Cleveland Indians: Corey Kluber throws yet another gem

The Cleveland Indians scored 12 runs Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles, but the star of the game was the starting pitcher for the Indians.

After making the Minnesota Twins feel inadequate over the weekend, the Cleveland Indians shifted their focus to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Indians had a dominant 12-0 win Monday night, giving the team six straight victories and opening up a 2.5-game lead over Twins in the AL Central.

Jose Ramirez and the offense had a night to remember, but fans should not overlook the start had by Corey Kluber. The ace picked up his second complete-game shutout of the year, but this one was the best of the two.

For comparison:

April 21 vs. Chicago White Sox: 9 IP, 3 hits, 0 runs, 9 K’s, 2 walks

Monday night vs. Baltimore Orioles: 9 IP, 3 hits, 0 runs, 11 K’s, 0 walks

The win continues Kluber’s dominance in the month of June, which has seen him allow just five runs in 28 innings of work, with his team picking up wins in three of the four games. He has lowered his ERA from 5.06 to 3.58 and has struck out 39 batters in that span.

While the Indians did open up a 11-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning on Monday, the Orioles never stood a chance against Kluber. In fact, few lineups can touch the ace when he has his best stuff.

Related: Indians up to No. 8 in ESPN power rankings

The best part about it is that the bullpen gets to stay fresh in the midst of having no days off this week, while Kluber only had to throw 108 pitches to send the Orioles home feeling hopeless.

The interesting thing about the night is that the Orioles have been great at home in 2017. Their 23 wins are tied with the Houston Astros for the most in the American League. The Indians have just 15.

Yet while it has been a struggle at home for the Indians, the team’s 22 road wins are one behind Houston’s 23 for most in the AL. Kluber has also had his two best starts of the year on the road, so watch out fans in opposing cities. The Klubot is coming.

Next: Revisiting 10 bold predictions from March

The win gives the Indians six straight and if the offense keeps playing near its current pace, the starting pitching just needs to be average to pick up victories. But don’t tell that to Corey Kluber, who appears to be back to his old self since returning from the DL.