CLEVELAND, Ohio – On Tuesday night, Carlos Santana turned back the clock and did his best imitation of Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series between Boston and Cincinnati.
In that game, Fish hit a game-winning home run below the left field line at Fenway Park in the 12th inning. When he came out of the caster’s coffin, Fisk urged the ball to stay honest with every body language he could meet.
Santana did the same in the 10th inning when he hit a three-run homer high over the left field post at PNC Park to give the Indians a 6-3 victory over the Pirates. Santana bent down and moved his body to try to keep the ball honest. At one point he started back to the plate, thinking it was wrong, but when the referee signaled the home side, he trotted around the bases when Cesar Hernandez and Francisco Lindor scored for him for a 3-3 tie. .
Hernandez, under MLB automatic runner rule, started the 10th inning on second base. Jose Ramirez struck out, but left-back Sam Howard struck Lindor on the foot to bring Santana to the plate. He hit 1-0 over the foul pole to win it. The Pirates challenged the call, but replay supported the call on the field.
Santana did not return Carlton Fisk’s famous home track. “That was a long time ago,” Santana said with a smile.
But he said he tried to keep the ball honest.
“That was me, of course,” Santana said. ‘I was waiting for the shooter to be honest. I was very happy for that. ”
Acting manager Sandy Alomar Jr. said the call could have gone one way or the other.
“We knew the ball was hooked,” Alomar said. ‘The ball was hit so far over the post, that could not be told. It could go either way. The way I saw it was closing the foul pole on the stock market, but it ended on the foul side. It struck me that it was honest. ”
Santana rode in five of the Indians six runs to fit a high career. When it comes to hitting the ball out of the park late in the games, a few are better. Santana has been leading the big leagues since 2010 with 13 homers in the ninth inning or later (Elias).
The Indians have won four straight and won nine of their last 12 games. The Pirates have lost 10 of their last 12.
The Indian bullpen shone after a short start by Carlos Carrasco. Nick Wittgren (1-0) worked in and out of trouble in the ninth. Speedster Jarrod Dyson greets Wittgren with a single from Santana’s gloves on first base. Catcher Jacob Stallings sent a bundle back to the mound. Wittgren tried to get Dyson in second place, but his throw was late, as did Lindor’s relay to first.
The Indians, however, made a break when catcher Roberto Perez pulled Dyson out in second place for the first time, when Dyson hit Lindor’s foot as he tried to dive back into the bag. The Pirates challenged, but the call stood on the field.
The Pirates played back nicely. After Adam Frazier flew to the right, Kevin Newman singled to send Stallings to second. Cole Tucker pinch ran when Josh Bell came on the plate. Wittgren sent it to extra inning by knocking out Bell.
“I know better than that,” Wittgren said. Carlos and Berto (Perez) cry one, one, one. I should go first. ”
Brad Hand grabbed the 10th for his sixth save in as many chances to complete 5 2/3 scoreless innings through the bullpen.
“The bullpen was fantastic,” Alomar said. ‘They came in last night and kept the fort. I am very proud of them. ”
The Indians gave Carrasco a 3-1 lead in the third, but the Pirates even drew 3-3 in the fifth. Carrasco knocked out Stallings to start the inning, but Frazier finished and Newman ran. The rounds went on at Carrasco’s wild pitch and scored on Bell’s double.
Lefty Oliver Perez relented and knocked out Colin Moran and Bryan Reynolds to stand Bell and keep the score tied. Perez started a nice run through the bullpen when Cam Hill, Phil Maton, James Karinchak and Wittgren kept the Pirates through the ninth scoreless.
Karinchak lost Maton by two out in the seventh and pulled four straight. He knocked out the first two batters he faced in the eighth to give him 24 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings.
Carrasco allowed three runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He knocked out four and ran three. It was Carrasco’s second straight start in which he stepped up just 4 1/3 innings.
“I was on and off,” Carrasco said. ‘I’ve had eight walks in my last two starts. I’m not happy about that. I’m better than that. ”
The Indians, 1-0 behind, took a 3-1 lead in the third from JT Bubaker. Their first four hunters reached the base when Hernandez doubled and Ramirez and Lindor ran to load the bases. Santana made it 2-1 with a single to center, when Lindor stopped on third. Sananta stepped up the game in .143 (3-for-21) with runners in scoring position.
Franmil Reyes followed with a long sacrificial flight to center to make it 3-1. The RBI gave Reyes 12 in his last 10 games. He hit the game in .515 with two doubles, four homers and 11 RBIs in previous nine games.
The Pirates scored first, taking a 1-0 lead against Carrasco. Kevin Newman doubled with one out and scored on Colin Moran’s two-out single to the right.
Tuesday’s win was the Indians’ first in Pittsburgh since July 3, 2015.
A variety of face masks from Cleveland Indians are available online today. (Fanatics.com)
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