Tribe rides homers, Carrasco past White Sox By Scott Merkin and Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 2:48 AM ET CHICAGO -- Carlos Carrasco followed the example set by Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field by shutting the White Sox over eight Saturday in a 7-0 Cleveland victory. Carrasco said the Tribe's rotation is beginning to have the kind of internal competition that helped the team so much last year. "That's what we want to do," Carrasco said. "Every time Kluber throws and goes seven innings or eight innings, why not? I want to follow that. I think that's good. I did that today and I hope [Danny] Salazar does that tomorrow." The Indians came within three outs, recorded by Zach McAllister in the ninth, of producing back-to-back individual shutouts for the first time since April 16-18, 1981, when Wayne Garland and did the honors. Cleveland's last consecutive overall shutouts came July 27-28, 2013. Carrasco allowed three hits Saturday, walked one and struck out eight. "He was good," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He attacked the zone. He threw a really good , and reached back for his , and challenged hitters when he needed to. He did a great job." The White Sox offense, meanwhile, dove deeper into a recent funk. They have not scored a in the past 23 innings, and have had just one baserunner reach second base in this . Tyler Saladino had two of the three Chicago hits. Mike Pelfrey suffered the loss, coming up from -A Charlotte to take the spot of the injured in the starting rotation. He allowed four runs (two earned) over 4 1/3 innings, striking out one and walking one. Edwin Encarnacion a two-run homer off of Pelfrey, and Michael Brantley went deep off of reliever Michael Ynoa in the seventh. "Would have definitely liked to go a little deeper in the game," Pelfrey said. "I'd like to get that 0-2 back in the first to Encarnacion. Unfortunately, that ended up being the game with as good as Carrasco was, and obviously he was on tonight, so kind of tough to put us in a 2- 0 hole, especially as good as he was." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Down, but not out: Pelfrey had Encarnacion in an 0-2 with two outs in the first when the right-hander fired an elevated, outside fastball. Encarnacion crushed the pitch to center field with an exit velocity of 107 mph, per Statcast™. The two-run blast traveled a projected 437 feet and spotted Carrasco a quick lead. Also according to Statcast™, Encarnacion hit .167 with a .333 slugging percentage on to that area of the in 2016. "I think that shows what he can do. The strength," Francona said. "He's starting to get a little more aggressive and getting his legs under him a little bit better. I think that bodes well for us." The streak is over: Jacob May endured 26 consecutive hitless at-bats to begin his career before producing his first hit leading off the seventh inning. May connected on a 1-1 and grounded the ball back up the middle. He received congratulations from Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana, and earned a standing ovation from the crowd. May was pinch-hitting for Melky Cabrera at the time. QUOTABLE "When you pitch, it makes the rest of your ballclub look pretty crisp. You the ball. The runs you score are meaningful. It's a good way to play." -- Francona "Yeah, it was kind of like having Harambe on my back. I was in a chokehold because I couldn't breathe as well. Now that he's gone, hopefully I can have a lot of success and help this team win. That's the ultimate goal to help this team win. Anything I can do to help that out." -- May on getting his first hit after the 0-for-26 start THE INJURY REPORT Zach Putnam left Saturday's contest in the seventh inning with right elbow tenderness after issuing a free pass to Santana to open the frame. It was the first walk from Putnam in 28 hitters faced. Putnam underwent season-ending surgery on Aug. 5 of last season to remove bone fragments from his right elbow. Cabrera departed the game after colliding with the left field wall while chasing a Ramirez in the top of the seventh. He was removed for precautionary measures, and X-rays were negative. Both players are day to day. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Indians' rotation is riding a streak of 19 1/3 consecutive shutout innings, dating back to Thursday in Minnesota. Over Cleveland's current five-game winning streak, Tribe starters have combined for a 1.53 ERA with 33 and eight walks in 35 1/3 innings. WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Danny Salazar is scheduled to take the mound for the Tribe in a 2:10 p.m. ET game against the White Sox on Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Salazar currently leads Major League starters with 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He has averaged 13.7 K's per nine in 49 1/3 career innings against Chicago. White Sox: Derek Holland makes his second start of the season against the Indians coming off of a loss against the Yankees during his last trip to the mound. Holland is 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA lifetime against the Indians and is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his last three starts against them. Game time is set for 1:10 p.m. CT.

Salazar, Tribe aim to complete sweep of Sox By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 4:58 AM ET Something will have to give on Sunday, when White Sox lefty Derek Holland and Indians righty Danny Salazar square off at Guaranteed Rate Field. Holland has stymied the Tribe over the course of his career and Salazar has piled up strikeouts at a rapid rate in his starts against Chicago. This will be Round 2 for the starters, who faced each other on April 12 in Cleveland. Holland came out on top in that 2-1 victory for the White Sox behind six shutout innings. With the win, the crafty left-hander improved to 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 61 1/3 career innings against the Indians. "Early in the game, he established his fastball," Indians manager Terry Francona said after the April 12 game. "It seemed like he put the fastball in our heads, and then he went to his offspeed and was really good. I mean, we hit a few balls hard. On a night when we needed something to drop, they didn't. But, we didn't have a whole lot going against him." Salazar struck out 11 and limited the White Sox to two runs, but that was enough damage. In his career against Chicago, the hard-throwing righty has turned in a 3.65 ERA and piled up 75 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings. That equates to a rate of 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings, which is only a hair below the Major League-best 13.8 mark Salazar has fashioned through three overall starts this year. "We've set the bar so high," Francona said of Salazar. "I think Danny's getting to that point where he's starting to learn a lot. His work ethic and his routines have been really good." Three things to know: • Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis was activated from the 10-day disabled list on Friday after a bout with a right shoulder issue. Francona plans on easing Kipnis back into the mix, and hinted that the second baseman might have a day off coming Sunday. If Kipnis is out, utility man Michael Martinez would likely be in the lineup. • Third baseman Matt Davidson was not in the lineup for the White Sox on Friday or Saturday, so there is a good chance he will be worked back into the mix for Sunday's series finale. Through 11 games this year, Davidson has hit .324 with three homers, 10 RBIs and a 1.010 OPS. • Due to Sunday's game being a day game after a night game, look for catcher Roberto Perez to be behind the plate for the Tribe. Salazar has a better -to-walk ratio with Perez (3.7) than with Yan Gomes (3.1), but has posted a higher ERA with Perez (4.76) than with Gomes (3.28).

Carrasco nearly matches Kluber's feat vs. Sox By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 12:21 AM ET CHICAGO -- Carlos Carrasco briefly pleaded his case in the visitors' , but it was no use. After eight brilliant innings against the White Sox on Saturday night, the 's night was done. Indians manager Terry Francona didn't give in to the pressure. "We need him for the long haul," Francona said after Cleveland's 7-0 win at Guaranteed Rate Field. "My heart was saying yeah, but I just didn't think it made sense." No, Carrasco would not follow Corey Kluber's three-hit shutout with one of his own. The big right-hander came up one frame short to add a complete game to his career resume, but he understood Francona's decision. A win was in hand, and the Indians have designs on playing past September, so even a handful of pitches saved is beneficial for the reigning American League champions. Cleveland's relievers are not quite at the point of scanning the classifieds for job opportunities, but the innings have been hard to come by of late with the way the Tribe's rotation has been rolling. The Indians have won five consecutive games, and the rotation has shouldered the bulk of the load, posting a 1.53 ERA over 35 1/3 innings over that span. "We like these days," reliever Dan Otero quipped. Kluber and Carrasco -- plus the three outs notched in the ninth by Zach McAllister -- have helped piece together consecutive team shutouts for the Indians for the first time since July 27-28, 2013. Kluber and Carrasco nearly turned in the first back-to-back individual shutouts for Cleveland since 1981. No player on the Tribe's active roster was born when Wayne Garland and Bert Blyleven achieved that feat. After watching Kluber overpower Chicago's lineup with the help of a dynamic cutter Friday night, Carrasco leaned heavily on his to find success Saturday. That particular pitch accounted for seven swinging strikes, four called strikes, three strikeouts and an 0-for-4 showing on balls in play. The righty also effectively mixed in sinkers, four-seamers, and his split-change in a 106-pitch effort. "You saw the game yesterday," Carrasco said. "It went so smooth for Klube when he threw his cutter. For me, that's my slider. Other than that, I just followed the plan that we had. The big key today was throwing first-pitch strikes and keeping them off-balance." Through four starts this season, Carrasco now has a tidy 1.65 ERA to go along with 27 strikeouts and seven walks in 27 1/3 innings. He has allowed just 15 hits, limiting opposing hitters to a .163 average. That strong start comes after Carrasco was sidelined for part of with inflammation in his right elbow. Any lingering worries over Carrasco's health have swiftly disappeared. "I admit we had some anxiety, just because he didn't pitch that much," Francona said. "But, coming out of the chute, he's been good since his first start. Now, he's stretched out where the game dictates when he comes out, as opposed to maybe a ." Against the White Sox, Carrasco wanted one more inning. "He made the decision and said that's enough," Carrasco said of Francona. "That's OK. That's good. We have a good , and Zach came in and went one, two, three. That's why they're here." Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog,

