CLEVELAND – Carlos Carrasco looked toward the plate and grabbed the ball with his right hand before shooting a 95 mph fastball on the game’s first pitch.
It was a beginning and an end.
Carrasco’s return from cancer is complete.
Starting for the first time since he was diagnosed with leukemia last year, Carrasco struck out 10 in more than six innings and José Ramírez hit a home run twice when Cleveland hit the Kansas City Royals 9-2 on Sunday to win two of three in the season delayed. opening series.
Carrasco’s journey took him through energy-depleting medical treatments and periods of doubt as to whether he would ever pitch again.
But he managed to return to the Cleveland bullpen in September and returned to the rotation this year. Seeing him standing on the mound in the summer sun on Sunday surely warms everyone who has followed his return.
“I just waited for this moment today,” he said. “I feel pretty good, man. Keeping my emotions low and just thinking about how I will pitch was the key because when I got to the stadium this morning, I was very happy to be back in the rotation.”
Ramirez hit a left-handed three-run homer in the fourth and added a solo shot from the right side in the sixth for the Indians, who eventually landed some solid shots against the Kansas City bullpen.
With his rotation currently sparse because pitchers tested positive for COVID-19, Royals manager Mike Matheny started reliever Ronald Bolaños (0-1), who gave up two runs in the first and took the loss.
Carrasco could not have imagined what awaited him and his family when he took the mound on May 30, 2019 against the Chicago White Sox. Just days later, he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a life-threatening blood disorder. But the affable 33-year-old man said a positive mindset helped him get back to doing what he loves most.
“I went through a lot of things,” he said. “But for me, I never put anything really wrong on my mind. It’s always a good thing. And that’s what I did from day 1 until now.”
Carrasco was in command of the Royals from the beginning. He allowed two runs and five hits before being lifted after allowing a start double in the seventh.
It has been a remarkable path back for Carrasco, whose personal battle with the disease brought his teammates together and rallied Indian fans around the launcher known as “Cookie.”
Indios manager Terry Francona appreciated Carrasco’s inception and practical approach to law.
“I don’t mean to say that disrespectfully,” Francona said. “It seemed to me she was just taking the ball to win.” And I say that as a compliment. I don’t mean ho-hum. I mean, he was very professional about it. ”
Carrasco retired the top 10 Royals before giving up a double to Adalberto Mondesi in the fourth. But by then, the Indians had scored four times, helped by two Kansas City errors, before Ramirez connected for Cleveland’s first home run of the season to make it 7-1.
Unable to get two hits in the first two games, the Indians finally connected in the first with Franmil Reyes and Domingo Santana delivering RBI singles. Cleveland came 0-for-18 with two outs in the series.
The inning was assisted by a third baseman Erick Mejía’s throwing error and Bolaños’s wild pitch.
All-Star Francisco Lindor, who started the season 1-for-10, had a double RBI, and Ramírez scored four times for Cleveland.
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