Bullpen falters after pitch count chases Kluber By Jason Beck and William Kosileski / MLB.com | 12:18 AM ET + 6 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Michael Fulmer won't pitch in the Midsummer Classic, but he'll settle for winning a duel opposite fellow American League All- Star . Fulmer's six-plus quality innings and Justin Wilson's five-out save helped the Tigers close out the first half by avoiding a series sweep to the Indians with a 5-3 win Sunday night at Progressive Field.

Cleveland heads into the All-Star break at 47-40, up 2 1/2 games on the Twins in the AL Central. Detroit moved within eight games but still has work to do at 39-48 as general Al Avila listens to offers ahead of the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. Kluber and Fulmer (9-6) both allowed a run on three hits over their first five innings. But while Fulmer did it in just 58 pitches, Kluber threw 101, thanks in part to eight . Detroit scored three runs in the sixth off the Tribe bullpen, two on Alex Presley's go-ahead double, to move ahead for good. Fulmer entered the seventh with a 5-1 lead and a pitch count of only 71, but four straight hits, including Jose Ramirez's two-run homer, knocked Fulmer out of the game before an out was recorded. retired three straight to escape the jam, then turned the ball over to Wilson, who stranded the bases loaded in the eighth and worked around a single in the ninth for his 10th save. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Tigers capitalize post-Kluber: The Tigers had never worked 100 or more pitches out of Kluber before the sixth inning. By doing so Sunday, the Tigers forced the long end of the Indians' bullpen into action in the sixth, and they converted. Nick Goody threw just four of 13 pitches for strikes, walking two and allowing a single to load the bases. Presley had a late swing on a Dan Otero changeup but lined it down the left-field line for a two-run double ahead of Iglesias' high chopper to first for an RBI infield single. An inning later, Nicholas Castellanos fouled off six pitches from Otero before delivering a two-out RBI single. Give me five: Wilson hadn't had a save of more than three outs since becoming Tigers closer, and he hadn't tried since May 16. But the lefty hadn't worked since Thursday and will have four days off for the All-Star break, so manager called on him with one out in the eighth after back-to-back walks from Greene. Wilson retired Ramirez on a fielder's choice then walked Brandon Guyer to load the bases but stranded them with a Carlos Santana groundout. He worked around a single in the ninth for a five-out save. CHISENHALL EXITS WITH INJURY Lonnie Chisenhall was removed in the top of the fourth inning with a right calf injury. In his only at-bat of the night, the Indians' right fielder grounded into an inning-ending double play in the second. He was replaced by Guyer. WHAT'S NEXT Tigers: The second half opens at home for the Tigers, who welcome the Blue Jays for a three-game series beginning Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Comerica Park. Justin Verlander (5-6, 4.73 ERA) gets the start on five days' rest after a hard-luck loss to the Indians on Saturday. Indians: After the All-Star break, the Indians will head to Oakland to open a three-game set with the Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum beginning with Friday's 10:05 p.m. ET tilt. Carlos Carrasco (10-3, 3.44 ERA) will take the mound for the opener. He is coming off a strong seven-inning performance against the Tigers, in which recorded a season-high 11 strikeouts.

Chisenhall exits with right calf injury By William Kosileski / MLB.com | July 9th, 2017 + 0 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall left in the fourth inning of Sunday night's 5-3 loss to the Tigers at Progressive Field with a right calf injury.

"In the first inning, he broke on a ball to back up first base," acting manager said. "He felt a little grab in his calf, his right calf. He thought it was just like a cramp. And then he came in, I think it was the next inning, he hit the ground-ball double-play and it got worse and he still thought it was a cramp. Now it seems like it's going to be more like a mild strain-type thing." Mills did not say whether the injury would land Chisenhall on the disabled list, but the Tribe has the All-Star break to figure that out before opening the second half in Oakland on Friday. Brandon Guyer replaced Chisenhall in right to start the top of the fourth and went 1-for-2 with a single, a and a walk.

Kipnis lands on DL with hamstring strain By William Kosileski / MLB.com | July 9th, 2017 + 1 COMMENT CLEVELAND -- Prior to their matchup with the Tigers on Sunday night at Progressive Field, the Indians placed Jason Kipnis on the 10-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain.

Kipnis was injured trying to beat out a checked-swing ground ball in the third inning of Saturday's 4-0 victory over Detroit. Giovanny Urshela was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to replace Kipnis on the active roster. "I think we saw that he was running hard down the line and all of a sudden he felt a strain in his hamstring," Indians bench and acting manager Brad Mills said on Sunday. "We saw that when he limped off, we said, 'Is that something we need to go there for?' He waved us off and said, 'No, I'll just walk back.' And he did. And it was concluded today that he has a mild hamstring [strain] and needs to go on the disabled list. "How long is it going to be? Well, at least 10 days. And we'll see. It'll probably, maybe be a little worse than a mild hamstring, but sometimes those take a little time, longer than the 10 days if necessary. We'll see how it progresses and so forth as we move forward." Kipnis' trip to the DL comes one day before the All-Star break, so he'll only miss one game during the first five days of his stint. The Tribe opens the second half on Friday in Oakland. Before Kipnis was removed on Saturday, he had gone 1-for-2 with a double against Tigers starter Justin Verlander. In his last three games, Kipnis has gone 4-for-9 (.444) with four doubles, four runs scored and three walks. "It's really tough because we're in a situation where he was really starting to swing the bat well," Mills said. "Now, he was able to start swinging the bat, feeling good about himself and running well and getting the extra base hits, and then this happens. We're really looking forward to an opportunity for him to continue working hard through this period, that he's able to come back and be ready as soon as possible." It marks Kipnis' second stint on the DL this season, as he began the year sidelined with a right shoulder injury before making his season debut on April 21 against the White Sox. In 66 games this season, Kipnis is hitting .232 with eight homers, 19 doubles, 26 RBIs, 32 runs scored, 22 walks and five stolen bases. With Kipnis on the shelf, Erik Gonzalez will fill in at second, with third baseman Jose Ramirez providing backup. Urshela makes his second trip to the Majors this season. He was recalled for the second game of a doubleheader with the Twins on June 17, played third base and went 0-for-4. With Columbus this season, he is hitting .266 with six homers, 12 doubles and 34 RBIs in 76 games. He has played 60 games at third and 16 at shortstop. "Gio had played not just third base. He's played some short as well," Mills said. "We also have Jose Ramirez, who can play second base and has played short as well. [Gonzalez] has played short and all over the infield. Well, this adds another piece, so we can move around that infield a little bit more."

Top 2 Tribe prospects shine in Futures Game By Daniel Kramer and Oliver Macklin / MLB.com | July 9th, 2017 + 0 COMMENTS INDIANS Francisco Mejia, C, CLE No. 1 | MLB No. 33: Mejia recorded an impressive 1.87 pop time trying to throw out Brinson at second base and picked up a single in two at-bats, then scored the World Team's second run. Triston McKenzie, RHP, CLE No. 2 | MLB No. 47: McKenzie came in to begin the ninth and quickly got Acuna to fly out to center fielder Ray before being pulled in favor of Puk.

