CLEVELAND _ Following the crushing loss of Corey Kluber to the injured list on Friday, manager Terry Francona noted all the Indians were trying to do was win each game by one run.
Two up, two down. After a one-run win on Friday night, the Indians followed that up with a 5-4, back-and-forth victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday at Progressive Field.
The Mariners (18-17) clubbed four home runs off Indians starter Carlos Carrasco and took a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning. Francisco Lindor led off the inning with a single and was bunted over to second base, representing the potential tying run.
Carlos Santana, though, did one better than just getting Lindor home. Facing Mariners reliever Connor Sadzeck, Santana was offered a slider up in the zone, and he crushed it to center field for a two-run, go-ahead home run. It was his fifth home run of the season, as he's continued his hot start by emphasizing driving the ball to the middle of the field.
Indians closer Brad Hand entered in the ninth. Following a walk to Edwin Encarnacion to begin the inning, Hand responded by striking out Jay Bruce, Domingo Santana and Omar Narvaez in succession to end it.
Carlos Carrasco had a positive outing on Saturday in some respects, considering he allowed seven hits with zero walks in 7 2/3 innings. But, his issue was that four of those hits left the yard.
Carrasco was efficient on Saturday, limiting baserunners and needing only 94 pitches to nearly complete eight innings. He simply couldn't keep the ball in the park.
Encarnacion (second inning), Daniel Vogelbach (fourth), Dylon Moore (fifth) and Tim Beckham (eighth) all slugged solo home runs. The Indians and Mariners traded punches through the first five innings before Beckham's solo shot put the Mariners up 4-3 before Santana's own homer proved to be the difference.
The Indians (18-13) entered the bottom of the fifth tied 3-3 and looking to take the lead. What looked to be an advantageous error on the Mariners' part turned into a base running gaffe. With Francisco Lindor on first after a leadoff walk, Mariners starter Mike Leake attempted a pickoff throw, which raced past Encarnacion at first base. Lindor easily advanced to second before turning for third. With a slide, he beat the throw, which also went beyond its intended target. Lindor, with an ankle that still isn't 100 percent and all, got up and raced for home but was easily thrown out at the plate by left fielder Domingo Santana.
Jake Bauers tied it 1-1 in the second inning with an RBI single that scored Jason Kipnis, who doubled to right field. Two innings later, Lindor drilled a solo home run to center field, his fourth of the season.
