Balanced Attack Backs Carrasco (11 K's) by Jason Beck

Balanced attack backs Carrasco (11 K's) By Jason Beck and William Kosileski / MLB.com | July 7th, 2017 + 45 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Carlos Carrasco beat the Tigers for the third time in four meetings this season, aided by a heaping helping of Indians offense. Michael Brantley's two-run double, Lonnie Chisenhall's two-run homer and Francisco Lindor's two-run triple powered the Tribe to an 11-2 win Friday night at Progressive Field.

"It was just a nice game to see the guys play the way they did," said bench coach Brad Mills, who's managing the Tribe while Terry Francona recovers from a heart procedure. "Offensively, Brantley had some big at-bats, he could have had even a bigger night. We had big hits all the way around. Shoot, [Bradley Zimmer] had a good night. [Chisenhall] had that big blow that really kind of gave us a couple extra runs as a cushion there. But there were some good at-bats." Carrasco, who hasn't allowed more than two runs in a game against the Tigers in their past nine meetings, struck out a season-high 11 over seven innings, including all three outs of the fifth and sixth. J.D. Martinez and Miguel Cabrera had RBI singles in the fourth and sixth, respectively. "It's fun [to play behind him]," Lindor said of Carrasco. "I know he's got the stuff to be a No. 1 starter and he deserves to be in the All-Star Game. It's just whenever he goes out there and does what he does best, it's pretty special. It's pretty cool. Whenever you see big league hitters miss the ball by five feet that means he's doing something right." By then, Cleveland was comfortably in front thanks to a third-inning barrage off Jordan Zimmermann, fueled by Brantley's double and Chisenhall's 12th homer. Bradley Zimmer's fifth home run and Lindor's two-run triple began a four-run sixth against Chad Bell and Alex Wilson to put the game away. "Just not a good day pitchwise for us," Tigers catcher Alex Avila. "Behind in a lot of counts, a lot of pitches over the middle of the plate." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Ramirez keeps it going: Zimmermann nearly survived the third with just two runs allowed thanks to a highlight stop from Jose Iglesias deep in the hole on Jose Ramirez. Iglesias fired against his body, but couldn't get enough on the throw to get Ramirez. The two-out infield single scored Brantley and continued the inning for Chisenhall, who hit Zimmermann's ensuing breaking ball out to right for a 5-0 lead. V-Mart 2K: Victor Martinez became the ninth active Major League player with 2,000 hits. His milestone hit, an opposite-field single off Carrasco in the second, came in the same ballpark where he had his first big league hit 15 years ago as a Tribe September callup. The crowd of 32,307 gave him a standing ovation. "It was really special for me," Martinez said. "I never thought they were going to stand up and clap, but like I said before, this was the organization that gave me a chance to be a professional baseball player, gave me a chance to become a Major Leaguer." More > QUOTABLE "It's starting to come together. I'm sure that he'd like to have the at-bat back in that fourth inning. But at the same time, he had some real good at-bats tonight. He's getting there and making progress and moving in that direction." -- Mills, on Lindor's improved approach at the plate "We all love Victor and what he did for this organization and the quality hitter he is and the type of hitter he is. We were talking in the dugout, we go, 'That's a lot of hits.' And I know there's some guys with 3,000, there's some guys, couple guys with 4,000 or whatever. Man, that's a lot of hits. It couldn't happen to a better guy and that's something. Some of the guys were saying, you kind of wonder if people really understand how many hits that is. That's pretty cool." -- Mills, on Martinez's 2,000th hit SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Tigers gave up double-digit runs for the eighth time, with three of those games coming against the Indians. CARRASCO'S IMMACULATE INNING In the fifth, Carrasco threw an immaculate inning. He struck out Nicholas Castellanos, Mikie Mahtook and Iglesias in order, each on three pitches. It marked only the second time in Indians history that a pitcher has recorded an immaculate inning, with the first by Justin Masterson on June 2, 2014, against the Red Sox. "What Carlos [did], I thought it was huge," Mills said. "We had the bases loaded, nobody out and didn't score in the bottom of the fourth. And he came out in the top of the fifth, when you might think the momentum might be swinging or something, he used nine pitches, struck out the side and set them down. That was sure [a] big key." More > WHAT'S NEXT Tigers: Justin Verlander (5-5, 4.96 ERA) revisits his demons at Progressive Field, where he gave up nine runs over four-plus innings in April and ended up searching for hints of pitch-tipping or sign-stealing. He'll face an Indians squad that has hit him around for 18 runs on 24 hits over 14 1/3 innings this season. The Saturday matchup starts at 7:15 p.m. ET. Indians: Right-hander Mike Clevinger (4-3, 3.33 ERA) will take the mound in Saturday's game against the Tigers at Progressive Field. Clevinger will make his second straight start against Verlander after outpitching him Sunday in an 11-8 win. He went six innings and allowed one run on two hits with seven strikeouts, but tied a career high with five walks.

Heart procedure sidelines Francona for ASG By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | July 7th, 2017 + 40 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Indians manager Terry Francona knows that his health and leading his team carries more importance than managing the American League in the All-Star Game. Following a heart procedure on Thursday afternoon, Francona informed Major League Baseball that he is pulling out of Tuesday's Midsummer Classic.

Francona had an irregular heartbeat addressed in a minor operation, and he is planning on rejoining the Indians in Oakland on July 14 for the start of the second half of the season. Currently resting at the Cleveland Clinic, Francona was in contact Friday with both Chris Antonetti, the team's president of baseball operations, and bench coach Brad Mills, who will manage the AL in his stead. "I visited with Tito this morning, and he's actually feeling really good," Antonetti said. "I think his mind is at ease knowing they were able to perform a successful procedure to get his issue corrected, and now he knows that the path in front of him is just a little rest and recovery and he can get back to doing what he loves." Francona, 58, underwent a cardiac ablation procedure to correct the cardiac arrhythmia, which was detected by doctors who have been monitoring his heart rhythm for the past few weeks. The procedure was deemed a success, and Francona is expected to make a full recovery and be discharged from the hospital within the next few days.

Mills, who will continue to serve as the Indians' manager until Francona's return, agreed to step in as the AL manager on Tuesday. Along with five of the team's players, Cleveland's entire coaching staff will make the trip to Miami for the 88th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. Rays manager Kevin Cash -- Francona's former bullpen coach with the Indians -- will assist Mills and the AL coaching staff. "We were excited to have T be the manager down there," Mills said. "I think the staff is ready to kind of step up and all share in those duties, and we're all excited about it." Prior to the procedure, Francona spent two days undergoing a series of tests at the Cleveland Clinic in an effort to identify what had been ailing him over the past several weeks. Bouts of light-headedness and an elevated heart rate led to the manager prematurely departing two games in June. After each episode, on June 13 and June 26, Francona was briefly hospitalized. Following the second incident, doctors had Francona wear a heart-rate monitor in order to track when and to what extent his condition worsened. On Tuesday, the Indians manager headed to the Clinic again, leaving the managerial duties in the hands of Mills, his longtime friend. "We need him at the helm here -- there's no doubt about it," Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin said on Thursday. "He's a huge part of our success. He knows the game. He knows the players really well. And his presence alone has that sense of calm in the dugout. We obviously want his health to be fine first before he comes back." This year's setback is the latest aspect of Francona's turbulent health history. Shortly after the World Series ended in November, Francona had right hip replacement surgery. On Aug. 9 of last season, the manager experienced chest discomfort during a pregame interview with reporters and then missed that day's game against the Nationals. Mills filled in for Francona for that game, and the manager returned the following day. Francona experienced a similar issue while managing the Red Sox on April 6, 2005, and was taken to a hospital in New York after what was described as "stiffness" in his chest. Mills, Francona's bench coach in Boston, filled in that time as well. Francona also dealt with chest pains in the fall of 2002, when he was hospitalized for four days after suffering a pulmonary embolism in each lung. That health incident resulted in permanent damage to Francona's circulation. "Our hearts are there. We contact him when we can to make sure he's doing OK," Indians outfielder Michael Brantley said. "When he gets back, it's going to be a blessing. We know he's going to be back -- it's just a matter of when. We'll be excited to have him back."

Carrasco 2nd Indian with immaculate inning By William Kosileski / MLB.com | July 7th, 2017 + 2 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- As Indians righty Carlos Carrasco walked off the mound after the fifth inning in Friday night's 11-2 win against the Tigers at Progressive Field, he entered the dugout having made history.

For only the second time in Indians history, Carrasco pitched an immaculate inning. He struck out Nicholas Castellanos, Mikie Mahtook and Jose Iglesias in order and each on three pitches. Former Cleveland starter Justin Masterson accomplished the feat June 2, 2014, against the Red Sox. "When I came in I just heard about that," Carrasco said of his immaculate inning. "I think the only one [before] was Justin Masterson in 2014. It was really impressive. It felt good." Carrasco striking out the side came at an ideal time for the Indians, who didn't score in a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the bottom half of the fourth. All three of Carrasco's strikeouts were swinging, and each came on a slider low and out of the zone. "What Carlos [did], I thought it was huge," Indians bench coach and acting manager Brad Mills said. "We had the bases loaded, nobody out and didn't score in the bottom of the fourth. And he came out in the top of the fifth, when you might think the momentum might be swinging or something, he used nine pitches, struck out the side and set them down. That was sure [a] big key." Carrasco's nine-pitch, three-strikeout inning was the fifth this season. The others were by Drew Storen (April 18), Craig Kimbrel (May 11), Max Scherzer (May 14) and Kenley Jansen (May 18). The five immaculate innings this season puts the 2017 campaign in a tie for second-most in a season with 1998. The most in a season came in '14, when there were seven. Carrasco's frame marked the 86th time in Major League history a pitcher has thrown one. "I've seen a few [immaculate innings]. The good side and on the bad side, as well," Mills said. "It was nice. It was just nice to see him go out there and do what he did." Carrasco's perfect fifth was just a highlight of his outing, though, as the right-hander went seven innings and allowed two runs on nine hits. He struck out a season-high 11 and only issued one walk to pick up his team-high 10th win. The Tribe starter found success by mixing his fastball with his breaking pitches to keep Detroit's hitters off balance. Per Statcast™, he threw 36 four-seam fastballs, 28 sliders and 15 curveballs, and combined to record 15 swinging strikes and 22 called strikes with those three pitches. "My slider was great," Carrasco said. "And my curve, too. But to have my slider [was] even better. I just went with fastball and then the slider has been great the last two games." With the victory, Carrasco is 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA and 28 strikeouts in four starts (26 2/3 innings) against the Tigers this season. He ended his first half winning five straight decisions dating back to June 11, which marks a new career-long winning streak. "It's fun [to play behind him]," Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor said. "I know he's got the stuff to be a No. 1 starter and he deserves to be in the All-Star Game. It's just whenever he goes out there and does what he does best, it's pretty special. It's pretty cool. Whenever you see big league hitters miss the ball by five feet, that means he's doing something right."

V-Mart nets 2,000th hit where career began By Jason Beck / MLB.com | @beckjason | July 7th, 2017 + 5 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Victor Martinez recorded his 2,000th Major League hit in the same ballpark where he recorded his first. The reaction from his former home fans at Progressive Field following his second-inning single in Friday's 11-2 Tigers loss against the Indians reminded him what it was like back then.

"It was a great moment," Martinez said. "I will always remember this moment until I die. It was pretty special the way the fans reacted." Martinez hit a line drive to left with two outs in the inning off Carlos Carrasco, then hugged first-base coach Omar Vizquel upon reaching the bag. The Cleveland crowd acknowledged the feat with a long standing ovation, leading Martinez to tip his cap. Players and coaches in both dugouts also stood in applause. "We all love Victor and what he did for this organization and the quality hitter he is and the type of hitter he is," Indians bench coach and acting manager Brad Mills said. "We were talking in the dugout, 'That's a lot of hits.' And I know there's some guys with 3,000, there's some guys, couple guys with 4,000 or whatever. Man, that's a lot of hits. It couldn't happen to a better guy and that's something." The 38-year-old DH is the ninth active player with 2,000 hits, joining Ichiro Suzuki, Adrian Beltre, Albert Pujols, Carlos Beltran, Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Matt Holliday and Jose Reyes. Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Markakis should join them this season. Martinez's feat comes 15 years after the former Indians catcher had his first hit on the same field. A September callup in 2002, he hit a bloop single into short left field off the late Blue Jays starter Justin Miller on Sept. 10 that year. "A lot of things went through my mind," Martinez said. "Going back to 2002 when I got my first hit here, I got a bloop single over the shortstop, and this one's pretty similar. "I thank God for everything, just getting me to this spot. At the same time, the fans here, it was pretty special. It was really special for me. I never thought they were going to stand up and clap, but this was the organization that gave me a chance to be a professional baseball player, gave me a chance to become a Major Leaguer." The Indians signed Martinez as a teenager in 1996. He was 20 when he debuted in the Class A NY-Penn League, but he rose quickly from there, earning his September callup after a standout season at Double-A Akron. Martinez stuck with the team for good as a midseason callup in 2003, then became the mainstay behind the plate for the Indians through their rise to a division title in '07, until he was traded to Boston in '09. He signed with the Tigers as a free agent following the '10 season, but has been treated more like an old friend than a division rival by Cleveland fans. "I never wanted to leave this place. Unfortunately, that's the business," Martinez said. "I got traded and it was hard. It was hard for me to leave this place, and I hope they know that. Even my mom says we're always going to have Cleveland in our heart." Martinez brought his family on the trip to allow them to take part. His 12-year-old son, Victor Jose, was around the clubhouse before and after the game. Martinez has 492 of his 2,000 hits in Cleveland, where he's a .298 career hitter. He has 465 career hits at Comerica Park. For Martinez, the last hits have been some of the toughest. He was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat last month. "It's been a roller coaster this year," Martinez said. "It's been tough. But like I learned a long time ago, nobody said it was going to be easy. That's why I try to be pretty optimistic and try to win games. When you see things when you're home, at the end, man, it's just a baseball game. "You give everything you have. A lot of people like it, a lot of people don't like it, but it is what it is. I give everything I had, and I can go home sitting on my couch and I'm going to be pretty happy, because I always give everything I have in this game."

Kluber won't pitch in Midsummer Classic By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | July 7th, 2017 + 1 COMMENT CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber took the mound in the All-Star Game last summer and earned the victory, cementing home-field advantage for the Indians in the World Series. This time around, Cleveland's ace gets to enjoy his second Midsummer Classic as a spectator.

On Friday, Major League Baseball announced that Kluber would not be available to pitch in the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Miami presented by Mastercard (7:30 p.m. ET on FOX). With Kluber pitching Sunday night against the Tigers, the pitcher and the team discussed the situation and decided collectively to have him sit out the annual showcase. "There's a couple things that go into it," Kluber said. "No. 1, it's trying to be smart, just because of the fact that I missed so much time. It's trying to be cognizant of that and also probably not ideal to pitch Sunday night and then all of a sudden try to turn around, with a day of rest, and try to get out the best hitters in the National League." Kluber, who is 7-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 13 starts, missed most of May with a lower-back injury, but has been on a strong roll since returning at the start of June. The way things are situated, Kluber would potentially pitch the opener against the A's on Friday, following the All-Star break. Pitching coach Mickey Callaway said the rotation order for that series was still being discussed. "We'll see," Callaway said. "We'll see how Kluber feels and if he feels like he needs an extra day, because we've been riding him hard since he came back." Salazar continuing rehab Right-hander Danny Salazar (10-day disabled list with a right shoulder injury) completed his second Minor League rehab outing Thursday. In 3 1/3 innings, Salazar allowed three runs (via three homers) with two walks and four strikeouts for Triple-A Columbus. Callaway noted that Salazar is slated to throw a bullpen session Saturday before determining his next step. "It was really better than last time," Callaway said. "Physically, he felt great. He's still battling mechanics big time. [He's] throwing across his body at times too much, because of the fluctuation in effort level and things like that. He really wasn't getting his changeup and curveball where he wanted to -- the things you'd see when a guy has been out for a while." Santana due back Saturday Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti noted Friday that first baseman Carlos Santana is scheduled to be activated from MLB's paternity list before Saturday's game against the Tigers. Over the past three games, Cleveland has carried outfielder Abraham Almonte on the active roster during Santana's absence. Mills to manage AL in Francona's absence By William Kosileski / MLB.com | July 7th, 2017 + 0 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- As a result of Indians manager Terry Francona's successful heart procedure Thursday, the Indians announced on Friday that bench coach Brad Mills will assume the role of manager for the American League in Tuesday's All-Star Game presented by Mastercard (7:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

Mills, who has been filling in as the Tribe's skipper while Francona has been hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat, along with the entire Indians coaching staff and five players will make the trip to Miami to represent the Indians. "Well, I think that the staff was excited even before," Mills said. "We were excited to have [Francona] be the manager down there and we were excited to represent the American League and represent the Cleveland Indians because of what we did last year. "If T's not going to be there, I think the staff is ready to kind of step up and all share in those duties, and we're all excited about it, to be able to do the same thing as when we were headed down there to be with him." With Francona not at the helm, Mills said he has relied and will continue to rely on the other members of the staff to take bigger roles with in- game duties. "[Mills is] a little more jittery than Tito," Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway joked. "No, it's been fine. I think Millsy has been leaning on me with the pitching moves and he's taking care of the rest." Mills has served as the Tribe's bench coach since the team hired Francona in 2013, and previously was a part of Francona's staff in Boston and Philadelphia. In addition to the Indians' coaching staff, Rays manager Kevin Cash will be the AL's bench coach. Cash played for Francona and Mills with the Red Sox from 2007-08, and was a member of Francona's coaching staff with Cleveland in '13 and '14. "Obviously, he's been concerned about T as well," Mills said of Cash. "So, we've talked about that a little bit and then also the All-Star Game. But being such close friends with Cashy is really going to be helpful down there, and with his experiences as well. It's going to be fun for everybody -- the whole staff." Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said that he is confident in Mills and the Indians' staff. "Well, I think the recognition that they're getting is certainly well-deserved," Antonetti said. "Our collective preference would've been to have Tito as part of that staff and have everyone share in that together. But, with that not happening, we're still really proud about our staff and representing the organization down there. I think it speaks, as Millsy said, to some success we had last year."

Clevinger eyes 2nd win over Verlander, Tigers By William Kosileski / MLB.com | July 7th, 2017 + 6 COMMENTS Just six days after they faced off at Comerica Park, Indians right-hander Mike Clevinger and Tigers ace righty Justin Verlander will once again oppose each other. This time, it will be in the second game of a three-game set between the clubs on Saturday at Progressive Field.