Cleveland Indians complete first half with 5-3 loss to Tigers under bright lights of Sunday Night Baseball BY ZACK MEISEL, CLEVELAND.COM [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the first time in eight years, ESPN's bright lights returned to Progressive Field on a Sunday night.

The lights proved too bright for the Tigers. But the Tigers proved to be too much for the Indians, who dropped a 5-3 decision to Detroit in the final battle of 's first half.

The Indians still took two of three from their American League Central rival, but they couldn't cash in on a Corey Kluber start for the second time in a week. In a duel of All-Star starting , Michael Fulmer outlasted Kluber, and the Indians' bullpen couldn't keep Detroit down.

Cleveland's best chance came in the bottom of the seventh, when Jose Ramirez yanked a 97-mph fastball into the right-field seats for a two-run homer. The crowd chanted Ramirez's first name as the third baseman rounded the bases and the Indians trimmed the Tigers' advantage to two runs.

After Brandon Guyer singled to bring the tying run to the plate, Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler griped to the umpire crew about a bright light in the bathroom of a mid-level suite behind home plate. The game was paused for a few minutes as the umpires and stadium personnel worked to have the light turned off. When play resumed, Carlos Santana slapped a single to right field. The Indians couldn't capitalize, though. Tigers reliever Shane Greene retired Yan Gomes, Abraham Almonte and Bradley Zimmer to preserve Detroit's lead.

The Indians loaded the bases in the eighth on a trio of walks, but Santana bounced out to third to end the threat.

The Tigers had pulled in front with a three-run sixth. Tribe reliever Nick Goody faced four batters, and three of them reached. He turned the game over to Dan Otero, who entered in an undesirable spot, with the bases loaded and one out. Alex Presley tagged him for a two-run double and Jose Iglesias brought another run home with a towering chopper to first for an infield single. The ball might as well have ricocheted off of the Goodyear Blimp, which hovered above the ballpark all night.

Kluber departed after five innings, having tossed 101 pitches. He only allowed one run on three hits, but he walked three, his most in a start since April 27.

Kluber's string of five consecutive outings with at least 10 strikeouts came to an end, as he tallied eight. Still, in eight starts since he returned from the disabled list, the right-hander has posted a 1.29 ERA, and has held opposing hitters to a .156 batting average and a .203 slugging percentage. He'll spend the next few days at All-Star festivities in Miami as a result.

Fulmer pitched into the seventh inning, as he held the Indians to three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk. Neither Fulmer or Kluber will pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game since they worked on Sunday night. It marked the first ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast in Cleveland since June 14, 2009.

Indians finish first half with 47-40 record What it means

The Indians enter the All-Star break with a 47-40 record, five games behind last year's pace. Record at the break, by year: 2016: 52-36 2015: 42-46 2014: 47-47 2013: 51-44 2012: 44-41 2011: 47-42 The Indians and Tigers have split their 12 meetings this season.

Rotating

Tribe starting pitchers have held the opposition to one or zero runs in eight of the team's last 12 games.

Power hour

Ramirez has 17 home runs this season. He had 11 in 152 games last year. Ramirez trails Edwin Encarnacion by one for the team lead in homers.

Injury bug

Lonnie Chisenhall exited the game with a right calf injury. Brandon Guyer replaced Chisenhall in right field in the top of the fourth inning. The injury bug has not been kind to the Indians this weekend. Jason Kipnis suffered a mild right hamstring strain in Saturday's game and subsequently landed on the 10-day disabled list.

Chisenhall has already been sidelined twice this year, once with a sprained shoulder and once with a concussion.

Good glove

Erik Gonzalez started at second base in place of Kipnis. He made an impressive sliding stop in the first cut of the outfield grass near second base with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. He threw to first to retire Justin Upton and keep the Indians within three runs.

They came, they saw

An announced crowd of 24,915 watched the game at Progressive Field. The Indians rank 26th in the league in average home crowd size.

What's next

The Indians will open the second half of the season with a weeklong trip to the Bay Area for series against the Athletics and Giants. First, five players and the coaching staff will partake in the All-Star Game festivities in Miami. Manager is expected to rejoin the club in Oakland on Thursday, when the team holds an optional workout.

Carlos Carrasco, Kluber and Trevor Bauer, in that order, are scheduled to pitch the Tribe's three games against the Athletics.

Will Futures Game nudge ' Triston McKenzie, Francisco Mejia in right direction? BY PAUL HOYNES, [email protected] MIAMI - Triston McKenzie threw two pitches and had a great time. Francisco Mejia felt the same way, but as a catcher he had to work a little harder than McKenzie.

McKenzie and Mejia, two of the best prospects in the Indians' minor league system, played in Sunday's Futures Game at Marlins Park in conjunction with Tuesday night's All-Star Game. Team USA beat the World, 7-6. In the ninth inning, McKenzie, pitching for Team USA, threw two pitches to Atlanta's Ronald Acuna, retiring him on a fly ball to center field for the first out. The two 93 mph fastballs marked the end of his day's work.

"I knew the plan going in so it didn't really bother me," said McKenzie, the 42nd overall pick in the 2015 draft.

McKenzie, who grew up in Loxahatchee, Fla., pitched in front a large gathering of family and friends. Loxahatchee is about an hour's drive from Miami.

"I couldn't tell you," said McKenzie, 19, when asked how many of his supporters were in the stands. "I left tickets. People bought tickets. Everybody just came out there to support me and I'm glad for it."

McKenzie was playing in his first Futures Game. This was No.2 for Mejia. To make it even better, he started.

"It was fun, because I was starting," Mejia. "I was so happy to start the game. There were new coaches here, new people, new manager, everything. And new players, too. Not just guys from last year."

Mejia caught five innings. Team USA took an early 7-0 lead. In the sixth, Mejia beat out an infield single in front of the plate and came around to score to make it 7-2.

"I hit a little bouncer," said Mejia, 21, who signed with the Indians as a free agent in the Dominican Republic in 2012. "I got a good pitch to hit, but that's part of the game. I was running hard. I play hard all the time." McKenzie didn't get to enjoy the All-Star atmosphere long. He was scheduled to rejoin his Class A Lynchburg teammates on Monday.

In 16 starts this year, McKenzie is 7-4 with a 2.19 ERA. He has 115 strikeouts and 32 walks in 89 2/3 innings. He has been schooled well when it comes to what he hopes for the future.

Asked if he could make it to Class AA Akron by the end of the season, McKenzie said, "That's out of my control and it's not my decision to make. I go out there and focus on what I can control and that's the game of baseball. "

The switch-hitting Mejia is already at Akron where he's hitting .339 (77-for-227) with 16 doubles, two triples, nine homers and 34 RBI. He's struck out 34 times, drew 16 walks, and posted a .928 OPS.

