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The Indians’ home winning streak came to an end at 14 games Wednesday night in an 8-2 loss to Tampa Bay.
Rays starter David Price was at the root of the Tampa Bay victory, allowing just two runs on five hits over eight innings.
Carlos Carrasco left the disabled list to start for the Indians, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks over five innings.
CLEVELAND — The Indians don’t think it’s serious, but anything surrounding Grady Sizemore and an injury is cause for concern.
Sizemore, who has surged since leaving the disabled list in mid April, was not in the lineup Wednesday, leaving Progressive Field for an MRI on his right knee prior to the game.
Indians manager Manny Acta said Sizemore sustained the injury when he jammed his knee on a slide into the second base bag in the sixth inning of Cleveland’s 5-4 win Tuesday night.
“Grady banged his knee on second base,” said Acta of the three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove award winner, who remained in the game. “So he’s going out today, for some peace of mind, to get a picture (MRI) taken.
“He jammed it on the bag when he slid. Our medical staff doesn’t think it’s anything serious. For his peace of mind, and today is a good day to give him a day off against a left-handed pitcher (David Price), we’re just taking some precautions with him.”
Sizemore, who is in the midst of attempting to come back from microfracture surgery on his left knee, is batting .282 with six home runs and 11 RBIs in 18 games since leaving the DL. His six homers lead the club.
The good news is that the most recent injury is not to the left knee. The bad news is that he sustained it the same way he did last year — on a slide into second base.
Sizemore returned to Progressive Field after undergoing the MRI but did not speak to reporters before or after.
Oft-injured designated hitter Travis Hafner was also out of the lineup Wednesday, but was given the day off with the lefty Price on the mound.
Back in there
The Indians officially activated right-hander Carlos Carrasco from the disabled list Wednesday to start against Tampa Bay.
As expected, reliever Frank Herrmann was optioned back to Triple-A Columbus. Herrmann made the club out of spring training but hasn’t appeared in his last two stints in Cleveland.
Talbot’s tale
Mitch Talbot (strained right elbow) threw a bullpen session Wednesday at Progressive Field and is scheduled to make his second rehab appearance Saturday.
Acta said Talbot would make his third and final rehab outing with Columbus. If the right-hander emerges with no setbacks, he could rejoin the rotation before the end of the month.
Thanks, Wedgie
Acta credited former Indians manager Eric Wedge (2003-09) for helping to mold this current Indians team and instilling an attitude among Cleveland players that continues today.
“We’re reaping some of the benefits from when Eric was here, setting the tone for high character people,” Acta said. “We’re looking for guys that are relentless, scrappy, hard-working mentally tough guys. We don’t want to spend time rehabbing character.
“Up here, we have a very good group. Whether you win it or lose it, they enjoy being around each other. The big key is the veterans we brought over here have really meshed and helped these (young) guys.”
Minor details
Columbus’ Travis Buck entered Wednesday batting .340 with two homers and 17 RBIs in 14 games since being optioned to the minors to clear room for Sizemore on Cleveland’s 25-man roster. … Double-A Akron closer Cory Burns had struck out 22 batters in 11 innings of 12 games on the season but owned an 0-2 record and 5.73 ERA through Tuesday. … Class A Lake County outfielder Anthony Gallas was named Midwest League player of the week (May 2-8), batting .433 (13-for-30) with five doubles, three RBIs and six runs over the span. Gallas, a non-drafted free-agent acquisition last year, entered Wednesday hitting .349 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 28 games.
Roundin’ third
Since allowing 10 earned runs on Opening Day, Indians ace Fausto Carmona is 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA over his last seven starts. The right-hander has allowed only three earned runs over his last three starts (22 innings) and has worked at least seven innings in six of his last seven starts. … Today, 12:05, MLB Network/WTAM 1100-AM/WEOL 930-AM. Masterson (5-0, 2.11) vs. Shields (3-1, 2.01).
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
CLEVELAND — Home has never been this sweet for the Indians.
Beating Tampa Bay 5-4 in the series opener Tuesday night at Progressive Field, the Indians won their 14th straight home game to improve their record in Cleveland to 14-2.
The 14 wins in 16 games is the best start at home in franchise history. The 14 straight victories is the best home streak since 1995.
Michael Brantley, middle, is congratulated by Orlando Cabrera, left, and Carlos Santana on Tuesday after Brantley walked to bring in the winning run. (AP photo.)
As has been the fashion of late, Cleveland won in dramatic style, with Michael Brantley drawing a walk with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning to force in the winning run.
