of the Tribe bullpen (2.45 ERA in 2011-12), Pestano was dealing with a cranky arm and pitching in Class AAA. Waivers is a way for a team to see if any team has an interest in a player such as Pestano. The Angels claimed him. "We were open to a deal," said Tribe president Chris Antonetti. "So we started talking about prospects we could receive in return." At this point, no one had said a word about Clevinger. "I don't recall who we asked for first," said Antonetti. "It wasn't Mike." As Chernoff explained, "We put together a list of guys. Usually, the first name or two in a deal like this is not the guy you end up with." He grew up in Jacksonville, Fla. Clevinger told me only one four-year college offered him a full baseball scholarship. That was The Citadel, a military school in Charleston, S.C. Hard to believe when you see Clevinger's long, flowing hair, but he was a knob. Knobs are bald. "I had long hair from the time I was five," said Clevinger. "But they cut off all your hair. All of it. My parents wanted me to go to a good academic school, and that's a very good school." At The Citadel, he had a 5-3 record with a 5.15 ERA. He struck out 77 in 93 innings, walking 35. The most impressive numbers were his size: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds at the time. And he was throwing about 93 mph at the age of 19. A few scouts talked to him, and said he would probably be drafted if he transferred to a junior college. "That's the only reason I left The Citadel," he said. "I did well in school. But I couldn't be drafted until after I was a junior if I stayed there." Clevinger went to Seminole Junior College for the 2011 season. He was a relief pitcher with a 1-2 record, a 2.84 ERA. Scouts eyes and radar guns lit up when he struck out 52 in 32 innings. WHO KNEW? He was a fourth-round pick of the Angels and signed for $250,000. Think about this for a moment: 1. Clevinger had only one full baseball scholarship out of a high school -- to The Citadel. 2. At The Citadel, he had a 5.15 ERA as a starter. 3. In junior college, he was put in the bullpen and pitched well enough to be drafted. 4. When the Indians traded for him, he had a 5.37 ERA in the Class A California League. "None of us are going to claim we knew Mike would develop as fast as he did when we traded for him," said Antonetti. "But there were things about him that we liked." Chernoff said one stat jumped out: "He was striking out a hitter an inning (58 in 55 innings). We felt with some changes to his delivery, he could throw a little harder and get more depth on his breaking ball. There were some ingredients for him to succeed." Tribe scouting director Brad Grant said the Indians had Clevinger ranked as a fifth-to-seventh round draft pick. Grant said Tribe scouts saw Clevinger three times at Seminole Junior College, covering five innings. He was throwing 94 mph. "The big question for us was if he could start," said Grant. "He was still developing a breaking ball." When the Indians were considering Clevinger in the trade, they checked the Tribe's amateur scouting reports from Grant's department. They also had director of pro scouting Victor Wang put together all the reports from Clevinger in the minors with the Angels. "You try to get as much information from as many different places as you can," said Grant. Clevinger has an 11-5 record and 3.13 ERA for the Tribe this season. The reason for the dramatic rise is Clevinger's willingness to learn and to make changes in his delivery. Tribe minor league pitching coaches Ruben Niebla and Steve Karsay began working with Clevinger. So did Eric Binder, a former minor league pitcher and director of baseball operations. Clevinger opened the 2015 season at Class AA Akron, where he had a 9-8 record and 2.73 ERA. He was promoted to Class AAA Columbus for the playoffs and threw 15 scoreless innings. The little waiver deal was starting to look big as Clevinger was named the Tribe's 2015 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. In 2016, Clevinger was 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA in Columbus. He saw limited action with the Tribe last season. Now, he has a 1.32 ERA in his last seven starts. "Mike is very open-minded," said Chernoff. "You can come up with a plan for a guy, but he has to be willing to buy into it. He is very trusting of our coaches." WHAT HAPPENED TO PESTANO? Pestano was one of the best picks by Indians. He was a 20th-round pick -- Number 611 -- in the 2006 draft. "He had been an excellent closer at California-Fullerton," said Grant. "He was going to be a high pick." Pestano had a 2-1 record with a 0.97 ERA as junior, then hurt his arm. He needed Tommy John elbow surgery. The Indians decided to use the low pick on Pestano and hope he made a full recovery. "We met with Vinnie and his father at the Marriott Fullerton," said Grant. "We offered him $75,000 to sign. Vinnie kept saying he was worth $100,000. Just give him a chance, and he'd prove it. Pestano did just that. He made a major impact in the Tribe bullpen in 2010-11. But Pestano hurt his arm in the 2012 . He never was the same after that. He has a 6-8 record and 2.98 ERA in 223 big league games. He last pitched in the Majors in 2015 with the Angels. Now 32, Pestano pitched this season in the Independent Atlantic League. Clevinger was one of three prospects acquired by the Tribe in the summer of 2014. He was probably the least likely to succeed at that point. 