The Walk Off: Indians make history during ninth straight win
Welcome to The Walk Off, the nightly MLB recap from Big League Stew. Here we’ll look at the top performers of the night, show you a must-see highlight and rundown the scoreboard. First, we start with a game you need to know about.
Either the apocalypse is nigh, or the city of Cleveland is catching up on years of awful sports karma. Just a few weeks after the Cavaliers brought home an NBA title, the Cleveland Indians have become the most unstoppable team in baseball.
The club picked up its ninth straight win during a 9-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers. They managed to do so despite the fact that Tigers ace Justin Verlander was on the mound.
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That didn’t matter. Verlander appeared to be on his way to at least a decent start until the fifth inning. At that point, disaster struck.
Verlander gave up two straight home runs to open the frame. After two outs, Francisco Lindor singled, extending the inning. Mike Napoli then went deep, giving the Indians three home runs during the inning.
They didn’t stop there. Two hitters later, Lonnie Chisenhall smacked a two-run shot. Verlander had given up four home runs during a game just once in his career. That also happened to be against the Indians.
The fact that Verlander had never given up four home runs in an inning is actually somewhat significant. No Tigers pitcher has ever accomplished that feat. This was a first for the franchise, according to STATS, LLC.
TOP PERFORMERS
Chris Davis: The Baltimore Orioles got a huge boost from slugger Chris Davis early during their 12-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. With the bases loaded in the first inning, Davis smacked a grand slam to the opposite field. Davis also singled and walked later in the game. He finished 2-for-4, with two runs scored and four RBI. Davis, who was hitting .213 on June 6, has upped his average to .240 since then.
Jose Fernandez: Every time Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez makes a start at home, he’ll probably end up in this section. Fernandez was sensational during a 6-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. The 23-year-old lasted seven innings, giving up just one run on four hits. Fernandez walked three and struck out 13 during the win. He owns a 2.28 ERA after the outing.
Carlos Gonzalez: Chris Davis wasn’t the only player hitting grand slams Sunday. Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez also joined in on the fun during the team’s 9-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gonzalez’s moment came in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, Gonzalez smacked a 79 mph slider out of the park, plating all four runs. He also singled and walked during the contest.
MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHT
There’s a reason Seattle Mariners outfielder Franklin Gutierrez is nicknamed “Death to Flying Things.” He may have earned that nickname a few years ago, but he reminded everyone why it was so apt during Sunday’s 11-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
In the top of the second inning, Gutierrez showed off his defensive prowess. With men on first and second, Matt Carpenter blasted a ball to right center that looked like it could have gone out of the park. Gutierrez ran back toward the wall, tracked the ball and made a leaping catch at the last moment. While the ball may not have gone out, it would have at least been an extra-base hit had Gutierrez not been there to make the play. Not bad for a guy who has barely been healthy enough to play during the past four seasons.
THE REST OF THE SCOREBOARD
Royals 6, Astros 1: Ian Kennedy gave up just one run over seven innings, earning the win. He struck out 11 Astros.
Twins 7, Yankees 1: Tyler Duffey allowed just two hits and one run over eight strong innings. Six different Twins hit home runs to support him.
Reds 3, Padres 0: Anthony DeSclafani gave up just five hits over eight scoreless innings. Jay Bruce mashed his 17th home run of the season.
Braves 5, Mets 2: Freddie Freeman and Adonis Garcia homered, while Bud Norris kept the Mets off the board for seven innings.
White Sox 5, Blue Jays 2: Tim Anderson hit his third career home run while Chris Sale made it through eight strong innings against the Blue Jays tough offense.
Nationals 3, Brewers 2: José Lobatón and Clint Robinson went deep for the Nationals. Tanner Roark kept the Brewers off the board for seven innings.
Rangers 6, Red Sox 2: Clay Buchholz got knocked around, giving up five runs, four earned, over 5 1/3 innings.
Angels 7, Athletics 6: The Angels overcame a Coco Crisp grand slam, and managed to claw their way back for the late win.
Giants 8, Phillies 7: Aaron Nola and Johnny Cueto both got knocked around early. Conor Gillaspie broke a tie in the bottom of the ninth with a double.
Pirates 4, Dodgers 3: Clayton Kershaw actually struggled for once. The lefty gave up four runs in the bottom of the second, three of which came on a David Freese bases-clearing double.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