On Sunday, Clevinger outpitched Verlander and got the victory in the Indians' 11-8 win. Although he tied a career high with five walks, Clevinger only allowed two hits and one run while striking out seven in six innings. It will be the first time in Clevinger's young career that he has made back-to-back starts against the same team. Clevinger has stepped into the Indians' rotation and has pitched well, as he has held opposing teams to three runs or fewer in eight of his 10 starts, and two runs or fewer in six outings. Verlander will look to redeem himself after taking the loss Sunday, when he allowed seven runs on nine hits -- two homers -- with three walks in 3 1/3 innings. The right-hander did not record a strikeout, marking the first time he hadn't done so since April 28, 2007. That ended a 331-game streak with at least one strikeout, which was tied for the sixth-longest streak in MLB history. The Indians are one of the few teams that has given Verlander fits, as he has gone 20-23 with a 4.78 ERA in 51 starts against the Tribe. This season, he is 1-2 with a 11.30 ERA in three starts (14 1/3 innings) against the Tribe, as he has allowed 24 hits, 18 runs and five home runs. The 2016 American League Cy Young Award candidate has posted a 4.96 ERA, which is his highest since he finished with a 4.54 ERA in '14. Three things to know about this game • Verlander's curveball has been one of his best pitches, and that has continued this season. Per Statcast, Verlander has thrown his hook 334 times, and opponents are only hitting .240 against the pitch. He has recorded 78 called strikes and 31 whiffs with his curve, and has struck out 23 with it. • Three Indians have hit over .340 in at least 25 career at-bats against Verlander. Jose Ramirez is 11-for-25 (.440) with two homers and five RBIs, Francisco Lindor is 9-for-26 (.346) with a homer and seven RBIs and Lonnie Chisenhall is 15-for-44 (.341) with three homers and 10 RBIs. Verlander, however, has had Jason Kipnis' number. Facing Verlander, the Indians' second baseman has gone 6-for-55 with four RBIs, nine walks and 16 strikeouts. • Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said on Friday that the team is expecting to activate first baseman Carlos Santana from the paternity list prior to Saturday's game. Santana has hit eight career homers against Verlander, which is the most home runs Verlander has allowed against any other player. Former Indian Jim Thome is next with seven homers.

Here's hoping Francona has a quick recovery Indians' manager among the most well-liked and respected men in MLB By Richard Justice / MLB.com | July 7th, 2017 + 8 COMMENTS Two seasons ago, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona's ride was pulling into Tropicana Field when something in the players' parking lot caught his eye.

"That's Cash's car," he announced. So? Kevin Cash manages the Tampa Bay Rays. Didn't it make sense for his car to be parked there? "Let me out here," Francona told his driver. An hour later, a Tropicana Field security person walked into Cash's office and delivered some news. "Someone has covered your car in soap," he said. "It's all over the windshield, the windows, the doors, everywhere." Cash said something that will not be repeated here. "Hey, wait," he asked. "Do you know if we have security cameras in that parking lot?" Yes, in fact, we do. Here's what happened before the Indians and Rays played that night: On the giant video board inside Tropicana Field, footage of a bald man soaping the manager's car was shown. And at that, everything stopped. Players, coaches, team personnel and both managers laughed until they cried at the sight of one of baseball's most successful managers and one of its most respected men doing something he probably hadn't done since high school.

I thought of that story on Friday, when it was announced that Francona's continuing medical tests and recovery will prevent him from managing the American League in the 88th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on Tuesday night in Miami. Rather, it will be two of Francona's closest friends managing the AL: his bench coach with the Indians, Brad Mills, and Cash, one of his former players and coaches, and one of the people to whom he's closest. Theirs is an unbreakable bond, one built on loyalty, trust, admiration and affection. That Mills and Cash will step in for their buddy is way more than appropriate, and it is a reminder that few men in baseball engender more loyalty than Francona. The Indians say they're confident that Francona will be back in the saddle managing the Tribe after the All-Star break, and that's the hope throughout the sport as well. From the moment Terry's dad, Tito, played his first big league game in 1956, the Francona family has been part of baseball, enriching it on every imaginable level. Terry Francona will be forever remembered as the man who ended the Curse of the Bambino by leading the Red Sox to a World Series championship in 2004. Throughout baseball, though, it's years of service as a player, coach and manager -- along with his decency and sense of humor -- that engenders such affection. This was true long before he assembled a Hall of Fame resume with two championships in Boston and 1,426 regular-season victories -- 26th most in history -- during stints with the Phillies, Red Sox and Indians. Francona and Mills played together with the Expos and in Montreal's Minor League system. They have been the closest of friends since, with Mills serving as Francona's bench coach except for the three seasons that Mills managed the Astros from 2010-12. Theirs is a relationship in which each man can finish the other's sentences. As for Cash and Francona, they speak and text almost daily. Even when Cash was a player struggling to make a career for himself, Francona told anyone who'd listen: "That guy is going to be a great manager." That's why Francona added him to his Cleveland coaching staff and pushed teams to hire him whenever there was an opening. That the Rays became the team to do that after Joe Maddon left following the 2014 season seemed to make Francona happier for Cash than Cash was for himself. Francona, as a manager, has the uncanny ability to balance being both a friend and a boss. His players do not just respect him and admire him, they genuinely like him. They play cards with Francona before games. They bust their tails for him during games. They laugh with him afterwards. Terry Francona is the boss every last one of us wishes we had. He's the one who emphasizes the positive, who does his best to put you in position to succeed. And then when you do succeed, Francona is the guy who shuffles his feet and clears his throat and deflects every last bit of praise. He did that while winning two World Series in Boston, and he has done that during five seasons with the Indians and four with the Phillies. One of the first things Francona did at Progressive Field was to knock down the physical wall between his office and the home clubhouse and install a window. Francona's message was not subtle: My door is open. I will listen. It's not my team. It's our team. Sometimes with Francona, we get caught up in the things he says and does that make us laugh. But there's a brilliant psychology behind everything he does. To know him is to like him. Players want to please him, and that's hugely important. Francona's players also know he has their backs and that every thing he does is what he feels is in the best interest of the Cleveland Indians. His management of Cleveland's bullpen during the postseason in 2016 is the new blueprint. Right after the Indians acquired reliever Andrew Miller at the non-waiver Trade Deadline last summer, it wasn't clear where he'd fit amid a group that was already strong at the end of games. In Miller's second appearance for the Indians, he was summoned to pitch in the sixth inning. As Miller trotted in from the bullpen, second baseman Jason Kipnis asked his manager the following: "So we gave up our farm system to get a guy to pitch the sixth inning?" Kipnis asked. "I've got a plan," Francona said. Indeed, Francona had a plan that helped carry the Indians all the way to Game 7 of one of the greatest World Series ever played. Along the way, baseball was reborn in Cleveland, and the Tribe hopes to build on that momentum with another October to remember. Francona absolutely must be part of that. Not just because of his strategic genius or his laughter. For reasons more basic than that. Because baseball is better when he's in the middle of everything. Including the occasional parking lot hijinks. Hurry back, Tito.

Indians' Francona has heart procedure, out of All-Star Game

TOM WITHERS (AP Sports Writer) CLEVELAND (AP) -- Terry Francona's heart, of all things, has kept him away from baseball.

Cleveland's passionate and driven manager underwent a procedure Thursday to correct an irregular heartbeat that sidelined him for a few games and will prevent him from managing in the All-Star Game next week.

The 58-year-old Francona had been experiencing dizziness, fatigue and a rapid heart rate for several weeks. He had a cardiac ablation at the Cleveland Clinic, where he continues to recover after being admitted Tuesday.

He is resting comfortably and is expected to be discharged in a ''day or two,'' the Indians said Friday. The plan is for him to resume managing after the All-Star break. Cleveland begins its unofficial second half of the season July 14 in Oakland to start a six-game trip.

Francona's condition had been weighing on the Indians for weeks, even affecting their play. But now that doctors have pinpointed his problem and he's been treated, those feelings have eased.

''Just happy it sounds like he's got it figured out and taken care of,'' All-Star reliever Andrew Miller said. ''That's what we want, him to be healthy. He's so generous with everything, whether it's his time or his money or the way he treats people. Hopefully, he's taking care of himself right now. Selfishly, we want him back. He's a big part of the mood in the clubhouse and the way things go.''

Francona was twice forced to leave in the middle of games last month after falling ill. He was admitted to the hospital this week after doctors detected an arrhythmia from a monitor he has been wearing for several weeks.

With Francona unable to manage the All-Stars in Miami next week, the job will fall to Indians bench coach Brad Mills. Mills has been filling in while Francona has been out and will manage an AL team featuring five Indians players. Mills will be assisted by Cleveland's staff and Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash, who previously worked for the Indians.

''If T's not going to be there, I think the staff is ready to kind of step up and all share in those duties, and we're all excited about it,'' Mills said.

Francona and his staff earned the opportunity to lead the All-Star team after guiding Cleveland to the World Series last season, the team's first since 1997.

Francona was forced to leave two games last month when he became lightheaded. He had tests following both episodes and team president Chris Antonetti said this week that doctors had ruled out any major health issues.

Francona also missed a game in Washington last August after he experienced chest pains. During a series last weekend in Detroit, Francona wasn't feeling well again and he was admitted to the hospital July 4 because of abnormal heart readings.

Doctors performed an ablation in which a tube is inserted through the leg and guided to the heart. Damaged tissue is then treated with heat, cold or radio energy to help prompt regular heartbeats.

Antonetti had been adamant to Francona about putting his health first. He acknowledged that Francona can be stubborn and perhaps not the ideal patient. However, after speaking with him on Friday, Antonetti said Francona accepted the team's short-term plans.

''It took some dialogue to get there,'' Antonetti said. ''But I think as Tito said, 'I want to get back to doing what I love and what matters most and that's managing the Cleveland Indians and what would put me in the best position to do that for the second half of the season?'

''And I think as we walked through that it made sense for him to get a few days, get out of the hospital and recover. Not go to Miami. Not be on late flights and have all the obligations that go around the All-Star Game because that way when he's managing Friday, he's in a really good spot.''

In his fifth season with Cleveland, Francona is hugely popular with his players and fans, who affectionately refer to him as ''Tito,'' his father's name.

Before Friday night's game against Detroit, fans at Progressive Field signed large get-well cards the Indians intend to present to Francona, who has led the Indians to a winning record in his previous four seasons.

Francona joined the Indians in 2013 after spending one year as a TV commentator following a messy departure in Boston, where he took the Red Sox to two World Series titles in eight seasons.

Peter Gammons: State of the league going into the All Star Break We’ve heard the game show since mid-March, “buyers” and “sellers,” who they should be and what they should do. As the second half of the season began, by Friday the Milwaukee Brewers had a 4 ½ game lead in the National League Central with the fourth best run differential (+40) in the league.

And when asked how often he is asked whether the Brewers are buyers or sellers, General Manager David Stearns said, “every day.” Two weeks earlier, after the Twins had beaten back the Indians and were in first place, Thad Levine and Derek Falvey admitted they were drained by being asked more about whether or not they would trade off veterans like Ervin Santana than having a blossoming superstar in Miguel Sano , one of the two best defensive outfielders in the American League and what Santana might mean to Jose Berrios and other young pitchers like Stephen Gonzales moving forward into the 2018 season.

Obviously there are teams that want to get younger, move salaries and/or change the members of a tired cast. The Marlins are being pushed to continue moving salaries before Jeffrey Loria sells the team. The White Sox, Tigers, Athletics, and Giants are moving on. But when Billy Beane—who most certainly will take advantage of the varied contenders and try to turn Sonny Gray into 2018-2020 pieces—said Sunday that not one team had called to open negotiations for Gray or the valuable, low-cost Jed Lowrie —it was clear that the speculation is out on the horizon far from reality when it comes to the daily trade deadline countdowns. “The whole countdown to deadline day has become akin to stores putting Christmas decorations in their showcase windows on Labor Day,” cracked one GM.

“This is the reality: there are a lot more sellers than buyers right now,” said one club personnel director Wednesday. “What Boston traded for Chris Sale isn’t going to be traded because Sale was unique—arguably the best pitcher in the league, affordable, under 30 years old, and the Red Sox had five really good position regulars between 22 and 26. Is someone willing to pay for Gray or Carlos Quintana what the Royals were willing to pay for Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist when they had their window to win their first world series in 30 years? I don’t think so.”

The Astros, Yankees and Cubs have the farm systems to get a starting pitcher, but there is no Sale or David Price out there. The Cubs have called almost every team to see who might be available; they asked the Tigers about Michael Fullmer and/or Daniel Norris , but made it clear they had no interest in Justin Verlander , and as one Cub official said, “no one is going to pay $70M for him, even though he may still be a very good pitcher.”

Gerrit Cole is that kind of talent, affordable, controllable, but the Pirates aren’t going to trade him unless someone calls with a Sale offer. “We haven’t had a real conversation about Gerrit, and I don’t see us doing so,” says Neal Huntington. “We think we can be serious contenders next year, the way (Jameson) Taillon, (Ivan) Nova and (Tyler) Glasnow can develop, especially with Gerrit at the front, as well as three or four other good young pitchers. There’s no reason we can’t be better with Cole and McCutchen going into next year. Our goal is to maintain a level of competitiveness every year, and not to have to jump back and build all over again.”

The Pirates, Brewers, Twins and other small or medium markets get what it means to their fan base and attendance, to their broadcast partners, to their communities. “There is also our responsibility to the players in the clubhouse,” says Huntington. ‘we’ve had to battle through a lot this season in terms of injuries, suspensions and the Kang issue, we’ve asked our players to do a lot, and to go move Cole and McCutchen and throw up a white flag is a bad message to the players. It’s up to us to do what we can to find ways to get the right players and build a deep roster.”

When Sandy Alderson was in Oakland, he once said, “we ask our players to bust their humps every day. There comes a time when management, the front office, has to show the players that we’re playing as hard as we ask them to play.” Which is why, unless some team gives the Mets an offer for Jay Bruce that the Mets consider more valuable than what they’ll get in making a qualifying offer, there won’t be any dramatic Mets selloff. If they were good enough to think they’d be a playoff team in March, there’s no reason to think they can’t build a team that can compliment their pitching, when and if it is healthy.

Look at the four teams essentially tied for the A.L. Wild Card—the Yankees, Royals, Twins, and Rays. Right now the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Rockies would all be in the playoffs.

So, unless they fall into the stockyards after the All Star Break, wouldn’t the Royals try to make it back to October, and the present and future revenue it would generate, then try to match what Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas gets offered in November? The Braves have shown significant progress, and with several very promising young pitchers in Double-A and international prospects like Ronald Acuna on the way, John Coppolella would like to make a couple of moves to edge up towards the wild card in 2017, he says “what we do has to be done with a focus on 2018.”

Look, Toronto has been a major disappointment, but the Jays have been wrecked by injuries, and while they are aging, what was traded out of the system to compete two and three years ago has left the organization thin, so to trade a Josh Donaldson or a Roberto Osuna might leave them on a four or five year building plane. “We still think we’re going to have a good team next year,” says Ross Atkins. “Anything we do will be done with that in mind.”

The Orioles are closer to the second wild card than the Blue Jays, and with a veteran team, even one with a thin farm system that has eschewed the international market, it is hard to trade to start a breakdown. Dan Duquette has maintained they are buyers, they now have Zach Britton back with signs that Kevin Gausman and Chris Tillman can rediscover themselves, and in management’s eye, see what they were in April. Washington will find a closer or two relievers. The Dodgers will find a lefthanded reliever and count on Brandon McCarthy being healthy, and wait to see if Walker Buehler ends up throwing two inning stints in September.

The Rockies and Diamondbacks will try for pitching depth, as will the Brewers and Twins. The Cardinals will trade to build for the next 14 months, be it Marcell Ozuna or someone less.

The Astros are in a terrific position. They can trade Francis Martes or Joe Musgrove , they can move Derek Fisher or Colin Moran , who has 17 homers and a .902 OPS in 71 triple-A games. Their system is deep; one evaluater thinks their Carolina League Buies Creek team has the best power rotation in the game, starting with 19 year old Garrett Whitley ; the former no. 1 pick, Franklin Perez , Hector Perez and Framber Valdez are all high-90’s guys with k/9 IP rates between 8.6 and 16.2. So if they’ve convicted on Gray or Quintana, they can likely get one or the other.

The Red Sox, on the other hand, have to wait past the Break. They have to see if they have longterm depth pieces in Tzu-Wei Lin and Deven Marrero , whose defense on the left side of the infield have been major factors in the last three weeks. They always thought Marrero would hit, but until the last fortnight he tended to change his stance and approach three times a game. Lin got $2M as a teenager in Taiwan, but the last three years has harnessed his elite athleticism, seen his OPS at Portland go from .534 to .580 to .870 and jump off to an 11 game Red Sox .419/.481/,900 slash and an opening of the coaching staff’s eyes. John Farrell talks of “Linmania.”

Brock Holt is playing at Portland, so one direction might be to use Holt, Lin and Marrero at third base. They will have a clearer idea of what Pablo Sandoval or Jhonny Peralta offers. Or they can see if 20-year old Rafael Devers is ready. Or they can trade for a rental.

The emergence of Drew Pomeranz has not only justified Dave Dombrowski’s trade, but held the staff together as David Price gets back to normal—his 25-8 lifetime September record is significant—and Rick Porcello rediscovers his mix. They don’t know what they have in Eduardo Rodriguez , which might necessitate a filler starter trade, or they could try Jalen Beeks , who has struck out 99 in 87 innings at Pawtucket. It’s clear they’d like relief depth, be it Carson Smith , the lefthanded Beeks, Jamie Callahan or Brandon Workman . “We may have some answers in our system,” says Dombrowski, whose trades brought the no. 1 starter ( Chris Sale ) and the league’s best closer ( Craig Kimbrel ) around whom they can build.

The Yankees can do whatever they wanted if they’re convinced a Quintana or Gray can possibly get them into October. One contending GM looking for pitching warns that Gray’s record against sub-.500 teams is deceiving; his ERA against them is 1.65, against teams over .500, 5.02.

There may be fancy names. The Tigers may pay $40+M for a prospect or two in a Justin Verlander deal. Then again, others may look at the All Star rosters—and additions—and see four name that were trade deadline acquisitions, beyond Price.

On July 31, 2010, the Indians traded Jake Westbrook in a three way deal and got Cory Kluber from the Padres.

On July 31, 2014, the Red Sox traded Andrew Miller to the Orioles for Eduardo Rodriguez .

On July 31, 2015, the Tigers traded Cespedes to the Tigers for Michael Fulmer .

On July 31, 2015, the Dodgers engineered a three team, multi-player deal (starting with Hector Olivera ) and got Alex Wood , who will be pitching Tuesday night.

“This process makes for good discussion,” says Falvey, “but it involves a lot more gray area than people make it sound.”

So if, Tuesday night, Kluber and Wood are matched up at the same time, go back and find all the names in the deadline deals that landed them in Cleveland and Los Angeles. A lot of gray area, red ink and future department store Santas. Carrasco has "immaculate inning" as Indians roll Tigers 11-2 BY TOM WITHERS Carlos Carrasco pitched one immaculate inning and six more impressive ones.