Asked what his approach to hitting is, Mejia said, "Hit line drives to the middle of the field. I don't have a lot of power to the middle. Like (Jose) Altuve, hit it in the middle. If they pitch in, drive it out."

Mejia's has been working hard for Anna Bolton, the team's interpreter, and his English has improved. It has helped him communicate with the coaching staff, teammates and pitchers.

"I was scared to talk to people like you (reporters) and other people," said Mejia.

Marlins Park made an impression on McKenzie and Mejia.

"It's a great atmosphere to be in," said McKenzie. "I have to work hard this year and, hopefully, next year so I can be back in it."

Said Mejia, "It makes you excited, because you want to play here. You don't want to play in the minor leagues. This stadium is nice. Last year, San Diego was great. Hitting BP here is way better than when you're hitting BP in the minor leagues."

Which is the whole idea of the Futures Game. To show talented young players what the end game looks like. To nudge them in that direction and see how far they can get.

Cleveland Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall exits game with right calf injury BY ZACK MEISEL, [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the second straight night, an Indians position player made an early exit.

Lonnie Chisenhall left Sunday's game because of a right calf injury, one night after second baseman Jason Kipnis suffered a mild hamstring strain.

Kipnis' injury landed him on the 10-day disabled list.

Brandon Guyer replaced Chisenhall in right field in the top of the fourth inning. In his only trip to the plate, Chisenhall grounded into a double play.

Chisenhall has already completed a pair of stints on the DL. He missed the first two weeks of the season with a shoulder sprain. In late May, Chisenhall suffered a concussion and missed nearly two more weeks.

Chisenhall entered Sunday's action with a .306/.377/.581 slash line, with 12 home runs and 51 RBI in 63 games.

Look out Miami, the Cleveland Indians are coming to your All-Star Game at Marlins Park BY PAUL HOYNES, [email protected] MIAMI - Be forewarned, Miami. Not only are the Indians coming to your All-Star Game, they're responsible for the American League portion of the Midsummer Classic's game plan. And they're doing it on the fly.

The Indians are bringing five All-Stars to Marlins Park and that doesn't include Carlos Carrasco, their winningest . That's just for starters.

They rest of the entourage includes the coaching staff that helped win the AL pennant last year and reach Game 7 of the . Other staff members headed to South Beach are bullpen catchers Armando Camacaro and Ricky Pacione, replay coordinator , coaching assistant Scott Atchison and strength coach Joe Kessler.

The one guy who isn't coming, the point man for what the Indians do on and off the field, is manager Terry Francona. He'll be watching from his Cleveland residence after undergoing an operation on his heart Thursday at Cleveland Clinic to correct an irregular heartbeat.

While Francona will be only a text message away, the transfer of on-site power goes to bench coach Brad Mills. Francona and Mills have been texting each other since Friday so the two friends have a good idea what's on each other's minds. Not only will Mills have the Indians' coaching staff to lean on, but Tampa Bay manager will be in the dugout as well. As for the game plan, it will literally be conceived on the fly. After the Indians play Detroit at Progressive Field on Sunday, the All-Star contingent will board a charter jet bound for Miami. They're scheduled to arrive at 4 a.m. Monday, which should give Mills and the rest of the coaches - with input from Francona - time to get his starting lineup in order and get some kind of feel for how to use his AL reserves on Tuesday night.

"We were excited to have T (Francona) be the manager and we were excited to represent the American League and represent the Cleveland Indians because of what we did last year," said Mills, about the All-Star Game. "With T not being there, I think the staff is ready to step up and all share in those duties." Mills biggest chore as AL manager will be trying to make sure he plays as many All-Stars as possible. Now that the winner of the All-Star Game no longer determines home-field advantage for the World Series, some of the pressure is off. Of course, a couple of pitchers are going to have to be held in reserve in case of extra innings. It's either that or give Chris Gimenez a special All-Star voucher so the catcher could pitch for either league depending on who runs out of pitchers first.

When the All-Star teams were announced on July 2, Francona talked about the baseball-playing world tuning into Marlins Park on Tuesday night and seeing "Indians uniforms all over the place."

Third baseman Jose Ramirez, shortstop Francisco Lindor, left fielder Michael Brantley, right-hander Corey Kluber and left-hander will represent the Indians for the American League. Ramirez was voted into the starting lineup and hasn't stopped thanking Indians' fans on his Twitter feed since.

Brantley, Lindor and Miller were selected by their fellow players, while Kluber was named by the Commissioner's office. Kluber, who started Sunday night against the Tigers to officially take the Tribe into the All-Star break, will not pitch Tuesday, but still receives a $100,000 bonus for making the team. All other Indians are available. This will be Miller's second straight All-Star Game appearance. He said what he enjoyed the most about last year's game in San Diego was having his son, Max, on the field with him during the Derby. He feels the same way this year.

"I got my son's little (All-Star) jersey in the mail," said Miller on Saturday. "I just think having him run around the field (was great) last year. I'm expecting him to have even more fun and be more into it this year.

"That for me is what I'm kind of looking forward to. I think the opportunity to play in a game like that is something not to be taken for granted. It's not an opportunity that is granted very often. But I think probably the biggest smile I'll have is seeing him running around and take something in at the festivities. That's what I can't wait for."

When Brantley played in his last All-Star Game in 2014, he was emerging as one of the top players in the game. He returns this year following two operations on his right shoulder and playing in only 11 games last year.

"I'm very excited, very humbled, very blessed," said Brantley. "There were some dark days and long nights, but the doctors kept me positive. I just kept working, just kept going after it."

Said Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, on what it will mean when Brantley plays in Tuesday's game, "I'm looking forward to that, because this is the ultimate team guy."

During last year's postseason run, Brantley traveled with the Indians and tried to help as much as he could. His season ended in August following his second shoulder surgery, but he was there to give advice an encouragement to his teammates.

"It would have been easy for a guy to wonder why he wasn't able to share in that and take a woe is me attitude," said Antonetti. "Michael, in fact, did the exact opposite. He took the approach that, hey, I'm going to embrace this time with our team and try to contribute and help us win. . .They've nobody more deserving."

Mike Clevinger says 'it was surreal' to face (and beat) Justin Verlander twice in one week BY ZACK MEISEL, [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mike Clevinger was 20 years old when Justin Verlander capped an incredible season on the mound with both the American League Cy Young Award and MVP honors.

Clevinger had recently joined the Angels as a fourth-round draft selection. He made a few appearances that summer for the Angels' rookie league team in Orem, Utah.

Little did he know, six years later, he would be competing against Verlander -- and out-pitching him.

"It's a little surreal," said Clevinger, who logged six scoreless innings in the Indians' 4-0 win against the Tigers on Saturday. Clevinger and Verlander squared off twice in the last week. The 26-year-old bested the guy he idolized years earlier on both occasions.

