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 Based on the results of the last year, Carrasco will not have to ask
for those chances again.
Carrasco continued his year-long resurgence, striking out 11 in 6
2/3 innings Friday night, leading the Indians to a 7-3 victory over
the New York Yankees.
Left fielder Michael Brantley had a pair of RBI singles, and first
baseman Carlos Santana homered and added a run-scoring groundout,
but Carrasco was the star of Cleveland's fourth win in five meetings
against the Yankees.
Carrasco (12-9) extended his scoreless innings streak at Yankee
Stadium to 15 2/3 innings before allowing a two-out single to rookie
first baseman Greg Bird in the fourth. It was one of few mistakes he
made all night. He gave up five hits, one walk and one run while
improving to 8-3 in 13 road games this season.
It also was Carrasco's third effective outing in as many career
starts in New York. His last one was Aug. 10, 2014, when he allowed
two hits in five scoreless innings for his first win as a starting
pitcher since June 29, 2011.
"Last year he went five innings and it was probably longer than we
thought he would go and from there look where he is now and in a
season where he's now probably up around 160 innings maybe,"
Francona said. "He's holding his stuff so well and I would say
probably more than holding. I would say he's probably starting to
get to know himself in the league and how to pitch. I'll tell you
what he's done a pretty good job."
Since rejoining Cleveland's rotation, Carrasco is 16-12 with a 2.85
ERA in 35 starts, and Friday was among his best of the year.
"To be honest, no (I couldn't envision this)," said Carrasco, who
missed all of 2013 with an elbow injury and was 0-12 with an 8.09
ERA in his previous 17 starts before returning to the rotation. "I
just put in hard work from that time to today. They gave me an
opportunity to come back in the rotation that day and I just think
to myself the way that I pitched for the last two months last year
and come down to spring training and I think everything was good
from that time to now."
He struck out the side twice, getting nine strikeouts on swinging
strike threes while using his breaking pitches for eight. He fanned
New York designated hitter Alex Rodriguez twice, getting him on a
changeup in the first and a curveball in the fourth.
Carrasco reached double-digit strikeouts for the third time this
season by getting right fielder Carlos Beltran on a check swing on
his breaking ball for the first out of the seventh. When third base
umpire Dan Iassogna ruled it was a swing, Beltran slammed his bat at
the dirt, and manager Joe Girardi considered coming out to argue.
"He's just got a lot of pitches that he gets you out (with),"
Girardi said. "You get one pitch to hit, you can't miss it. He was
extremely tough on us in two starts and on top of that he's got the
good velocity."
After Beltran's strikeout, Carrasco fanned Bird for a second time
before allowing consecutive singles to pinch hitter Jacoby Ellsbury
and second baseman Stephen Drew, ending his night at 108 pitches.
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"It was incredible," said Cleveland left-hander Kyle Crockett, who
preserved Carrasco's win with strikeout of pinch hitter Didi
Gregorius. "Especially against a team like this that can hit. Being
able to go out there and shut them down for that many innings,
striking out that many guys is good to see."
Once Carrasco exited, the Indians staggered in the eighth before
adding three insurance runs in the ninth.
Rodriguez had an RBI single with no outs in the eighth against Zach
McAllister, and Bird reached on an error when his ground ball went
under second baseman Jose Ramirez's glove, allowing third baseman
Chase Headley to score.
Cleveland closer Cody Allen entered and issued a walk to load the
bases, but he got second Stephen Drew on a flyout to preserve the
Indians' one-run lead.
After the Indians added runs on Brantley's single, Santana's
groundout and a run-scoring double by right fielder Jerry Sands,
Allen recorded his 25th save in 28 opportunities.
While Carrasco was controlling things from the mound, the Indians
gradually built a lead off Masahiro Tanaka (9-6), who allowed four
runs (three earned) and seven hits in six-plus innings.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor had an RBI single in the third and
reached on an error by Yankees shortstop Brendan Ryan in the fifth.
Santana slugged his 14th home run in the sixth and Brantley added a
run-scoring single to give Cleveland a 4-1 lead in the seventh.
"I just didn't think that his off speed was sharp tonight," Girardi
said. "He didn't locate it as well as recently which led to some
troubles."
NOTES: New York 1B Mark Teixeira (bone bruise, right leg) missed his
fourth consecutive game. Manager Joe Girardi said Teixeira did some
activity on a treadmill Thursday but didn't expect him to play this
weekend. ... OF Michael Brantley returned to left field for the
Indians after making four straight starts at DH while recovering
from a shoulder injury. ... Indians RHP Cody Anderson (strained left
oblique) threw about 60 pitches in a two-inning simulated game and
could begin a rehab assignment next week. ... New York CF Jacoby
Ellsbury had the night off, but Girardi said it was not related to
an injury and he entered as pinch hitter in the seventh. ... New
York RHP Michael Pineda (forearm) made a second rehab start,
throwing 62 pitches in 4 2/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes
Barre. He may return to the Yankees next week.
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