Carrasco handled Detroit's lineup for the second time in a week — striking out a season-high 11 and pulling off a rare nine-pitch, three-strikeout inning — and Lonnie Chisenhall hit a two-run homer, leading the Cleveland Indians to an 11-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

Carrasco (10-3) allowed two runs in seven innings to win his fifth straight decision. He limited the Tigers to one run in seven innings on July 1.

The right-hander also recorded an "immaculate inning" by striking out the side in the fifth on nine pitches. Carrasco is just the second pitcher in Cleveland history to do it, joining Justin Masterson (2014). He's also only the 84th in major league history, according to Major League Baseball's website.

Carrasco didn't realize he had done something special until he got back to the dugout. "It was really impressive," he said. "It felt good."

Carrasco didn't make the All-Star team, but Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor believes he should have.

"I know he's got the stuff to be a No. 1 starter and he deserves to be in the All-Star Game," said Lindor, had three RBIs. "It's just whenever he goes out there and does what he does best, it's pretty special. It's pretty cool. Whenever you see big league hitters miss the ball by 5 feet, that means he's doing something right."

Chisenhall connected in Cleveland's five-run third off Jordan Zimmerman (5-7), who remains winless since June 3.

Michael Brantley had four RBIs, Lindor drove in three and rookie Bradley Zimmer homered for the Indians, who played their fourth straight game without manager Terry Francona. He remains in the Cleveland Clinic following a heart procedure.

Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez collected his 2,000th career hit with a single in the second inning. Martinez received a lengthy standing ovation from Indians fans, who cheered him for eight seasons before he was traded in 2009.

Francona remains hospitalized after undergoing a cardiac ablation to correct an irregular heartbeat. The 58-year-old had been experiencing light-headedness and a rapid heart rate over the past month and doctors feel they have treated the problem.

Francona will likely be discharged over the weekend, but will skip the All-Star Game in Miami next week before rejoining the Indians on Thursday for a workout in Oakland.

Chisenhall's two-run homer capped a five-run, five-hit third inning off Zimmerman.

Brantley hit a two-run double and Jose Ramirez beat out an infield single to drive in Cleveland's third run before Chisenhall belted his 12th homer, dropping to a knee to admire his no-doubt-about-it liner to right.

The Tigers threatened to draw closer in the fourth, but Carrasco got Miguel Cabrera to hit into a double play.

Then, he took care of things himself in the fifth. He fanned Nicholas Castellanos, Mikie Mahtook and Jose Iglesias in order — each of them going down on sliders. He struck out the side again in the sixth, but also gave up a run and three hits.

Castellanos struck out three times against Carrasco.

"He didn't really miss over the plate too much, and his slider was on point," he said. "I couldn't really pick it up."

SPECIAL MOMENT Martinez became the ninth active player to reach 2,000 hits. As the crowd saluted him, Martinez hugged Detroit first-base coach Omar Vizquel, one of his teammates with the Indians.

Martinez was moved to tears when the Indians dealt him away eight years ago to Boston in exchange for pitchers Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price.

Following the game, Martinez was savoring a moment he won't soon forget.

"It's special to have it done here," said Martinez, who got his first hit in Cleveland in 2002. "I feel like it's where everything started for me. I will always remember this day, until I die."

ACE IN PLACE Corey Kluber's All-Star appearance will be strictly ceremonial. Because Cleveland's ace will start Sunday night's series finale, he will not pitch Tuesday in Miami.

It was an easy decision for the Indians, who weight his workload over the past year along with a recent back injury and his next outing.

"He's going to be starting not only on Sunday, but pitching on Sunday night, and then arriving in Miami at 4 o'clock in the morning," said team president Chris Antonetti. "You take the totality of those factors into consideration, and it didn't make sense for him to pitch."

TRAINER'S ROOM Tigers: Manager Brad Ausmus is confident LHP Daniel Norris, placed on the DL Thursday with a mildly strained left groin, will return after the All-Star break.

Indians: 1B Carlos Santana is expected back on Saturday after being on the paternity list. Outfielder Abraham Almonte is expected to be optioned to Triple-A Columbus.

UP NEXT Tigers: Justin Verlander, whose name has been popping up in trade speculation, makes his second start against the Indians in week. Last Sunday, Verlander failed to record a strikeout against Cleveland, snapping a streak of 331 games with at least one strikeout.

Indians: Mike Clevinger held the Tigers to two hits over six innings in his last start. He's 0-2 with a 4.43 ERA at home this season.

Terry Francona undergoes heart procedure, Indians feel ‘great relief’ to have issue corrected by T.J. Zuppe, Yesterday CLEVELAND — After weeks of wondering about the health status of Terry Francona, everyone in the Indians organization is now feeling a sense of relief, knowing the problem has been diagnosed and hopefully corrected.

Francona underwent a heart procedure Thursday at the Cleveland Clinic, a development which will keep him away from the team until after the All-Star Break.

As a result, bench coach Brad Mills will continue managing the club through the rest of the weekend and will serve as the American League manager during next week's All-Star Game. He will be assisted by the rest of the club's coaching staff and Rays manager Kevin Cash, who was invited to Miami last week by Francona.

“It couldn’t be really better news in the fact that the issue was corrected with a relatively minor procedure and there was clarity around what it was,” team president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “Now that is has been corrected, it’s a great relief for everyone as well.”

Francona underwent a procedure known as a catheter ablation to correct an irregular heartbeat. The cardiac arrhythmia was detected while wearing a monitor during the past few weeks and during his recent time spent being evaluated at the Cleveland Clinic, a stretch that has kept him away from the Indians dugout since Sunday in Detroit.

He is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the coming days and resume managing July 14 in Oakland.

“He’s actually feeling really good,” Antonetti said. “I think his mind is at ease knowing they were able to perform a successful procedure to get his issue corrected. Now he knows that the path in front of him is just a little rest and recovery and he can get back to doing what he loves.”

The issues for Francona began when he felt dizzy and lightheaded during the game June 13. He left the dugout early and was taken to the hospital, where anything serious was ruled out. He was diagnosed with dehydration and returned the next day. A few weeks later, Francona again felt the same symptoms, leaving the June 26 game early. He did not manage the game June 27, and was fitted with a heart monitor in an effort to diagnose the problem.

After returning from a brief three-day trip to Detroit, he was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic this week and continued to undergo tests and evaluations before eventually having the procedure Thursday.

“I think in the end he was good with the plan,” Antonetti said. “It took some dialogue to get there, but I think as Tito said, ‘I want to get back to doing what I love and what matters most, and that’s managing the Cleveland Indians. What would put me in the best position to do that for the second half of the season?’ And I think as we walked through that it made sense for him to get a few days, get out of the hospital and recover, not go to Miami, not be on late flights and have all the obligations that go around the All-Star Game. That way when he’s managing Friday, he’s in a really good spot.”

The recent health issues weren't the first for Francona.

He suffered a pulmonary embolism on each side of his lungs in 2002, and as manager of the Red Sox, he also experienced chest “stiffness” in 2005. Additionally, he did not manage a game last August against the Nationals due to chest discomfort. He returned the next day after undergoing several tests.

Despite missing his presence at the upcoming All-Star Game, Francona's players are pleased to have their manager back at full strength soon.

“He’s so generous with everything,” reliever Andrew Miller said. “Whether it’s his time or his money or just the way he treats people. Hopefully he’s taking care of himself a little bit right now. I think selfishly, we want him back. He’s a big part of the mood in the clubhouse and the way things go. I think (we’re) happy he’s getting this sorted out cause you could tell he just wasn’t quite right.”

“He’s our leader,” outfielder Michael Brantley said. “The energy level, he keeps guys loose in the dugout. He’s a player’s manager, we always say it, so we’re going to love to have him back. He’ll be back soon and we’ll have him back with open arms.”

YOU SHALL NOT PITCH It was almost expected that Tribe ace Corey Kluber wouldn't pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game — he is set to start Sunday night against the Tigers, after all — but that news finally became official prior to the series opener Friday.

Coming off his back injury in May, Kluber and the organization weighed several factors before coming to a cohesive decision. “There's a couple things that go into it,” Kluber said. “Number one, trying to be smart, just because of the fact that I missed so much time. Trying to be cognizant of that. Also probably not ideal to pitch Sunday night and then all of a sudden try to turn around with a day of rest and try to get out the best hitters in the National League — even though the game doesn't count, so to speak.

“I still don't want to go out there and be trying to pitch when maybe you're not ready to, then end up hurting something else.”

Kluber earned the win in last year's All-Star Game, an outcome that earned his club home field advantage in the 2016 World Series. The All- Star Game winner no longer determines home field, and while he won't get to partake in the actual game, Kluber is still looking forward to the trip to Miami.

“Last year was fun to get to actually pitch in the game and go out there and compete and face some of the best hitters in the world,” he said. “But at the same time, [it will be fun] being able to sit back and enjoy watching the game in the dugout and take it in.”

A titan, a warlock and a hunter: Nick Goody talks about video games, wakeboarding and staying consistent by T.J. Zuppe, 3 hours ago Nick Goody was already pretty familiar with the Indians' roster when he was dealt by the Yankees over the winter, but he was relatively unknown to many outside the Tribe clubhouse and front office. But after a few months of solid relief out of the bullpen, he's establish himself as one of the club's trusted relievers.

Goody entered Friday's game with a 1.36 ERA and 3.22 FIP in 33 innings, striking out 38 with a 1.00 WHIP and 14.2 percent swinging strike rate.

And while he may not be manning the high leverage spots at the back end of games, he aspires to someday be trusted enough to earn the spots typically reserved for Andrew Miller, Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw. The right-handed hurler was good enough to spend a few minutes chatting with us on his 26th birthday this week.

Here is our conversation.

What was the most difficult part of fitting in with a new team this spring?

“Nothing was really challenging. They made it pretty easy to transition over from there to here. A lot of the guys I knew prior, we played against each other, so I might not be super familiar, but at least I kind of knew – I played against them. And then I played [Cody Allen] in high school, [Francisco] Lindor, obviously with Andrew Miller, there were a lot of familiar faces around here. And it’s a young team, so I have a lot in common with the younger guys as well.”

Going back even further, what do you remember about your big league debut with the Yankees?

“I was on like 20 flights before I got there. It was in Texas. I think it was July 30. It was really, really hot. I came into I think a tie game in the eighth, struck out the first guy, came out and when I came back out in the ninth, walked a guy and then Miller came in. I just remember, obviously, it’s your debut, so you’re extremely emotional. They told me not to look up, but I looked up and saw everybody. But I mean I remember when I got to the field I couldn’t feel my arm or like my legs or anything. That was a little scary. I probably threw like 300 pitches in the bullpen. It went by really fast, I’ll say that.”

You mentioned the first strikeout, do you remember who it was?

“I think everybody remembers that. Robinson Chirinos. I got the ball with his name on it, all that stuff.”

Do you still have that ball?

“I think it’s in a shadowbox. I don’t know if that’s the one or not, but it’s at home somewhere.”

Do you keep any mementos from your playing career?

“The first win, I think they gave me a couple balls here for the first win. I never got my debut jersey from the Yankees.”

Well, they probably had to recycle the number, right?

“I didn’t get to keep any of my jerseys and stuff. My mom has a shadowbox I made for her this offseason. I had to buy my spring training jersey. It's a pinstripe one. I put that in there, a couple baseballs, a baseball from my debut, which was actually from my debut, my glove I used in my debut, two tickets and then a lineup card was on the back from when I got called up. It’s kind of like a [mix] of firsts. But this year I hope to get [a few more things]. I hope to make a few nice ones, one for Father’s Day, one for whomever.”

What's the best advice you've been given in your professional career?

“I guess having a short-term memory would be probably pretty good advice. It’s not always easy to do.”

Yeah, how do you manage to put bad outings in the past?

“There’s ways. I think just go home. In college, my college coach was like, ‘Once it hits 12 o’clock, it’s a new day. You forget about what happened, you can’t do anything. They paid you for yesterday, today’s a new day, you have to go earn it.' I guess that really helped. There’s been some frustrating nights here. Especially on my drive home I’ll call my wife. But as soon as it hits 12 o’clock, it’s like, new day, it’s over. Can’t do anything about it. Turn the page and let’s get ready for today.”

So, if you weren't a baseball player, what would you be doing?

“I was pretty good at water skiing.”

Wait, really?

“Yeah. I grew up on a lake, so I could wakeboard and ski, just do the surfing and all that. I probably would have tried to be a professional wakeboarder. I don’t know. You’re so focused on what you want to do. I’ve thought about it, like, one of my best friends is a firefighter named Matt. He’s in Florida. They work 24 hours and [have] 48 off. That would probably be something I’d be intrigued with, work with him. I like helping people. I know you see a lot, it’s not an easy job by any means, but you see a lot of gruesome things and what not, but I think that would be something I’d be interested in. Or maybe something with the ocean. I love being around the ocean and fishing, stuff like that.”

Well other than skiing and wakeboaring, what's something people would be surprised to know about you?

“I don't know. I like to fish. I take a lot of showers. I try to be pretty clean, good hygiene. I like playing video games a lot.”

What games are you into?

“Probably Call of Duty. I’ve probably put in weeks of Call of Duty, maybe months. A lot of Call of Duty.”

Do you ever let yourself think about all the time you've spent playing games?

“I play Destiny every offseason. I have three characters – it’s a titan, a warlock and a hunter. It tells you the time you’ve spent on each of them and it’s like three weeks on one character. That’s like actual hours. It’s not just like one day, one hour, you played one day. No. It’s like I played 24 hours, 24 hours, 24 hours. I play a crap load of Destiny.”

What's the best movie you've seen lately?

“I bought the Lego Batman Movie. I enjoyed that. I also like Pirates of the Caribbean. That was a good one. The one I just saw. I just saw Baby Driver with [Bradley Zimmer]. It was decent. It was entertaining. I like pirates, I like the ocean, I like water, and Johnny Depp’s great.”

OK, back to the less fun stuff. You don't have a distinct role in the bullpen, but you've managed to stay pretty consistent throughout the season. What's enabled that?

“We all go through ups and down. I’ve had times where I was good and I’ve had times where I’m not very good. Having a short-term memory plays a huge part in that. I watch [Corey] Kluber a lot, how he goes about his business and he’s a machine. If I can kind of emulate that. Obviously he’s not in the bullpen. But every time the phone rings, just expecting it to be me, regardless if it’s not. I get up, I stretch in the fourth every day. I have my own routine now. I’m ready, I’m available. Mentally being ready every game, it’s tough not knowing, but you kind of manage the game along with them. You have an idea.

“I guess having a good routine will help you stay ready. And every time the phone rings, expecting it’s me, if it’s a one-run game or a 10-run game, we’re up by two, three, because eventually those are the roles that I want to be in. I want to be in close games. I want to pitch with guys on. I want them to know that I can do that as well. I think I can, I know I can. Always being ready and obviously the confidence, they’ve put me in some situations and I’ve done decent, and they’ve put me in some situations and I haven’t. But they always show confidence and that goes a long way with players I think in general.”

How to enter a slump, and bust one, with Francisco Lindor by Travis Sawchik, Yesterday The Indians hope Francisco Lindor’s slump is over.

After a three-hit night Wednesday, he began Thursday afternoon by slashing a line drive through the long evening shadows and into center field. Those in attendance at Progressive Field hope a cold spell that had left the franchise player as the second best player on the Indians’ left side of the infield — in conjunction with Jose Ramirez’s extraordinary last month — had come to an end.

Whether or not the slump will be remembered to have come to an end against the San Diego Padres, it will come to an end at some point. Lindor is too talented and the game’s inherent nature of ebbs and flows all but guarantees it. But what caused Lindor to slide into such an extended down period in the first place? Could he have dug out from it earlier? Could his personal recession have been shallower? And how important is his makeup to perhaps clawing out of it?

Lindor began the season as one of the hottest players in the American League. Lindor changed his batted ball profile in April when he demonstrated power not seen before from the 24-year-old. He was one of the great fly-ball gainers in the sport. At the end of April, he was playing as well as any position player not named Mike Trout, Aaron Judge or Bryce Harper when he was profiled at The Athletic.

When asked about the power surge, Lindor noted then that he was “not a weak person.” Indians assistant hitting coach Matt Quatraro said the key to transitioning from batting practice power to game power — raw power Lindor has always surprised evaluators with dating to pre-draft workouts — was becoming more selective. And Lindor was as selective as he had ever been in April. Lindor insists he had not changed his swing plane, and perhaps he had not made a change, rather he was swinging at pitches he could drive.

Somehow during the ebb and flow of a 162-game, 183-day season, Lindor went away from that approach. How does that occur?

“Maybe I've been up to the plate and I have swung more at the pitcher’s pitch instead of a hitter’s pitch,” Lindor said. “It might have a little to do with sense of urgency, as well as feeling comfortable, as well as trying to help your team too much. Trying to improve your batting average, trying to get a runner in. Things that go through your head when all you should be thinking about is hitting the baseball, hitting it hard somewhere.

“Baseball is crazy. You can be the greatest today and you lose it tomorrow. … There’s not a single player in the big leagues who can say he never comes out of his approach.”

Consider the pitches out of the zone Lindor swung at in April when he slashed .309/.380/.638: Then consider the pitches he offered at out of zone in May when he slashed .245/.313/.451:

And the out-of-zone swings in June when he slashed .214/.261/.339: Another way to examine his discipline is to study his walk rate which fell from a season-best 11 percent in April, to 7.9 percent in May, to 5.8 percent in June and 3.6 percent in July. He was expanding his zone. He was less zeroed in. His contact became slightly weaker. After averaging 88.9 mph in exit velocity in April, it fell slightly to 88.1 mph in May, and 87.1 mph in June.

Lindor insists he is not fatigued, but after playing deep into the fall last season, after participating in the World Baseball Classic this spring, Lindor started the first 46 games of the regular season and played in 82 of 84 games entering Friday.

To many, Lindor was hitting too many fly balls. But his ground ball-to-fly ball ratio was the same in his excellent April (0.81 ground balls to every fly ball) as it was in May (0.81). The rate became slightly more ground-ball heavy in June (1.05) and even more so in July (1.40). Lindor was actually hitting fewer balls in the air as his slump deepened.

Lindor said he is not concerned with his batted-ball profile he is concerned with putting good swings on good pitches.

“I should be putting better swings on the baseball, that’s how I see it,” Lindor said. “I don’t necessarily think ‘Put it on the ground, or put it in the air.’ It should be [thinking] ‘Putting better swings on the baseball.' My swings haven’t been as consistent as normal. I’m not striking out more [His strikeout rate was a season-low 6.7 percent in June]. I’m just not having the hard contact that I had the first month in a half.”

