CLEVELAND _ Jose Ramirez has terrorized American League pitching this season. Tuesday night at Progressive Field, it was time to terrify a National League team.
Ramirez continued his torrid season and power surge since rumors hit the internet about him failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs, belting a home run in the Indians' 3-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
With the Indians leading 2-1 in the third inning, Ramirez launched a solo shot to right field off Brewers starting pitcher Junior Guerra (3-4). It was Ramirez's 19th home run of the season, one off the major-league-leading pace set by Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Martinez with 20.
Ramirez is hitting .298 with a .395 on-base percentage with those 19 home runs, 18 doubles and 42 RBIs. His 4.2 fWAR stands second in the game among qualified position players, trailing only Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who is at 5.1.
The Indians (31-28) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning thanks to the return of one of their ailing outfielders, Lonnie Chisenhall, who was activated off the disabled list on Tuesday. In his first at-bat in the majors since April 7, and with the bases loaded and one out following a walk and singles by Yonder Alonso and Yan Gomes, Chisenhall ripped a single that scored two and gave the Indians a 2-0 lead.
Edwin Encarnacion went 1-for-3, extending his hitting streak to 11 games with a double to left field in the bottom of the eighth.
While Ramirez bolstered his case as a Most Valuable Player candidate, Corey Kluber (9-2) continued his Cy Young campaign, pitching seven strong innings and allowing one run on seven this to go with seven strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 1.96.
Kluber also didn't issue a walk, extending his walk-less streak to 35 1/3 innings, the longest stretch of his career and the longest for an Indians pitcher since Paul Byrd avoided a walk for 48 innings in 2007. The Brewers' lone run off Kluber was brought home by Lorenzo Cain with an RBI single in the third to score Manny Pina, who doubled with one out.
The Indians' beleaguered bullpen preserved a quality start by Kluber, but they made it interesting. Neil Ramirez pitched a scoreless eighth with a strikeout, which led to closer Cody Allen in the ninth.
Allen gave up a solo home run to Brewers third baseman and former Kent State standout Travis Shaw that clanked off the right-field foul pole, bringing the Brewers to within 3-2. From that point, Allen retired three consecutive Brewers (37-24) to earn his 10th save of the season.