"The second he got on the scene, he had the 100-mph fastball with the power ," Clevinger said. "Everyone looked up to wanting to do that and wanting to be him. It was surreal to get to face him two starts in a row. It gives you a little extra edge because you grew up watching the guy and trying to emulate the pitches he has."

The 2017 version of Verlander is vastly different than the 2011 version, at least as far as statistics go. The 34-year-old owns a 4.73 ERA this season, with a career-high walk rate (4.4 per nine innings). In four starts against the Indians, he has surrendered 19 runs on 30 hits in 21 innings.

Clevinger, on the other hand, may have found a home in the Indians' rotation. Over his last five starts, Clevinger has posted a 1.67 ERA, with only 15 hits allowed over 27 innings.

"It's [about] getting more comfortable with the same situations you faced in the minor leagues that you're able to climb out of instead of kind of digging a deeper hole like I was early in my career," Clevinger said. "I feel like now I'm getting to the point that it's easier to find the mistakes I'm making and getting back to the plan of attack." Rotating: Carlos Carrasco will start the Indians' second-half opener in Oakland on Friday. Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer will follow. Josh Tomlin and Mike Clevinger will then pitch the team's first two games against the Giants in San Francisco.

R & R: Is the All-Star break coming at a good time for the Indians?

"Well, it seems like the All-Star break always comes at a good time," Mills said, "because you're really starting to grind through the season now. You've settled in to how your team is playing, how they're coming together and so forth. So now we can come back after the break and really start getting after it before the leaves start turning brown."

First things first: The Indians will enter the All-Star break in first place for the second consecutive season. It's the first time they have accomplished that in back-to-back years since 1998-99.

Cleveland Indians place Jason Kipnis on disabled list with mild hamstring strain BY ZACK MEISEL, [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians placed Jason Kipnis on the 10-day disabled list on Sunday, one day after the second baseman hobbled off the field with a mild right hamstring strain.

The club recalled third baseman Giovanny Urshela from Triple-A Columbus to assume Kipnis' roster spot.

Erik Gonzalez replaced Kipnis at second base at the start of the fourth inning on Saturday night. Kipnis suffered the injury as he attempted to beat out a grounder back to the pitcher.

"Sometimes those take a little time, longer than the 10 days if necessary," said bench coach Brad Mills. "We'll see how it progresses and so forth as we move forward."

After Sunday's first-half finale, the Indians don't play again until Friday, when they begin a series in Oakland.

It has been one ailment after another for the Indians' second baseman in 2017. Kipnis started the season on the DL as he recovered from a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder. He has also missed several games this year because of a stiff neck.

Kipnis is batting .232 with a .693 OPS in 66 games.

This is Urshela's second tour with the Tribe this season. He joined the club for a day in Minnesota last month and went 0-for-4. At Triple-A, he is batting .266 with a .695 OPS in 76 games.

"Gio had played not just third base. He's played some short as well," Mills said. "We also have Jose Ramirez, who can play second base and has played short as well. [Erik Gonzalez] has played short and all over the infield. Well, this adds another piece so we can move around that infield a little bit more."

Tigers 5, Indians 3: Tribe finishes on sour note, but still hits break in first place Chris Assenheimer ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-TelegramPublished on July 10, 2017 CLEVELAND -- Everything was in place for a positive finish to the unofficial first half for the Indians on Sunday night -- an opportunity to sweep Central Division rival Detroit with ace Corey Kluber on the mound.

The Tigers refused to follow the plan.

With Kluber working his second-shortest outing of the season and Cleveland’s bats going silent over the first six innings, the Indians fell 5-3 in front of 24,915 fans at Progressive Field.

Kluber was effective, allowing just a run on three hits and striking out eight, but Detroit made him work and his pitch count climb, with the right- hander lasting only five innings (101 pitches).

It was the shortest outing of the season for Kluber other than May 2 at Detroit, when he left after three innings with a back injury that sent him to the disabled list for a month.

His streak of double-digit strikeout totals came to end at five games.

“They put together some good at-bats and I didn’t have my best command tonight,” said Kluber, who walked three. “They did a good job of kind of extending some counts. They had a lot of base runners over a couple innings. I was able to keep it to just one run, but they were able to get the pitch count up pretty good.

“You’d like to be on perfectly every time out there. That’s not realistically the case. Sometimes you’ve got to find a way to battle through it and try to keep things to a minimum and keep the team in the game.”

Kluber worked out of a bases-loaded jam in his final inning of work.

“He had to work so hard in the top of the fifth. It was 30 pitches and traffic all over the place,” said bench coach Brad Mills, who filled in for manager Terry Francona again. “I haven’t talked to him, but he just didn’t get settled in.”

Kluber, who was selected to Tuesday’s All-Star Game but will not pitch, wasn’t at his best in the unofficial first-half finale, but he has been dominant since leaving the disabled list. In eight starts since his activation, Kluber has posted a 1.29 ERA, while striking out 82 batters over 56 innings. The opposition is hitting a meager .156 over the span.

The Indians managed only a run on three hits over the first six innings against Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer -- last year’s American League Rookie of the Year.

They finally caught up to him in the seventh, with four straight reaching on hits -- including a two-run home run from Jose Ramirez that pulled Cleveland to within 5-3.

Detroit scored first on consecutive two-out hits off Kluber in the third, but the Indians answered back in the fourth on a two-out double from Edwin Encarnacion.

The Tigers took control briefly with a three-run sixth inning, scoring twice on a double from Alex Presley off right-hander Dan Otero. Otero also allowed an RBI infield single to Jose Iglesias that put Detroit up 4-1, with all three runs charged to Nick Goody.

The Indians loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, but Carlos Santana grounded to third to end the threat.

For the second time in two nights, the Indians saw a player leave the game prematurely with an injury, right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall, who departed in the top of the fourth inning with a right calf strain.

Second baseman Jason Kipnis was forced from Saturday’s game in the same inning with a right hamstring strain and was placed on the 10-day disabled list prior to the first-half finale against Detroit.

“In the first inning, he broke on a ball to back up first base and he felt a little grab in his calf and he thought it was just like a cramp,” Mills said of Chisenhall. “The next inning he hit the ground ball, double play, and it got worse. He still thought it was a cramp, but now it looks like it’s going to be a mild-type strain.”

Even with the loss, the Indians hit the break in first place with a 47-40 record and a 2 1/2-game lead over Minnesota.

“Throughout a 162-game season, things aren’t always going to be ideal,” Kluber said. “You’ve got to find ways to grind through it and win games. We’ve won 47 and loss 40 at this point so things could definitely be worse, but I think we still feel like our best baseball is ahead of us.”

Indians Notes: Second baseman Jason Kipnis placed on DL with hamstring strain Chris Assenheimer ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-TelegramPublished on July 9, 2017 | Updated 11:01 p. m. CLEVELAND — Jason Kipnis’ disappointing season has gotten worse.