1. The Indians had traded veteran pitcher Justin Masterson to St. Louis for an outfielder named . A former 2012 first-round pick, Ramsey stalled at Class AAA with the Tribe. 2. They traded veteran shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to Washington for an infield prospect named Zach Walters. He had 124 plate appearances with the Tribe in 2014-15, batting .161 with seven homers. 3. Cabrera and Masterson were headed to free agency. The Indians didn't think they could re-sign them. So the Indians turned them into prospects, hoping to add players who could help in the future. 4. Ramsey and Walters were better looking prospects in 2014. Ramsey was 24 and batting .300 with 13 HR at Class AA Springfield when he was acquired. Walters also was 24, batting .300 with 15 HR for Class AAA Syracuse. 5. In 2016, the Indians sent Ramsey and Walters to the Dodgers for "cash considerations." 6. Ramsey is not playing in the minors. Walters is with Kansas City in the Independent American Association. The Indians have a very good record in small deals. Jake Westbrook for Corey Kluber. Casey Blake for Carlos Santana. Esmil Rogers for Yan Gomes are some other examples. "You try to put the odds in your favor," said Chernoff. "And it's the entire organization working with the player once you get him, from scouting to analytics to the coaches to our medical staff." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.24.2017 Cleveland Indians' 1B Carlos Santana getting X-rays on left shoulder after collision By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com [email protected] SEATTLE -- Manager Terry Francona said Indians first baseman Carlos Santana was scheduled to get X-rays on his left shoulder Saturday following an 11-4 win over Seattle at Safeco Field. Santana had his left shoulder bent back by Seattle shortstop Jean Segura in the fifth inning. Team trainer Jeff Desjardins examined Santana on the field for several minutes, but he stayed in the game. Segura, with one out, sent a ball down the third baseline that bounced foul. Third baseman Giovanny Urshela threw the ball to first anyway and the throw was up the line and into the runner. Santana reached into Segura's path to try and make the catch and that's when the collision took place. It is a play that always leaves the first baseman vulnerable to injury. "I think it's his shoulder," said Francona. "We won't play him Sunday, but he's going to get an X-ray that's precautionary. But you could see the way he was swinging (after the collision) that he was letting the it go pretty good." Santana has played an excellent first base this year. Offensively, the switch-hitter is batting .259 (142-for-548) with 37 doubles, 23 homers and 78 RBI. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.24.2017 Cleveland Indians rebound from Friday's loss with 11-4 victory over Seattle Mariners By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com [email protected] SEATTLE - It's hard to call Carlos Carrasco a slump buster. When a team hasn't lost more than two games in a row since the end of July, there are no slumps to bust. But everything is relative and when the Indians lose a game these days, it constitutes a slump. So in the wake of Friday night's loss, the Indians sent the right guy to the mound Saturday to restore order before things careened completely off the tracks (sarcasm alert). Carrasco pitched 5 2/3 innings and Yan Gomes hit two homers as the Indians beat Seattle, 11-4, at Safeco Field. It gave them 28 wins in the last 30 games and 97 for the season. It's the most wins by the Indians since the 1999 edition finished the season at 97-64. The victory gave Carrasco a career-high 17 wins and made him 11-2 on the road this season. That's why he was the right guy for the right job on Saturday. Carrasco (17-6, 3.43) allowed one run on six hits. He struck six and walked two. But he has no idea why he's been so successful on the road this season. "I'm just trying to figure out what happens," said Carrasco. "I really don't know. But I think the most important thing is whether I'm on the road or at home I just go out there and do my job and try to win some games. "But it's true, I'm 11-2 on the road and 6-4 at home. I'm just trying to find out the reason why." Carrasco had a lot of help from his teammates and the Mariners. Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez joined Gomes in the home-run parade. The Mariners, meanwhile, contributed with five errors. Lindor opened the game with his 33rd homer of the season for a 1-0 lead. He hit a 3-2 pitch from rookie right-hander Andrew Moore (1-5, 5.34) into the right field seats for his third leadoff homer of the season and the Indians' sixth. The homer gave him the franchise home-run record for middle infielders in a single season. He had been tied with Hall of Famer Joe Gordon, who hit 32 in 1948. Lindor has hit three homers in his last four games and eight in September. He was given the Indians a dangerous hitter in the leadoff spot. "He could hit in any spot in the lineup," said manager Terry Francona. The Tribe stretched the lead to 3-0 off Moore in the third. Lindor, with one out, doubled. He scored on Austin Jackson's single as Jackson advanced to third on errors by first baseman Yonder Alonso and catcher Mike Zunino. Ramirez, who finished with four RBI to give him 80 for the season, followed with his first of two sacrifice flies. Carrasco held the Mariners scoreless through five, but they reached him for a run in the sixth. Nelson Cruz blooped a single to center and Kyle Seager doubled to the wall in left center to make it 3-1. Andrew Miller relieved and walked the next two batters to load the bases, but struck out Guillermo Heredia to end the inning. The Indians didn't score again until the seventh when Ramirez and Greg Allen hit consecutive sacrifice flies to make it 5-1. Lindor opened the inning by reaching first on an error by Alonso at first. He was originally called out, but the Indians challenged the out call and it was overturned. Jackson doubled into the left field corner for his third hit to push Lindor to third and put Ramirez in position for his second sacrifice fly. Alonso's error was his second of the game and Seattle's fourth overall. And the errors kept on coming. In his last seven games, Jackson is hitting .500 (14-for-28) with 10 runs. Robinson Cano didn't handle Giovanny Urshela's bouncer to second in the eighth for the Mariners' 5th error of the day. It matched a season high for Seattle. Gomes homered in consecutive at-bats in the eighth and ninth innings to give him 13 for the season. The second homer, a three-run drive to left, gave Gomes three hits and four RBI for the game. Ramirez hit his 28th homer of the season in the ninth as well. His was a two-run shot following a leadoff walk by Jackson. Jay Bruce left Saturday's game in the fifth with a sore left heel. Tyler Naquin moved from center to right to replace him. Allen came off the bench to play center. The press box announcement said Bruce was removed for "precautionary reasons." After the game Bruce said he's been dealing with a case of Plantar Fasciitis and "wanted to get ahead of it so I don't miss more games." He is expected to DH on Sunday. While that didn't qualify as a scare, watching Seattle shortstop Jean Segura collide with Santana at first in the fifth inning did. Santana had his left arm bent back by Segura as he reached for an offline throw from third baseman Giovanny Urshela. Santana finished the game, but went for x-rays after the final out. Carrasco threw 99 pitches, 62 (63 percent) for strikes. Moore threw 71 pitches, 49 (69 percent) for strikes. The Indians and Mariners drew 31,565 fans to Safeco Field on Saturday afternoon. First pitch was at 4:10 p.m. with a temperature of 62 degrees. Indians right-hander Corey Kluber (17-4, 2.35) will face Seattle on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. Right-hander Mike Leake (10-12, 3.91) will start for the Mariners. Leake is 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts for Seattle since being acquired from St. Louis. Kluber, working on a five-game winning streak, has not allowed a run in his last 22 innings. He is 2-1 lifetime against the Mariners. Leake is 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA against the Tribe. It is the final road game of the regular season for Cleveland. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.24.2017 What awaits Cleveland Indians in October? Crescendo or dud: Rant of the week By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com [email protected] SEATTLE - The Indians lost Friday night. How strange is that? Since Aug. 24, they have played 29 games and won 27. There was The Streak and the Son of Streak. It was like some old monster movie that just kept propagating - Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein. There are only eight games left in the regular season, but will there be a Bride of Frankenstein? Then comes the postseason. Anyone up for Frankenstein meets Iron Man? This is the longest sustained run of good baseball in franchise history. During the 22-game winning streak, the Indians outscored the opposition, 142-37. The Son of Steak had a tougher time with a mere 27-15 advantage following the streak-ending 4-3 loss to the Royals on Sept. 15. The Indians won these games like teams have been winning baseball games for years. They pitched well, played good defense and scored more runs than the other team. But the pitching, especially the starting pitching, was amazing. During the 22-game winning streak, the rotation went 19-0 with a 1.77 ERA. Corey Kluber (4-0, 1.41), Trevor Bauer (4-0, 3.38), Mike Clevinger (4-0, 0.38), Carlos Carrasco (3-0, 0.62), Ryan Merritt (2-0, 0.75) and Josh Tomlin (2-0, 2.76) never blinked. Clevinger allowed one earned run in 23 2/3 innings. Carrasco allowed two in 29 innings. He added 34 strikeouts and one walk. "Those guys threw us on their backs and have been carrying us for over a month," said closer Cody Allen. During the short shelf life of Son of Streak, the rotation went 3-0 with a 2.98 ERA. When teams win or lose