Indians manager Terry Francona recounted a story last month about how Lindor asked for his own spray chart when the club was playing the Rockies in Denver, and after examining it, felt he was pulling the ball too often. But Lindor should want to pull fly balls. His home run-to-fly ball ratio is 36.4 percent to right, 4.4 percent to center and 0 percent to the opposite field. And Lindor has not pulled the ball more often this year compared to last year. In 2016, 39.1 percent of all Lindor’s batted balls were pulled. This season the rate is 39.5 percent. And it is the data available, it is the plate discipline charts, hot and cold zones, and batted-ball spray charts that should help savvy and curious players like Lindor help hasten the end of slumps.

Lindor concluded the issue was not that he was trying to pull but the process creating weak grounders and pop-ups.

“I was just getting long,” said Lindor of his swing. “Whenever you get long, you hit pop-ups.”

And after positing identical 2.8 percent infield fly-ball rates in April and May, his rate surged to 9.5 percent in June, and his ground-ball rate increased to 42 percent in June and 50 percent in July.

“Whenever you get long, get around the ball, and roll over, 80 percent of the ground balls are hit to the pull side,” Lindor said. “That’s just how the swing is.”

While Quatraro said Lindor’s profile “went pretty extreme quickly” in regard to hitting more batted balls into the air, he said Lindor’s work has not changed behind the scenes, in the batting cages in the depth of Progressive Field or during batting practice.

“The difficult thing with that is his work is exactly the same,” Quatraro said. “While he might be hitting more fly balls out here, it’s not a byproduct of ‘Hey I’m going to try to hit fly balls.' ”

And Quatraro has a theory behind the lengthening off his swing.

“He hit some of those home runs early, and just like anybody, some of those thoughts ‘Oh, man, I’m hitting some home runs’ starts creeping in a little bit,” Quatraro said. “And that swing you’ve been working on: line drives, gap to gap, type of swings, it turns into a little bit more of an approach ‘Oh, I’m going to get another one.’ And then some of those driven fly balls turn into lazy fly balls. It doesn’t take long for it to snowball.”

But if anyone should be able to reverse a down period, it is Lindor who has been long praised for not only athletic gifts but for his makeup. During Lindor’s cool May and June he was still smiling, still engaged in his typical work.

“He might internally be frustrated or get down, but it doesn't manifest in how he works in there, or how he treats teammates or goes about his defense,” Quatraro said. “Everyone is going to go through slumps. Guys who let their lip drag, it keeps them down not only statistical but personally and mentally. He just doesn't do that.….He’s always high. He’s upbeat.”

Said Indians infield coach Mike Sarbaugh of Lindor's makeup: “I haven’t seen a change in his demeanor. Not one bit. For a young kid … he’s mature way beyond his years.”

Seated before this locker on his bobblehead day, mired in the worst slump of his young career, Lindor was still willing to sit through an extended interview and occasionally reveal an East 9th St.-wide smile.

“You gotta smile, man. I am getting paid to play baseball,” Lindor said, “I am enjoying life. I am in a good place. My family is healthy, I am healthy. There is no reason not to smile. We are in first place. There is nothing else I want.”

That is the type of attitude in concert with the gifts that should end the slump. Lindor has perspective and so perhaps should every one else: this is still a player voted to the All-Star Game, still a reigning Platinum glove winner and, at his worst, still in possession of a league-average bat at shortstop. In April and last October, Lindor gave us a glimpse of his best. He will likely arrive there again slashing line drives around the field, making highlight play after play, and being one of the best players in the game. He has been in a valley, but he's confident he will again reach a peak.

By the numbers: Carlos Carrasco’s first-half consistency a big key for Indians by T.J. Zuppe, 6 hours ago CLEVELAND — Carlos Carrasco won't be making the trip to Miami for the All-Star Game this year.

He says he's not bothered by being snubbed, but if he was — even a little — he'd have a bit of a gripe. While Corey Kluber's numbers certainly warranted his selection, Carrasco has been the lone stabilizing force in the Indians' otherwise rocky and inconsistent rotation over the entirety of the first half, and he wrapped up his final outing before the break by tossing seven solid innings, allowing just two runs in the Tribe's 11-2 victory over the Tigers on Friday night.

“It is what it is,” Carrasco said of being left off the All-Star squad. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just trying to get ready for the second half. I think that’s more important.”

Kluber missed a month with back issues. Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin have lived at both ends of the spectrum, and Mike Clevinger has been greeted by the normal ups and downs associated with a young pitcher gaining experience. And while all of that has taken place, Carrasco has taken the ball nearly every five days, posting a 3.44 earned run average and 3.42 FIP, striking out 114 hitters in 104 2/3 innings.

Friday highlighted a lot that has gone right for Carrasco this year, managing to limit the damage in the fourth inning and bouncing back by striking out the side on nine pitches in the top of the fifth, an immaculate inning. Despite saying the All-Star snub doesn't matter, he certainly looked like someone out to prove his absence from the roster was a mistake.

“Consistency’s huge,” bench coach and fill-in manager Brad Mills said. “Him being steady. The approach that he took in that fifth inning. I can’t really talk about that enough. I thought was huge. We go through an inning with that we don’t score any runs with nobody out and he goes out and really does a good job of shutting them down. Doesn’t let it swing back and let them get a chance. That was sure nice to see.”

85: Number of immaculate innings in baseball history entering Friday's game, according to stats guru Ryan Spaeder. Carrasco became the 86th to accomplish that feat — the fifth this season — by striking out all three hitters he faced in the fifth inning on nine pitches.

Nicholas Castellanos. Swinging. Mikie Mahtook. Swinging. Jose Iglesias. Swinging.

Carrasco is now just the second pitcher in franchise history to record an immaculate inning, joining Justin Masterson's nine-pitch inning in 2014. He downplayed his knowledge of the feat, but he did say “it was really impressive” and “it felt good.”

Maybe we just care about this sort of stuff more than the players. Or maybe, as he said, he really didn't know about it until being informed in the dugout after the inning was over. Either way, the accomplishment is still pretty fantastic and begs the question, why don't more pitchers just do that?

“I know he’s got the stuff to be a No. 1 starter and he deserves to be in the All-Star Game,” Francisco Lindor said. “It’s just whenever he goes out there and does what he does best, it’s pretty special. It’s pretty cool. Whenever you see big league hitters miss the ball by five feet, that means he’s doing something right.”

7-for-15: Lindor's hit rate over the past three games. He discussed feeling far more “on time” at the plate earlier this week, and the results certainly back up that point. Three games of better plate production don't dismiss two months of slumping stats, but given the depths of his plummeting batting average, every bit of positive reinforcement helps.

“I'm just trying to get the barrel to the ball,” Lindor said. “I thank the lord for all I'm going through. It's just a matter of time. I'm continuing to play the game right and work as hard as I can and eventually you see the results … The last couple days, I've been fortunate enough to see the ball drop a couple times and I feel good. It's just a matter of continuing to do the same thing day in and day out.”

Lindor, who went 4-for-5 with a triple, three RBI and two runs scored in Friday's win, is now officially back above league average offensively (101 wRC+). Our own Travis Sawchik spent some time digging into his scuffles recently, but we're seeing signs of its potential end.

“It’s starting to come together,” Mills said. “He had some real good at-bats tonight that he’s getting there and making progress and moving in that direction.”

424 feet: Distance of Bradley Zimmer's center field blast off lefty Chad Bell. The solo bomb was the first of his career off a left-handed pitcher. The talented center fielder finished the day with three hits, another first in his professional career.

We've advocated for Zimmer to play every day in the past, and the injury to Austin Jackson has allowed him the opportunity. While his offensive numbers have dipped a bit recently, his defense, speed and occasional power more than justify his daily presence in the lineup.

“We were talking about it today,” Mills said, “it’d be nice to have a couple good games for him to go into the break with. Sure enough, boy, he sure did today.”

2: Runners caught on the bases by Yan Gomes on Friday night. The catcher threw out Ian Kinsler trying to steal in the top of the first, then caught Jose Iglesias attempting to move up on a ball in the dirt in the top of the third. We've written extensively about Gomes' throwing this season, but it never hurts to offer an update/reminder.

According to BaseballProspectus.com's throwing runs metric — a statistic used to evaluate the impact catchers have on opposing running games — Gomes has been worth 1.3 runs above average this season, the third-best mark among big league backstops this season. His value as a thrower is one of the biggest reasons the club sticks with him through his offensive slumps.

Speaking of which … Gomes walked three more times, perhaps the most encouraging sign for the free-swinging hitter. His May surge was partially fueled by a more disciplined approach, and he's now walked seven times over the past eight games, raising his on-base percentage over that stretch to .464.

14th: Lonnie Chisenhall's MLB rank in slugging percentage this season (.579) among hitters with at least 200 plate appearances. Chisenhall slugged his 12th homer run of the campaign, a two-run homer to right field in the third inning to extend the Indians' lead to 5-0.

The left-handed hitter's previous career-high in slugging percentage was .439, making this season's output completely unprecedented. He's hitting more fly balls than ever, and those balls slugged in the air have turned into homers at a career-high rate.

He's also making better contact more consistently. From 2015-2016, Chisenhall was barreling the ball or making solid contact on 1.65 percent of all pitches seen (48 overall). In just the first-half this season, he's making that sort of contact on 3.33 percent of all pitches (27 overall).

The lesson learned? Hitting more balls in the air with quality contact results in higher slugging numbers and more power. Who knew?

2,000: Career hits for Victor Martinez. It was pretty fitting for the switch-hitting to reach the milestone at Progressive Field, the site of his first career hit on Sept. 10, 2002 against the Blue Jays. His first career hit came off righty Justin Turner, a two-run single that scored Ellis Burks and Lee Stevens.

Unfortunately, Mark Wohlers spoiled the Martinez debut by committing a throwing error in the top of the ninth, a miscue that allowed Shannon Stewart to score the go-ahead run. Martinez's comebacker in the ninth preserved the 5-4 win for the Jays.

Cleveland fans showed their appreciation for his time with the Indians — 900 of his hits came as a member of the Tribe, after all — by giving him a standing ovation after Martinez reached first in the top of the second. He tipped his helmet in return, offering his gratitude.

“It couldn’t happen to a better guy and that’s something,” Mills said. “Some of the guys were saying, you kind of wonder if people really understand how many hits that is. That’s pretty cool.”