Ramirez's versatility gives relief to ailing Tribe Skilled defender slides back to third base after filling in for Kipnis at second By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | April 22nd, 2017 CHICAGO -- Part of Jose Ramirez's value is his ability to move around the diamond for the Indians. While Jason Kipnis was sidelined earlier this month, Ramirez filled in at second base. Last year, Ramirez played left field in Michael Brantley's absence before sliding to third base for the second half. With Kipnis now off the disabled list, Ramirez handed over the keys to second and returned to the hot corner. Calling Ramirez a utility player does not accurately describe what he brings to the table for Cleveland, because he is in the lineup every day and has found a home as the team's fifth hitter. "It's not a utility player," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "It's kind of just a really good player that can be versatile. I think there's a difference." This spring, Ramirez's flexibility opened the door for the Indians to bring rookie Yandy Diaz north as their third baseman. Cleveland's options without Kipnis for the first few weeks would have been more limited without Ramirez's ability to switch positions with such ease. Ramirez enjoyed his time at second base, but is just as happy to move back to third. "I felt good about it," Ramirez said through team translator Anna Bolton. "[Second base] was my position earlier in the Minor Leagues and everywhere else. I felt good there, but I'm also really happy that Kipnis is back." Francona said the move to third should be easy for Ramirez to handle, especially because he was already playing in the , and Ramirez agreed with the assessment. It was a little more challenging last season, when Ramirez moved from left field to third base following the release of veteran third baseman Juan Uribe. "I think it'll be much easier this year," said Indians third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh, who is also the team's infield instructor. "In the back of his mind, he was expecting that move. Being able to be there the last couple months of the season every day, and starting at third in Spring Training, and having all that time, I think you can see he's very comfortable." Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Columbus when Kipnis was activated Friday, and the rookie will play third and likely garner time in the in the Minors, too. Ramirez has shown that being able to play multiple positions can create more opportunities for a player, and he hopes Diaz takes that same mindset while in Triple-A. "He played really well," Ramirez said. "[Playing more than one position] adds wonderful value, because he has an opportunity to play at many positions. It adds value to who he is, and to the team." Jordan Bastian ha

April 22: Tito’s pregame minutiae by Jordan Bastian

On Jose Ramirez’s play at second base while Jason Kipnis was out:

“I think he does a good job anywhere. If you take away what he’s doing offensively and the numbers௘²௘because that’s really good௘²௘but when you add to it that he can play multiple positions, it kind of makes it seem like your roster can be bigger. In the case of Yandy, Yandy was able to play third because [Ramirez]could move to second. That’s a really big deal. And, if something ever happens somewhere else, I’m sure he could do it. That really does help.”

On Diaz being able to learn from Ramirez’s example as a versatile player:

“And again, you try so hard to make sure the messaging is proper and makes sense to the player. And because you have to do it through an interpreter, you probably spend more time. But, I think part of what we tried to get him to understand is it’s not a utility player. It’s kind of just a really good player that can be versatile. I think there’s a difference. I think Jose understood it. Aviles did. Yandy’s probably going to grab a position someday and play there. But, for right now, the more he can play, it certainly helps his chances of being here, which in turn helps our chances to win.”

Asked how he will celebrate his 58th birthday:

“Hopefully with a win. That’s about it. Those days are long gone. What’d Mickey Mantle say? If i knew I was going to live this long, I would’ve taken better care of myself. There’s probably some people in Vegas that lost money today on the over-under.”

On Carlos Santana’s defensive play at first base:

“I think his whole game is [better]. It’s kind of rare where you see a veteran that makes adjustments like that mid-career, but he’s better at everything. And he’s fun to be around. I’m not saying he wasn’t before, but he’s really tried to step it up, and it shows. Last night, that was a game-changer, that play. And then, the foul ball. We’re watching Gomer, and then all of a sudden there’s Carlos. I think he’s in a good place and I think it shows on the field.”

On deciding who plays first between Santana and Edwin Encarnacion:

“Eddy’s hamstring was a little bit sore up in Minnesota and it was so cold, and I know Carlos likes to play anyway. So, it won’t just be Carlos playing first, but I thought, while it was cold, trying to let Eddy make that thing feeling better, which it is, which is good. And then we’ll get him back in there kind of like on a rotation.”

On Santana putting in the work defensively over the winter:

“And I thought he did in Spring Training, and it shows. I’ve told him before, I think part of the problem was, when he was catching here every day, they put him at first to kind of save his legs, which I get. Well, that was, for him, kind of a௘²௘not a day off௘²௘but, I’ve tried to explain to him over the years, ‘Hey, when you play a position, for us to win, you’ve got to really play it.’ And, when he gets after it, he’s really way more athletic than people give him credit for, as we’re seeing. He leaves his feet. And he can really be an asset. That’s what we tried to get across and I think he believes it.”

Asked if he’s seen better at-bats from Yan Gomes lately:

“I think so, yeah. I really do. It helps when a couple balls have found holes, but I still think his swings have been better. He laid that down on his own yesterday. I thought that was [good], because Quintana was probably going to cut it in on him and it was going to be hard to move the runner. He played the game. I thought that was really good. I just think he’s got about 30 at-bats, maybe a handful more, and it’s not been the best 30 at-bats. He knows that. But, I tried to explain to him, ‘You don’t need to kill yourself. Just kind of remember who you are. Take pride in, if you’re not hitting, finding another way to help us win.’ And when you’re the catcher, you have so much ability to do that. I just think sometimes maybe guys need a reminder, that’s all.”

On when he met with Gomes:

“Yeah, yesterday just for a few minutes. I just wanted to kind of remind him, because I thought he was wearing it a little bit. It’s because they care௘²௘I get it௘²௘but I just don’t know that it really helps. I think sometimes if they’re able to maybe take a deep breath and go, ‘Yeah, this is who I am,’ [it helps]. When he came here, there were so many reasons that we fell in love with him, and you don’t always have to hit for those reasons to still be there, especially when you’re a catcher.”

On White Sox having late change to rotation, starting Mike Pelfrey on Saturday:

“I think sometimes when there’s a kid that comes up who you don’t know, they sort of, I don’t want to say a free pass through the lineup, but guys haven’t seen him. This is, we’ve seen Pelfrey. What’s going to dictate it is how he pitches and how we hit௘²௘not that we don’t know him. There’s experience there.”

On Danny Salazar’s progress this season:

“I think we’ve set the bar so high, because I think we all feel like he can do it, that it may appear like maybe we nitpick at times. I hope that’s not what it is. I hope it’s just we want Danny to be the best he can be. We’ve all seen, when he’s got it going, he can really do some damage out there. I think he’s learning that maybe when he doesn’t have his best stuff, you still have to go compete and find a way to keep your team in the game. And I think, like with all players, and with , it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s impossible. But, I think Danny’s getting to that point where he’s starting to learn a lot. His work ethic and his routines have been really good. It’s just sometimes you have to remind him. With his size, and as hard as he throws, he has to work, or he’s going to set himself up to feel it.”

Asked if Kipnis will have a scheduled day off soon:

“I don’t think he’ll play [Sunday]. I mean, I don’t know that we have to make our lineup out, but I don’t think he’s going to play tomorrow. We kind of talked about that the other day. There’s things that you talk about beforehand, just so you don’t go, like after the game, you’re like, ‘Well, he can do it.’ I think that’s where you reach and you make mistakes. So, we did kind of talk about it the other night.”

RubberDucks 3, Curve 2 (11 innings): Joe Sever delivers game-winning hit to give Ducks third consecutive win There was a little two-out magic Saturday at Canal Park for the RubberDucks, who certainly look like they’re settling in to do something special this season.

Joe Sever singled over shortstop Kevin Newman with two outs in the bottom of the 11th to score Mike Papi from second and lift the Ducks over the Altoona Curve 3-2.

It was the third win in a row for the RubberDucks (6-9) and fourth in the past five games.

“Even the first week when we were struggling, we were losing really close games,” Sever said. “I think we were getting some bad hops, hitting balls right at people. I wouldn’t say it was getting to know each other. Things weren’t going our way.

“Finally, we’re getting some favorable hops and some balls falling. It’s all coming together. We could be a very scary team. It could be a very good team.”

That wasn’t someone letting the moment get to him either. Manager Mark Budzinski sees much of the same.

“We’re playing the last four or five games to our capability,” he said. “We’re playing a lot better defense. We’re giving ourselves a chance to win on the mound every night and getting better at-bats.”

For the third consecutive start, Luis Lugo looked solid for the Ducks even though he didn’t get the win. Coming off pitching in the World Baseball Classic for Italy, Lugo, a left-hander, went 5ѿ innings of five-hit ball and gave up two runs — one earned — with two walks and four strikeouts.

In three starts, the 23-year old Lugo has given up two runs in each and has a 1-1 mark. Lugo has given up 12 hits and struck out 11 and has a 2.65 ERA.

Pitchers are usually ahead of batters this early in the season, but Lugo’s time at the Classic already has him ahead of schedule in his debut in the Eastern League. “It definitely was an amazing experience,” Lugo said. “I got to play with a lot of veteran guys and learn a lot out of them. I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot right now, but there’s always room for development.”