on a consistent bases, there is always a common thread. Bauer has been the Tribe's eye of needle in that regard. He started this whole thing by beating Chris Sale and Boston on Aug. 24. He closed the book at 22 straight by taking the loss against the Royals on Sept. 15. Afterward he was able to smile, saying, "We started 22-0 one year at UCLA, and I lost that game, too. So I learned you should have somebody else pitch for the 23rd win next time." It was the quote of the streak, following the moment of the streak when the Progressive Field crowd gave the Indians a standing ovation following the loss. Manager Terry Francona and the players came out of the dugout and applauded the fans. The streak was over, but something bigger was stirring. Where do Indians go from here? Terry Francona says "up!" On Friday night at Safeco Field, Bauer was once again on the mound when the mini-streak ended. But it was no fault of his. He allowed one run through seven innings and left with the score tied, 1-1. Still, he took it hard as is his nature. Bauer, like so many other players on the Indians, needs time to appreciate what they've done. There is none right now, but there will be. This has been a strong year for Bauer. He has become an important part of the rotation and deserves recognition in the Cy Young voting. So what's left for the Tribe in the last nine days of the regular season? Home-field advantage in the American League, and possibly for the World Series, would be nice. So would 100 wins and 100 RBI for Edwin Encarnacion. But the key, the common thread, is to keep the mojo going. This team has whatever it is that good teams have. It goes beyond wins and losses and is well suited for the postseason. October can end like the snap of a snare drum or it can build to a crescendo. The crescendo for the Indians has been building all season. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.24.2017 Nick Cafardo / SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES / The case for Jose Altuve as AL MVP, and a look at all the contenders By Nick Cafardo The Red Sox will be seeing a lot of Houston second baseman Jose Altuve this coming week and possibly beyond, with four games against the Astros to end the regular season, then potentially a five-game Division Series. Altuve leads the American League in batting and WAR, and he is the likely choice for Most Valuable Player. If he wins the award, it will finally be recognition for one of the greatest pound-for-pound players in the history of the game. The 5-foot-6-inch Altuve finished behind and Mookie Betts in last year’s voting. Altuve’s .346 batting average, 32 steals, 24 homers, and .964 OPS make him the clear favorite. He’s also a very good defensive player, which is becoming more important in MVP consideration. “He’s a tremendous player who plays the game hard. He’s an exciting player who does a lot of different things to help his team win,” said former AL MVP Dustin Pedroia. Maybe it’s little guys sticking together, but Altuve has always admired Pedroia. When I spoke to Altuve a couple of years ago, he nodded his head when I brought up Pedroia’s name, saying, “He plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played. We can all learn from watching Pedroia play. Every play is important to him. I love that.” Altuve’s teammate, leadoff hitter and center fielder , is also a player worthy of top-10 MVP consideration. Trout missed a good chunk of the season, but once again he has an OPS over 1.000, and he will get plenty of votes even with the missed games. The Indians have two possible top-five MVP candidates in second baseman/third baseman Jose Ramirez and pitcher Corey Kluber. Ramirez is described by one respected scout as “baseball’s most under-the-radar player.” He won’t be that after the MVP voting. Some believe Ramirez could finish as high as second in the voting. “I could spend all day talking about Jose,” said Indians bench coach Brad Mills. “He’s a productive player. He comes up with the big hit. Plays the game at a high pace and a high level.” Kluber’s WAR is 7.6, and he has been to the Indians what Chris Sale (6.1) has been to the Red Sox. Kluber is a must-see when he pitches. To think he missed a month of the season and has still put up numbers worthy of MVP consideration. Ramirez and Kluber received a lot of attention from the Indians’ recent 22-game winning streak, which transformed the Tribe from a good team to a great team. You’re also going to see MVP votes for , who has hit 46 homers and rebounded from a long post-All-Star Game drought. His numbers are too good to not be considered. He has Rookie of the Year sewn up now that he’s rebounded. Another under-the-radar player to consider is Angels shortstop , probably the best defensive player in the game. He leads the majors with a 4.1 defensive WAR, and his 7.0 WAR overall is third in the league behind Altuve and Kluber. He is a wizard in the field, but his improved offense will give him possible top-five status in the MVP voting. Betts will get some recognition. While he hasn’t matched his 31 homers and 113 RBIs from last season, he’s going to come close after a slow start. And he has maintained his Gold Glove