Indians manager Terry Francona undergoes procedure to correct heart arrhythmia, to return July 14 By RYAN LEWIS Published: July 7, 2017 CLEVELAND: Indians manager Terry Francona underwent a cardiac ablation procedure on Thursday to correct an irregular heartbeat, the club announced. The successful procedure was performed at the Cleveland Clinic. Per the Indians in a release, Francona is expected to make a full recovery and will be discharged within a day or two. He is expected to resume managing on Friday, July 14, when the Indians travel to Oakland following the All-Star break. Thus far, Francona has missed four full games (the last three and June 27) and parts of two other games first due to symptoms that he reported as light headedness and an elevated heart rate and then to undergo further tests at the Cleveland Clinic to try to diagnose what was causing them. After he had to exit the dugout on June 26, which then led to his missing the game on June 27 due to president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti’s orders, Francona was given a heart monitor. The arrhythmia was detected due to the monitoring of Francona’s heart over the last couple of weeks, according to the club. The Indians have also informed Major League Baseball that he will not manage the All-Star Game in Miami on July 11. His absence, of course, has been noticeable in the clubhouse. “We think about him all the time,” said Josh Tomlin after Thursday’s game. “He’s probably still got a big part of what is going on in here on a daily basis. I think he’s probably not too happy in the hospital on a daily basis. We keep in contact. The guys on the team text him and we talk to him, just kind of keep him in the loop, talk to him. We need him at the helm here, there’s no doubt about it. He’s a huge part of our success, he knows the game, he knows the players really well, and his presence alone has that sense of calm in the dugout. We obviously want his health to be fine first before he comes back, but we’re itching at the bit to get him back, no doubt about it.” Antonetti said earlier this week that no plans had been made at that time to add a member to the coaching staff. Bench coach Brad Mills has been acting as manager in Francona’s absence. The Indians will have cards for fans to sign on the concourse for tonight’s game. Indians 11, Tigers 2: Indians continue offensive surge in rout of Tigers By Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: The Indians haven’t been able to find any consistency on offense for several weeks. The Detroit Tigers seem to be trying to help out with the cause. On Friday, the Indians pummeled Tigers starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann and continued the beatdown against the bullpen in an 11-2 win at Progressive Field. The Indians’ last game against the Tigers — Sunday in Detroit — ended in an 11-8 win. The Indians (46-39) also put up 11 runs on Thursday night against the San Diego Padres. Facing Zimmermann (5-7), the Indians scored five runs in the third. After Jason Kipnis doubled and Francisco Lindor reached on an infield single, Michael Brantley ripped a double down the right-field line to make it 2-0. Two batters later, and with two outs, Jose Ramirez beat out an infield single, scoring Brantley from third and extending the inning. That brought up Lonnie Chisenhall, who slugged a two-run home run to right field to make it 5-0. The homer was Chisenhall’s 12th home run, and he has a team-leading 51 RBI. The Tigers (38-47) chipped away against starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, cutting the Indians’ lead to 5-2. But against the Tigers, bullpen in the bottom of the sixth, the Indians put it away. Bradley Zimmer, who had his first career three-hit game, led off the inning with a solo home run, his fifth of the season. With two runners on, Lindor drove a two-run triple into the right-field corner, and Brantley followed with an RBI single to make it 9-2. Lindor added an RBI single an inning later. With Kipnis on third, Brantley lined out to right fielder J.D. Martinez, who nonchalantly threw the ball in to second baseman Ian Kinsler. Kipnis, meanwhile, went back to third, tagged up and sprinted for home, just beating Kinsler’s throw with a head-first slide to put the Indians on top 11-2. Carrasco (10-3) allowed just two runs on nine hits and struck out 11 in seven innings. It was his 12th career double-digit strikeout game and the second this season. In the fifth, he also registered an “immaculate inning,” striking out the side on nine pitches. It was only the second immaculate inning in franchise history. Justin Masterson delivered the first in 2014. According to stats guru Ryan Spaeder, it was the 86th immaculate inning in baseball history. Victor Martinez singled in the second inning, his 2000th career hit. Martinez, who played with the Indians from 2002-2009, received a standing ovation from the Indians’ crowd. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 07.08.2017 Indians notebook: Corey Kluber will not pitch in the All-Star Game; Danny Salazar making slow progress By Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: Indians ace Corey Kluber will not be pitch in the All-Star Game. Kluber, who earned his second All-Star selection on a vote from the commissioner’s office last week, is scheduled to pitch Sunday’s game against the Detroit Tigers. The 2017 All-Star Game in Miami is two days later. That leaves a very short turnaround for a pitcher after making a start, particularly one who only about six weeks ago returned from a back injury. The decision for pitchers who throw on Sunday to still pitch in the All-Star Game is up to the player and team. In this case, it was an easy decision with Kluber’s health in mind. He and the club “were all on the same page,” Kluber said. “There’s a couple things that go into it,” Kluber said. “Number one, trying to be smart, just because of the fact that I missed so much time. Trying to be cognizant of that and also probably not ideal to pitch Sunday night and then all of a sudden try to turn around with a day of rest and try to get out the best hitters in the National League, even though the game doesn’t count, so to speak.” Considering Kluber’s recent stint on the disabled list, as well as his dominating stretch since June 1, the Indians haven’t yet determined the starting rotation after the All-Star break. With Kluber getting four days of rest, it’s possible Kluber could pitch in the first game after the break Friday in Oakland. But the club is waiting to see how he feels following Sunday night. Another factor could be that if the Indians push Kluber back a day, he wouldn’t have to bat when the Indians travel to San Francisco to play the Giants with National League rules after the three-game series in Oakland. “The good thing is we have [Carlos] Carrasco, [Trevor] Bauer and Kluber,” Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway said. “I’m sure those three guys will pitch the first three games, we’re just not sure of the order yet. We’ll see how Kluber feels and if he feels like he needs an extra day, because we’ve been riding him hard since he came back.” Slow progress Danny Salazar was hit hard in his most recent rehab assignment. And although he isn’t where he needs to be, Callaway believes he’s taking steps toward returning to his normal self. “It was really better than last time,” Callaway said. “Physically, he felt great. Still battling mechanics big time, throwing across his body at times too much because of the fluctuation in effort level and things like that. Really wasn’t getting his change-up and curveball where he wanted to. The things you’d see when a guy has been out for a while, especially Danny Salazar, who fights those things all the time.” One positive sign, despite Salazar giving up three home runs in 3 ⅓ innings, was his elevated velocity, which had dipped a bit in his previous rehab assignment. “I think he was up to 94-95 yesterday with a couple pitches,” Callaway said. “The last time, he wasn’t near that.” Callaway said Salazar is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday before the club determines his next step. Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber won't pitch in the All-Star Game By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Corey Kluber will pitch on national TV this week, but not in the All-Star Game. The Indians' ace will start against the Tigers at Progressive Field on Sunday night. ESPN will broadcast the game to a national audience. Kluber will not pitch two days later in the Midsummer Classic. He was the winning pitcher for the American League in last year's showcase. That victory earned the Indians home-field advantage in the World Series. That stipulation no longer exists. The league also scrapped its rule that previously prohibited starting pitchers from participating in the All-Star Game if they were scheduled to pitch the Sunday before the event. This year, teams and players can collaborate and make the decision on their own. Kluber isn't the only pitcher who will remain in the dugout. Texas' Yu Darvish and Detroit's Michael Fulmer, who are also slated to start on Sunday, will skip the All-Star Game. Tribe pitcher Carlos Carrasco was not among the replacement players chosen to the AL roster. "We discussed it," Kluber said Friday. "They had input and, for the most part, we were all on the same page." Several factors contributed to the Indians' ultimate decision with Kluber. First, the right-hander missed a month of action this season because of a lower back strain. He returned from the disabled list on June 1 and has been nothing short of stellar ever since, but even Kluber shared concerns over pitching in an exhibition less than 48 hours after taking on the Tigers. "[It's] probably not ideal to pitch Sunday night and then all of a sudden try to turn around with a day of rest and try to get out the best hitters in the National League," he said. "[It's] just about trying not to put myself in a position to possibly hurt myself on Tuesday." Kluber also has anchored the Indians' rotation since he established himself as a Cy Young Award-winning hurler in 2014. He logged 235 innings that year, 222 innings in 2015 and 249 innings (including postseason) in 2016. "We looked at Corey's workload over the past two years," said team president Chris Antonetti, "inclusive of the postseason, the fact that he did miss some time with the back injury earlier this year, he's going to be starting not only on Sunday but pitching on Sunday night, and then arriving in Miami at 4 o'clock in the morning. You take the totality of those factors into consideration and it didn't make sense for him to pitch in the game." Kluber earned his way onto the AL roster by way of his sterling month of June. The league selected him to the team after he posted a 1.26 ERA in six starts after he returned from the sidelines. In that stretch, he limited the opposition to a .150 average and a .396 OPS, with 64 strikeouts and only seven walks in 43 innings. His first start of July unfolded in similar fashion. He held San Diego to one run over eight innings, as he walked one and struck out 10. Kluber stands at 7-3 this season with a 2.85 ERA. he has tallied 115 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Terry Francona isn't only Cleveland Indians' manager to experience on-the-job health problems By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio - Terry Francona isn't the first Indians manager to have on-the-job health problems. Francona underwent a cardiac ablation procedure Thursday at Cleveland Clinic. He will not manage the American League All-Star team on Tuesday in Miami, but the Indians are hopeful he can rejoin them on July 14 to start the second half against the A's in Oakland. Charlie Manuel was named Indians manager for the 2000 season. In spring training, however, Manuel was hospitalized for a ruptured colon and had eight inches of his intestine removed. Three months later he returned to the hospital for more surgery to re-attach his intestine. Manuel missed 13 games, but the Indians went 8-5 under coach Grady Little. When Little would meet with reporters after games, he'd do so in Manuel's office, but he wouldn't sit at Manuel's desk out of respect for the manager. When the Indians clinched the AL Central on Oct. 1 in 2001, Manuel was once again in the hospital with what was called an abdominal infection. During a conference call with reporters after the Indians clinched, Manuel was asked how he was doing. "I'm doing fine," said Manuel. "I'm just getting my gall bladder drained right now." During his managerial tenure with the Indians, Manuel had a cancerous kidney removed as well. In 1983 Indians President Gabe Paul pulled a surprise by hiring Mike Ferraro to manage the Indians. When Paul was running the Yankees, Ferraro was a minor-league manager in the system and impressed Paul. Ferraro, however, underwent surgery to have a cancerous kidney removed just before the start of spring training. The surgery and a lack of talent on the roster did Ferraro no favors. He was fired on May 30 and replaced by Pat Corrales. Birdie Tebbetts managed the Indians from 1963-65. Tebbetts had a heart attack on April 1, 1964 when the Indians were still in spring training. He did not return until July 5. Tebbetts managed into the 1965 season before resigning in August. Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie was the Indians' player-manager from 1905-09. In 1905 Lajoie was spiked on a play at second base in a game against Detroit. He remained in the game, but blood poisoning set in and he missed three months of the season. Third baseman Bill Bradley took over as manager. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 The Indians and Terry Francona have a lot of time to improve -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin By Bud Shaw, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians' run a year ago overcame difficulties piled high and made veterans out of younger players. It should help them take ownership of an up-and-down 2017 season made more challenging by Terry Francona's health issues. Francona's prognosis is good. He should return to manage following the All-Star break. In the meantime, the Indians are a proven commodity. Things could be worse. They're a World Series contender, defending American League champs. They aren't much different - though baseball is different than the NBA for sure - than the Warriors when they were forced to deal with Steve Kerr's absence. If any fan base should know that, it's one that watched the Cavs lose the NBA Finals to a team that didn't have its head coach on the bench for the bulk of its postseason run. Francona's absence has been no small loss. He's one of baseball's best managers. The Indians weren't exactly playing their best with him. Now they have a chance, both of them, to finish the season strong. The reason to believe that can happen goes beyond the relative weakness of the AL Central. The connections Francona forged with players in Boston and here have produced two World Series titles with the Red Sox and elevated the Indians to a 94-win season and a heart-stopping near-win experience in Game 7 against the Cubs. Francona steered the chase a year ago, a chase made even more improbable by late-season injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar and the season-long absence of Michael Brantley. Getting him back full strength can only help. The atmosphere he created didn't disappear overnight. Even if the Indians haven't channeled it on a consistent basis this season, they remain the favorite to win the AL Central and return to the postseason. Francona will return long before that with reason to feel stronger and healthier than he has all season. That's the hope for him. In the meantime, the expectations for a good organization haven't changed. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Richie Shaffer's All-Star first half for Columbus Clippers slips into neutral: Cleveland Indians Minor Leagues (video) By Branson Wright, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Richie Shaffer will represent the Columbus Clippers in next week's Triple-A All-Star Game in Tacoma as a designated hitter and is one of six players who will participate in the home run derby. In a video interview with The Plain Dealer, Shaffer said he is really excited about getting the All-Star nod. "I was really excited with the announcement because I worked really hard in the off-season," Shaffer said. "I put a lot of time and effort into some adjustments that I made. Coming out with a good start to start the year was great." Despite his good start in the first half of the season, Shaffer has struggled over the past two weeks, to the tune of a line of .087/.173/.174 with just one homer and four RBIs in 46 at bats, and he has struck out 24 times. The RBI output is his lowest over a 14-game stretch this season. He left 23 runners stranded. He has fallen from the IL lead into second place (seven behind Lehigh Valley's Rhys Hoskins, but still six ahead of Norfolk's Pedro Alvarez). The Cleveland Indians claimed Shaffer on waivers from the Cincinnati Reds before the season. He played 51 games with the Tampa Bay Rays over the last two seasons. Too late: As it stands now, the IL will go to battle in the All-Star Game without the best catcher in the league, as Erik Kratz's hot streak came just a bit too late. He had a nine-game hit streak from June 20-July 1 (.483 batting average 14-for-29), collecting five home runs and raising his slugging percentage 103 points. His on-base streak is still active at 16 games (.460 OBP). Kratz leads all IL catchers with a .294/.389/.565 line and 11 homers and a 1.000 fielding percentage. Streak snapped: Yandy Diaz had his hit streak snapped at 13 games Monday night but he has kept his on-base streak going at 15 games (.515 OnBP). Of all the players in the IL with at least 100 plate appearances, only Diaz has drawn more walks than strikeouts (30 BB, 27 K). In his minor league career, he now sits at 228 walks and 218 strikeouts. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Lynchburg Hillcats Yonathan Mendoza continues to hit right keys against Frederick: Cleveland Indians Minor Leagues By Branson Wright, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lynchburg Hillcats infielder Yonathan Mendoza has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games and is 22 of 51 (.431) during that time. Over that time he has raised his average from .267 on June 15 to .297 currently. Specifically against the Frederick Keys, the switch-hitting utility player has a 12-game hitting streak, going 20-47 (.426). Overall, Mendoza has a team-best .389 average versus the Keys, which includes eight RBIs in 14 games and his only two home runs of the season. Mendoza is the only player batting above .300 against Frederick. The next best mark is more than 100 points worse against the Keys (Ka'ai Tom, .286). At Nymeo Field, Mendoza is 11 for 29 (.379) in six games with five RBIs, four runs and both of his home runs this season. Back-to-back: Martin Cervenka hit home runs in consecutive games for only the second time in his career on July 1-2. He also did it May 29-30, 2016 against Fort Wayne in the Midwest League. Cervenka has reached base safely in 15 straight games, which is the longest current streak of any Hillcat and closing on the best mark of the season (Sicnarf Loopstok and Andrew Calica, 19). Cervenka has four multi-hit performances in his last six games (9-28, .321) with three doubles, two home runs and four runs scored. For the season, Cervenka leads the team with 22 multi-hit games. RBIs: Claudio Bautista has recorded an RBI in each of his past four games. His pinch-hit fielder's choice in the ninth inning Sunday drove in the tying run, although it did snap his season-best three-game hitting streak. Bautista, a third-year Hillcat and 2015 Midwest League All-Star, had only nine RBIs in his first 43 games in 2017. Impressive outing: Pitcher A.J. Puckett retired 20 batters in a row during the Hillcats loss to the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Wednesday night. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Akron RubberDucks cling to first with All-Star game ahead: Cleveland Indians Minor Leagues By Elton Alexander, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Just a weekend series away from the Class AA Eastern League All-Star break, the Akron RubberDucks are trying to hold on to first place, but need a strong weekend at home vs. third-place Altoona to stay there. The Ducks have a half-game lead over Bowie and a one-game lead over Altoona entering Friday's game. After the weekend, four Ducks will be going to the All-Star game, hosted by the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Wednesday. The big bopper: Akron's Yu-Cheng Chang, 21, will represent the RubberDucks as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern League All-Star Game Home Run Derby at New Hampshire on Tuesday. Chang ranks third in the league with 18 homers and will pose a major threat to hometown favorite Ryan McBroom, who is in his third consecutive Home Run Derby contest, including his victorious run through the Midwest League Home Run Derby in 2015. Chang is also one of the four Ducks playing in the All-Star game, along with right-handed pitcher Cameron Hill, catcher Francisco Mejia, and left-handed pitcher Thomas Pannone. First and foremost: He's not going to the All-Star game, but first baseman Bobby Bradley (third-round draft pick in 2014) continues to show his value as he leads the Ducks and ranks third in the league with 57 RBI. More and more he is cutting down the strikeouts (five in the last 10 games) while his contact is rising. The 6-1, 225-pound Gulfport, Mississippi native has failed to get a hit only twice in his last 10 games and has four multi-hit performances in the other eight. He has hit a robust .389 in that 10-game span with four home runs, 14 hits and 16 RBI. Just a relief: Hill, the 6-1, 185-pound right-hander, continues to show his All-Star form as Akron's best relief pitcher. Going into Friday's game, Hill had pitched in three games this week, allowing no runs and one hit with four strikeouts. In the 45.2 innings this season, Hill has a 2.17 ERA. He has struck out 36 and has converted six saves. He has walked only one batter in his last 10 appearances. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona is no stranger to the operating room By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is Terry Francona's 17th season managing in the big leagues. That's a lot of stress, a lot of road trips and a lot of winning and losing. Who knows what that does to a human body, but emotional scars can't be seen. Francona has plenty of the real ones to prove it. On Thursday, Francona underwent an operation on his heart at Cleveland Clinic. The procedure is called a cardiac ablation and it was done to correct Francona's irregular heartbeat. Francona will not manage the America League All-Stars next week in Miami, but the Indians are hopeful he can rejoin the team on July 14 when they open the second half of the season in Oakland. The Indians, in a statement by the Indians, said Francona will be released from the Clinic in the next couple of days. Francona's health concerns with the Indians started last year when he didn't manage an Aug. 9 game against the Nationals because of chest pains. He returned the next day and managed the team to Game 7 of the World Series without further health concern. During the World Series, he regaled reporters about ordering over $40 of room service ice cream in the wee hours of the morning. This season his problems first became public when he left a game on June 13 against the Dodgers because of a rapid heart rate and dizziness. He had a similar episode on June 26, which forced him to leave a game against Texas. He was taken to the Clinic after both games. Francona, after rejoining the team on June 27, told reporters that he had had other episodes of rapid heart rate and lightheadedness this season, but "took a deep breath" and handled it. About a month ago, Francona stopped meeting with reporters in the dugout during road games. He was saving his steps for the game after undergoing right hip replacement surgery after the Indians lost the World Series last year. When the Indians returned from a three-game trip to Detroit last weekend, Francona was admitted to the Clinic on Tuesday for more tests. On Thursday he underwent surgery. Indians manager Terry Francona wearing a heart monitor Francona's health issues go back several years. By his own admission, he's had over 20 surgeries on his knees and other parts of his body. He has two artificial knees to go along with his artificial hip. "If I get the other hip done I'll be the bionic man," joked Francona after the surgery. In 2002, when Francona was interviewing to be Seattle's manager, he suffered a blood clot in his lungs after returning from the interview. The interview came shortly after he had one of his many knee surgeries. Francona suffered a pulmonary embolism on each side of his lungs. The Boston Globe reported that the embolism traveled from his leg to his lungs. He was hospitalized for four days and was treated with blood thinners. The Globe reported that Francona has a permanent filter in his abdomen to block blood clots from his heart and lungs. A couple of years ago in Seattle, Francona told Cleveland reporters about a postgame interview he did as Boston's manager. He'd bitten the inside of his mouth and he couldn't stop the bleeding because he was on blood thinners. "I was answering questions and trying to stop the bleeding with a towel," said Francona. When Francona and the Red Sox parted ways following the 2011 season, The Globe reported that Francona was "distracted' by his use of pain medication. Francona denied that, saying he was using prescribed medication from a team doctor following a 2010 knee operation. He had the same knee drained of blood several times during the 2011 season. In 2005 Francona was hospitalized as manager of the Red Sox when the team was in New York to open the season against the Yankees. It was determined that he did not have a heart attack, but he was hospitalized for several days. Francona's relationship with operating rooms started early. He was the Montreal Expos No.1 pick in 1980 after leading the University of Arizona to the College World Series title as a junior. In 1982 he was hitting .346 for the Expos when he caught a spike running into an outfield wall in St. Louis, tore the ACL in his right knee and missed the rest of the season. In 1984 Francona was hitting .321 with Montreal when he injured his left knee trying to elude a tag. He missed the rest of that season. After the second knee surgery, he was a bench player for the rest of his career. In 2002 Francona developed staph infections after having arthroscopic surgery on his knees. According to ESPN, Francona needed two more surgeries on each knee to stop the infections. Then he needed another surgery to stop the bleeding in his right thigh. ESPN described the series of operations as life threatening. For years Francona has tried to combat his maladies by swimming every day. He said it helps him get through the day. But even that has its downside. Last year he came to the interview room at Progressive Field with bandages on several of his fingers. Francona said he kept hitting the ends of his fingers on the team's Swim-X pool. Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona undergoes heart procedure; will not manage All-Star Game By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Terry Francona underwent a heart procedure at Cleveland Clinic on Thursday, following several days of tests conducted to solve the mystery of what has ailed the Indians manager in recent weeks. Francona underwent a cardiac ablation to correct an irregular heartbeat. He is expected to rejoin the club after the All-Star break. Indians bench coach Brad Mills, who has been filling in for Francona, will manage the American League team. Francona is expected to be discharged in the next day or two, according to a team statement. Francona, 58, ventured to the hospital on Tuesday to undergo further examination and determine what had forced him from several Indians games during the last month. He had been occasionally experiencing a rapid heart rate and lightheadedness. Chris Antonetti, the team's president of baseball operations, said earlier this week that the doctors had ruled out any serious malady. Antonetti said Wednesday he anticipated Francona would miss at least a few more days, but he added that the two had not discussed the possibility of a leave of absence. "Baseball doesn't really matter," outfielder Brandon Guyer said Thursday afternoon. "We want him to get healthy and get back here whenever he can." Francona earned the right to manage the AL squad in next week's All-Star Game in Miami when the Indians reached the World Series last season. The Indians' coaching staff and five players are scheduled to fly south following the club's game Sunday night against Detroit. They will return to Cleveland after the annual exhibition and then head to the west coast next Thursday for a weeklong road swing through San Francisco and Oakland. Francona is expected to rejoin the club in the Bay Area. Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff visited Francona in the hospital on Wednesday. Afterward, Antonetti said doctors maintained that Francona had avoided any major health issue, but "it's just at this point narrowing down what is the specific thing causing the symptoms and how do they correct that?" Doctors had been monitoring Francona's heart rate with a button that the manager could press any time he felt it picking up. "All of the doctors are very confident they will be able to do that and figure that out in the near term." Francona left the Indians' dugout during the team's game against the Dodgers at Progressive Field on June 13. He underwent testing at Cleveland Clinic and Antonetti drove him back to his downtown apartment in the middle of the night. Francona returned the next evening to his brown leather seat at the end of the dugout. Less than two weeks later, Francona experienced the same symptoms, which required another trek to the hospital. Antonetti forced him to take a day to rest after that occurrence. Francona also missed a game in Washington, D.C., last August after he experienced chest pains. "As a friend, you're always concerned," Antonetti said last week. "Especially someone like Tito, who has an exceedingly high pain tolerance -- for him to leave a game raises a flag." Josh Tomlin on the Indians missing Terry Francona Francona managed the team in Detroit over the weekend, and Antonetti said his admission to the hospital on Tuesday did not come on the heels of another episode. "There's no doubt everybody's thinking about it," said bench coach Brad Mills, who has filled in for Francona. "But at the same time, they're professionals and they know how to go about their work." Francona had his right hip replaced a few days after the end of the World Series last fall. "I've had both knees [replaced] and now my right hip," Francona said in November. "If I get my left hip done, I'll be fully bionic." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Cleveland Indians' Carlos Carrasco ignores All-Star snub; prepares for strong second half BY PAUL HOYNES, CLEVELAND, Ohio - Carlos Carrasco won his 10th game on Friday night. He did it by striking out a season-high 11 batters against the Tigers in front of a near sellout crowd at Progressive Field. "He deserves to be an All-Star," said shortstop Francisco Lindor following the Tribe's 11-2 win. But he's not. Carrasco might be pitching like an All-Star, but unless something unforeseen happens in the next day or so, he'll be spending the break with family and friends instead of pitching for the American League at Marlins Park. Last year rotation mate Danny Salazar went to the All-Star game with a 10-3 record. This year Salazar is slogging through a minor-league rehab because of a sore right shoulder, while Carrasco can't get a ticket to Miami with the same 10-3 record. Salazar had an edge in ERA, 2.75 to 3.44, but how much weight does that carry? The Indians asked the AL not to pitch Salazar in the All-Star Game last year in San Diego because he had a sore elbow. Carrasco is ready to pitch. Three other pitchers in the AL have 10 or more wins - Jason Vargas (12-3, 2.62), Chris Sale (11-4, 2.75) and Ervin Santana (10-6, 2.99). They're all headed to the All-Star Game, but not Carrasco. His last chance, seemingly, came and went Friday when MLB added four pitchers to the AL club - starter Chris Archer (7-5, 3.95) and relievers Chris Devenski, Roberto Osuna and Brandon Kintzler. Carrasco is 5-0 in his last six starts. He's 3-1 against Detroit and has 114 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings in 17 starts. It's hard to say what else he needed to do to make it. When asked if he was disappointed, Carrasco said, "No, I'm just happy because five of my teammates made it. I'm really happy for them. It is what it is. I'm just trying to get ready for the second half." The Indians have five All-Stars in Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller, Michael Brantley, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez. MLB announced Saturday that Kluber will not pitch in the All-Star Game because he was pitching Sunday night against the Tigers in an ESPN game. Five is a lot of All-Stars for a team that has spent the first 3 1/2 months of the season, in the words of their manager Terry Francona, being "consistently inconsistent." So it might have been a stretch to add Carrasco as a sixth player by the powers that be. Then again talent is talent is talent. Bench coach Brad Mills pointed to that talent Friday night. The Indians held a 5-0 lead, but in the fourth they loaded the bases with no one out and didn't score. Mills, managing the club in place of Francona, who is recovering from a heart procedure, felt that might give the Tigers an opening. Indians Carlos Carrasco on win over Tigers But Carrasco went out for the top of the fifth and struck out Nick Castellanos, Mikie Mahtook and Jose Iglesias on nine pitches. It was just the second "immaculate inning' in team history. Justin Masterson did it on June 2, 2014 against Boston. "What Carlos did in the top of the fifth was a big key," said Mills. Carrasco threw 73 percent (71-of-97) of his pitches for strikes. The MLB average is 63 percent. He did it by throwing mostly fastballs and sliders. Carrasco threw 39 four-seam fastballs and 30 sliders, according to baseball savant. His velocity ranged from 96.3 mph to 80.8. "It's fun to play behind Carrasco," said Lindor. "I know he has the stuff to be a No.1 starter. Whenever you see big-league hitters missing the ball by five feet, you know he's doing something right." Carrasco said a key to his strong first half has been his mental approach. "It's been 95 percent mentality and the rest has been my body and pitches," he said. "I just want to continue to do that in the second half." Carlos Carrasco strikes out 11 as Cleveland Indians pound Detroit Tigers, 11-2 BY PAUL HOYNES, CLEVELAND, Ohio - Five-run innings are always welcomed. Especially by teams with such erratic scoring patterns as the Indians. The Indians fall into that category despite their +72 run differential. How else do you explain their 14 hits and two runs on Wednesday compared to their 14 hits and 11 runs on Thursday? They played those games against the Padres. On Friday night, they beat the Tigers, 11-2, on another offensive night. The Indians finished with 16 hits, including homers by Lonnie Chisenhall and Bradley Zimmer and four RBI from Michael Brantley. But before discussing the five-run third inning, and the four-run sixth, how about Carlos Carrasco? He won his 10th game Friday and is not going to the All-Star Game. It's not like the Indians are going to be forgotten next week in Miami. They're sending five players and their entire coaching staff, but it's hard to leave behind a 10-game winner. Carrasco (10-3, 3.44) is 5-0 in his last six starts. He beat the Tigers for his second straight start to improve to 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA against them this year. Brad Mills on Cleveland Indians' 11-2 win against the Tigers Leaning heavily on his four-seam fastball and slider, Carrasco struck out a season-high 11 batters in seven innings. It was his second start this season with 10 or more strikeouts. It included an "immaculate inning" in the fifth, when Carrasco became just the second Indian pitcher to strike out the side in nine pitches. Justin Masterson turned the trick in 2014. "We had the bases loaded and nobody out in the fourth and we didn't score," said bench coach Brad Mills, filling in for manager Terry Francona. "And he came out in the fifth, when you might think the momentum might be swinging, and Carlos used nine pitches to strikeout the side. That was a big key." Said Carrasco of pitching with a big league, "It's really good to see your teammates score a lot of runs. As a starting pitcher, you can appreciate that." The Indians took a 5-0 lead in the second against Jordan Zimmermann (5-7, 5.87). Brantley doubled home Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor with a drive into the right field corner. Kipnis opened the inning with a double and went to third on Lindor's infield hit. Indians Carlos Carrasco on win over Tigers Lindor advanced to third on Edwin Encarnacion's groundout to short. Jose Ramirez, fueled once again by caffeine, delivered Lindor as he beat out an infield single to short. After Ramirez crossed the bag, he fell flat on his face with his batting helmet flying in the air. Lonnie Chisenhall ended the scoring with a two-run homer into the right field seats. The homer gave Chisenhall 27 RBI in his last 23 games. Zimmermann, 0-3 with an 11.42 ERA in four career starts against the Indians, allowed five runs on eight hits in three plus innings. Zimmer started the sixth with a first-pitch homer to center off lefty Chad Bell. It traveled 424 feet and was his first homer off a lefty in his career. Bell created more problems for himself by walking Yan Gomes and Jason Kipnis. Lindor scored them both with a triple to right for a 8-2 lead. Brantley singled home Lindor. What it means In the last three games the Indians have produced 44 hits. On Friday, Lindor and Zimmer had three each. Lindor added three RBI. The Tribe evened the season series against the Tigers at 5-5. The pitches Carrasco threw 97 pitches, 71 (73 percent) for strikes. Zimmermann threw 73 pitches, 45 (62 percent) for strikes. Good moment Victor Martinez, with two out in the second inning, singled to left field for the 2,000th hit of his career. The Indians flashed it on the scoreboard and the crowd gave one of their favorite sons a standing ovation. Martinez, who spent his first 71/2 years in the big leagues with the Indians, tipped his batting helmet. Who was standing behind him coaching first base? None other than Omar Vizquel, who spent 11 years with the Tribe. "We all love Victor and what he did for this organization," said Mills. "We were talking about it in the dugout and saying, 'That's a lot of hits.' I know there are guys with 3,000 hits, and there's a couple guys with 4,000, but man that's a lot of hits. "It couldn't happen to a better guy. Some of the guys were saying, 'You wonder if people realize how many hits that is.''' Power plus Chisenhall's homer was his 12th of the season. He hit eight last year. Ramirez and Lindor know how Chisenhall feels. Ramirez has hit 16 this year after hitting 11 last year. Lindor has 14 homers, one behind last year's total of 15. Thanks for coming The Tigers and Indians drew 32,307 to Progressive Field on Friday night. First pitch was at 7:11 p.m. with a temperature of 80 degrees. Saturday night's game is sold out. Next Indians right-hander Mike Clevinger (4-3, 3.33) faces Detroit's Justin Verlander (5-5, 4.96) Saturday at 7:15 p.m. on Fox Sports. WTAM/1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the game as well. Clevinger beat Verlander and the Tigers in his last start on July 2. He allowed one run on two hits in six innings. Clevinger did walk five batters, but pitched in an out of trouble. Verlander allowed seven runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was his shortest start of the season. This will be Verlander's 52nd start against the Indians, his most against any team in the big leagues. He's 20-23 with a 4.78 ERA against them. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Cleveland Indians' Chris Antonetti on Terry Francona's surgery: "It couldn't be better news" BY PAUL HOYNES, CLEVELAND, Ohio - Manager Terry Francona might still be recovering from heart surgery, but it didn't take him long to make a phone call on Friday to Brad Mills to check on the Indians and what his plans are for the three-game series against Detroit this weekend and the All-Star Game next week. Francona underwent a cardiac ablation procedure Thursday at Cleveland Clinic to correct his irregular heartbeat. He will not return to managing until July 14 when the Indians open a six-game West Coast trip against Oakland and San Francisco. It means Mills, his longtime bench coach, will manage the Indians this weekend against the Tigers and the American League All-Stars on Tuesday night at Marlins Park in Miami. "We've been talking back and forth," Mills told reporters Friday afternoon. "The last phone call was probably about an hour and a half ago. We've talked. We've talked at length about things that are going on, and how much he wanted to be here and do this and that. But again, he voiced that he's going to take this time of rest and hopefully be ready to go." Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, visited Francona on Friday morning. He's expected to be released from the Clinic in a couple of days. Antonetti said there is a sense of relief throughout the organization over Francona's health. Brad Mills on managing without Terry Francona "It couldn't be really better news in the fact that the issue was corrected with a relatively minor procedure and there was clarity around what it was, and now that is has been corrected, it's a great relief for everyone as well," said Antonetti. Antonetti said it took some convincing for Francona to agree to miss the All-Star Game. "I think in the end he was good with the plan," said Antonetti. ''It took some dialogue to get there, but I think as Tito said, 'I want to get back to doing what I love and what matters most and that's managing the Cleveland Indians and what would put me in the best position to do that for the second half of the season?' "And I think as we walked through that it made sense for him to get a few days to get out of the hospital and recover. Not go to Miami. Not be on late flights and have all the obligations that go around the All-Star Game because that way when he's managing Friday, he's in a really good spot." Antonetti was confident Francona would make the West Coast trip. The Indians open Friday against the A's in Oakland, but will hold a post All- Star break workout on Thursday at Oakland Coliseum. "He'll be there for Thursday's workout," said Antonetti. Mills said Francona's absence is felt throughout the team. "It's not the same -- there's no doubt," said Mills. "The ballclub loves T. They love how he's around every day. The one thing that T has always done, is he empowers his coaches to do their jobs in the dugout, in the clubhouse, on the field pregame, on the field during the game. Those types of things. And because he has done that so well in the past, I think it has really kind of helped being able to continue to do that as we move forward. "And again, I can't express how much everyone on the staff has done, kind of sharing little duties and kind of maybe stretching their duties, obviously, a little bit more to really help everybody moving in that direction." The Indians went 1-2 against the Padres with Mills in the manager's seat. Mills has been a member of Francona's coaching staffs in Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland. Mills, who managed 11 years in the minors, managed the Astros from 2010 until he was fired in August of 2012. When it was announced Sunday that the Indians were sending five All-Stars and the entire coaching staff to Miami for the All-Star Game, Francona sent Antonetti a message telling him he should be proud of the organization because the baseball world was going to see Indians jerseys wherever they looked at the All-Star Game. That will still be the case with the exception of Francona's jersey. "We [the coaches] were excited to have T be the manager at the All-Star Game and we were excited to represent the American League and represent the Cleveland Indians because of what we did last year," said Mills. "If T's not going to be there, I think the staff is ready to kind of step up and all share in those duties." Said Corey Kluber, one of the Indians' five All-Stars, "I'm sure that he's probably disappointed that he's not going to make the trip, but he knows and we know that first and foremost is his health. We're talking about the guy's heart. That's not something to push the limits on." Cleveland Indians fans sign giant get well card for Terry Francona Last week Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash was added to the AL All-Star coaching staff. Cash was the Indians' bullpen coach under Francona before taking the Tampa Bay job. "I've already talked to him a couple of times," said Mills. "He has been concerned about T as well so we've talked about that and the All-Star Game. Being close friends with Cashy is really going to be helpful and it's going to be fun for the whole staff." Mills was asked if he'd made out his AL All-Star lineup yet. "Not yet," he said with a laugh. "Not quite yet." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 From bench coach to All-Star manager: With Terry Francona recovering, Brad Mills will oversee American League BY ZACK MEISEL, CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Brad Mills has not yet filled out the American League starting lineup for the All-Star Game. It's a task he didn't expect to have on his plate. Terry Francona's cardiac ablation will keep the Indians manager from Miami, the site of the Midsummer Classic. Francona had the procedure on Thursday to correct an irregular heartbeat. That leaves Mills, Francona's right-hand man for the last few decades, to oversee the AL's collection of talent next week. The entire Indians coaching staff will head south for the event. Rays manager Kevin Cash, Cleveland's former bullpen coach, will join them. "We were excited to have [Francona] be the manager down there and we were excited to represent the American League and represent the Cleveland Indians because of what we did last year," Mills said Friday. "If [Francona] is not going to be there, I think the staff is ready to step up and all share in those duties." The Indians' coaching staff has remained mostly intact since Francona took over prior to the 2013 campaign. Mills has served on Francona's coaching staff in all three of his managerial stops (Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland). Pitching coach Mickey Callaway, hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo, first-base coach Sandy Alomar and third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh have all worked together since the 2013 season. They'll all travel to Marlins Park next week. "The recognition that they're getting is certainly well-deserved," said Chris Antonetti, the Indians' president of baseball operations. "Our collective preference would've been to have Tito as part of that staff and have everyone share in that together. But, with that not happening, we're still really proud about our staff and representing the organization down there. I think it speaks to some success we had last year, and hopefully we can build on that moving forward in the second half." Francona is expected to rejoin the team on the west coast on Thursday. The Indians open the second half with a weeklong stretch against the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants in the Bay Area. "We're going to miss him obviously not being there because we're a group, we're a unit," said left fielder Michael Brantley, one of five Indians' All-Star players. "We'd love to have him there to manage the All-Star Game, but health is the No. 1 most important [thing]. We look forward to having him back." Cleveland Indians fans sign giant get well card for Terry Francona Testing, testing: Danny Salazar threw 60 pitches in a rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on Thursday night. He allowed three solo home runs in 3 1/3 innings of what spiraled into a 21-1 loss for the Clippers. Antonetti said Salazar felt healthy both before the outing and when he checked in with staff on Friday. "His velocity was more in line with where it's been in the past," Antonetti said, "but he's still working through some mechanical issues with his delivery in which he needs to be more consistent." Antonetti indicated earlier in the week that Salazar would continue his minor-league rehab assignment during the All-Star break. The right- hander has been sidelined for a month because of shoulder discomfort. Coming soon: Carlos Santana is expected to rejoin the Indians on Saturday, following a stint on the paternity list. Santana and his wife welcomed a baby daughter, Luna, earlier this week. Mr. 2,000: Victor Martinez notched his 2,000th career hit with a soft single to left field in the second inning Friday. He removed his helmet, shared a hug with Detroit first-base coach Omar Vizquel and then received a lengthy standing ovation from the Cleveland crowd. The Indians signed Martinez as an international free agent in 1996. He played for the organization until 2009. Hailey's Comet: Jose Ramirez struck out in his first trip to the plate on Friday. He had only struck out once in his previous 60 plate appearances. The third baseman was batting .400 over his last 37 games entering the series opener against the Tigers. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Cleveland Indians players know what makes Terry Francona special -- Terry Pluto BY TERRY PLUTO, CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You could hear the relief in the voice of Cody Allen. The Tribe reliever was talking about Terry Francona, the Indians manager who had a cardiac ablation procedure at Cleveland Clinic to fix an irregular heart beat. "We know what it is, and we know he'll be back soon," said Allen. "He's our leader. He sets the tone. He puts us in position to succeed." Francona will miss the weekend series at Progressive Field. He also will rest during the All-Star break, rather than manage the American League team in Miami. But Tribe President Chris Antonetti said Francona will be at the stadium for Thursday's workout and back managing when the season resumes next Friday. Finding out exactly what was wrong with the 58-year-old Francona "puts your mind at ease," Antonetti explained. This is Francona's fifth year managing the Tribe. He's never had a losing season in Cleveland. He led the team to the 2013 Wild Card game and the 2016 World Series. "He came in here and changed the culture," said Allen, who has been with Francona ever since he began as manager here in 2013. I asked Allen what makes Francona special. "It doesn't matter if you're a rookie or a veteran or who you are," he said. "He treats you the same. When you walk out of his office, you feel important." Some managers tell players, "My office door is always open to you." That's true, but their minds are closed, as they really don't listen to what the player is saying. Francona has a knack of making a person feel as if he's been heard, even if Francona doesn't agree with the opinion. THE SECRET? "He treats everyone with respect," said Josh Tomlin. I talked to Tomlin and Allen because they have been with Francona ever since he came to Cleveland. "Rain or shine, he is the same guy," said Tomlin. "He brings a sense of calm. He has shown a lot of trust in me, and that leads to confidence." Tomlin has been up and down with the Tribe. He was coming off elbow surgery in 2013. He struggled in 2014 and was sent to the minors for part of the season. He had shoulder surgery in 2015. In between, he's had a 32-29 record under Francona. Tomlin was the 581st pick in the 2006 draft. He was never on anyone's hot prospect list. Allen was the 698th selection in the 2011 draft. Like Tomlin, he defeated enormous odds to simply make the majors, much less survive. Francona once told me that he identifies with the low-round picks and guys coming back from injuries. While he was a first-round draft pick by Montreal in 1980, he soon suffered a devastating knee injury. Then came other injuries. He was cut by six different teams. He tells a long story about being taken off the team bus in spring training, then being cut in the parking lot. He vowed never to treat players like that if he ever became a manager. OLD & NEW "He brings an old school mentality with the new age system," said Tomlin. Francona respects analytics and stats, but isn't ruled by them. Unlike some managers, he doesn't alienate young executives who didn't play pro ball. His sense of decency allows him to make the new baseball guys feel part of the team -- even if he isn't buying everything they suggest. Mickey Callaway was promoted from the Tribe minor league system to be Cleveland's pitching coach in 2013. Many veteran managers have their own pitching coaches who go with them from job-to-job. When Francona came to the Tribe, he had enough clout to bring in his own coaching staff. He did that with bench coach Brad Mills and bullpen coach Kevin Cash. The other coaches really didn't have a relationship with him before being hired in 2013. "Even more important, Tito empowers the coaches," said Callaway. "I got the job and he told me, Do your job with the pitchers. He doesn't micromanage." Francona's ability to communicate and his stable personality is why his teams tend to finish strong. In his first four seasons with the Tribe, they had a .570 winning percentage after the All-Star break compared to .526 in the first half of the season. That's why the Indians are so happy to have him coming back so soon. "First of all, he's a friend, one of the best friends many of us have," said Callaway. "And we all know what kind of a manager he is. It's not the same without him." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Victor Martinez after 2,000th hit: 'I'm always going to have Cleveland in my heart' BY JOE NOGA, CLEVELAND.COM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Detroit slugger Victor Martinez did not mince words about his regard for Cleveland Indians fans and the respect they showed him Friday after he collected his 2,000th career big league hit in the same stadium where he delivered his first back in September, 2002. "I hope they know," Martinez said of Indians fans. "This is my seventh year here in Detroit, but this was a place that I called home, and I'm always going to have Cleveland in my heart." Martinez singled in the second inning, a two-out liner to left off Tribe starter Carlos Carrasco in a game the Indians would go on to win, 11-2. As Martinez reached first base, the Progressive Field scoreboard informed fans of his accomplishment, and 32,000 of them rose to their feet for an extended ovation that obviously touched the 15-year veteran. "It was a team that gave me a chance to become a professional baseball player, a chance to become a Major Leaguer," he said. "It's a pretty special place and moment that I had today here." Traded to Boston in 2009 for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price, Martinez recalls shedding tears when he learned he was headed out of town. "I never wanted to leave this place, unfortunately that's the business, and I got traded," he said. "It was hard for me to leave this place. I hope they know. Even my mom says we're always going to have Cleveland in our hearts." Martinez said the ovation from fans and Indians players and a hug from first base coach (and ex-Tribe teammate) Omar Vizquel was overwhelming. "When I saw everybody and I saw the dugout and all the players on the field clapping, it really touched my heart," Martinez said. "It was a great moment that I will always remember until I die. It was pretty special the way the fans reacted." After the game, Martinez recalled his first big-league hit against Toronto pitcher Justin Miller in a 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays in Cleveland, and how it bore a striking resemblance to No. 2,000. "It's funny, but it was pretty similar," he said. "It was a blooper over the shortstop and this one was a blooper into left field." Detroit manager Brad Ausmus called Martinez's accomplishment a "silver lining" to a game where the Tigers struggled, and added it's hard to overlook the fact that only nine active players have at least 2,000 hits. "He probably grinded out every single one of those at-bats to get those 2,000 hits with his approach," Ausmus said. "It's something he should be proud of. The guys were all very happy for him." On a day when it was reported that Indians manager Terry Francona underwent a procedure at Cleveland Clinic for an irregular heartbeat, Martinez reflected on his own health scare from earlier this season, that forced him to miss games in June. "It's been a roller coaster this year," Martinez said. "I learned a long time ago nobody said it was going to be easy." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 07.08.2017 Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall faring better at the plate than on the Mario Kart course: Zack Meisel's musings BY ZACK MEISEL, CLEVELAND.COM [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jose Ramirez jolted the joystick to the right with too much force.

