Kluber wins 19th as Indians handle White Sox

[September 19, 2018]  Corey Kluber won his career-high 19th game of the season and Jason Kipnis homered to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night at Progressive Field.

Kluber (19-7), pitching on seven days rest after tying his shortest outing of the season when he allowed four runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings in a 6-5 loss at Tampa Bay on Sept. 10, allowed three runs on eight hits over eight innings. He walked two and struck out 11 to give him 205 strikeouts this season, the fifth consecutive season he has registered 200 or more strikeouts in a season.

Kluber joins Trevor Bauer (214) and Carlos Carrasco (206) as teammates who also have struck out at least 200 batters this season. It marks just the fourth time in major league history that three pitchers on one team had 200 or more strikeouts in a season and the first time since the 2013 Tigers (Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez) did it.

Cleveland (84-66) could become the first team in MLB history to have four 200-strikeout pitchers if Mike Clevinger (196) can get four more.

Andrew Miller earned his second save, striking out three and allowing just a bloop single by Tim Anderson.

Carlos Rodon (6-6) took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks in seven innings. Daniel Palka and Omar Narvaez hit solo home runs, and Yoan Moncada added two hits for the White Sox (52-91).

Cleveland took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Josh Donaldson walked and scored on an RBI double to left by Melky Cabrera. After Yonder Alonso was hit by a pitch, Yan Gomes drove in Cabrera with a single to left.

Kipnis made it 3-0 when he led off the fifth with his 16th homer of the season just over the fence in right. Yandy Diaz added a two-run single later in the inning, driving in Francisco Lindor, who had singled, and Jose Ramirez, who was hit by a pitch.

The White Sox, shut out for 18 1/3 innings in three starts against Kluber this season, finally ended that streak in the sixth on Palka's 25th homer of the season. Narvaez, who also had two hits, followed one out later with his eighth to cut it to 5-2. Chicago added another run in the seventh on a two-out double by Yolmer Sanchez, driving in Ryan LaMarre, who opened the inning with a double.

--Field Level Media

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