defense of last season. Is he more valuable to the Red Sox than Sale? It’ll be interesting to see who finishes higher in the voting. There are certainly other players having outstanding years. Toronto’s Justin Smoak has had a breakthrough season offensively and is also a top defender at first base. Justin Upton has had a fine season for the Tigers and Angels. Jose Abreu is closing in on another 30/100 season. Oakland’s Khris Davis is going to have a 40/100 season and is a player hardly anyone knows about. Besides Judge, shortstop is a player the Yankees can’t do without. The term “MVP” means different things to different people. This reporter felt Betts should have won the award last season over Trout, with the emphasis for me being that Betts had led his team to a division title, while Trout’s Angels didn’t make the playoffs. Some voters consider the MVP to be the best player of the year. WAR numbers can also vary based on the formulas used to calculate them. Defensive metrics are also getting more refined and accurate. And there are these things called your eyes. If you’ve followed a player all season you understand his value regardless of what the numbers say. Usually the numbers back up the eyes and the instincts. Angels followers will tell you how valuable Simmons is to their team and how much more defense is being used to measure a great all-around player. There are other ways to consider valuable players. Eduardo Nunez, for instance, has been incredibly valuable to the Red Sox since being acquired at the trade deadline, but he won’t get a single vote. Craig Kimbrel may be the best player at his position, but because he’s a closer and impacts only an inning at a time, he likely won’t receive many MVP votes. DOWN TO THE WIRE As for the American League Cy Young vote, it should be very close between Corey Kluber and Chris Sale. It kind of reminds me of the 1995 AL MVP vote between and Albert Belle, which Vaughn won, much to the dismay of Indians fans. Sale has the sexy number of 300 strikeouts. He and Kluber both have 17 wins. Kluber has the better ERA and hasn’t gone through a slump like Sale, who rebounded with a 13-strikeout outing against the Orioles on Wednesday. Kluber has a major league-high five complete games to Sale’s one. Kluber also is in the middle of a 22-inning scoreless streak. You could penalize Kluber for having four fewer starts, but he does have the same number of wins, and fewer losses. Kluber has 252 strikeouts and would be close to Sale’s total if he hadn’t missed those outings. There have been many cases in which 300 strikeouts did not guarantee a Cy Young Award. Nolan Ryan struck out 300 six times and never won it. struck out 300 in 1997 and 1998 and didn’t win it. Kluber also has a better WHIP, 0.85 to Sale’s 0.95. So you can see how close this could be. The winner will be in the eyes of the beholder. Kluber will gain attention for his role in the 22-game winning streak, while Sale will get exposure for his 300 K’s. Coincidentally, Sale and Kluber share an agent, B.B. Abbott. Asked which of his clients will win the Cy Young Award, Abbott said, “First tie ever.” Apropos of nothing 1. John Farrell’s decision to let Chris Sale pitch the eighth inning Wednesday night went against a master plan to rest Sale more near the end of the season. It all came down to wanting Sale to get his 300th strikeout. Sale will likely get scaled back in his next start, but that likely should have begun on Wednesday. 2. The has become baseball’s test kitchen, so don’t be surprised to see some ideas being tested. One might be earpieces between the pitcher, catcher, and manager to try to cut down on sign-stealing, while also limiting mound conferences that really slow the game. Commissioner Rob Manfred is all for reducing time between plays. 3. One player who may not get the recognition he deserves for his defense? Jackie Bradley Jr. As outstanding as his catches and throws have been, Bradley is competing with Tampa Bay’s and Toronto’s for the Gold Glove. And now you have to add Minnesota’s to the mix, and he might be the front-runner. It’s just an era of great center fielders. 4. Amazing story developing as former major leaguer Raul Mondesi has been sentenced to eight years in prison for mishandling funds as the mayor of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. He was found guilty of defrauding the city of $6 million-plus and has been under house arrest since February. Mondesi, the 1994 NL Rookie of the Year for the Dodgers, had one of the best outfield arms in baseball. His son, Raul Mondesi Jr., plays shortstop for the Royals. 5. Great seeing Reds first base coach Billy Hatcher this weekend. The former outfielder stole home twice during his time with the Red Sox from 1992-94, against Chuck Finley and Juan Guzman. 6. Another great scout let go: former Philadelphia and Houston GM Ed Wade by the Phillies. Updates on nine 1. Christian Vazquez, C, Red Sox — Sox manager John Farrell thinks Vazquez could start 110-120 games by next season, but he cautions, “I think the position is a two-man position.” It’s certainly been that way in Boston this season. Vazquez entered the weekend with 79 starts behind the plate, and Sandy Leon 73. But it may be that number becomes more lopsided now that Vazquez has found offense. 