"Estupido!" he shouted at the TV screen. Ramirez and a clubhouse attendant were playing Mario Kart, the Nintendo racing video game, on Friday afternoon. His character, Yoshi, a diminutive green dinosaur-type creature, veered to the right, off the cement track and onto the grass.

Aside from that hiccup, just about everything has gone Ramirez's way over the last six weeks. The All-Star third baseman was one of seven Tribe players to collect multiple hits in the team's 11-2 triumph against the Tigers on Friday night.

Ho hum. Ramirez has multiple hits in four of his last five games and in 21 of his last 38 games.

Here are a handful of thoughts on the Indians.

1. Yes way, Jose: At some point, Ramirez will endure a hitting spell. Until that happens, it continues to be fascinating to check in on his statistics.

Over Ramirez's last 38 games: .408/.444/.750 slash line (62-for-152), 31 extra-base hits, 39 runs scored

Ramirez actually struck out twice on Friday night, which is akin to standing beside Bigfoot while looking up at Hailey's Comet.

Ramirez had struck out only once in his previous 60 plate appearances, spanning 14 games.

Brad Mills on Cleveland Indians' 11-2 win against the Tigers

2. Chiz kid: Lonnie Chisenhall has been the beneficiary of Ramirez's constant presence on the bases. Chisenhall has racked up 51 RBI in 62 games. He established his career high with 59 RBI in 2014, when he appeared in 142 games.

2014: 533 plate appearances, 13 home runs, 59 RBI

2015: 362 plate appearances, 7 home runs, 44 RBI

2016: 418 plate appearances, 8 home runs, 57 RBI

2017: 211 plate appearances, 12 home runs, 51 RBI

In 2014, when he belted a career-high 13 home runs, he averaged one every 36.8 at-bats. This season, he has averaged one home run every 15.3 at-bats.

3. Invader Zim: Bradley Zimmer continues to demonstrate why he deserves daily playing time. This isn't a Tyler Naquin situation. Naquin typically sat against left-handed starters during his rookie campaign last year. With Zimmer's tools, even if he's at a disadvantage against a tough left-handed pitcher, he can contribute in other ways. (He socked a solo home run off a southpaw on Friday.)

He has proven as much with his stellar defense in center field. The highlight-reel plays stick in the brain, but he has totaled four defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs. The site ranks him second among American League center fielders in defensive runs above average, behind only Minnesota maven Byron Buxton.

Oh, and then there's his speed. Ever slammed your foot on the gas pedal in a frenzied panic because you're running late to an important appointment? That's the sort of pressure every infielder encounters when fielding one of Zimmer's routine ground balls.

Zimmer tallied three hits on Friday.

"We were talking about it, [how] it'd be nice to have a couple good games for him to go into the break with," said bench coach Brad Mills. "Sure enough, boy, he sure did [Friday]."

4. Nice moment: A touching scene unfolded after Victor Martinez placed a bloop single in the left-field grass, the 2,000th hit of his distinguished career. Martinez removed his helmet, shared an embrace with Tigers first-base coach Omar Vizquel and then acknowledged the Cleveland crowd, which delivered a lengthy standing ovation.

Martinez collected his first career hit at the same venue 5,415 days earlier, on Sept. 10, 2002. Vizquel batted second for the Tribe that evening. Martinez hit seventh and started at catcher. Martinez's first hit was a game-tying, two-run double in the seventh inning off Toronto's Justin Miller.

"We all love Victor and what he did for this organization and the quality hitter he is and the type of hitter he is," Mills said. "We were talking in the dugout, we go, 'That's a lot of hits.' And I know there are some guys with 3,000, a couple guys with 4,000 or whatever. Man, that's a lot of hits. It couldn't happen to a better guy and that's something.

"Some of the guys were saying, you kind of wonder if people really understand how many hits that is. That's pretty cool."

Cleveland Indians have Terry Talkin' Akron prospects worth watching -- Terry Pluto BY TERRY PLUTO, THE PLAIN [email protected] AKRON, Ohio -- We are blessed to live very close to so many of the Cleveland Indians' minor league teams.

I recently spent two days in Akron, checking out the Class AA RubberDucks. The next wave of big-time Tribe prospects is at this level.

"The biggest jump in the minors is from Class A to Class AA," said Akron manager Mark Budzinski. "Guys run into pitchers who are throwing breaking balls anywhere in the count. Suddenly, you are facing guys who are 25-26-27 ... even 29 years old. It can be a shock."

In general, a young player who performs well at Class AA will probably make the Majors. Three of the Tribe's top prospects are in Akron. They are only 21 years old -- the same age as many college players just starting their pro careers.

Furthermore, they come from almost everywhere: Bobby Bradley (Mississippi), Yu-Cheng Chang (Taiwan) and Francisco Mejia (Dominican Republic).

ABOUT BOBBY BRADLEY The player with the most power in the Tribe farm system is only 21 years old.

He's 21 years old with 17 HR in the Class AA Eastern League -- all before the All-Star break.

He's 21 years old, and hit 27 and 29 homers in the previous two seasons.

Meet Bobby Bradley.

"He can drive the ball out of any ballpark, foul line-to-foul line," said Budzinski. "In that respect, he is like (Bradley) Zimmer. He has power to all fields."

Bradley has been an indifferent fielder at first base -- and that's putting it kindly. He made 30 errors in the last two seasons.

This year, he has only four errors.

"He told me, 'I don't want to be a DH,'" said Budzinski. "I said, 'You have to catch ground balls. You have to pick balls out of the dirt. You have to make a commitment.' He is doing that."

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Bradley is not smooth at first, but he is no longer a defensive disaster.

This is his second season with Budzinski. They were together in Class A Lynchburg last season.

"Most guys get to the big leagues with their bats," said Budzinski. "Bobby always worked hard on his hitting, now he's doing the same with his fielding."

In his first three pro seasons, Bradley averaged a strikeout every three at bats. This season, it's only every four at bats.

Even more impressive, the lefty hitter is trending up. In his last 10 games, he has only five strikeouts -- along with 4 HR and 16 RBI, batting .389.

On the season, Bradley is batting .266 (.861 OPS) with 15 HR and 57 RBI.

Very few young players have this kind of power, and it's easy to see why the Tribe has resisted adding Bradley to some trades that have involved prospects. He could be in line to arrive with the Tribe some time in 2018.

ABOUT FRANCISCO MEJIA The Indians should be so thankful that Jonathan Lucroy vetoed that trade last season.

Lucroy is a two-time All-Star catcher, a career .282 (.775 OPS) hitter. The Indians thought they had a deal with Milwaukee for Lucroy at the end of July, but he used his no-trade clause to void the trade. He then was dealt to Texas.

With the Rangers in 2017, he's batting only .255 (.662 OPS) with 4 HR and 23 RBI.

The key prospect in that trade?

It was catcher Francisco Mejia, who is batting .338 to lead the Eastern League. He has 9 HR, 34 RBI with a .931 OPS. Mejia is a switch hitter. He's only 21. He has struck out only 34 times in 58 games.

"He has a special talent to put the barrel of the bat on the ball," said Budzinski. "He can hit a good pitcher's pitch ... and hit it hard. He even hits balls out of the (strike zone) hard. He reminds me of Vladimir Guerrero. He's not up there looking for a walk."

Mejia has only 16 walks this season.

He walked only 28 times in 102 games in Class A last season. But he also batted .342 (.896 OPS) with 11 HR, 80 RBI and had a 50-game hitting streak. This season, Mejia is batting .463 vs. lefties.

And a very respectable .298 vs. righties.

"He also has a good, accurate arm behind the plate," said Budzinski. "He is still working on blocking balls in the dirt. His English has improved a lot. He is a special talent, one of the most mature hitters I've ever seen in the minors."

Budzinski praised Mejia for "taking losses personally, especially when he is behind the plate. He hates to lose. It upsets him. I love that."

Mejia has thrown out 29 percent of stealing base runners. He's 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. Assuming he stays healthy, he is a sure thing to play in the Majors. He also could be the good-hitting catcher the Indians need, perhaps as soon as 2018.

ABOUT YU-CHENG CHANG

Like Mejia, he was part of the failed Lucroy deal.

Like Mejia and Bradley, Yu Chang is only 21 years old.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound shortstop has a pretty good arm and decent range. What excites scouts is his power.

"Chang has 18 bombs," said Budzinski. "When he gets the bat on the ball, he can drive it."

The issue with Chang is strikeouts.

"Handling the spin," said Budzinski, describing Chang's battle with breaking balls.

Chang is batting .218 (.794 OPS) with 18 HR and 44 RBI. He has struck out 89 times in 266 official at bats. So he is not on the same fast track as Bradley and Mejia.

His power and playing shortstop are why it's wise to be patient with him.

ABOUT GREG ALLEN I didn't see Greg Allen, because the 24-year-old center fielder is recovering from a wrist injury in early May. He is expected back in action in a few weeks.

Budzinski managed Allen last year at Class A Lynchburg. He batted a combined .295 (.838 OPS) with 7 HR and 44 RBI between Class A and Class AA last season. He also stole 45 bases.

He also was part of the Lucroy deal.

"Greg is a true leadoff hitter, an excellent center fielder," said Budzinski.

Budzinski praised pitcher Thomas Pannone, who has a combined 6-1 record and 1.46 ERA this season between Class A and Class AA. He's a 23-year-old lefty.

"He throws 88-91 mph," said Budzinski. "He competes, fights you tooth and nail. He has a good mix with a changeup and his breaking ball. He's not afraid to throw strikes. I really like him."

Budzinski had some of the same comments for Matt Esparza, a 22-year-old righty who has a 5-1 record and a 2.86 ERA for Akron.

Pannone and Esparza were not on any top Tribe prospect lists at the start of the season. "Pannone and Esparza are opening some eyes," said Budzinski. "That's really a tribute to them."

SPORTS Indians notes: Ace Corey Kluber will not pitch in All-Star Game Chris Assenheimer ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-TelegramPublished on July 7, 2017 | Updated 2:26 a. m. CLEVELAND — Indians ace Corey Kluber will join four teammates at the All-Star Game in Miami on Tuesday, but the right-hander will not pitch.

“There’s a couple things that go into it,” Kluber said Friday of the decision. “No. 1, trying to be smart, just because of the fact that I missed so much time. Trying to be cognizant of that and also probably not ideal to pitch Sunday night and then all of a sudden try to turn around with a day of rest and try to get out the best hitters in the National League, even though the game doesn’t count, so to speak.

“I still don’t want to go out there and be trying to pitch when maybe you’re not ready to and then end up hurting something else.”

Kluber, who was selected to the All-Star Game for the second consecutive season, missed a month with a lower-back strain. He is scheduled to make his final first-half start Sunday against Detroit.

The Indians were cautious with Kluber this spring after he logged 215 innings last year in addition to 34 1/3 innings during a postseason run that saw him start multiple times on short rest.

“I think we looked at Corey’s workload over the past two years, the fact that he did miss some time with the back injury earlier this year, he’s going to be starting not only on Sunday but pitching on Sunday night, and then arriving in Miami at 4 o’clock in the morning,” team president Chris Antonetti said. “You take the totality of those factors in consideration, it didn’t make sense for him to pitch in the game.”

The decision was a mutual one between Kluber and Cleveland’s front office, according to the pitcher.

“It’s collective. We discussed it,” said Kluber, who is 7-3 with a 2.85 ERA over 13 starts. “They had input and for the most part, we were all on the same page on it.”

The announcement was made the same day as the Indians notified Major League Baseball that Terry Francona would not manage the American League after undergoing surgery for an irregular heart beat Thursday.

“I’m sure that he’s probably disappointed that he’s not going to be able to make the trip, but he knows and we know that first and foremost is his health,” Kluber said of his manager. “We’re talking about the guy’s heart. That’s not something to push the limits on.”

Incoming Antonetti said the team expects Carlos Santana to return from the paternity list tonight. The Indians will have to make a move to clear a roster spot for Santana, who has missed the last three games.

Santana ranked third on the team with 46 RBIs through Thursday, batting .233 with 10 home runs over 82 games.

Comeback trail

It was another rough rehab outing results-wise for right-hander Danny Salazar (right shoulder soreness) on Thursday night at Triple-A Columbus.

Salazar, who allowed three runs in 12 ⁄3 innings of his first rehab start for Double -A Akron last Saturday, surrendered three homers in 31 ⁄3 innings of the Clippers’ 21-1 drubbing from Indianapolis.

“(It’s) hopefully a step forward in the sense that he felt good before the game and felt good coming in after, today,” Antonetti said.

“His velocity was more in line with where it’s been in the past, but he’s still working through some mechanical issues with his delivery in which he needs to be more consistent. I think based upon some of the reports we got (Thursday) night, there were still some inconsistencies that led to the line score.”

Roundin’ third Third baseman Jose Ramirez entered Friday with 50 extra-base hits, the most by a Cleveland player before the All-Star break since Jim Thome’s 53 in 1998.

He was riding a seven-game extra-base hit streak through Thursday, becoming the first player in franchise history to record two separate such streaks in the same season.

Only two MLB players — David Ortiz and Nolan Arenado — have accomplished the feat in the last decade.

** The Indians announced that tonight’s game is sold out. It will be the third sellout of the season, including the home opener.

Terry Francona undergoes surgery for irregular heart beat, will miss All-Star Game but be back for second half Chris Assenheimer ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-TelegramPublished on July 7, 2017 | Updated 2:29 a. m. CLEVELAND — The Indians announced that manager Terry Francona underwent surgery for an irregular heart beat Thursday afternoon at Cleveland Clinic and that he will return Friday when the unofficial second half begins.

That means Francona will not manage the American League in the All-Star Game in Miami on Tuesday. He had been at the Clinic since Tuesday, as doctors attempted to diagnose the cause of two medical episodes in June that forced Francona to leave games prematurely. He is expected to be released over the next few days.

“He’s actually feeling really good,” said team president Chris Antonetti, who visited Francona on Friday morning. “I think his mind is at ease knowing they were able to perform a successful procedure to get his issue corrected and now he knows that the path in front of him is just a little rest and recovery and he can get back to doing what he loves.

“It couldn’t be really better news in the fact that the issue was corrected with a relatively minor procedure and there was clarity around what it was, and now that is has been corrected, it’s a great relief for everyone as well.”

That includes Indians players, who have been without their manager the past four games.

“(We’re) just happy it sounds like he’s got it figured out and taken care of and that’s what we want him to be, healthy,” reliever Andrew Miller said. “For me, he’s so generous with everything, whether it’s his time or his money or just the way he treats people. Hopefully he’s taking care of himself a little bit right now.

“I think, selfishly, we want him back. He’s a big part of the mood in the clubhouse and the way things go. I think (we’re) happy he’s getting this sorted out ’cause you could tell he just wasn’t quite right.”

The procedure Francona underwent is an ablation, which involved inserting a tube through the leg to the heart. According to the Mayo Clinic website, cardiac ablation uses long, flexible tubes or catheters to deliver energy in the form of heat or extreme cold to modify the tissues in the heart that cause an arrhythmia.

Francona, 58, was looking forward to managing his third All-Star Game, especially with five of his players on the roster. But after meeting with Antonetti, it was decided that rest during the break would be the best path for his recovery.

“I think in the end he was good with the plan,” Antonetti said. “It took some dialogue to get there, but I think as Tito said, ‘I want to get back to doing what I love and what matters most and that’s managing the Cleveland Indians, and what would put me in the best position to do that for the second half of the season?’ And I think as we walked through that it made sense for him to get a few days, get out of the hospital and recover. Not go to Miami. Not be on late flights and have all the obligations that go around the All-Star game because that way when he’s managing Friday, he’s in a really good spot.”

Bench coach Brad Mills, who has been filling in for Francona, and the rest of the Indians’ coaching staff will handle the managerial responsibilities in the All-Star Game, along Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash, a former Cleveland coach.

Mills and Francona are close friends, but Francona’s act is tough to follow.

“It’s been seamless but it’s certainly a different personality,” Miller said of the transition from Francona to Mills. “I think there’s a way he kind of handles a group of players that’s unique to anybody. It’s a special way, whether it’s energy or just the way he communicates with us or whatever. There’s a certain looseness that he fosters, I guess. While we miss that, we’re ballplayers. We can find a way to get through it until he gets back, but we certainly miss him at the same time.”

“It’s not the same, there’s no doubt,” Mills said. “The ballclub loves T. They love how he’s around every day.”

“He’s our leader,” left fielder Michael Brantley said. “The energy level, he keeps guys loose in the dugout. He’s a player’s manager, we always say it, so we’re going to love to have him back. He’ll be back soon and we’ll have him back with open arms.”

Carlos Carrasco pitches like an All-Star and bats back him up as Indians rout Tigers Chris Assenheimer ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-TelegramPublished on July 7, 2017 | Updated 2:46 a. m. CLEVELAND — Carlos Carrasco wasn’t selected to the American League All-Star team.

Maybe he should have been.

Carrasco continued his sparkling first half with another dominating effort Friday night at Progressive Field, helping the Indians to a series- opening 11-2 victory over Central Division rival Detroit.

Carrasco improved to 10-3 with a 3.44 ERA over 17 starts, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out a season-high 11 batters.

It was the 12th double-digit strikeout game of Carrasco’s career and second of the season for the right-hander, who in the fifth inning became just the second pitcher in franchise history to strike out the side on nine pitches. Justin Masterson did it in 2014.

“It’s fun (to play behind him),” shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “I know he’s got the stuff to be a No. 1 starter and he deserves to be in the All- Star Game. It’s just whenever he goes out there and does what he does best, it’s pretty special. It’s pretty cool. Whenever you see big league hitters miss the ball by 5 feet that means he’s doing something right.”

Carrasco’s immaculate inning came after the Indians failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity in the fourth after Detroit had closed to within 5-1. “We had the bases loaded, nobody out and didn’t score in the bottom of the fourth,” said bench coach Brad Mills, who filled in for manager Terry Francona for the fourth straight game. “And he came out in the top of the fifth, when you might think the momentum might be swinging or something, he used nine pitches, struck out the side and set them down. That was sure (a) big key.”

Carrasco got plenty of support from a Cleveland offense that has racked up 22 runs over the last two nights after scoring only two in their previous two games.

Each player in the lineup had a hit for the Indians outside of first baseman Edwin Encarnacion and catcher Yan Gomes, though both reached base on walks.

Cleveland, which led 5-0 after three innings and 9-2 after six, got multihit games from second baseman Jason Kipnis, Lindor, left fielder Michael Brantley, third baseman Jose Ramirez, right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall, designated hitter Abe Almonte and center fielder Bradley Zimmer.

Lindor and Zimmer each had three hits, with Zimmer, who hit his fifth home run, reaching the total for the first time in his career. Lindor added three RBIs.

Kipnis, who has scuffled for much of the season, had two doubles and scored three runs, while Brantley drove in four runs.

Chisenhall also went deep in a five-run third inning for the Indians, who went 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position.

“We had big hits all the way around,” Mills said. “It was just a nice game to see the guys play the way they did.”

Tigers designated hitter and former Indians player Victor Martinez reached a milestone with his 2,000th career hit — a single in the second inning.