The struggling second baseman, who is batting .232 over 66 games, was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain prior to Sunday’s first-half finale.

Kipnis, who went 4-for-9 with a double over his last three games, sustained the injury while running out a ground ball back to the pitcher in the third inning of Saturday night’s 4-0 win over Detroit. He doubled in his first at-bat.

“You know it’s really tough because we’re in a situation where he was really starting to swing the bat well,” said bench coach Brad Mills, who continued to fill in for manager Terry Francona, who’s recovering from surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat. “He was able to start swinging the bat, feeling good about himself and running well and getting the extra-base hits, and then this happens.

“We’re really looking forward to an opportunity for him to continue working hard through this period, that he’s able to come back and be ready as soon as possible.”

The Indians are calling it a mild strain, but it’s another injury setback for Kipnis, who began the season on the DL with right shoulder inflammation and missed Wednesday’s game with neck spasms.

Third baseman Giovanny Urshela was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to fill Kipnis’ roster spot. Outside of one start in a doubleheader June 17 at Minnesota, Urshela has spent the season with the Clippers, batting .266 with four home runs and 34 RBIs in 76 games.

“Gio has played not just third base, he’s played some short as well,” Mills said. “We also have Jose Ramirez, who can play second base and has played short as well. (Erik Gonzalez) has played short and all over the infield. This adds another piece so we can move around that infield a little bit more.”

Gonzalez, who started at second and hit ninth Sunday, figures to get the first shot at replacing Kipnis. He had appeared in 22 games for Cleveland this year, batting .313 with three doubles, two homers and three RBIs.

“I think we see the progression he’s making all the way through,” Mills said of the 25-year-old Gonzalez. “We’ve seen when he’s been up here before and each time he comes up it seems like there’s a little bit more growth in the way he plays the game on both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively. And he’s starting to gather that experience and that growth as he gets older. And it’s showing.”

Jose, Jose, Jose If it weren’t for a monster first half from Yankees slugger — .329, 30 homers and 66 RBIs — Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez would enter the second half as an American League MVP favorite.

Ramirez, who is the first Cleveland player elected by fans to the All-Star Game since Juan Gonzalez in 2001, entered Sunday batting .329 with 16 homers and 46 RBIs over 85 games.

“I think it’s surprising when he doesn’t put a good at-bat together, maybe more than anything else,” Mills said. “Here’s a guy that never takes an at-bat off. I mean, the other night when I took both he and Edwin (Encarnacion) out of the game for the last couple of innings, he didn’t want to come out. He just wants to continue, not only just to play, but to have a chance maybe to get another at-bat and maybe do something else with it. That’s nice to see as a teammate.”

Ramirez ranked among the AL leaders in numerous categories through Saturday, including batting average (third), hits (second with 107), runs (third with 61), slugging percentage (third at .591), on-base percentage (fifth at .384) and extra-base hits (tied for first with 48).

He was unheralded before a breakout season last year.

“I’ve been thinking about that and all the hard work I’ve done and the sacrifices I’ve made,” Ramirez said through an interpreter. “I’m thankful that I’ve had good results.”

What’s the deal? Homers are up around baseball and All-Star reliever Andrew Miller has some thoughts on why.

“I think it’s hitters’ approaches as much as anything, probably also pitchers. The way you see the guys coming up now, guys seem to be more focused on velocity than command,” Miller said. “The bats might be harder, the balls might be adjusted a bit. Five years ago, not everybody had this uppercut swing. I think we saw more guys situationally hit.

“The game changes, it always does. Whether it’s a cycle that we’re going to come out of or if it’s going to keep going this way, I don’t know. I just think it’s more the style and the acceptance that a strikeout is not that bad if you hit enough home runs and enough doubles. You look at some of the strikeout numbers from some of the Hall of Famers 50, 60 years ago, and it’s incredible. There’s probably guys that have struck out more in a year than Ted Williams did in his career.”

Minor detail Double-A Akron catcher Francisco Mejia and advanced Class A Lynchburg right-hander Triston McKenzie played in the Futures Game at Marlins Park on Sunday.

McKenzie, who is 7-4 with a 2.91 ERA in 16 starts for the Hillcats, recorded one out in the ninth inning of the United States’ 7-6 victory over the World team.

Mejia, who is Cleveland’s top prospect and is hitting .339 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 59 games for the RubberDucks, started for the World and went 1-for-2 with a run.

Roundin’ third The Indians have set their rotation coming out of the All-Star break, with Carlos Carrasco (Friday), Corey Kluber (Saturday) and Trevor Bauer (Sunday) scheduled to start in a three-game series at Oakland, and Mike Clevinger and Josh Tomlin slated to pitch the first two games at San Francisco on July 17-18. ... Bradley Zimmer entered Sunday tied for the AL lead with seven outfield assists. ... Encarnacion ranked third in the AL with 51 walks through Saturday.

All-Star Fulmer outlasts Kluber as Tigers top Indians 5-3

BY TOM WITHERSAP Sports Writer

Michael Fulmer won't pitch in his first All-Star Game, not because he isn't worthy.

Under the bright lights and on a big stage Sunday night, Fulmer again showed why he's Miami-bound.

Fulmer outlasted All-Star teammate Corey Kluber, Alex Presley hit a tiebreaking, two-run double and the hung on late to salvage the series finale with a 5-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night.

Fulmer (9-6) dominated the defending AL champions until the seventh inning, when he gave up a two-run homer to Indians All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez.

Detroit's shaky bullpen then barely held together over the last three innings. Shane Greene worked out of a bases-loaded threat in the seventh and Justin Wilson did the same in the eighth while getting five outs for his 10th save in 11 tries.

Because Fulmer started the final game before the break, he'll watch the All-Star Game from the bullpen on Tuesday night. However, with one last chance to show his stuff, he made the most of a nationally televised matchup against Kluber by beating the Central-leading Indians.

"Obviously the pitcher he is, an All-Star as well, and his success the last four or five games, you see that on TV," Fulmer said. "I knew I had to put up zeroes for the most part."

Fulmer held Cleveland to one run and three hits over the first six innings and won his third start in a row.

After the Indians climbed within 5-3 in the seventh, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus pulled Fulmer and turned to his bullpen, which came in with the league's worst ERA.

And while Greene and Wilson walked the high-wire during their outings, they made sure the Tigers ended the unofficial first half on a high note.

"Greenie had my back and J-Will had Greenie's back," Fulmer said. "The bullpen did great."

A win over Cleveland is a positive way for Detroit to enter the break. The Tigers (39-4) had a rough first half and there are trade rumors swirling around the club, which could be looking to unload players and contracts before the July 31 deadline.

"We salvaged a win going into the break, not feeling sour about the way the game has gone," Ausmus said. "Hopefully the guys can have nice four days off and reset and be ready to go."