2. Jonathan Lucroy, C, Rockies — It wasn’t a great time to have a down year offensively, but ahead of free agency teams are still scouting Lucroy, generally considered one of the best all-around catchers in the game. Lucroy is only 31 and while he won’t garner a long-term deal, he should get at least two years. One NL scout assigned to him said, “He’s a solid receiver and he handles a pitching staff well. Those are the two most important things. The offense [.258, five homers, 38 RBIs] is baffling because he’s always been one of the best at his position. You have to take the leap that part will come back.” 3. J.D. Martinez, OF, Diamondbacks — It was surprising at the deadline that Tigers GM didn’t receive more interest in Martinez. But at the time, the emphasis was primarily on pitching. Martinez would like to remain in Arizona, but the free agent will likely be more sought-after now that only money will be involved. Entering the weekend, Martinez was hitting .294 with 41 homers, 93 RBIs, and a 1.041 OPS. 4. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals — According to a Royals official, “He would hit 45 [homers] at Fenway easy.” But Moustakas is not likely in the Red Sox’ sights since their need may be for more of a 1B/DH power type, and teammate might be a better fit. Moustakas, who has hit 37 homers and knocked in 83 runs this season, will get plenty of looks from the Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Angels, for starters. 5. Lorenzo Cain, OF, Royals — There’s a possibility the Royals could make a play to keep Cain, who will be a free agent. Cain is still a very good outfielder, but he’s hitting free agency when he’ll be 32 years old. Would Cain be better off staying put rather than testing the waters? Cain has been a .300 hitter all season with an OPS above .800. 6. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Yankees — His up-and-down career is back on the upswing. “It’s all about health with Jacoby,” said an AL assistant GM. “He’s still a capable player, but he’s never been one to overcome his injuries. The one time he did was when he played with the broken foot in Boston.” Ellsbury had pretty much been demoted to fourth outfielder, but since (oblique) has been out, Ellsbury has hit .429 in September and could now be the Yankees’ starting center fielder in the playoffs. 7. Wade Miley, LHP, Orioles — The Orioles have been very disappointed in what they’ve received from Miley and the likelihood is strong that they won’t pick up his $12 million option for next season and instead buy him out for $500,000. The Orioles must address their rotation and have to get into the market for Yu Darvish or swallow their pride and go after free agent Jake Arrieta, whom they traded to the Cubs. 8. Sam Travis, 1B, Red Sox — One of the big decisions the Sox will have to make is whether to commit to Travis as their full-time first baseman or go after a veteran such as Hosmer or Carlos Santana, or trade for Jose Abreu. There’s always the possibility they could try to re-sign Mitch Moreland, who has been a productive and popular player. But Moreland will likely get a multiyear deal from a team like the Royals or Mariners. Whatever happens in the playoffs, the big void on this team is power. They have to address it. 9. , manager, Tigers — Ausmus was told this past week he won’t be back after a four-year stint. He was hired in Detroit by Dave Dombrowski and was runner-up for the job that went to John Farrell in Boston. Ausmus is one the smartest people in baseball and he will likely resurface because he’s very analytical, and that’s a big part of today’s game. If Paul Molitor doesn’t return in Minnesota, Ausmus could fit there. From the Bill Chuck files — “The AL interleague hitter of the year is Jose Altuve, who hit .421 in 20 games against the NL. The NL interleague hitter of the year is Paul Goldschmidt, who hit .377 in 17 games against the AL. Charlie Blackmon and Jose Abreu each have hit eight interleague homers.” . . . Happy birthday, John McDonald (43), Kevin Millar (46), and Bernard Gilkey (51). Boston Globe LOADED: 09.24.2017

Indians bounce back against Mariners, improving MLB’s best record with an 11-4 win Ryan Divish There would be no chance for late-inning heroics. After suffering just their second loss since Aug. 23 on Friday night, the Cleveland Indians reasserted their proper place in this series of two teams going in very different directions with an 11-4 drubbing of the Mariners on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Safeco Field. The Indians improved on their American League-best record to 97-58 and moved another game closer to gaining home-field advantage and facing the winner of the AL wild-card game. Meanwhile, the Mariners moved one game closer to mathematical elimination from that wild-card game. Cleveland got a solid start from right-hander Carlos Carrasco and took advantage of five errors, and mistake pitches from three Mariners pitchers that had all been in the starting rotation this season. “It was about catching the baseball and doing things right