It wasn’t just Lugo twirling it for the RubberDucks.

A two-out to right in the top of the 11th by Tomas Morales snapped a streak of 14 batters set down in a row by Cameron Hill, Neil Holland and Robbie Avilles (1-0), who picked up the win.

“Just like hitting is contagious, I think pitching is contagious when guys start throwing well,” Budzinski said. “They push each other. Guys came out of the pen and held it down. They worked ahead in counts and had some quick innings there, which we needed, and gave us an opportunity to win it there in the 11th.”

Roster move

Two-year Ducks veteran shortstop Eric Stamets was assigned to Akron from Class AAA Columbus. Stamets batted .237 with seven home runs and 37 RBI last season while splitting time between the RubberDucks and the Clippers. A counter move by the RubberDucks is expected soon.

Next up

The three-game series against the Curve will close at Canal Park at 2:05 p.m. Sunday. Ducks right-hander Travis Banwart (0-1, 9.00) and Curve right-hander Yeudy Garcia (0-1, 9.64) are the scheduled pitchers.

Francisco Lindor, can sing 'Time is on Our Side' when it comes to negotiations Paul Hoynes, on April 23, 2017 at 5:00 AM, updated April 23, 2017 at 5:03 AM CHICAGO -- Francisco Lindor has charted an interesting course for himself. The extension he rejected from the Indians was more than enough to turn the head of any 23-year-old. A lifetime of security for him, his family and his family's families is a big bucket of money to walk away from. But Lindor isn't going anywhere and these negotiations are just beginning. Lindor is still two years away from salary arbitration and he won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season. That is a lot of time to talk money. Perhaps the end game for Lindor and his agent, David Meter, is for Lindor's stay in Cleveland to be played in one-year segments. The last Cleveland player to do that was Shin-Soo Choo, acting on the advice of agent Scott Boras. The Indians eventually traded Choo to Cincinnati where he spent his final year under team control before signing a seven-year $130 million free agent contract with Texas. The plan worked for Choo, not so much for Texas because Choo has been injured for much of that contract. The point is that he went year to year, took on the arbitration barrier without going to a hearing, put up decent numbers and was rewarded for trusting in himself. Lindor could certainly walk that walk. He's a switch-hitting Gold Glove shortstop who helped his team reach Game 7 of the World Series in his first full season in the big leagues. He could have company on this road as well. Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa, like Lindor, are talented young infielders. They have shown no inclination to sign extensions with the Cubs and Astros, respectively. The Cubs have other young players in Addison Russell, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber who could join them. But the risk is obvious - injury or poor performance. It is why so many talented young players take the money when it's offered. The Indians have been doing it since the playing days of Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, Charlie Nagy, Carlos Baerga and Sandy Alomar. It has served them well. The players haven't done badly either. Michael Brantley made $6.5 million last year for playing 11 games. He also knew he'd make $7.5 million this year whether or not his right shoulder allowed him to get back on the field. The same went for Grady Sizemore when his body and career broke down. Lindor says his family is his security and he doesn't worry about injury. He puts his faith in God. That's fine, but injury doesn't care about talent or religion. It is random in nature, striking who and whenever it chooses. Still, it is hard to blame Lindor or Meter for being patient. After the 2018 season, players such as Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Josh Donaldson will be free agents. Depending on what Harper, Machado, Donaldson and others get, that could influence Lindor's bargaining power. The Indians offer to Lindor, according to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, was an estimated $100 million. For it to involve even the rumor of that much money, the Indians would almost assuredly have wanted Lindor's arbitration years (2019, 2020 and 2021) and one or two years of free agency (2022 and 2023). In signing Jose Ramirez to a four-year $26 million extension this spring, the Indians purchased Ramirez's three arbitration years and one year of free agency. The deal also added two club options. Maybe that was too much earning power for Lindor to give up. Perhaps the Indians will present him with a deal that is smaller in scope later this year or in the offseason. The good thing is both sides have plenty of time to talk it out. If not, a motivated Lindor playing for a contract on a yearly basis through 2021 is not a bad thing. As long as he stays healthy. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.23.2017 Cleveland Indians are running hot and pitching is the big reason why Paul Hoynes, CHICAGO - The rotation is rolling. Michael Brantley and Edwin Encarnacion are starting to hit home runs and Jose Ramirez has never stopped. One more thing - for any of you expecting Ramirez to go through an adjustment upon his return to third base, don't lose any sleep over it. The hot corner is in good hands. Carlos Carrasco and Zach McAllister combined on the Tribe's second three-hit shutout in as many nights in a 7-0 victory over the White Sox on Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field. The rotation is on a 5-0 run and so is the team. "When you pitch, it makes the rest of your ballclub look pretty crisp," said manager Terry Francona. "You catch the ball. The runs you score are meaningful. It's a good way to play." The pitching staff has not allowed a run in 23 straight innings going back to Thursday's 6-2 win over Minnesota. The White Sox have not scored a run against the Indians in 19 straight innings going back to April 13 at Progressive Field. On Friday night, Kluber threw a complete game shutout against Chicago, limiting them to three hits on 110 pitches. Carrasco threw eight scoreless innings Saturday night, but it took him 106 pitches to do it. Francona called for McAllister in the ninth. "My heart was saying yeah, but I just didn't think it made sense," said Francona, when asked about Carrasco pitching the ninth. Said Carrasco, "I wanted to go out, but he's the manager. He said that's enough. It's good that we have a good bullpen. Zach came in and went one, two, three. That's why the bullpen is here. It's part of the game and I can't do anything about it." Carrasco, who struck out eight and walked one, said the key for him was throwing first pitch strikes. He faced 27 batters in eight innings and threw first pitches strikes to 20 of them. "When I do that, I keep them off balance," said Carrasco. "When I do that the hitter doesn't have any chance. He doesn't know what I'm going to throw - fastball or breaking ball." Encarnacion hit a 0-2 pitch from Mike Pelfrey in the first inning for a two-run homer. The exit velocity, according to Statcast, was 107 mph. The ball hit beyond the center field fence and bounced back onto the field. "Edwin is starting to get his legs under him," said Francona. "He's starting to get a little more aggressive. I think that bodes well for us." Brantley added a two-run homer in the seventh and Ramirez homered in the ninth. Ramirez leads the team with five homers and 17 RBI. Encarnacion is hitting just .222, but he has six RBI on this six-game trip. He has been bothered by a sore hamstring for the last couple of days, but says it hasn't hurt his swing. "I'm making better swings and I'm swinging at pitches that are strikes," said Encarnacion. Brantley and Encarnacion, who usually hit third and fourth in the lineup, have three homers each. Brantley, however, is hitting .311 with 11 RBI. "It's great to see Brantley swinging the bat like he can," said Encarnacion. Brantley was limited to 11 games last year because a troublesome right shoulder. "It's not as easy as he makes it look," said Francona. "He missed so much time. But he's the same hitter as he was before. That's a testament not only to his talent, but to his work ethic." Ramirez moved from second to third on Friday to make way for All-Star second base Jason Kipnis, who just came off the disabled list. On Saturday, he had defensive game to remember. He stole hits from Tim Anderson in the first and sixth innings. He did the same thing to Avisail Garcia in the fifth. Then he robbed Todd Frazier with a diving stop on the line, jumped to his feet and threw to second to force Jose Abreu. "He's been making the short throw to from second base the last couple of nights, but tonight his throws had carry on them," said Francona. "I just think he's a good player. My goodness, it just looks like he continues to get better." For the moment, the same thing can be said about the Indians. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.23.2017 Cleveland Indians, Carlos Carrasco cruise past White Sox, 7-0, for fifth straight victory Paul Hoynes, on April 22, 2017 at 10:26 PM, updated April 23, 2017 at 1:32 AM CHICAGO - Good starting pitching and power. The team that has it is going to do well. Right now the Indians possess both and they're making the game look easy. Carlos Carrasco and Zach McAllister followed Corey Kluber's three-hit shutout from Friday night with another three-hit shutout as the Indians beat the White Sox, 7-0, at Guaranteed Rate Field. Carrasco (2-1, 1.65 ERA) threw eight scoreless innings. McAllister relieved to pitch the ninth. They combined for 10 strikeouts. The Indians came within three outs of having consecutive complete game shutouts for the first time since Wayne Garland and Bert Blyleven did it against Milwaukee on April 16 and 18, 1981. Carrasco, who struck out eight, threw 106 pitches. Kluber threw 110 in his three-hitter. Carrasco said he tried to talk Francona into letting him go out for the ninth. "He wanted to," said Francona. "I don't blame him. But it was cold and for him to try and pitch a shutout, he was going to get up over 120 pitches. We need him for the long haul. "My heart was saying yeah, but I just didn't think it made sense." Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Brantley drove the offense with two-run homers as the Indians won their fifth straight game. Encarncion homered off emergency starter Mike Pelfrey in the first, while Brantley homered off Michael Ynoa in the seventh. Jose Ramirez added a homer with the bases empty in the ninth. Brandon Guyer hit a two-run homer in Friday night's 3-0 victory. The rotation is 5-0 with a 1.53 ERA (six earned runs in 35 1/3 innings) during the winning streak. The streak started on this trip through Minneapolis and Chicago and each starter has won a game. They have struck out 23, walked eight and allowed 23 hits in the streak. Pelfrey (0-1, 4.15) arrived from Class AAA Charlotte on Saturday after scheduled starter James Shields was placed on the disabled list on Friday. He allowed four runs, two earned, in 4 1/3 innings. The Indians made it 4-0 in the fifth after Abraham Almonte reached on an by shortstop Tim Anderson to start the inning. Pelfrey hit Yan Gomes with a pitch and Carlos Santana singled to right to score Almonte and send Gomes to third. Francisco Lindor followed with a . Santana and Lindor 25 runs this season, 14 by Santana and 11 by Lindor. Ramirez leads the Indians with 17 RBI. What it means In two starts against the White Sox this season, Carrasco has 15 strikeouts in 15 innings. The pitches Carrasco threw 106 pitches, 73 (69 percent) for strikes. Pelfrey threw 81 pitches, 58 (62 percent) for strikes. Coming storm Encarnacion's two-run homer off Pelfrey in the first gave him six RBI in his last five games. All the RBI have come on this six-game trip against the Twins and White Sox. Quick adjustment Ramirez hasn't missed a beat since moving from second to third base upon Jason Kipnis' return on Friday. In the sixth, he made a diving stop near the bag, righted himself and threw out Anderson to end the inning. In the seventh, Ramirez had another diving stop toward the line. This time he robbed Todd Frazier, popping up and throwing to second to force Jose Abreu for the second out. Ramirez also made nice plays against Anderson in the first and Avisail Garcia in the fifth. "Ramirez had a number of good plays at third base," said Francona. "He's just a good player." Thanks for coming The Indians and White Sox drew 32,044 fans to Guaranteed Rate Field on Saturday night. First pitch was at 7:10 p.m. with a temperature of 53 degrees. Next Right-hander Danny Salazar (1-1, 3.57) will face Chicago left-hander Derek Holland (1-2, 4.32) on Sunday at 2:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM/1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the game. Salazar is coming off his first win of the season, beating the Twins at Target Field on Monday. He struck out seven and allowed one run in six innings. This will be his second start against Holland and the White Sox this season. On April 12, Holland beat the Tribe and Salazar, 2-1. Salazar struck out 11 in six innings, but allowed two runs on four hits in the loss. Holland is 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 10 starts against the Indians. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.23.2017 Cleveland Indians' Corey Kluber prepped for 3-hitter with bullpen session in sheep's clothing Paul Hoynes, CLEVELAND, Ohio - Before every game, a prepares by throwing 30 to 40 pitches in a bullpen session. The starting catcher that night often takes part in that session. As every starting pitcher will tell you, how he throws in the bullpen has almost no bearing in how he will perform in the actual game. Yan Gomes is Corey Kluber's catcher. Before Kluber took the mound at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday night, Gomes caught Kluber in the bullpen. To say that he had doubts about how Kluber would perform once play started for real is more than fair. "I don't know if he'll like me saying this, but his bullpen wasn't as - well, we were kind of saying, 'OK, it's a warmup bullpen.' It wasn't like one of those where you're coming into the game and saying, 'he's got it today.'" Bullpen sessions. They're like an ice-covered lake begging to be walked on during a calm winter's day -- they cannot be trusted. Friday night, Kluber threw a three-hit shutout as the Indians beat the White Sox, 3-0, for their fourth straight win. "Man, he just turns it on when he steps on the mound," said Gomes. "He's able to make quick adjustments. And that's what makes him really good." Kluber's cut fastball isn't his best pitch, but Friday night it was. "He saw his cutter was doing a tremendous job so he stuck with it and attacked it," said Gomes. "When he has a game like this, it's always one pitch that sticks out." The shutout was Kluber's third in the last two seasons and the fourth of his career. He threw 110 pitches, including 36 cutters (33 percent of his pitches). The cutter mixed well with Kluber's fastball, change up, and slider. In his first three starts of the season, Kluber got burned on the cutter. Between starts he kept working on it. "From start to start if something doesn't go well one start you use those four days off to work on it," said Kluber. "It's repetition and working on stuff. I know how I wanted it to feel and it didn't necessarily feel like that in my hand. "You just kind of tinker with it until you get the right feel." Kluber, like Gomes, had no indication that he was on the verge of a shutout as he prepared in the bullpen. "I've had starts where I don't miss a spot in the bullpen and go out there and get lit up and vice versa," said Kluber. "For me it doesn't have any correlation." Kluber struck out nine, walked two and allowed one runner to reach second base. "It's the Corey we love," said Gomes. "Even though he seemed like he was scuffling in his first couple of outings, he was still pitching (well). In his last start against Detroit he was pitching with a big lead. He doesn't want to exert himself and do too much on his own. He had the lead and went with it. "Tonight he took it upon himself, made adjustments on his own and did his thing." Gomes, who has started slowly at the plate, went 1-for-3. In the third, following a leadoff by Austin Jackson, Gomes bunted him to third. Jackson scored on a for a 1-0 lead. "Sarbie (third base coach Mike Sarbaugh) told me to get the runner to third anyway I could," said Gomes. "I haven't had too much success against Jose Quintana, and I was trying to figure out a way to do it, and decided to bunt." On a night when Kluber was in control, his catcher helped his cause. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.23.2017

