Zimmer’s HR gives Tribe win
Published 12:18 am Thursday, July 27, 2017
CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Bradley Zimmer homered and drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning double and the Cleveland Indians matched a season high with their sixth straight win, 10-4 over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.
Zimmer hit a leadoff homer and broke a 2-all tie with a two-out double off the wall in left-center against Ricky Nolasco (4-12). Zimmer also hit a grand slam in Tuesday’s 11-7 win.
Bryan Shaw (4-4) retired the last two hitters in the seventh and recorded an out in the eighth to earn the win.
Cleveland, which is a season-high nine games over .500, put the game away with a seven-run eighth.
Zimmer is batting .281 since being called up May 16. He’s 9 for 22 in the last six games and crashed into the wall for a game-saving catch in the 10th inning Tuesday.
Luis Valbuena’s second-inning double tied the game. Yan Gomes’ two-out single put Cleveland ahead in the fourth, but Valbuena tied with a seventh-inning home run.
The Indians had 17 hits, including three by Carlos Santana. Gomes and Erik Gonzalez each had two RBIs.
Carlos Carrasco allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings. Nolasco, who gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings, has two wins in his last 16 starts and has allowed a major league high 27 homers.
Gonzalez was called for batter’s interference in the seventh after Jackson’s single. Jackson appeared to have stolen second base and advanced to third on a wild throw, but plate umpire Nic Lentz ruled Gonzalez’s bat made contact with catcher Martin Maldonado’s foot.
Jackson was sent back to first, but scored on Zimmer’s double.
Andrelton Simmons had two singles and was hit by a pitch, but his streak of reaching base in eight straight plate appearances ended with sixth-inning groundout.
TRAINER’S ROOM:
Indians: Manager Terry Francona says 2B Jason Kipnis (strained right hamstring) is ahead of OF Lonnie Chisenhall (strained right calf) as both players return from injuries. Kipnis might begin a minor league rehab assignment in a few days.
UP NEXT
Angels: RHP JC Ramirez gave up an earned run over six innings to beat Boston on July 22. He faced the Indians four times in 2016, twice apiece with the Reds and Angels.
Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer picked up his eighth win of the season on July 21, allowing three runs in six innings against Toronto. He is 3-0 in his career against the Angels.