CLEVELAND _ The Indians pounded the Toronto Blue Jays, 13-4, behind a nine-run fifth inning in the second game to earn a split of a doubleheader Thursday at Progressive Field.
In doing so, they became the first team to put together innings of at least seven runs in each game of a doubleheader since the Oakland Athletics did it on July 22, 1975.
Erik Gonzalez had a career day, and in the second game totaled three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored, raising his average to .391 for the season. Jose Ramirez went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis and Tyler Naquin also finished with multi-hit games. Every Indians starter collected at least one hit.
Adam Plutko, called up from Triple-A as the 26th man for the doubleheader, turned in exactly the type of pitching performance the Indians needed after an 11-inning Game 1. He pitched into the eighth inning, gave up three runs on six hits and struck out six, helping to save the bullpen. Evan Marshall, added to the roster in-between games, and Jeff Beliveau combined to record the final five outs.
In the first game, the Indians rallied for a seven-run inning and erased deficits of 5-0 and 9-7, but it still wasn't enough, as they were outlasted by the Blue Jays 13-11 in 11 innings.
The Indians and Blue Jays traded punches all day, which included the 11th inning.
In the top half of the inning, Tyler Olson recorded two outs but couldn't finish it. A walk, a double and a walk loaded the bases for Yangervis Solarte, who belted a grand slam to make it 13-9.
The Indians still managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 11th. With two on, Edwin Encarnacion singled home two runs with one out against Roberto Osuna. Now representing the tying run, Yonder Alonso struck out and Kipnis lined out to second base to end the four-hour, 47-minute slugfest.
The Blue Jays roughed up Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco for five earned runs in the first four innings. The lineup responded with a seven-run fourth to take the lead but the bullpen could not finish innings.
Brandon Guyer started the rally with an RBI double and was followed by Bradley Zimmer's two-run single. After Gonzalez struck out but reached base when the ball escaped catcher Russell Martin _ an indication that everything went the their way for an inning _Lindor drilled a three-run home run to put the Indians on top 6-5.
A walk by Ramirez and a single from Michael Brantley later, Encarnacion lined a ball off the left-field wall for his second hit of the inning to make it a seven-run inning. In that inning, Yan Gomes was the only hitter in the lineup to not reach base.
Carrasco allowed six runs on nine hits and three walks and struck out seven in 51/3 innings. With a runner on first in the sixth inning, Carrasco was relieved by Nick Goody, whose first pitch was a slider that he left down the middle to Josh Donaldson that was crushed for a game-tying two-run home run.
Goody had to exit the game in the seventh. On a pitch to Kevin Pillar, Goody quickly threw off his glove and grabbed for his arm and was taken out of the game with a right elbow injury.
The Blue Jays again took the lead against Zach McAllister, who entered the game after Goody's exit. With runners on the corners, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled to left to score Pillar from third. Rajai Davis nailed Aledmys Diaz trying to advance to third on the play to end the inning, but the damage was already done.
The Blue Jays added on to their lead in the eighth. McAllister struggled to put away the final out, and with two outs gave up a two-strike double to Teoscar Hernandez, a four-pitch walk to Solarte and a two-strike double to Pillar to make it 9-7 before being taken out in favor of Ben Taylor.
The Indians answered in the bottom of the eighth to tie it back up. Lindor crushed a solo home run an estimated 445 feet for his second homer of the day and seventh of the season, cutting the Blue Jays' lead to 9-8. After Ramirez walked, Brantley grounded a ball down the first-base line that was called an error on Solarte. It rattled around in the corner, allowing Ramirez to score to tie it 9-9 before Brantley was tagged out straying too far off second base.