Martinez, who was a three-time All-Star during his tenure with Cleveland from 2002-09, also notched his first career hit at Progressive Field on Sept. 10, 2002.

He received a standing ovation from the Cleveland crowd and acknowledged them with a tip of his batting helmet from first base.

“We all love Victor and what he did for this organization and the quality hitter he is,” Mills said. “It couldn’t happen to a better guy.”

Carrasco has pitched like an All-Star for much of the season after missing the Indians’ postseason run last year with an injury. But he won’t be joining five of his teammates in Miami on Tuesday.

“I’m just happy because five of my teammates did make it,” Carrasco said. “I’m really happy for them. It is what it is. It doesn’t matter. I’m just trying to get ready for the second half. I think that’s more important.”

Whitecaps capsize Captains in series opener By David Glasier, The News-Herald For a pitcher, walks can be silent assassins.

Lake County starter Micah Miniard was too free with the free passes July 7 in the opener of a three-game series against the West Michigan Whitecaps.

Miniard (2-6, 5.94 ERA) issued five walks in 3 1/3 innings. The three runs those walks produced proved to be the difference as the Whitecaps held on for a 6-5 victory in front of an announced gathering of 3,189 at Classic Park.

The 21-year-old right-hander from Kentucky was his own worst enemy for a second straight start. He was also charged with two wild pitches, one of which allowed a run to score as the Whitecaps drove Miniard from the mound with four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Miniard threw 88 pitches, only 47 for strikes, before Captains manager Larry Day called for reliever Ben Krauth with three runs in, two runners aboard and the Whitecaps leading, 5 -1.

Krauth gave up an RBI flyout that allowed Danny Woodrow to race home from third base to extend the Whitecaps’ lead to 6-1.

Woodrow had reached base originally on a one-out walk. The run was charged to Miniard.

The shaky outing by Miniard closely resembled his previous start July 2 against Bowling Green at Classic Park. He surrendered five runs on seven hits and four walks in three innings in a 7-1 loss.

West Michigan starter and eventual winner Spenser Watkins (6-1, 2.48 ERA) was touched for four runs on eight hits in six innings. He wasn’t great, but he was good enough given his opposing starter’s struggles with control.

There were some positive developments for the Captains.

Junior Soto slugged a two-run home run off Watkins in the top of the fifth inning as the Captains scored three runs to narrow the gap to 6-4.

Soto had come into the game one inning earlier as a replacement for Todd Isaacs, who suffered facial lacerations one inning earlier while being tagged out at home plate by West Michigan catcher Austin Althmann. Isaacs was trying to score from third base on a fielder’s choice grounder by Li-Jen Chu.

“It was a hard tag but a clean tag. I was just shook up a bit,” Isaacs said.

The Captains made a push in the bottom of the ninth when Jose Medina scored from third base on a groundout by Elvis Perez to make it 6-5. West Michigan reliever Burris Warner retired Soto on a routine grounder to end the threat and notch his second save.

West Michigan upped its record to 12-4 in the second half. The Captains slipped to 8-8.

Curve 8, RubberDucks 5 Storylines: Altoona designated hitter Jerrick Suiter went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. He is 9-for-13 with five RBI in the past three days. Duckbills: Ducks catcher Eric Haase hit his 16th and 17th homers of the season. No. 16 easily cleared the 60-foot batter’s eye in center field in the third inning. He tied his career high for a season in the seventh, giving him two two-home run games in the past four days. Next: Games 2 and 3 are Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively. Ducks left-hander Thomas Pannone (4-1, 2.15) and Curve right- hander Austin Coley (2-2, 2.87) are the scheduled pitchers. Pitchers for the second game had not been determined.

RubberDucks report: Showing more consistency after slow start, talented Ducks back on top of standings An innocent conversation on April 21 has turned into prophetic words from Trey Wilson.

The director of communications and broadcasting for the Altoona Curve, Wilson has been a part of minor-league baseball for seven seasons. At the time, he said the RubberDucks and Curve would be the talk of the town come the All-Star break even though the Ducks were scuffling in sixth-place.

On Friday, the Curve came back to town one game behind the first-place RubberDucks after spending 64 days atop the Eastern League Western Division.

“There’s a lot of talent there that wasn’t necessarily playing up to the level that their skills could put them at,” Wilson said. “These two teams, Altoona and Akron, are two of the youngest teams, but they’re also two teams with the highest ceiling. They’re not filled with a ton of veteran players and free agents. They seemed to be the two that had the most potential.”

From a Ducks standpoint, it seemed like only a matter of time before they broke out of their funk.

At 17-21 on May 21, the Ducks were six games out of first, but 10 of those losses came by two runs or fewer.

“We knew as a staff we had a young group coming in and they’d have to make adjustments,” RubberDucks manager Mark Budzinski said. “In the minor leagues, the biggest adjustment is Single-A to Double-A and it took a little time.

“It’s not that they have it all figured out, but they’re more consistent. Their routines are more consistent and that progress is showing on the field.”

Winners of seven of their past 10 heading into Friday, the Ducks held a half-game lead over the Bowie Baysox in their quest to repeat as league champions.

With roughly three-quarters of the team familiar with Bud-zinski before this season, the RubberDucks are that perfect mix of mostly young talent with a sprinkle of veterans thrown in.

“Those guys are so important to the team because they know all the players on the other team,” Ducks catcher Francisco Mejia said. “They know the pitchers. Every time we play someone new we can go to those guys.”

It’s hard to ignore the process with Mejia headed to Miami for the Futures Game on Sunday before joining shortstop Yu Chang and pitchers Thomas Pannone and Cameron Hill in the EL All-Star Game in New Hampshire on Wednesday.

“We knew before we even started playing games we had some talented guys on the roster,” infielder Todd Hankins said. “For whatever reason, it takes a little time to mesh. I went up to Columbus for a month and a half and when I got back there was a noticeable difference in how confident the guys were. It’s impressive to see.”

Infielder Joe Sever saw the same spark in Arizona during spring training.

While the all-important family feel wasn’t there at the beginning, the fire was. It was just a matter of time before everything else caught up.

“You saw the ability right from the get-go,” Sever said. “You heard a lot about Bobby Bradley and Tyler Krieger and guys like that. Just seeing them and watching the things they could do, you knew there was no need to panic. I think this team is very talented.”

Clippers 8, Tides 4 | Morimando helps Clippers rebound from terrible loss

By Mark Znidar

Just about everything was left of center for the Clippers before their game Friday night against the Norfolk Tides and during the early innings. It took a left-hander to get things back in proper order.

Many fans got soaked walking from the parking lots to the entrance of Huntington Park, and then they had to stare at the tarp for 90 minutes before the first pitch because of heavy rain.

The delay was long enough to give Thomas Ian Nicholas, the child star of the 1993 movie “Rookie of the Year, ″ writer’s cramp from mowing through the long line of autograph seekers.

Then only two umpires took the field because John Bacon, who was scheduled to cover third base, was put on concussion protocol after being struck on the chin by a foul tip Thursday night.

But left-hander Shawn Morimando, the hottest pitcher in the International League, brought the Clippers back to normalcy by giving up seven hits and one earned run and striking out six in an 8-4 victory over the Tides.

Morimando (9-5) won his sixth straight game. It was his seventh win in eight starts.

The performance couldn’t have come at a better time with the team losing 21-1 to Indianapolis the night before. That tied a Clippers record for the most runs scored by an opponent.

Morimando got things going in a victory over Norfolk on May 29, when he gave up nine hits and four runs in seven innings.

Morimando, 24, got on a roll in allowing one or no runs in five of his next six starts. Three starts were complete games, including shutouts against Durham and Toledo.

Cleveland selected Morimando in the 19th round of the 2011 draft. He was not much more than a steady pitcher until last season, when he went 10-3 with a 3.09 ERA for double-A Akron.

That earned him a spot on the Eastern League All-Star team, but he didn’t make it to the game. The Indians promoted him because they were in dire need of pitching after defeating Toronto in 19 innings on July 1. The following day, Morimando gave up six hits and two runs and struck out four in 3 2/3 innings of relief, one of his two appearances with the

Indians in 2016.

On Friday night, the Clippers scored a run in the first inning when Tyler Naquin came home on a groundout by Yandy Diaz. They tied it at 2 in the second when Adam Moore scored on a wild pitch by Gabriel Ynoa (1-8).

They gave themselves breathing room in the third on an RBI single by Richie Shaffer, a double down the left-field line by Chris Colabello and a groundout by Moore that gave them a 5-2 lead.

They led 7-2 in the fifth on a two-run homer by Shaffer to left.

A leadoff homer by Moore in the eighth made it 8-4.

Terry Francona is the heart of the Indians CLEVELAND — Down at the Knotty Pine Pub, so deeply hidden off a lakeshore side street that some say it does not exist — and maybe it doesn’t — a debate raged between two patrons.

The first was an alarmingly overweight man who went by — clearing throat — Harold C. McGillicutty III. The other combatant had the rather unusual handle of — and I think I have this right — Bor Rello. Scandinavian, I would guess.

Anyway, the conversation began as these things usually do, with a declarative statement — in this case that coaches and managers are overrated — before quickly escalating into an argument.

The bait that led to the bite? McGillicutty III insisted that the Cleveland Indians could win a World Series this season without manager Terry Francona.

“Preposterous,” Bor bellowed, banging his beer on the wooden bar so forcefully that some of the brew sloshed out. Pity. “Tito is as important to the Tribe as Bill Belichick is to the New England Patriots.”

“Belichick wouldn’t be a genius without Tom Brady, and baseball managers are probably the most overrated game managers in sports,” The III shot back, adding that Sparky Anderson was a nice guy and all, but Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne could have Dumb and Dumbered The Big Red Machine to back-to-back World Series titles in 1975-’76.

“Point being,” ’Cutty continued, “give me Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller, Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley and Jose Ramirez, and I could lead the Tribe into late October, too.”

“You couldn’t lead kindergartners into a candy store,” Rello countered. “Without Tito, the Indians lose the playful vibe that is a huge part of their success.”

The hook to this whole thing, of course, is that the Indians gave their fans — and really all of baseball — an awful fright Friday by announcing that Francona had undergone a procedure Thursday to correct an irregular heartbeat. The excellent news is that the cardiac ablation procedure was successful, and Francona is expected to rejoin the team next Thursday and begin managing again next Friday, barely a week after having entered the Cleveland Clinic for further testing to determine what caused him to miss several games in the past month. Tito, 58, had experienced a rapid heart rate and dizziness.

Unfortunately, Francona will not manage the American League on Tuesday in the All-Star Game in Miami. Indians president Chris Antonetti confirmed Friday that his manager has been advised to rest over the break, which precludes traveling to south Florida. Cleveland bench coach Brad Mills, who has been filling in for Francona, will manage the AL. Listening to the two pub inhabitants berate one another, I felt a strange kinship with Rello. True, Francona doesn’t pitch, hit or steal bases, but his presence in the clubhouse and dugout is such that he is as important as any player.

Rello did not mention it, but the Tribe finished 68-94 under Manny Acta in 2012. The next season, under Tito, the Indians went 92-70. He led Cleveland to the World Series last fall.

Even better proof of Francona’s impact on the Indians comes courtesy of his players.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a veteran,” closer Cody Allen said Friday before an 11-2 victory over Detroit. “When you walk out of his office, you feel important.”

Added starter Josh Tomlin: “He’s just a guy you know you can trust. He’s not going to give up on you.”

And this from Miller, the setup man whose specialty is setting down hitters: “It’s been seamless (with Mills) but it’s certainly a different personality (from Francona). There’s a way Tito handles a group of players that’s unique to anybody. It’s special.”

No argument here. And, really, no argument anywhere. Unlike those who question his worth, Tito is the real deal.

'Great moment': V-Mart reaches 2,000-hit milestone Chris McCosky , The Detroit News Published 6:22 p.m. ET July 7, 2017 | Updated 12:43 a.m. ET July 8, 2017 Cleveland — As the ball was retrieved and sent back to the Tigers’ dugout for safe keeping, the crowd at Progressive Field stood and cheered for Victor Martinez. “It was a great moment,” Martinez said, after producing the 2,000th hit of his career, a two-out single off Carlos Carrasco in the second inning Friday. “I will always remember this moment until I die. It was pretty special the way the fans reacted.” Martinez, who will go down as one of the most prolific switch-hitters ever to play, has posted 1,383 hits batting left-handed, and 617 batting right-handed. He becomes the ninth active player to achieve the 2,000-hit milestone — joining Ichiro Suzuki, Adrian Beltre, Albert Pujols, Carlos Beltran, Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Matt Holiday and Jose Reyes. He is also the eighth Venezuelan-born player to produce 2,000 hits. “A lot of things went through my mind,” he said. “Going back to 2002 when I got my first hit here. I got a bloop single over the shortstop, and this one's pretty similar. I thank God for everything, just getting me to this spot." The reaction of the fans genuinely moved him. “It was really special for me,” he said. “I never thought they were going to stand up and clap, but like I said before, this was the organization that gave me a chance to be a professional baseball player, gave me a chance to become a major leaguer. “I never wanted to leave this place. Unfortunately, that's the business. I got traded and it was hard. It was hard for me to leave this place, and I hope they know that. Even my mom says we're always going to have Cleveland in our heart.” His first 900 hits came when he was wearing an Indians uniform. “It definitely means a lot,” Martinez said. “Was it on my radar? Honestly, no. But my career went on and on and then it’s like, you know, I’ve got a pretty good chance to make it. Unfortunately I lost almost a year and a half with injuries, but I think for a guy who doesn’t run very well – it means a lot.” His first hit was in September 2002. “I think the pitchers name was Miller (the late Justin Miller), right-hander for the Blue Jays,” Martinez said. “It was a two-run single. A blooper. If I remember, it was a two-run single to tie the game up in the seventh inning.” He remembers his 1,000th hit more clearly. It was 2009 with the Red Sox. “It was against the Yankees and I hit a two-run homer off C.C. (Sabathia),” he said. “He was my battery mate (in Cleveland) for a long time. That was special.” It was brought to manager Brad Ausmus’ attention before the game Friday that Martinez was one hit shy of 2,000. He thought about it for a minute. “Vic and I have combined for over 3,000 hits,” Ausmus said with a grin. “We’re a Hall-of-Famer." When Martinez played in Boston, his manager was Terry Francona. Francona, the Indians manager, underwent a procedure (cardiac ablation) Friday to correct an irregular heartbeat. That certainly hit home for Martinez, who recently was shutdown for 10 days with similar heart arrhythmia. “I am actually going to ask somebody which (hospital) he is at so maybe after the game I can get a chance to talk to him,” Martinez said. “When they were in Detroit, he said he wasn’t feeling too good. He told me he was feeling something similar to what I had.” Both Martinez and Francona complained of rapid heart rate, dizziness and fatigue. In Martinez’s case, doctors were able to put the heart back in rhythm without the procedure. “It’s not fun,” Martinez said. “I hope they get him right.” Daniel Norris got his MRI results back and they showed a mild groin strain. He was placed on the disabled list Thursday and Ausmus said they won’t make any decisions until after the All-Star break. The Tigers won’t need to use a fifth starter until July 18. … Tigers pitchers posted 13 strikeouts and no walks in the 6-2 win against the Giants Thursday. That was the seventh time in team history they achieved that combination since 2013. The last time was Aug. 3, 2014 against the Rockies. Tigers hand in worst performance of season in 11-2 loss in Cleveland Anthony Fenech , Detroit Free Press Published 12:32 a.m. ET July 8, 2017 | Updated 12:32 a.m. ET July 8, 2017 CLEVELAND – It came quickly, like it did for Jordan Zimmermann last Saturday night against the Indians. It didn’t stop, like it didn’t for Justin Verlander on Sunday. It was dominating, like Carlos Carrasco’s stuff usually is against the Tigers. It was, once again, a game in which they didn’t belong on the same field as the defending American League champions. The Detroit Tigers were embarrassed on Friday night at Progressive Field, playing to a 11-2 loss, looking like a team who knows its fate has been sealed. The question no longer is whether the Tigers will sell parts before the trade deadline: Their performance over the first three months of the season has given the front office a clear answer. But this performance could be chalked up as their worst of the season, without anything that could resemble a winning effort. Asked if his team laid down in the loss, manager Brad Ausmus said, “No, that’s an insult to even ask the question.” The question needed to be asked because of mental mistakes, from bad decisions on the base paths to not covering first base to lazily throwing in a ball from the outfield late in the game. “That’s the reason they describe them as mental mistakes, because they happen from time to time,” Ausmus said. “I wouldn’t say we had a ton of them, but there was a couple tonight. The truth is really, at that point, the game was out of hand.” It was out of hand because Jordan Zimmermann, who began the night with two scoreless innings, allowed a five-spot in the third inning. He couldn’t escape the fourth inning, allowing five runs in consecutive starts to the Indians. In the third, Zimmermann allowed a two-run double to Michael Brantley, an RBI single to Jose Ramirez and a two-run home run to Lonnie Chisenhall. “I was terrible,” he said. “I came out feeling good the first couple innings, then the third inning it was like the wheels fell off. … It’s definitely tough to climb out of something like that when you got a guy like Carrasco on the mound for those guys.” The Chisenhall home run was the 22nd Zimmermann had allowed this season. Facing Carrasco with a five-run deficit, the play-by-play the rest of the way hardly mattered. The Tigers responded with one run in the top of the fourth on a J.D. Martinez single. They scored once more, in the sixth, but could not lay off Carrasco’s sensational slider and were overpowered. “It wasn’t our approach,” Ausmus said. “He was just really good tonight.” The Indians threatened to blow the game out of the water even sooner than they did, loading the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth inning, but failed to score and saved their add-on runs for later. Zimmermann was chased after allowing the first two batters of the fourth inning: He allowed five runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts. The Tigers’ relievers couldn’t throw strikes, walking six batters in five innings and the Indians took full advantage. But it was not that they lost – the Tigers clearly aren’t on par with the Indians – but how they lost, mired in lackadaisical play. Jose Iglesias was thrown out at third base trying to advance in a ball in the dirt for an easy out. Blaine Hardy forgot to cover first base. And then, on perhaps the play that stood out most in the loss, J.D. Martinez caught a fly ball in rightfield and assumed Jason Kipnis would hold at third base. He did not and by the time Martinez’ throw hit the cut-off man Kinsler, Kipnis was halfway home. He beat the throw by inches to score the final run of the game. “I think it was just a bad game,” Alex Avila said. “There wasn’t any sag or anything like that. Just not a good game overall.” The Indians totaled 16 hits. The Tigers recorded hits of their own – 10 of them – but it was a small silver lining in a game that went south in a hurry. They went down meekly in the ninth inning against a mop-up man in righty Shawn Armstrong, once again beaten badly by their division rival, nine games under the .500 mark, eight back of the Indians, playing the part of a piñata to a powerhouse team. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.08.2017