Covering the Bases: Game 17 by Jordan Bastian

FIRST: Edwin Encarnacion hasn’t flipped the switch entirely. He hasn’t had that one monster game that can erase all the damage done by an early-April . His return to form has been more methodical of late.

“He’s starting to get a little more aggressive,” Indians manager Terry Francona said, “and getting his legs under him a little bit better. I think that bodes well for us.”

In the first inning on Friday night, Encarnacion’s back was against the wall. Two outs and an 0–2 count. The slugger was looking for a mistake from Mike Pelfrey, who was in a great count for wasting a pitch. The righty opted to fire an outside fastball, which was elevated and caught some plate.

Encarnacion pounced, sending the pitch 107-mph off the bat to dead center field. It caromed high off the batter’s eye beyond the wall௘²௘a projected 437 feet from the plate, per Statcast.

Just like that, the Indians went from one strike away from coming up empty to one swing giving them a 2–0 lead.

“That shows what he can do௘²௘the strength,” Francona said.

Looking a little closer at the pitch in question, it’s easy to appreciate the bit of hitting Encarnacion did there. Last year, he hit just .167 with a .333 slugging percentage on fastballs to that quadrant of the strike zone. Here’s a look at the pitches I’m referencing from 2016:

Encarnacion finished the night 2-for-5 with the and a single. Over his past eight games, he’s hit .290 with a .484 slugging percentage. No, the power isn’t yet at the level it can be, but Encarnacion is inching in the right direction, and with a much-improved approach lately.

In the season’s first nine games (April 3–13), Encarnacion hit .156 with a .281 slugging and he was being victimized by pitches low and away. During that span, Encarnacion saw 42-percent of pitches to Zones 9/14. For those unfamiliar, here’s a refresher on the zone map from the catcher’s perspective (via baseballsavant.com):

Now, during that nine-game stretch, Encarnacion swung and missed at 15.3 percent of all pitches he saw. In the next seven games, that percentage of pitches in Zones 9/14 dropped to 29.9 percent, and his swing-and-miss rate followed suit, dipping to 11 percent overall.

Part of the reason Encarnacion hasn’t seen as many pitches in that area of lately is due to the fact that he’s not swinging and missing at as many in those zones. He was chasing pitches early on that he is not spitting on. Here is his swinging-strike heat map from the first nine games:

Compare that to his swinging strike rate in the seven games before Saturday:

The whiffs low and away have not been as prevalent in this recent stretch of games. Or, as Encarnacion put it: “I’m making better swings and swinging at pitches that are strikes.”

If Encarnacion continues on that path, his output will most likely begin looking more like what Blue Jays fans became so used to seeing from him year in and year out.

SECOND: Carlos Carrasco was simply brilliant on Saturday night. So much so, the Indians came three outs away from having consecutive individual shutouts for the first time since 1981.

No one on Cleveland’s active roster was born before the last time it happened. I hadn’t been born yet, either. Shoot, long-time reporter Paul Hoynes was still two years away from being put on the Indians’ beat.

Corey Kluber and Carrasco would’ve joined Wayne Garland and Bert Blyleven (April 16–18, 1981) had Francona let Cookie finish the job. After Carrasco’s pitch count climbed to 106 after eight innings, though, Francona elected to use Zach McAllister for the ninth.

Did Francona consider leaving Carrasco in the game?

“He wanted to and I don’t blame him,” said the manager. “But, it was cold. For him to try to pitch a shutout, he was going to get up over 120. We need him for the long haul. My heart was saying yeah, but I just didn’t think it made sense.”

On Friday night, Kluber carved up Chicago’s order with a strong four-pitch mix, but his cutter was especially effective. The pitch most similar to that for Carrasco is his slider, and that offering was particularly sharp against the White Sox.

