CLEVELAND, Ohio – Carlos Santana pitched Wednesday night earlier than usual at PNC Park.
On Tuesday night, Santana beat a game-winning home game in the 10th inning. It gave him an MLB-leading 13 go-ahead homers in the ninth inning or later since he arrived in the major leagues in 2010.. Wednesday night he decided to arrange things a little earlier.
Santana, with two outs in the sixth inning, hit a three-run homer in the right field goal when the Indians defeated the Pirates, 6-1, at PNC Park. The Indians have scored five straight and won 10 of their last 13 games.
Aaron Civale (3-2, 2.91) threw a five-hit complete game for the win. He struck out six and did not allow the onslaught until the ninth inning. It was Civale’s first full game in his career and the first for the Indians this season.
“He got the chance to finish the game because he worked so hard,” said acting manager Sandy Alomar. “In addition, our bull needed a rest. It was a great achievement. No walks, he knocked out six boys and threw a lot of strikes. That’s the main thing. ”
Lefty Steven Brault kept the Indians scoreless for five innings on two hits. When Dovydas Neverauskas (0-3) started the sixth, the Indians went to work. Cesar Hernandez doubled to the hole in left center with one out. Jose Ramirez ran, but Francisco Lindor struck out to take the stench out of the inning. Santana, however, worked the count full before laying a pitch in the right field chairs for a 3-0 lead.
It was Santana’s third homer of the season and gave him 12 RBI. Eight of those RBIs have come in the last two games against the Pirates. Santana rode in five runs in Tuesday’s win.
“I’m not saying Carlos is completely streaked, but once he has one, his trend is to get a few of them,” Alomar said. ‘He feels comfortable and is now more aggressive. He recognizes jobs better. “
Santana said, “I started slow, but I started to feel more comfortable on the plate.”
Domingo Santana, robbed of a hit in the fifth inning as he headed to the pitcher to start a double play, made it 6-0 with a three-run duel in the eighth. Ramirez, Framil Reyes and Tyler Naquin ran to load the bases.
Ramirez started the rally with a leadoff walk. He added to the pressure on Tyler Bashlor by stealing second and third bases. Ramirez stole five bases without catching.
Civale gave the Indians exactly what they needed with his full game. In their last two games, starters Adam Plutko and Carlos Carrasco made early appearances to tax the bullpen. Tuesday night, Alomar used six relievers to cover the last 5 2/3 innings of their 6-3 win.
The Deepest Civale stepped into a game before Wednesday was last year when he went 7 2/3 innings against Detroit on sept. 12. He has run three bats this year in 33 innings.
“It’s fun to give the bull a while,” Civale said. ‘They’ve been busting their butts all season. Every time a starter can do that, it’s a plus. ”
Catcher Roberto Perez said he talks to Civale about using his fastball more against the Pirates. Civale had been leaning on his fastball in the recent start.
“Lately, he’s been cutting back heavily,” Perez said. ‘I think his fastball is good enough where he can set boys up to throw his carving. He has a lot of pluses. He has a breaking ball that he has not used at all and that is one of his best pitches. . .Tonight was a great example that his fastball is one of his best pitches and I want him to trust it. ”
Civale lost his shutout on a two-out sacrificial flight from Josh Bell in the ninth inning. He entered the ninth, after retiring nine rights. He threw 109 pitches, 76 (70%) for strikes and ran no tackles. He has run three batters in 34 innings this season.
According to baseball savant.com, Civale threw 39 sliders (average 92.3 mph), 26 curveballs (75 mph), 19 gears (86.3 mph), 17 cutters (88 mph), seven sliders (84.5) and one fast-seaeam with four seam (92.5 mph) Its speed ranged from 73.9 mph to 94.3 mph.
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