The Indians (47-40) were again without manager Terry Francona, who underwent a cardiac ablation to correct an irregular heartbeat and spent four days at the Cleveland Clinic. Francona is expected to rejoin the club following the All-Star break in Oakland. The Tigers made Kluber, who didn't get any run support for the second straight game, work hard during his five-inning stint. He allowed just one run, and had his team record streak of consecutive games with at least 10 strikeouts end at five.

"They put together some good at-bats," Kluber said. "I didn't have my best command tonight. But they put together a lot of tough at-bats and they did a good job of extending some counts and had a lot of baserunners in a couple innings. I was able to keep it to just one run, but they were able to get the pitch count up pretty good."

Held to three hits in six innings, the Indians finally strung something together off Fulmer in the seventh. Edwin Encarnacion singled and with fans singing, "Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose," Ramirez connected for his 17th homer. Carlos Santana followed with a single and Ausmus brought in Greene, who got a fielder's choice and two strikeouts to preserve the two-run lead.

The Indians threatened again in the eighth, but Wilson worked out of another mess.

"That certainly is a well-earned save," Ausmus said. "Clearly having the next four days off played into it."

TALKING TRADES

The Tigers could be active sellers at the deadline. Cabrera said Detroit's players are aware their team might look very different in a few weeks.

"We're human. We think. We feel everything, but they have to do what they have to do to make this team better," he said. "It's not my business. It's baseball. It's part of it."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: LHP Daniel Norris (strained left groin) hasn't recovered enough to throw during the All-Star break and it's unclear when he'll return to the rotation. He went on the DL Thursday.

Indians: 2B Jason Kipnis is back on the DL with a strained right hamstring. Mills said Kipnis will likely be out longer than 10 days. Kipnis began the season on the DL with a sore right shoulder and has had a stiff neck. ... RF Lonnie Chisenhall left in the fourth with an injured right calf that could also require a stay on the DL.

UP NEXT

Tigers: Following the break, Detroit opens a three-game series at home against Toronto on Friday.

Indians: Cleveland will be represented by five players at the All-Star Game.

Indians place 2B Jason Kipnis on DL with strained hamstring CLEVELAND -- Jason Kipnis is limping into the All-Star break. The Indians ' starting second baseman, who began the season on the 10-day disabled list with a sore right shoulder, was placed on the DL again Sunday with a strained right hamstring. Kipnis got hurt during Saturday night's win over Detroit when he tried to beat out a grounder in the third inning. He pulled up just as he reached the bag and grabbed the back of his leg. He was replaced by Erik Gonzalez , who started for him Sunday night.Indians manager Terry Francona, who had a cardiac ablation after experiencing an accelerated heart rate, is resting at home after being released from the hospital. The injury isn't believed to be serious, but it's another setback for the struggling Kipnis, who also has been slowed by a stiff neck this season.

The Indians were hit with another injury Sunday to right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall , who left the series finale against Detroit in the fourth inning with an injured right calf. The Indians said Chisenhall was diagnosed with a calf strain. Kipnis is batting just .232 with eight homers and 26 RBIs in 66 games. Last season, he hit .275 with 23 homers and 82 RBIs and was instrumental in the Indians winning the American League pennant and making the World Series for the first time in 19 years.

"How long is it going to be? Well, at least 10 days," said acting Indians manager Brad Mills, who has been filling in while Terry Francona recovers from a heart procedure. "And we'll see. It'll probably, may be a little worse than a mild hamstring, but sometimes those take a little time, longer than the 10 days if necessary. We'll see how it progresses and so forth as we move forward."

Despite his injuries, Kipnis has continued to play, and he was just starting to emerge from a prolonged slump.

"It's really tough because we're in a situation where he was really starting to swing the bat well," Mills said. "Now, he was able to start swinging the bat, feeling good about himself and running well and getting the extra base hits, and then this happens. We're really looking forward to an opportunity for him to continue working hard through this period, that he's able to come back and be ready as soon as possible."

The Indians recalled infielder Giovanny Urshela before Sunday night's game against the Tigers. He's spent most of the season with Triple-A Columbus, where he batted .266 with six homers and 34 RBIs in 76 games. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Lindor: 'This will be an out-of-this-world experience' Marly RiveraESPN Writer

MIAMI -- Francisco Lindor was the starting shortstop for the Cleveland Indians in the epic seventh game of the 2016 World Series. But come Tuesday night in Miami, that game will rank second on the list of the most significant games in his young career. That's because on Tuesday, his father, Miguel Angel Lindor, will be at Marlins Park to cheer him on.

"My father did not see any of my playoff games in person; not a single one of them. He only saw them on television. He was unable to share that experience with me," says Francisco, who is 23.

"My dad doesn't travel on airplanes because he has a nervous condition and suffers from panic attacks. He takes prescription medication for his condition and he's been on it for many years. And I don't blame him. I have tried to make him travel many, many times. But if he has decided that not traveling is what's best for his health, I have to respect that. I love my dad."

Indeed the only time that Lindor's father has seen him play in a big league uniform has been when the Indians make their annual trip to Tampa, just six out of the 341 regular-season and 15 playoff games Paquito (Francisco's childhood nickname) has suited up for in his three years with the Tribe.

"For me, seeing him in Miami will be like my World Series," Lindor says. "To see him there with my little sister and my stepmom alongside the rest of my family, it's going to be something incredible."

Lindor moved to Central Florida from his native town of Caguas, Puerto Rico, when he was 12 years old. His father moved his family from Puerto Rico to outside the Orlando area to support his son's MLB aspirations by enrolling him in Montverde Academy, a prep school well-known for its athletics program.

"I always told him I wanted to play on TV one day, and he always believed in me. It hurt to not have him there during the World Series, but I did have a lot of family there. Almost all of them were there; during the playoffs too," Lindor says. "But the one thing that really hurt was not to have him with me at my first All-Star Game [in 2016 in San Diego]. He couldn't make it. And going to the All-Star Game is something he deserves, not me. I don't deserve it as much as he deserves it."

Lindor won't be starting this year's All-Star Game -- fellow Puerto Rico native Carlos Correa was voted the American League's starting shortstop -- but Lindor still earned his second consecutive All-Star selection, as a reserve, through a combination of player ballot choices and selections made by the commissioner's office. Despite a streaky start to the season so far, Lindor said that he is very much looking forward to enjoying the experience and is not putting any pressure on himself.

"Playing baseball has many ups and downs; baseball makes you humble in a snap. If you stay focused on winning and stay focused on doing your job, things are going to happen," he said.

"Being an All-Star is both an honor and a blessing. My first All-Star Game was an extremely beautiful experience. I thank God, the fans, my teammates and every single person who voted for me. And it will be a dream come true that my dad can be there [this time]. It will be an out-of- this-world experience."

Tides 3, Clippers 2 | Clippers in hunt for division title despite tumultuous first half Mark Znidar The Columbus Dispatch @MarkZnidar Triple-A teams that lose their starting shortstop and center fielder along with their No. 1 pitcher to the parent big-league team before Memorial Day should have no business being in the conversation to win an International League division championship.