fundamentally,” manager Scott Servais said. “We need to be better at that. That’s one area that needs to be addressed. It’s one area we need to take more pride in doing. And it starts with me and the coaches.” The memory of the Mariners playing so well in a 3-1 walkoff win over Cleveland on Friday night was gone less than 24 hours later in a lackluster loss. “We played a nice clean ball game last night, and today was just the opposite of that,” Servais said. “It was sloppy. You can’t make five errors and think you are going to stay in the game with a quality team in the other dugout. You have to protect the baseball. Every out is so crucial, and when you don’t get them, you pay the price.” Carrasco made his 31st start of the season, a career high, allowing one run on six hits in 52/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out six and walked two. He wasn’t particularly dominant or efficient, but he was effective. His only run allowed came in the sixth inning, which he wouldn’t finish. With his team leading 3-0, he allowed a one-out single to Nelson Cruz and a double to the gap in left-center by Kyle Seager. Cruz was able to score all the way from first. With two outs and Carrasco’s pitch count at 99, Cleveland manager Terry Francona called on do-everything, dominating reliever Andrew Miller. The long-armed lefty walked pinch-hitter and Mike Zunino to load the bases, but struck out Guillermo Heredia looking to end the threat. “We had a few chances offensively, but some double plays hurt us,” Servais said. “And then you need the big hit with the bases loaded.” The Indians provided more than enough run support, with a little help from Seattle’s mistake-prone defense. Cleveland had a 1-0 lead one batter into the game when Francisco Lindor yanked a leadoff homer to right field off Seattle starter Andrew Moore. It was Lindor’s 33rd homer of the season — a stunning total for the young shortstop. Cleveland pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third inning on an RBI single from Austin Jackson and a sacrifice fly from Jose Ramirez. “It was pretty frustrating there in the first, not being able to command anything,” Moore said. “When you get behind in counts like that, you are getting in dangerous territory. It was a 3-2 fastball to Lindor — he’s pretty good, and he didn’t miss it. Just a bad location.” Moore worked four innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits with three strikeouts. “He wasn’t quite as sharp as he been in his last couple of starts,” Servais said of Moore. The Indians tacked on two more runs in the seventh on pair of sacrifice flies. The Mariners’ main bright spot came from Cruz, who has been Seattle’s best hitter. Cruz homered for the fourth straight game, crushing a solo homer into The Pen area beyond the wall in center for his 37th homer of the season. But it had little factor in the outcome. “When Nellie gets locked in, it’s really fun to watch,” Servais said. Jean Segura left the game following the Mariners’ fifth error in the top of the ninth. Ariel Miranda, who had already given up a two-run homer in the inning, fired wildly to second on a comebacker to the mound. Robinson Cano couldn’t grab the wayward throw and it hit Segura on the right hand as he backed up the play. “X-rays were negative,” Servais said. “It’s not broken. It will be day to day.” Moments after Segura left the game, Miranda served up a three-run homer to Yan Gomes. It was the 37th homer he’s allowed this season, the most in the major leagues. Three takeaways after form returns and Mariners get pounded by Indians BOB DUTTON There was no carry-over Saturday for the Mariners from Friday’s dramatic walk-off victory over Cleveland’s rampaging Indians. None. Ball just doesn’t work that way. Form returned Saturday at Safeco Field. With a vengeance. The Indians took advantage of five errors worth of sloppy defense by the Mariners, hit four homers (including two by Yan Gomes) and flashed their deep bullpen after getting a strong start from Carlos Carrasco. The result saw the Tribe coast to an 11-4 victory over the Mariners at Safeco Field. That makes 28 victories for Cleveland in its last 30 games and had Mariners manager Scott Servais biting off his words in his postgame remarks. "You can’t make five errors and think you’re going to stay in the game against a quality team," Servais said. "We just didn’t respond today, and it was about catching the baseball and doing things right fundamentally. "We haven’t done that. We’ve struggled with that. That’s one area that needs to be addressed as we go forward. That’s one area we need to take more pride in doing. It’s starts with me, then the coaching staff and down through the players. "We’ve got to protect the baseball. Every out is so crucial in this game. When you don’t get them, you pay the price." The Mariners resumed their September swoon by losing for the seventh time in eight games. They fell to 75-80 and must now win their remaining seven games to finish with a winning record. The loss also helped reduce the Mariners’ tragic number to two. Any combination of two Minnesota victories and Mariners losses mathematically eliminates the Mariners from postseason