Carrasco generated seven whiffs with his slider (the same total Kluber had with his cutter), got four called strikes, punched out three batters with it and held the Sox to an 0-for-4 showing against the pitch on balls in play. Not bad.

Watching Kluber one night earlier helped.

“It helped a lot,” Carrasco said. “You saw the game yesterday. It went so smooth for Klube when he threw his cutter. For me, that’s my slider. Other than that, I just followed the plan that we had. The big key today was throwing first-pitch strikes and keeping them off-balance.

“When I do that, [the batter] doesn’t have any chance. He doesn’t know what I’m going to throw௘²௘if it’s fastball or breaking ball. I think that was a big key today.”

To that end, Carrasco’s pitch distribution looked like this: Four-seamer (38), slider (23), two-seamer (17), split-change (16), curveball (12).

“He attacked the zone,” Francona said. “He threw a really good breaking ball and reached back for his fastball and challenged hitters when he needed to. He did a great job.”

THIRD: Prior to Saturday’s game, we chatted with Francona for a bit about Jose Ramirez’s move back to third base. The manager didn’t expect it to be a difficult transition for Ramirez after he manned second in Jason Kipnis’ absence.

“He does a good job anywhere,” Francona said. “When you add to [his offensive ability] that he can play multiple positions, it kind of makes it seem like your roster can be bigger.” https://medium.com/media/371d86b001e59b7359305c5b070e0d8a/href

Ramirez then went out and flashed some strong leather at third on Saturday.

One of Ramirez’s standout plays arrived in the sixth, when Tim Anderson pulled a pitch sharply up the third-base line. Ramirez dove to his right, snared the grounder and then threw a perfect throw across the diamond for an out.

In the seventh, Ramirez received nearly an identical grounder from Todd Frazier. On this one, though, the third baseman collected it with another dive, and then fired it to Kipnis at second for a fielder’s choice.

“We played really good defense,” Francona said. “Ramirez had a number of plays. Some were possibly extra-base hits. He turned them into outs. But, I think when you’re pitching like [Carrasco did] and you get into a rhythm, and you work quick and you throw strikes, your defense does have a chance to make plays.” For good measure, Ramirez launched a homer in the ninth௘²௘his fifth shot of the season.

“My goodness, it looks like he continues to get better,” Francona said. “He had some really good at-bats tonight. He came up empty until the end, so it was kind of nice to see him get that home run just for his personality. I think he deserved it.”

HOME: Don’t look now, but Michael Brantley has an eight-game hitting streak. OK, fine, you can look.

In his recent hot stretch, Brantley has hit .382 (13-for-34) for the Tribe. Against the White Sox, he went 2-for-5 with a homer, single, two runs and a . He had two balls in play with exit velos over 100 mph.

That last note it a great sign, too. Brantley actually has six balls in play with 100+ mph exit velocities in the last week. He had six in the previous two weeks combined. As he gets more at-bats௘²௘like Encarnacion௘²௘Brantley is looking more and more like himself at the plate.

“It’s not as easy as he makes it look. He missed so much time,” Francona said. “But, he’s the same hitter he was before. I think that’s a testament to not only his talent, but his work ethic.” https://medium.com/media/706bb16f46392be6735186cfd607f078/href

EXTRAS: I’ll leave you with this GIF of Yan Gomes throwing out Tyler Saladino from his knees:

Should the Cleveland Indians and Cubs have shaken hands after Game 7 of World Series? Hey, Hoynsie

Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com Hey, Hoynsie: Why is (all the way down to the minors) the only professional sport that refuses to shake hands with their opponents after the game? Football, hockey, basketball, soccer, even boxers offer their opponents a conciliatory acknowledgment. We try to teach kids good sportsmanship, but what do you tell a kid when even they notice it? - Mike Zales, Greensboro, N.C.

Hey, Mike: Each MLB team plays 162 games. They play the teams in their division 19 times each. You really want to see them shaking hands and swapping jerseys after every game? I can do without that.

There is a non-fraternization rule in the MLB rulebook which states players of opposing teams shall not fraternize at any time while in uniform. It is a rule that is largely ignored. Just watch the Indians when they play the Tigers and go out of their way to greet Miguel Cabrera at first base or around the cage before the game.

And there's always the chance that players don't want to contract the flu by shaking hands with players from the other team.

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that Yandy Diaz is back down in Columbus, do you see him staying at third base or will the Indians continue to develop him as a super utility player? How will this affect Giovanny Urshela's playing time? - Dwain Slaven, Dade City, Fla.

Hey, Dwain: I think the Indians are still trying to figure that out. Manager Terry Francona said Diaz will play some third base at Columbus, but seemed to indicate his quickest path to the big leagues might be as an outfielder.

Here's the key. If Diaz continues to hit, and starts to show power, he'll get another shot with the Indians even if they have to create the opportunity for him.

Hey, Hoynsie: I hate to say this, but it seems Francisco Lindor is destined for a big payday and wants to hit the open market when it's his time. The Indians deserve credit for how they're running their organization in trying to lock up young players to multiyear deals. I hope Lindor is an Indian for life, but if the team goes south and he's in his prime would they be loyal and not trade him? - Jon Heath.

Hey, Jon: You can't blame Lindor for earning as much as he can in his career. Players work a long time to get to free agency and it's their right to see what they're worth on the open market. The Indians, meanwhile, always have the right to trade a player if they feel it will improve their current situation or for their future.

Presently, Lindor and the Indians are the perfect match even if he didn't accept their extension offer. Hey, Hoynsie: At Progressive Field, the screen behind home plate shows the type of pitch that was thrown. Any idea how that is determined? Do you think it is accurate? I've read that only the pitcher and catcher really know and that hitter sometimes doesn't know what kind of pitch he hit. - Cynthia Leach, Strongsville.

Hey, Cynthia: MLB has a camera system in every big-league ballpark that tracks the speeds and trajectories of every pitch. It is used to categorize the type of pitch thrown - be it a fastball, curveball, slider, change up, etc. The system was first installed for the 2006 playoffs and is so accurate it is used as a training tool for umpires.

The system uses three cameras. The type of pitches are determined by velocity, spin and movement. When you see the pitch types flashed on the scoreboard, that's where the information is coming from.

Growing up in Cleveland, long before computerized camera systems, I relied on to tell me what pitch had just been thrown. Given a choice, I'd still go with Herbie.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you feel if one of the Tribe's catchers - Yan Gomes or Roberto Perez - got the majority of playing time, they would perform better offensively? - Andy Meese, Sandusky.

Hey, Andy: It stands to reason that the more consistent playing time a hitter gets, the better he'll hit. I think manager Terry Francona is trying to share the playing time between Gomes and Perez as equally as possible. But if one of the two gets hot at the plate, I think he'd start getting the majority of the playing time.

Hey, Hoynsie: I've watched films and videos of a lot of baseball games from the 1960s and 1970s on ESPN and YouTube and they didn't seem to change as much in those games as they do now. I'm not sure how much time that takes, but it does seem like the umpires spend a lot of time throwing baseballs out of play. - Kevin Eshelman, Chardon.

Hey, Kevin: The change you're refer to has taken place because the batter can request that a ball be taken out of play as soon as it hits the ground. Sometimes the catcher or pitcher will throw the ball out of play when it hits the ground without even being asked. It used to be pitchers would use a scuffed ball to their advantage, but that has become a lost art.

I'm not sure how much time it has added to the game, but Rawlings, the makers of big-league baseballs, has to be happy.

Hey, Hoynsie: As a lifelong Tribe fan I have never seen anything like the Tigers switching signs, conferring on the mound and stalling whenever they play the Indians at Progressive Field. What gives? - Mike Barnes.

Hey, Mike: The Tigers in general and manager Brad Ausmus and pitcher in particular, feel the Indians are stealing signs. Their behavior has been going on for a couple of years now.

Hey, Hoynsie: While I was watching a recent Tribe game, I had another idea on how MLB can speed up the games. Instead of the pitcher constantly throwing to first base to keep a runner close, just indicate the intent to throw over. It makes about as much sense as the intent to issue an intentional walk. - Keith Crabtree, Columbus.

Hey, Keith: If a pitcher shows an intent to throw a pitch to first base with a runner occupying the base and doesn't make a throw, it's a . The balk rule is complicated enough. Let's not add to it.

What if pitchers and catchers used microphones to prevent sign-stealing? Going Deep

Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to the another installment of Going Deep, a regular series in which we'll take a deep dive into a reader- proposed topic.

To have your question or comment covered (or, at least, to have it read), send an email to [email protected]. Include your first name and city. What do you think about allowing the pitcher and catcher to use a microphone and speaker to communicate the next pitch instead of using hand signs? It would speed up the game tremendously, especially when there is a runner on second base, and eliminate all those endless trips to the mound. The NFL implemented this years ago, allowing the QB to receive the play call over the radio in his helmet instead of running over to the sideline. Would pitchers like making the pitch selection themselves? If the catcher does the talking, the batter might overhear.

