LDN - Sports

Guyer, Kipnis carry Indians to victory

[August 13, 2016] CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians on Friday night were running on all cylinders, but mostly they were just running.

The Indians had eight stolen bases, tying a 99-year-old team record, in running and slugging their way to a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Progressive Field. It was the Angels' eighth loss in a row.

Brandon Guyer recorded five RBIs, and Jason Kipnis had four hits. But it was Cleveland's unstoppable assault on the bases that decided the game.

American League stolen base leader Rajai Davis had three, hoisting his league-leading total to 31. Jose Ramirez also had three steals, while Kipnis and Francisco Lindor had one apiece as Cleveland increased its league-leading total to 92.

"I thought our base running set the tone," said Indians manager Terry Francona. "We stole bases. We didn't just run with abandon. We were intelligent. I thought it set the tone for the whole game."

The eight stolen bases tied the Indians' team record, originally set Aug. 27, 1917 against Washington. The Indians are the first major league team to steal eight bases in a game since Texas stole nine against Boston on April 20, 2010.

"You just trust your instincts, and you go," Davis said. "It helps us as a team, and puts pressure on the defense."

The Indians were 8-for-8 in stolen attempts against four Angels pitchers and catcher Geovany Soto.

"Geo didn't have much of a chance (to throw out any of the runners). We'll make some adjustments," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

Guyer had three hits, including a home run, and Ramirez also homered in the seventh inning to provide the Indians with their 10th run. Ramirez added an RBI double in Cleveland's three-run eighth inning. The Indians outscored the Angels 27-7 in winning the first two contests of the four-game series.

"It was a sloppy game and it wasn't youth tonight. Some veterans had some things get away from them," Scioscia said. "But nobody is taking this lying down. We know we can play better than this and make the needed adjustments, and we will."

Cleveland manager Terry Francona was happy with his club's offensive balance.

"It's nice when guys hit home runs, but we need contributions from all over the map for us to be a good team," Francona said.

The Indians got that Friday night, including on the pitcher's mound.

Carlos Carrasco (8-6) survived a rocky first three innings, then settled down to hold the Angels scoreless on three hits over his last four innings, retiring 15 of the last 18 batters he faced. In seven innings Carrasco gave up three runs and eight hits, with eight strikeouts and no walks.

"The first few innings he was throwing everything in the middle of the plate and they were whacking it," Francona said. "But after he settled down and got into the game he was the Carrasco we're used to seeing."

Kole Calhoun had a homer and a double for Los Angeles, but the Angels, for the second night in a row, found their starting pitcher overwhelmed by Cleveland's offense.

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Tyler Skaggs (1-1) got roughed up for seven runs and 10 hits in five innings.

"His stuff was good, but some things got away from him, controlling the running game, obviously," Scioscia said. "Other than that it was a couple pitches here and there that hurt him. But his stuff looked good."

In the first two games of the series, Angels' starting pitchers Skaggs and Jhoulys Chacin gave up 14 runs and 16 hits in 6 1/3 innings.

A home run by Calhoun keyed a two-run first inning for the Angels, but it was all Cleveland after that.

Cleveland scored a run in the bottom of the first, thanks to the speed of Davis, who led off with a walk. He then stole second and third and scored on a single by Kipnis to cut the Angels lead to 2-1.

The Indians tied it on a solo home run by Guyer leading off the second inning. With that hit, Guyer in his career versus Skaggs was 3-for-3 with two home runs. Guyer was acquired by Cleveland in a deal with Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. Since joining the Indians Guyer is hitting .467 (7-for-15).

"He's had quality at bats since he got here, so he has a chance to do what he did tonight," Francona said.

An RBI groundout by Albert Pujols in the third inning gave the Angels a 3-2 lead.

The Indians used the stolen base to their advantage to score the tying run in the fourth. Ramirez led off with a single, stole second and third, and scored on a single by Abraham Almonte, tying the score at 3.

The Indians broke it open with a four-run fifth inning, the big hit in that rally being a two-out, two-run single by Guyer that gave Cleveland a 7-3 lead.

NOTES: Indians DH/1B Carlos Santana was held out of the lineup Friday, a day after getting hit in the head by a line drive while sitting in the dugout. Santana underwent a battery of concussion tests, the early results of which were encouraging, according to manager Terry Francona. ... Indians SS Francisco Lindor, who had started 109 of the Indians first 112 games at shortstop, was in the lineup as the designated hitter Friday as a way of "getting him off his feet for a day," Francona said. ... Angels DH Albert Pujols leads the majors with 27 RBIs since the All-Star break. Pujols has 87 for the season and is on pace for 125, which would be his seventh season with 120 or more. ... Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker, Saturday's starter, has a streak of 18 consecutive scoreless innings versus Cleveland and a 0.82 ERA in three career games against the Indians.

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