contention. That could come as soon as Sunday. It gets worse. Shortstop Jean Segura left the game in the ninth inning because of a sprained middle finger on his right hand after being hit when a poor throw to second by pitcher Ariel Miranda ticked off the glove of second baseman Robinson Cano. "X-rays were negative," Servais said. "He did not break the bone. It’ll be day to day. It’s going to be sore because it plays into his throwing." Segura’s injury was part of a five-run ninth inning against Miranda, who is closing the season in the bullpen after getting pulled from rotation because of a rising innings count in combination with diminishing effectiveness. This one didn’t just end in disaster. It was bad from the start. The first pitch from Andrew Moore (1-5) went to the backstop, but he worked the count full on Francisco Lindor, who then cranked a 93-mph fastball over the right-center wall for his 33rd homer of the season. "It was pretty frustrating there in the first in not being able to command anything," Moore said. "Getting behind against a team like that, you’re getting into dangerous territory." Lindor’s next at-bat resulted in a one-out double to right in the third inning and led to two more runs when the Mariners’ defense began imploding on Austin Jackson’s single. Lindor scored on the single, and Jackson went to second when first baseman Yonder Alonso failed to make a clean cut on the throw the plate. The ball dribbled through to catcher Mike Zunino, who made a poor throw to second that got away from Cano and permitted Jackson to reach third. Alonso and Zunino received errors on the play. Jackson scored when Jose Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly. The Mariners broke through in the sixth inning against Carrasco (17-6) when Nelson Cruz reached on a one-out single and scored on Kyle Seager’s double past a diving Greg Allen in center field. Andrew Miller replaced Carrasco with two outs and Seager still at second. Two walks loaded the bases before Miller struck out Guillermo Heredia. More bad defense ended any comeback hopes. First, Cleveland struck back with two runs in the seventh inning against Dan Altavilla after Lindor reached on an Alonso error and Jackson followed with a double on a drive to left that reached by failed to catch. Sacrifice flies by Ramirez and Allen made it 5-1. Gomes’ first homer came in the eighth against Ryan Garton. After Cruz answered later in the inning, his 37th homer of the year, the Indians pummeled Miranda in the ninth. "You’ve got to execute and make the plays," Servais said "That’s what it takes to get into October. Throughout the season, we have not done that. That’s why we’re in the situation we’re in. We’ve got to get better. We know that. "We don’t have the type of pitching that’s going to strike 10-to-12 guys out every night. You’ve got to catch the baseball. It didn’t happen today." THREE TAKEAWAYS: ***Too athletic?: The Mariners, like many teams, have their share of pitchers who are often too slow to react quickly on plays such as fielding a bunt or breaking to first base on a ball hit to the right side. Marco Gonzales is in the opposite camp and, on a play in the sixth inning, it cost him. Gonzales broke quickly from the mound when Tyler Naquin hit a dribbler up the first-base line. Gonzales misplayed the pickup, and was charged with an error. Had Gonzales not reached the ball, it was headed for Alonso at first base. ***Injury avoided: One of the few things that could derail the Indians is an injury or a series or injuries. They avoided just such a potential problem in the fifth inning when a throw by third baseman Giovanny Urshela forced first baseman Carlos Santana to reach into the runner, Segura, to make the catch. The collision forced Santana’s arm and wrist to hyper-extend in the wrong direction, and he went to the ground in pain. After a brief examination from the Indians trainer, however, Santana remained in the game. "I think it’s his shoulder," Indians manager Terry Francona said, "and we won’t play him (Sunday). I think he’s going to get an X-ray, precautionary, but you could see the way he was swinging, he was letting it go pretty good." Also worth noting: The ball was foul when Urshela fielded it and threw to first. ***Zych on shelf: Reliever Tony Zych’s continuing battle with forearm soreness prompted club officials to shut him down for the remainder of the season. He is 6-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 45 games but hasn’t pitched since Aug. 19. "He threw really well for a nice chunk of the season," Servais said. "He worked his way into a prominent role in being to guy to get us out of trouble in the sixth and seventh inning." Zych opened the season on the disabled list after undergoing surgery in October for a biceps tendon transfer. "The important thing for Tony," Servais said, "is early on is we were very cautious about giving him enough rest in-between outings. You didn’t see us use him back-to-back. "When some other things happened — when (Steve) Cishek got traded — Tony’s usage creeped up. He should be ready to go (next season). There’s no surgery involved. It’s just some inflammation." News Tribune LOADED: 09.24.2017