Add the facts that the ballclub in question has been without another front-line starter most of the season because of injury and has received virtually zero production at first base and designated hitter, and you have a candidate for last place.

The Clippers, though, go into the three-day All-Star break in second place in the West, 3½ games behind Indianapolis after a 3-2 loss to Norfolk before 8,880 on Sunday afternoon at Huntington Park.

Columbus (46-42), manager Chris Tremie said, has put itself into contention slowly but surely. The team has won five of its last eight games.

“If you look at the first half and see where we were in May, we’re much better than that now — we’re a good club,’’ Tremie said. “We’re going to come back and get after it. I would put the first half in two parts: There were the first six or seven weeks, and then the second six or seven weeks. We had injuries and just didn’t play very well at first.’’

The season was a little more than five weeks old when the Indians brought up shortstop Erik Gonzalez and center fielder Bradley Zimmer. Ace Mike Clevinger already was showing Cleveland that he had what it took to be a No. 4 or 5 starter.

Starter Chris Narveson, who was being counted on for a veteran presence, largely has been stuck in neutral because of injuries.

First baseman Nellie Rodriguez hit three home runs the first series of the season, but he has batted .137 in attempting to make the broad jump from Akron to Columbus.

Veteran Chris Colabello was supposed to form a 1-2 combination with Rodriguez, but he was released early in the week for lack of production.

Center fielder Tyler Naquin missed five weeks with a back injury and was brought around slowly when he returned.

All told, the roster has been hit with 129 transactions, the most recent third baseman Giovanny Urshela going to Cleveland and reliever Shawn Armstrong coming to Columbus.

Why are the Clippers doing more than staying afloat?

“What we’ve done is a testament to the staff from top to bottom,’’ outfielder Richie Shaffer said. “They prepare guys each and every day to put us into a position to succeed. It’s also a testament to the guys in the clubhouse for battling every game.’’

Shaffer said in early May that the Clippers should not be judged until all the pieces started fitting.

“We’ve gotten into rhythm,’’ he said. “We’re more comfortable playing together. You can’t get too wrapped up in the early-season stuff. You roll with things and know they can get better. We’ve had transactions and injuries, but guys haven’t missed a beat.’’

Starters Ryan Merritt and Shawn Morimando have been sterling, shortstop Eric Stamets of Dublin Scioto has transformed from good glove into an All-Star with a power stroke, and Shaffer, also an All-Star, is having one of his best seasons.

There is so much more to it than those four. Reliever Tyler Olson has been stout, catcher Erik Kratz has brought power and leadership, and Urshela has been rock steady.

Juan Hillman excels in ’ victory over Whitecaps By David Glasier, The News-Herald Captains starting pitcher Juan Hillman had it going on July 9 at Classic Park.

So did his teammates for most of what turned out to be an edge-of-the-seat, 5-4 victory over the high-flying West Michigan Whitecaps.

Hillman was in command from the outset.

The 20-year-old left-hander from Florida had a no-hitter going through 5 2/3 innings. He’d faced 18 batters, one over the minimum. His only misstep had been West Michigan’s Anthony Pariera reaching base with two outs in the top of the fourth when he was hit by a Hillman pitch. “Oh, yeah, I knew what was happening,” Hillman said when asked if knew he hadn’t given up a hit to that point..

In the top of the sixth inning, Chad Sedio led off for the Whitecaps and hit a liner deep into the gap in right-center field. Just when it seemed the ball might drop at the base of the wall, Lake County right fielder Mitch Longo reached and appeared to reel in the ball.

There was a moment’s hesitation as base umpire Robert Nunez waited to see if the former Mayfield High School and Ohio University standout had made the catch.

Longo had, in fact, maintained possession of the ball and, at least for the moment, preserved Hillman’s gem-in-the-making in spectacular fashion.

“The guys made a lot of great plays behind me,” Hillman said afterward, smiling.

When the next West Michigan batter, Sam Machonis, went down swinging, Hillman was one out away from getting out of the inning and 10 outs away from making some history.

It wasn’t meant to be, though, as the next batter, Cole Baumi, stroked an opposite-field flare single to shallow left field to break up the no-hitter.

“After that flare, I wasn’t bummed out,” Hillan said. “I got back up on the mound and wanted to just keep things going.”

West Michigan shortstop Danny Pinero followed Bauml to the plate and ended the shutout with a two-run home run that to right field that reduced Lake County’s lead to 4-2.

The Captains previously had gotten a two-run home run from shortstop Luke Wakamatsu in the top of third inning. They’d added two runs in the bottom of the fifth on bases-loaded walks drawn by Longo and designated hitter Emmanuele Tapia.

Lake County added what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Miguel Eladio.

Hillman’s day was done after retiring the side in order in the bottom of the seventh inning. He yielded only two hits and finished with a season- high nine strikeouts.

Lake County reliever Alsis Herrera was nicked for a run in the top of the eighth inning as the Whitecaps made it 5-3.

The top of the ninth inning was beyond eventful for Captains reliever and Midwest League All-Star Ryder Ryan.

West Michigan loaded the bases with no outs on a leadoff double by Pinero, a single by Pereira and Austin Athmann reaching on a throwing error. Ryder buckled down, however, striking out the next three batters to record his sixth save and preserve the victory for Hillman (4-4, 5.44 ERA).

The Captains improved to 9-9 in the second half and snapped a three-game losing streak. West Michigan slipped to 13-5.

Longo was 0-for-2 and had his 13-game hitting streak snapped. Lake County center fielder was forced from the game in the top of the sixth inning when he was hit by a pitch on the left wrist.

Patient RubberDucks land lucky 7-6 win over All things come to him who waits, as the saying goes.

That was true for the RubberDucks in the ninth inning Sunday. They waited, and watched a lot of pitches go by, and celebrated an unlikely and much-needed victory as a result.

They walked it off — literally — as Yonathan Mendoza drew the sixth walk of the inning, forcing in Eric Haase with the fourth run of the inning for a 7-6 win over the Altoona Curve before 5,641 fans at Canal Park.

As winning rallies go, it may not have been a classic with a lone hit involved. But the Ducks will take it, thank you, and enter the Eastern League All-Star break on a winning note.

They avoided what would have been a four-game sweep at the hands of the Curve.

“You obviously can’t bank on these, they don’t happen often,” said Ducks manager Mark Budzinski. “Usually you’ve got to go up there and swing the bat. But our guys did a good job of taking what was given them and getting on base and pulling out the win.”

Budzinski has seen it before, he said, from the winning and losing sides.

“Both sides, absolutely,” he said. “If you’ve been around this game long enough, it’s going to happen. We’re just fortunate to be on the right end of it today.”