-- Steve, Gainesville, Florida

This is intriguing, and not necessarily because of the microphone/speaker aspect, but more so the idea that the game could incorporate technology to enhance certain aspects of the sport that irk players, coaches or fans.

The first thought that comes to mind is the influence such a change would have on sign-stealing, a popular topic in the AL Central of late.

Signs in baseball have been around for decades. (Did you ever have a little league coach teach you the "KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid" concept?) The practice of stealing signs has been around for just as long.

When the Tigers point fingers at the Indians, the Indians brush it aside and Terry Francona simply says he's relieved when his players comprehend their own signs. The accusations seem like nothing more than hollow excuses for missing with pitches. Detroit claimed two of three from Cleveland last weekend; no one was whining after the Tigers' triumphs on Friday or Sunday.

Justin Verlander and manager Brad Ausmus continue to not-so-subtly push the narrative that the Indians might be stealing signs. The Indians scoff at that accusation, and skipper Terry Francona suggests his group has a tall enough order remembering its own signals.

We are, however, gradually seeing the game embrace technological advances. Instant replay has paid some dividends, though it still occasionally takes longer than necessary and managers have far too long of a leash when deciding whether to challenge a ruling.

There has been talk about equipping umpires with microphones so they can explain the subject of each review to those in attendance.

This suggestion of a pitcher-catcher microphone setup could be complicated, as Steve later admitted.

The logistics would be tough. If the catcher does the talking, you would have to use code so the batter doesn't eavesdrop or have the catcher cover his mouth with his glove and whisper the call softly so as not to be overheard. Then the pitcher has to wear something on his ear to listen with, which might come loose or be a distraction.

The other option is to have the pitcher do the talking with the catcher having a speaker in his mask somewhere, which would probably be easier logistically but would be a major role reversal in game-calling. Normally the catcher calls the game with the pitcher having the right to veto a pitch call by shaking the catcher off. Using this concept would make the pitcher the game-caller.

Ultimately, I have doubts about its viability but it just seems so archaic to use hand signals in this day and age. Maybe they could experiment with something in the minor leagues to see if players like it. Who knows, maybe pitchers would actually like having more control over what pitches they throw.

No matter the system of pitch-calling, the opposition will still search for ways to catch on to the patterns -- and it's not as though stealing signs is subject to punishment (nor should it be).

I doubt any pitcher would want to wear an earpiece or any additional equipment. Even a small microphone might be deemed too cumbersome.

It would be interesting to watch a pitcher have the control, though. There would be no shake-offs, which could save a bit of time.Sign-stealing isn't some heinous action that needs opposition. But you can be assured that when it comes to technological advancements for the sport, MLB is examining every possible angle.

Lindor gets it. That's the simplest way to put it. He demonstrates the youthful exuberance of a 23-year-old, but the savviness and maturity of a 15-year big-league veteran.

"I mean, that'd be great if that opportunity comes up," Sarbaugh said, "but I think we're all in this game because we love the game and enjoy what we do. I'm trying to be the best third-base coach and best infield coach. If that can lead to something else, that'd be great."

Indians 7, White Sox 0: Carlos Carrasco goes 8 brilliant innings as Tribe posts 2nd straight shutout Matt Schoch | The Associated Press CHICAGO — Carlos Carrasco can’t help but wonder what could have been last year. Healthy and back in the Cleveland Indians rotation, at least he’s picking up where he left off. Carrasco, who missed Cleveland’s run to the World Series last season with an injury, threw eight innings of three-hit ball Saturday night in a 7-0 victory over the White Sox, the Indians’ second straight shutout over Chicago. Carrasco (2-1) struck out eight and did not allow a runner to reach second base. Meanwhile, Chicago hasn’t scored in 23 innings, including during a three-hitter from Cleveland’s Corey Kluber in a 3-0 Indians win Friday night. “That’s what we’re going to do, and that’s what we were doing last year, too,” Carrasco said. “We know what we have, so let’s keep it going.” Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Brantley hit two-run home runs and Jose Ramirez added a solo shot as the Indians won their fifth straight game. Encarnacion hit an 0-2 pitch to center field in the first inning for a 2-0 lead against Mike Pelfrey (0-1), who made his season debut in place of the injured James Shields. In the seventh inning, Brantley drove a pitch from reliever Michael Ynoa into the Cleveland bullpen in right field to make it 6-0. Pinch-hitting in the seventh inning, Jacob May got his first career hit in his 27th at-bat for the White Sox. May said it was like having a gorilla on his back. “Now that he’s gone, hopefully I can have a lot of success and help this team win,” he said. Cleveland’s Carlos Santana scored Abraham Almonte on an RBI single to right field in the fifth inning. Francisco Lindor then scored Yan Gomes on a sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead. Zach McAllister pitched a perfect ninth for Cleveland after manager Terry Francona lifted Carrasco after 106 pitches. The manager said he was cautious with the right-hander after Carrasco threw just 15 innings in spring training. “He attacked the zone, he threw a real good breaking ball and reached back and threw his fastball on challenges when he needed to,” said Francona, who turned 58 on Saturday. “We had some anxiety because he didn’t pitch that much (in the spring). “He looks like he’s not only starting to find his rhythm, but continue it and probably improve in some areas.” Slumping Sox Tyler Saladino added two hits for the White Sox, who have been outscored 19-1 during a three-game skid. “Try not to focus too much on the results and stay focused on the approaches and the results will take care of themselves,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “Guys are wanting to get the big hit or drive the ball out of the ballpark instead of staying simple.” Welcome back Jermaine Dye, the 2005 World Series MVP, was back in Chicago throwing out the first pitch. He was in town from Southern California to promote his charity golf outing in June for the Fresh Start Caring for Kids Foundation. Trainer’s room Indians: Jason Kipnis, who played in his second game of the season after coming off the disabled list on Friday, will likely get a day off today, Francona said. Kipnis had a right shoulder strain. White Sox: OF Melky Cabrera was removed as a precautionary measure after hitting his left wrist against the fence, but the X-ray was negative and he was listed as day-to-day. ... RHP Zach Putnam left the game with an elbow injury in the seventh inning as he walked Santana, his first walk of the season on his 28th batter faced. The White Sox announced his status as day-to-day. ... The team recalled C Geovany Soto from the 10-day disabled list before the game. Soto was on the DL since April 13 with elbow inflammation. ... Outfielder Charlie Tilson was moved to the 60-day disabled list. Tilson is out because of a stress reaction in his right foot.

No surprise torrid pace ignites Indians winning streak T.J. Zuppe, 6 hours ago Notes, quotes and observations after the 7-0 win over the White Sox on Saturday. Rolling Pitching impacts everything. It keeps teams in games. It makes every run scored meaningful. Some claim a quick pace and throwing strikes can even make the defense better. And yeah, we already know momentum is only as good as the next day’s starter. So, with the Indians’ starting five beginning to roll, it’s no coincidence the perception about the club has changed. After all, it was just last week the Tribe was 5-7, the offense was scuffling and the team looked a click off in essentially every facet. After the win Saturday, their fifth in a row, the outlook has drastically changed. The rotation is owed a great deal of credit for that, locking in in their past five outings to a level more closely resembling their true talent. Carlos Carrasco’s eight shutout innings Saturday night backed up Corey Kluber’s complete game shutout Friday, reducing the Indians’ rotation ERA during their five-game winning streak to a sparkling 1.53. The past trip through the starting five has produced the following results: x Danny Salazar: six innings, seven hits, one run, two walks, seven strikeouts x : six innings, seven hits, three runs, two strikeouts x : six 1/3 innings, three hits, two runs, three walks, seven strikeouts x Kluber: nine innings, three hits, zero runs, two walks, nine strikeouts x Carrasco: eight innings, three hits, zero runs, one walk, eight strikeouts If you include Carrasco’s previous start in the final game of the homestand, the Tribe’s rotation ERA sits at 1.71 in the past six games, a needed and expected change from 6.79 mark they carried through the first 11 games — the highest in the majors to start the sEason. The ebbs and flows of any season can produce various inconsistent stretches, but that’s never more apparent than in April, where small sample sizes and poor or good performances can shrink or expand early-season stat lines in the blink of an eye. Still, it’s far easier to envision the Indians living up to their serious preseason expectations if the rotation pitches as advertised. No one is expecting a sub-2.00 ERA, but when that group is consistently performing, the Tribe closely resembles the World Series contender they’re believed to be. Got all of it Of course, there’s not a starting pitcher on the planet who doesn’t feel more comfortable with an early lead, and Edwin Encarnacion provided Carrasco with that before he took the mound in Chicago. Encarnacion’s deep drive over the center-field wall was his third home run and gave the Indians the only runs they’d need to take game two of the three-game set. He has hit two homers and driven in six runs in the past five games and appears to be slowly emerging from his early-season funk. His first- inning shot off Mike Pelfrey registered the highest exit velocity of the game (107 mph) and was one of three balls MLB Statcast classified as “barreled.” The Indians’ other two barreled balls came on homers from Michael Brantley (104.9 mph) and Jose Ramirez (103.1 mph), marking the fifth of the season for each of the three hitters. It comes as no surprise that Francisco Lindor is the Indians’ overall leader in barreled balls, owning nine pitches clubbed at the appropriate exit velocity and launch angle this season. Perhaps you’ve watched every inning of Tribe baseball this year, so you’re not shocked or impressed by that number. That’s fair, but for those searching for some context on barrel stats, know that Lindor, entering Saturday, was tied for the second- most in baseball. Only Freddie Freeman of the Braves (10) has done a better job of making solid contact this season, which is what that particular advanced stat is trying to indicate in its most simple form. Shockingly, Lindor went 0-for-4 on Saturday, but he still managed to drive in a run with a sacrifice fly. Fun topics Three weeks into the season, using a player’s current pace to project an end-of-season stat line is unwise, but sometimes it can be too fun to pass up. All players inevitably go through cold or hot streaks, so some of a player’s early season success or failure is tied to which end of the spectrum they begin on. They don’t necessarily hold a lot of predictive value, but the peek can still be glorious. ESPN.com keeps a running tally of a player’s current pace on their individual pages, so just in the interest of curiosity (and maybe a little delight), we wandered over to Ramirez’s page after he blasted his fifth homer of the season. Holy smokes, I hope you’re sitting down. At his current pace, the switch-hitter would finish the season with .313/.378/.594 slash line, with 48 homers, 168 RBI and 19 steals. I suppose you could say that wouldn’t be too bad for a player making less than $1 million in 2017. Even if, you know, he doesn’t go on to have one of the greatest seasons in franchise history, how much longer will we progress before Ramirez’s $26 million extension is viewed as one of the most team-friendly pacts in baseball? The 24-year-old infielder keeps finding his name listed among the league leaders, but it’s not just his hitting that continues to blossom. Ramirez, transitioning back to third base after the return of Jason Kipnis from injury, made two tremendous diving stops and quick throws to rob White Sox hitters of extra bases on Saturday night, one in the sixth inning and another in the seventh. Don’t hurt ’em, Jose. Goodness. On deck The Indians can return home after a perfect road trip with a win on Sunday in Chicago. For that to happen, Salazar (1-1, 3.57) will need to keep the Indians’ starting trend going. The righty will be opposed by lefty Derek Holland (1-2, 2.16). First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m.

