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Cleveland Indians Defeat Cincinnati Reds Thanks To Three Home Runs

By Ryan Rosko

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The long ball was alive and well for the Cleveland Indians tonight as they defeated the Cincinnati Reds in the second game of a three game series. The Indians held the Reds offense to one run until the eighth inning. Starting pitcher Corey Kluber (5-10) picked up the win for the Tribe as he went 7.2 innings, while giving up 3 earned runs and striking out 5. Anthony DeSclafani (5-7) got the start and the loss for the Reds after pitching 5 innings and giving up 6 earned runs.

Key Moments

First Inning

The Tribe got the momentum going early for them from the start. After back to back singles by Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley came to the plate. There he drove everyone in on a three run home run, his 6th of the season.

Third Inning

With Lindor in scoring position, on second base, Carlos Santana knocked in the rookie short stop from his double to center field. Later in the inning, Brandon Moss hit the team’s second home run of the night, which allowed Santana to score. The home run by Moss was his 15th of the year. After three innings, Cleveland had a very comfortable 6-1 lead.

Seventh Inning

Jason Kipnis led off the seventh inning. While he at bat, he singled and later stole second base. Shortly after, Santana coninued to have a surprisingly solid game when he was able to get a walk and a stolen base. Now with Kipnis and Santana in scoring position, Yan Gomes came to the plate and hit his 4th home run, increasing the score to 9-1.

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The Positives

Carlos Santana’s performance was great to see. He walked twice, while also going 2 for 3 with two runs.  Is it a thing to come after struggling during the first half? It is too soon to answer that, but how he played tonight should be something to keep in mind.

Speaking of things that fans have to take a wait and see approach is the overall offense from tonight. Nine runs is great to see. The team has provided inconsistent run support for some time now. Watching this offense early in the second half is going to be interesting to see if this is a start of things to come.

The Negatives

There was nothing specifically that stood out that was a negative tonight. However, one statistic that definitely needs to improve is the batting average. After the game today, there were six players in the lineup who had an average of less than .250.

Check It Out

The Tribe looks to win the series in the rubber game tomorrow night. Tomorrow’s game is set to start at 1:10 PM. Cleveland will be starting Carlos Carrasco (10-7 4.07 ERA). Carrasco has given up 21 earned runs over his last seven starts. On the hill for the Reds is Johnny Cueto (6-6 2.73 ERA). Cueto’s start tomorrow against Cleveland could be his last as a member of the Reds rotation because he has been rumored as a possible trade target by many teams.

Next: Cleveland Indians Trade Options at the Deadline; Jason Kipnis' Solid First Half

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