Trailing 6-0 after six innings, the Ducks scored two runs on four hits in the seventh. And Yu-Cheng Chang belted his 19th home run — a solo shot in the eighth — cutting the deficit to 6-3.

Curve left-hander Jake Brentz (0-1) entered to start the ninth and promptly walked Todd Hankins, Jordan Smith and Joe Sever to load the bases with no outs.

“We’ve been playing long enough that all the guys watching Todd’s at-bat, my at-bat, they know that you need to be patient,” said Smith. “Because that guy was all over the place. So, that’s just kind of Baseball 101.”

Haase rapped a run-scoring single to left — his third hit in five at-bats — and Bobby Bradley walked on a full count to make it 6-5. Chang hit a medium-depth fly to right and Sever beat the high throw home to tie the score as the other runners both advanced.

Right-hander Miguel Rosario relieved and Dorssys Paulino lined his first pitch to third baseman Wyatt Mathisen for the second out. Luigi Rodriguez was walked intentionally to reload the bases, and on a 3-1 count, Mendoza watched the next pitch sail past catcher Tomas Morales for the walk that scored Haase with the game-winner.

Right-hander Neil Holland (3-0), the Ducks’ third pitcher, allowed a hit in two innings. Left-hander Matt Whitehouse allowed six earned runs in the first five innings, including a three-run homer by Edwin Espinal in the fifth. Robbie Aviles followed with two scoreless innings.

Four Ducks — catcher Fernando Mejia, shortstop Chang, starting pitcher Thomas Pannone and reliever Cameron Hill will head to Wednesday’s All-Star Game in Manchester, N.H. Chang will compete in Tuesday’s Home Run Derby.

All others will enjoy a three-day break before resuming play at the Erie Seawolves Thursday night. The Ducks (44-41), who entered the weekend series in first place in the EL Western Division, now trail both the Curve and Bowie Baysox by one game in the standings. “A four-game losing streak would have been terrible,” said Smith. “So it’s nice to get one out of the series and go into the All-Star break with that last win.”

Smith, who played center field, reached base four times in five at-bats from the leadoff spot with two singles and two walks — one with the bases loaded in the seventh — and is hitting .268. After three seasons mostly with the Ducks, he started this one at Triple-A Columbus before returning to Akron May 23.

And he welcomes the upcoming time off.

“Absolutely — our bodies are tired,” said Smith, “We’ve played a lot of games in a row. We’re going to enjoy the All-Star break and we’re going to come back ready to play.” Tigers 5, Indians 3: Indians bullpen hit hard after Corey Kluber’s exit CLEVELAND: Corey Kluber delivered yet another strong outing, but the Detroit Tigers were able to outlast him and then pounced on the Indians bullpen in a 5-3 victory Sunday night at Progressive Field.

Kluber allowed only one run on three hits and three walks and struck out eight, but the Tigers made him work for it — he ended the fifth inning with over 100 pitches thrown.

Kluber was forced to bend but did not break in that fifth. With the score tied 1-1 and two runners on, Kluber walked to load the bases for Justin Upton. Kluber escaped, blowing his 101st pitch of the night past Upton to keep it tied.

Kluber won that battle, but the Tigers (39-48) had the upper hand almost as soon as he departed. The Indians chose not to send Kluber back out for the sixth and instead turned to Nick Goody (1-1), and the Tigers finally broke through.

Two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out before Dan Otero replaced Goody on the mound. It didn’t matter. Alex Presley lined a double that landed about a foot on the fair side of the left-field line, scoring two and giving the Tigers a 3-1 lead. Jose Iglesias followed by chopping a ball off the ground and high enough in the air to secure an infield single, scoring another run.

The Tigers added on in the seventh. J.D. Martinez singled, advanced from first to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by Yan Gomes and scored on Nick Castellanos’ single to left field.

The Indians punched back in the bottom of the inning against Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer (9-6). Edwin Encarnacion, who earlier registered an RBI double, singled before Jose Ramirez crushed a two-run home run to right, continuing a scorching hot season in which he arguably has been one of baseball’s 10 best hitters.

As Ramirez rounded the bases after his 17th home run of the season, echoes of “Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose” rang out at an October-level fever pitch.

Two singles forced Fulmer’s exit and brought the go-ahead run to the plate, but Tigers reliever Shane Greene quickly recorded three consecutive outs, which ended with Bradley Zimmer being frozen for strike three with runners on the corners.

The Indians (47-40) threatened in the eighth but came up empty. Three walks intertwined with a fly out and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with two outs, setting up a matchup between Carlos Santana and Tigers closer Justin Wilson. It was Wilson who came out on top, inducing a weak groundout to third base to end the inning with the Tigers still leading 5-3.

In the ninth, Zimmer singled with two outs to give Francisco Lindor a chance as the tying run, but Wilson (10 saves) struck him out to end it.

Lonnie Chisenhall left midway through the game with a right calf injury and was replaced in right field by Brandon Guyer. No further details were available during the game.

Indians notebook: Jason Kipnis goes on 10-day DL with a strained right hamstring, Giovanny Urshela recalled CLEVELAND: The Indians on Sunday placed second baseman Jason Kipnis on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring and recalled third baseman Giovanny Urshela from Triple-A Columbus.

Kipnis came up hobbling while trying to beat out a ground ball in Saturday’s 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers. He immediately reached for his right hamstring and walked off the field slowly before being taken out of the game. Acting manager Brad Mills later described it as a “mild” strain.

The Indians at this point don’t have a clear timeline for his return beyond 10 days.

“How long is it going to be? Well, at least 10 days,” Mills said on Sunday. “And we’ll see. It’ll probably, maybe be a little worse than a mild hamstring, but sometimes those take a little time, longer than the 10 days if necessary. We’ll see how it progresses and so forth as we move forward.” Kipnis has had a rough season, which started with him on the disabled list while he rehabbed from right shoulder inflammation. Kipnis is hitting .232 with a .693 OPS, eight home runs, 26 RBI and five stolen bases.

No timetable for his return has been given.

The Indians will be able to play Urshela at third base, which would move Jose Ramirez to second base, or have Erik Gonzalez receive more playing time as a starting second baseman. On Sunday night, it was the latter option. Gonzalez, known first for his defense and his ability to play multiple positions, is also hitting .313 in 50 plate appearances this season.

“Well, I think we see the progression he’s making all the way through,” Mills said of Gonzalez. “We’ve seen when he’s been up here before and each time he comes up, it seems like there’s a little bit more growth in the way he plays the game on both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively. And he’s starting to gather that experience and that growth as he gets older, and it’s showing.”

Urshela this season at Triple-A has hit .266 with six home runs, 12 doubles and 34 RBI in 76 games. His addition affords the Indians some flexibility with the lineup until Kipnis returns.

“Gio had played not just third base, he’s played some short as well,” Mills said. “We also have Jose Ramirez, who can play second base and has played short as well. Gonzy has played short and all over the infield. Well, this adds another piece so we can move around that infield a little bit more.”