Nick Cafardo / Yankees are off to a surprising start, thanks to a blend of old and new By Nick Cafardo When the prognosticators went through scenarios for which team would be the best in the AL East, the Yankees were seldom mentioned. Not anymore. After a 10-5 start we’re all rushing to say, “Told you the Yankees would be better than expected.” Who knows if the solid start will continue, but even with key injuries to shortstop Didi Gregorius and catcher Gary Sanchez the Yankees finished off a nine-game homestand with eight wins, then traveled to Pittsburgh for a weekend series. GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi said in spring training that while the focus seemed to be on youngsters such as Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, and Sanchez, the success of the team would be dependent on the veterans. And they were right. Jacoby Ellsbury has started strong (.302, four steals), batting in several spots in the order, including cleanup in an effort to break up New York’s lefthanded hitters. Chase Headley (.396, 1.146 OPS) and Starlin Castro (.368, .989 OPS) also have started well, which has eased some of the pressure on Judge, who has hit some tape-measure home runs and excited the fans with his potential. Judge was borderline to make the team out of spring training, with some believing he should get more at-bats at Triple-A. But Judge (5 homers, 12 RBIs, 1.018 OPS) has been a force and is already considered a player other teams have to fear. While Bird (.135) went through a tough stretch (1 for 23), he ended it with a 454-foot homer. Ronald Torreyes has been excellent filling in for Gregorius, while Austin Romine (.321) has come up huge offensively, as well as defensively in place of Sanchez and handling a surprisingly good starting rotation and lights-out bullpen. CC Sabathia (2-0, 1.47 ERA) has found his inner Frank Tanana, converting to a soft thrower. The 95-97-mile-per-hour fastballs have given way to 88-90, but Sabathia has mastered sinking and cutting his fastball to go along with his excellent changeup. The Yankees can also thank Pedro Martinez for teaching Luis Severino an effective changeup. Severino used to Watch video of Martinez throwing his, and when Martinez was told he asked for Severino’s phone number. “I always considered Pedro the best righthanded pitcher I ever saw, and I know firsthand the damage he did to the Yankees over the years. So, I feel that Pedro owed us something,” said Cashman. “So if by working with Luis over the winter he was able to pick up something on his changeup, then we’re very grateful. I know Pedro didn’t do it for the Yankees, but he did it for one of his countrymen. And we’re happy about that.” Cashman also has been pleased with righthander Michael Pineda, who has found consistency. Cashman said he feels good for Headley, who at this time a year ago was struggling mightily. Cashman remembers Yankees fans “getting all over him.” Recently, according to Cashman, when Girardi gave Headley a day off, the fan base “was up in arms.” While some couldn’t understand Cashman’s affection for Aaron Hicks, who lost the right field job to Judge, Hicks has taken off offensively in the outfield rotation. “I got beaten up publicly when I compared Aaron’s skill set to Jackie Bradley Jr. and how the Red Sox were rewarded by being patient with him. I think we’re being rewarded now. We know what he is defensively, but he has hit,” Cashman said. The bullpen has been as advertised. Aroldis Chapman has pitched 5ѿ scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Adam Warren has allowed one earned run in nine innings. Cashman has liked the blend of old and new. He thinks Matt Holliday has had a big effect as a veteran DH. You don’t hear the Jose Quintana-to-the-Yankees rumors anymore. “We’re always open to listening on anything that will help our team get better, but if you can solve the issues from within, then that’s the best thing to do because you can hang on to your young talent, and I think people are pretty excited about that,” Cashman said. Cashman said that while most baseball people don’t put a lot of stock in spring training, he felt it was important for the Yankees to establish themselves early with a changing roster and breaking in young players. The Yankees were 24-9 in spring training, the best record in baseball. And after 15 regular-season games they have achieved what they set out to do — blend the old with the new and compete at the same time. MAKE AN OFFER Glavine in on bid for Marlins Tom Glavine believes there are at least three groups who have made bids to Jeffrey Loria regarding purchasing the Marlins. Glavine is aligned with Tagg Romney, son of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and a group of investors Glavine said he helped put together over the past year. “It’s been a lengthy process,” said Glavine. “I was contacted a couple of years ago by some people to ask whether I’d have an interest in doing something along these lines, and I certainly did. This Marlins situation came about last summer. After casual conversations and kicking tires it became apparent we could put people together and raise money.” Derek Jeter is in another interested group led by former Florida governor Jeb Bush, and Glavine feels there’s at least one other group. It’s been reported that Joshua Kushner, the brother of Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner, could be heading that group. Glavine said, “I feel very good about the offer we made.” The Billerica native would not disclose whether he made a financial commitment of his own but said his role has been mostly to woo investors. Glavine, a Hall of Famer, lends credibility to the offer from a baseball point of view. What would Glavine want his role to be if his group purchases the team? “That’s a good question, and I’m open-minded,” he said. “I certainly want a role. I’m not going to say I’m the GM, but I know the game pretty well. I understand it. There’s a lot on the business side that I don’t understand, so I’m open-minded about what the best role for me would be and what I like to do the most. “On the one hand, I don’t want to be pompous enough to say I want to step in and run this thing, but at the same time I want to be looking for where I would be best served for the organization if it happens.” Given that bids have been made and are being reviewed, Glavine believes Loria wants to sell. Glavine, Romney, and others in their group met with Loria prior to making their bid. “Our indications are that Jeffrey wants to get out of it,” said Glavine. Concerning a possible time frame, Glavine, who assumes also is studying the bids, said, “It’s one of the things that if it happens it could happen very quickly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it drags on.” Apropos of nothing 1. I think Roger Clemens belongs in the Hall of Fame, but he did himself no favors in an interview last week with Matt Snyder of CBS in which he said concerning the Mitchell Report, “I’d like to find out if [Rep. Henry] Waxman had a referral fee from [former Sen. George Mitchell]. I think Mitchell got paid, before my name got put in there, I think he got paid close to $40 million. It’s shameful what Mitchell did. I passed every test, I opened up my life to them. I told him, ‘Come check whatever you want.’ They spent a lot of our taxpayer dollars. We did it the right way, we wanted to deal with facts, and we dealt with facts.” 2. Heard a good Josh Donaldson story. A couple of years ago when the Blue Jays were struggling, Jose Reyes said of the team’s slump, “It’s not like we’re not trying.” This sent the fiery Donaldson through the roof. He told Reyes, “This isn’t a trying business, this is a do-it business.” 3. The Fan’s Commish, Rick Swanson, makes a good point about Brandon Workman, saying the righthander should be the next reliever the Red Sox consider bringing up. Workman pitched in the 2013 World Series but has spent a couple of years recovering from Tommy John surgery. At Triple A Pawtucket, Workman has struck out 10 and allowed only two base runners in seven innings. 4. The Players Association introduced “Infield Chatter,” a new mobile destination where players and fans can chat. More than 1,000 players already are registered users. “Every player understands how important it is to connect with the fans,” said Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. “They’re the main reason this game is so special. The fact that ‘Infield Chatter’ was built with this interaction in mind as the top priority really helps us share and connect in ways that we haven’t been able to anywhere else.” There will be regular video chats players and fans, sharing photos, videos and music, and contests and competitions. 5. How about that 458-foot homer Travis Shaw hit on Thursday? Updates on nine 1. Chris Young, OF, Red Sox — As Hanley Ramirez’s shoulder issues continue to delay his season debut at first base, I recently asked John Farrell, “Why not Young?” Farrell said that job would be Josh Rutledge’s when he returns from his rehab assignment. Young has never played first, but he’s a very good athlete who would likely fare well. The Red Sox say they have no plans to experiment with this. This would also get Young more at-bats. So much for positional flexibility. 