Lake County Sentinel
Indians hang on to take game one of twin bill with White Sox 4-3
BY TIM SHIRER
SPORTS EDITOR
A couple of games were postponed on Monday in Major League Baseball due to COVID-19 concerns as 15 Miami Marlins players and coaches tested positive for the virus. The Cleveland Indians (2-1) were scheduled to open their three-game series at Progressive Field with the Chicago White Sox (1-2), it was also postponed, but because of wet weather which is in this case a positive reason. With the postponement and a very tight schedule this 60-game season a traditional doubleheader was in order on Tuesday for the two clubs beginning at 3:40 p.m. EST. The Tribe held off a late rally to take game one 4-3.
Aaron Civale started on the mound for the Tribe, his first start of the season and worked a scoreless first inning allowing a single to Yohan Moncada, but struck out two, to avoid trouble. The Tribe got on the board quick in the bottom of the inning when Cesar Hernandez led off with a single. After Jose Ramirez flew out to center field for the first out Francisco Lindor who went 2 for 14 of the weekend to start the season against the Royals smashed his first home run of the season over the right field fence to give the Indians a 2-0 lead.
The Indians bats remained hot in the second inning against White Sox starter Dylan Cease as Bradley Zimmer belted his first long ball of the season over the right field fence increasing the gap to 3-0.
The ball continued to fly out to right field in the top of the third inning as White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson took Civale deep over the right field fence to cut the Tribe lead to 3-1.
In the third inning the Indians offense continued to provide runs for the Civale. After Lindor grounded out to begin the inning Carlos Santana singled to center field on a line drive. Cease then pelted Mike Freeman with a pitch putting runners on first and second for Daniel Johnson. One a one pitch Johnson singled to center field for his first Major League hit loading the bases. At that point White Sox manager Rick Renteria had seen enough of the young righthander as he Ceased to be in the game and was replaced by lefty Jace Fry. Fry did not exactly get the job done as on a 2-1 pitch Zimmer belted a single to left field driving home Santana to increase the Tribe lead back to three runs at 4-1.
The White Sox struck right back and pulled to within two runs in the top of the fifth when Anderson doubled with one out and moved to second base on a bloop single by Moncada. Anderson then trotted home one hitter later when veteran Jose Abreu grounded out to Freeman at shortstop, cutting the Tribe lead to 4-2.
Civale went six innings, throwing 100 pitches, 67 were strikes while allowing just the two runs, both earned on seven hits, while striking out nine White Sox batters. He also issued one base on balls on his way to his first win of the season (1-0)
James Karinchak relieved Civale and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Nick Wittgren followed Karinchak to start the eighth inning and got into a bases load jam but got out of the jam without any damage keeping the score at 4-2. Brad Hand came on and gave up a run in the ninth getting Edwin Encarnacion looking at a called third strike to notch his second save of the season.
Cease started and went only two and one third innings for Chicago, throwing 64 pitches only 34 were strikes, two of which left the ballpark as home runs. He gave up four runs all earned on seven hits while striking out one Indians hitter. He suffered the loss, it was his first of the season and he falls to 0-1.
In Game two the White Sox will send lefty Carlos Rodon to the mound, it is his first start of 2020. Adam Plutko will also be making his first start of the season for the Indians. Plutko is a righthander and is expected to be used mostly out of the bullpen in 2020, but like today will make some spot starts..
tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com or follow us on Twitter @SportsSentinel or @LCSentinelcom Check out our IndiansNation fan Page
POSTED 07/28/2020 19:09
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Photo by Ben Zedner
