Indians 9, Athletics 2
Indians 9, Athletics 2: Scott Kazmir struck out 10 while Mark Reynolds added his American League-best 11th home run as Cleveland completed a four-game home sweep of Oakland.
One start after notching his first win since September 19, 2010, Kazmir (2-1) posted his first double-digit strikeout effort since August 26, 2009 – the 18th 10-strikeout performance of his career. The two-time All-Star yielded one run on five hits and did not walk a batter over six innings.
Jason Kipnis and Nick Swisher also went deep for the Indians off Bartolo Colon (3-2), who surrendered a season-high six runs on eight hits over a season-low four innings. Josh Donaldson tallied two hits and gave Oakland its only offense off Kazmir with a solo shot in the sixth.
Kipnis put Cleveland on the board with a two-run shot before Colon recorded an out with his second first-inning homer of the series. Cleveland tacked on three more runs in the second as Yan Gomes delivered a RBI double, Drew Stubbs followed with a run-scoring single and Kipnis capped the frame with a sacrifice fly.
Swisher extended the lead to 6-0 in the third by ripping Colon’s first-pitch fastball into the right-field stands. Jason Giambi added an RBI single in the fifth and Reynolds capped the offensive onslaught with a long drive over the center-field fence off a high fastball from reliever Evan Scribner.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cleveland, which won for the 10th time in 11 games, completed its first four-game sweep since July 2010 and its first such sweep of Oakland since April 1999. … The Indians lead the majors with 49 home runs. … Kazmir, who struck out a career-high 13 Athletics as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2007, improved to 10-5 all-time against Oakland – his most victories against one opponent.