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The Indians, who at 23-11 own the best record in baseball, went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position, yet still found a way to win.
“It was good to end up on the winning side after so many opportunities to blow the game open,” said manager Manny Acta, whose team has won its last four games at Progressive Field in its last at-bat. “These guys just continue to battle. They just continue to go hard.”
The Indians put the leadoff man aboard in the seventh and eighth innings but squandered the opportunities before cashing in in the ninth against relievers Joel Peralta and Kyle Farnsworth.
Shin-Soo Choo walked to lead off the inning against Peralta. A base hit from Carlos Santana sent Choo to third, and an intentional walk to Travis Hafner loaded the bases.
Farnsworth came on to get Orlando Cabrera on a fielder’s choice that cut down Choo at the plate.
With the bases still full and Brantley batting, Farnsworth got ahead in the count 0-2 before throwing four straight balls, the last bouncing in the dirt before getting to the plate.
“It definitely was my first career walk-off walk,” Brantley said. “It’s not as exciting as a hit, but it’s a win, and we’ll take it. He got ahead 0-2 and I just wanted to put the ball in play. I just knew I couldn’t strike out.”
“He just had an outstanding at-bat,” Acta said of Brantley.
“It was just a fastball that I threw in the dirt,” Farnsworth said. “It was one of those things.”
Neither starting pitcher, Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin nor Tampa Bay’s Andy Sonnanstine, figured in the decision, but Tomlin was far more effective.
The Indians right-hander allowed three runs on six hits over six innings. Sonnanstine, a Wadsworth High School product, surrendered two runs on four hits (two homers) and five walks over just 3 1⁄3 innings.
Tomlin (4-1, 2.70) has allowed three runs or fewer in all seven of his starts this season.
“Tomlin did his thing,” Acta said. “He gave us an opportunity to win. He didn’t have his best stuff, but he still pitched pretty well.”
Sonnanstine, who was making his first start of the season, has not fared well against his hometown team, going 0-3 with a 9.68 ERA in four games (all starts) against Cleveland.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
CLEVELAND — As expected, Carlos Carrasco will be activated from the disabled list to start tonight against the Rays.
Carrasco
Carrasco, who has been sidelined since April 28 with a sore right elbow, will take the spot of right-hander Jeanmar Gomez. Gomez was sent down Sunday after making three starts (four appearances) in place of Carrasco (1-1, 4.97 ERA in five starts).
The Indians filled Gomez’s roster spot by promoting reliever Frank Herrmann from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.
Herrmann, who made the club out of spring training, is back for his third stint in Cleveland, but is expected to be optioned back to the minors when Carrasco is officially activated.
Gomez, 23, returns to the Clippers’ rotation after going 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in Cleveland.
“He did well,” manager Manny Acta said. “It’s good for us to have a guy like him as depth.”
Carrasco will return to the Indians rotation after making just one rehab start for Double-A Akron — four runs on four hits and three walks in 3 2⁄3 innings.
Carrasco’s rotation mate, right-hander Mitch Talbot (strained right elbow), made a four-inning rehab appearance at extended spring training camp in Goodyear, Ariz., on Monday.
“It went well,” Acta said. “He threw all of his pitches. He was fine.”
Talbot, who has been on the DL since April 17, is expected to make at least two more rehab starts before returning to Cleveland, the last at Columbus.
In the meantime, right-hander Alex White will continue to fill in for Talbot. White, the Indians’ first-round draft pick in 2009, has pitched well in his first two big league starts, going 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA.
“He’s a great competitor,” Acta said of the 22-year-old University of North Carolina product. “He’s got a tremendous heartbeat out there for a guy that just got called up and is two years out of college. He’s been impressive so far.”
Few predicted the Indians would be on top of the Central Division with one of the best records in baseball after the first month of the regular season, but Acta contends that he saw it coming.
“It doesn’t surprise me that people far away are calling it a surprise,” he said. “I think if you followed our ballclub in the second half last year, and with the ingredients we added, you could tell we were going to have a better club.
“I can’t sit here and say I’m surprised at what these guys have done. I know I’m in the minority.”
Reliever Adam Russell, a 2001 North Olmsted High graduate, is a member of the Rays’ bullpen, entering Tuesday with a 1-1 record and a 2.48 ERA in 14 appearances.
The Ohio University product and Huron resident entered this season with a career 7-1 record and 4.50 ERA in 49 games with the White Sox and Padres.
Tampa Bay’s starting pitcher Tuesday, right-hander Andy Sonnanstine, attended Wadsworth High School and Kent State University.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
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