2. Coco Crisp, OF, free agent — As teams begin to suffer injuries, Crisp could provide an answer. The ex-Red Sox outfielder still wants to play, but he did not receive any major league offers to get back into the game. He’s reportedly selling his $10 million estate in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and downsizing as he begins his retirement phase if a team doesn’t sign him. 3. Bryan Price, manager, Reds — Price is being very creative with his bullpen, almost replicating what Indians manager Terry Francona did with Andrew Miller in the playoffs. In a game against the Pirates, Price summoned Michael Lorenzen in the third inning with the Reds leading, 5-1, feeling that was the point of the game where the Reds needed to stop any momentum. Lorenzen pitched three innings. He’s had three one- inning appearances since. Price isn’t afraid to look outside the box, but it works only if the bullpen isn’t spent. Heading into Friday’s games, the Reds had 77ѿ starter innings and 66Ҁ reliever innings. The Reds also have a 13-man pitching staff, so they may be able to accommodate this philosophy for a while. 4. Manny Pina, catcher, Brewers — An under-the-radar guy to watch is Pina, a 29-year-old who is suddenly playing well beyond his résumé. Sounds like Sandy Leon, doesn’t it? Pina entered Friday 13 for 30 (.433) with a 1.085 OPS and had thrown out four of nine would-be base stealers. One scout said that Pina has been the highlight of the Brewers’ young season. 5. Eric Thames, 1B, Brewers — In spring training one scout commented that Thames couldn’t catch up to a good fastball, but that changed when the season began. Thames put up big numbers in Korea — 124 homers and 382 RBIs in three seasons. Korea isn’t Major League Baseball, but the stocky Thames’s readjustment to the big leagues has been relatively seamless. This was a good scouting job by the Brewers. 6. Todd Frazier, 3B, White Sox — OK, he’s off to a poor start and the Mets have plenty of free-swinging offensive players. But third base is an issue. Jose Reyes isn’t cutting it. So maybe they solve it internally and move Asdrubal Cabrera there and give top prospect Amed Rosario the shortstop job. Frazier, meanwhile, is being paid $11 million this year and will be a free agent next winter. If the Mets can handle the money with help from the White Sox, wouldn’t this make sense? The thought of David Wright returning to the Mets and playing third seems remote. 7. Justus Sheffield, LHP, Yankees — You can’t find anyone in scouting who has one negative thing to say about Sheffield, who was obtained in the Andrew Miller deal with Cleveland. In fact, one evaluator who saw Sheffield recently characterized the 20-year-old nephew of Gary Sheffield as “special.” Sheffield is 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA in 11Ҁ innings (two starts) for Double A Trenton, striking out 10. The scout felt Sheffield likely wouldn’t be in New York this year, but it wouldn’t surprise him, either. The scout is also high on Trenton reliever Domingo German, who is throwing in the mid-90s consistently. 8. Edwin Encarnacion, DH, Indians — A Blue Jays official theorized that one of the reasons Encarnacion has struggled is that the Indians play in cold weather early in the season, and Encarnacion hates the cold. In Toronto, he was protected by the dome, so he didn’t experience as much of it in his years there. The slugger, who signed a three-year, $60 million deal with Cleveland, entered Friday hitting .218 with two homers and five RBIs. 9. Josh Donaldson, 3B, Blue Jays — Would the Jays really deal Donaldson if things continued this bad? He would be their major chip in trying to rebuild the organization, but he’s the player fans flock to see. There are some people in baseball who feel the Jays are going to blow it up and rebuild if their struggles continue, but others are skeptical of building a team without Donaldson. From the Bill Chuck files — “The White Sox recently had a starting lineup that had Avisail Garcia in right field, Leury Garcia in center field, and Willy Garcia in left field, the first time in MLB history that a team has started three outfielders with the same last name. None are related. Avisail went 2 for 4, Willy went 1 for 4, and Leury went 1 for 2.” . . . Happy birthday, Rheal Cormier (50). Mixed results The Cardinals’ Carlos Martinez turned in one of the oddest of outings in a 3-2 loss to the Yankees this month. He fanned 11 and walked eight in 5 1/3 innings, just the fourth time since 1960 a pitcher has walked at least eight while striking out 10 or more in six or fewer innings, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Boston Globe LOADED: 04.23.2017 BILL SHAIKIN / Three up, three down: A look at what's trending in the MLB A look at what’s trending in Major League Baseball: THREE UP Power of Brew: Chris Carter tied for the National League lead last season with 41 home runs. The Brewers let him go — for nothing! — and replaced him with Eric Thames, who had washed out of the majors in 2012 but hit 124 home runs in three years for the NC Dinos in South Korea. Thames, 30, is batting .379 with eight home runs — the most in the majors — in his first 16 games for the Brewers. Turns out the and Tampa Bay Rays also pursued him last winter. “Milwaukee has great beer,” he told USA Today. “I love beer.” Rocky mountain high: The Colorado Rockies rebuilt their pitching staff with a veteran-laden bullpen, taking a chance on former closer Greg Holland, in his first year coming off Tommy John surgery. Holland has appeared in nine games and saved each one. The Rockies surged to the early lead in the NL West in large part to a bullpen that has put up a 2.64 ERA – the best in the NL. The Rockies’ relief ERA last season: 5.13. The Colorado pitching depth already is tested because two of the top four starters are on the disabled list, Jon Gray (fractured toe) and Chad Bettis (testicular cancer). Going out in style: Ichiro Suzuki said in spring training that he’d like to play until he’s 50. For now, he’s a 43-year-old fourth outfielder, which means every season could be his last. On Wednesday, in what could have been his final at-bat in Safeco Field, he homered for the Miami Marlins. Ichiro is revered in Seattle, the brightest star on the last Mariners playoff team in (ugh) 2001 and one of two Mariners to win the American League MVP award. Ken Griffey Jr. is the other, and the Mariners put up a statue of him last weekend. Ichiro could very well be next. What, you think A-Rod is getting one? THREE DOWN Giant mess: Hey, San Francisco Giants, this is your April: Your best player, Buster Posey, suffered a concussion. Your manager, Bruce Bochy, had to undergo a heart procedure. And now your best pitcher, , injured his pitching shoulder in what the team said was a dirt-bike accident. The Dodgers survived two months without last season, so maybe the Giants can do the same without Bumgarner this season. But if the injury had happened to Bumgarner’s nemesis, Yasiel Puig, wouldn’t Puig have been ripped for disrespecting his teammates by engaging in a dangerous activity during the season? Powering down: As Jose Bautista headed into his walk year last season, he reportedly told the Toronto Blue Jays that he needed at least five years and $150 million. Such a contract would have taken Bautista to at least age 40, in an era where drug testing has restored the aging curve for sluggers. The Jays said no and, when he hit free agency last fall, so did every other team. He took a one-year contract to return to Toronto, rebound from a .234 season and earn a lavish long-term deal. But he’s batting .131, with one home run and 24 strikeouts in 61 at-bats. It’s still early, but only three free-agent outfielders signed for more than $18 million last winter, all at least five years younger than Bautista. Hamilton ends run: Josh Hamilton could have been one of the all-time greats, and his career might well have ended with a glorious farewell ceremony. Instead, he bowed out with a prepared statement, released from a minor league contract in news greeted around baseball with a collective shrug. He had undergone three knee surgeries since his last major league appearance, and he’s headed for a fourth, this one more for quality of life than an extremely slim comeback chance. His Angels run was a disaster for employer and employee, but we’ll remember his four-homer game in 2012, his legendary home-run derby in 2008 and his willingness to open up about his demons, even if he could not fully conquer them. SERIES OF THE WEEK (Statistics through Friday’s games.) vs. Friday-Sunday at Yankee Stadium The Orioles have the most victories in the American League over the past five years, but the computer projection never likes them. The Yankees are rebuilding. The Boston Red Sox had Chris Sale, and Rick Porcello, and surely they would have the AL East too. Not so fast — Sale has been terrific, but Price is on the disabled list indefinitely and Porcello has a 5.32 ERA. CC Sabathia, 36, has a 2.70 ERA for the Yankees. , 24, drafted by the Orioles ahead of Francisco Lindor, Javier Baez and Jose Fernandez in 2011, is an emerging ace with a 1.37 ERA. Oh, and those breathlessly hyped Red Sox? Dead last in the majors in home runs; the Orioles and Yankees each have three times as many. LA Times LOADED: 04.23.2017