Indians at Royals
It took an extra five innings on Thursday, but the Cleveland Indians managed to continue their surge since losing their first two games following the All-Star break. The Indians vie for their 11th win in 13 games when they visit the Kansas City Royals on Friday for the second contest of their four-game series.
Cleveland followed back-to-back setbacks against American West Central-leading Minnesota with six straight victories and posted its 10th win in 12 games with Thursday's 5-4 triumph in 14 innings. Jose Ramirez capped a 3-for-6 performance that included two doubles with a leadoff homer in the 14th to snap a 3-3 tie and Jake Bauers added a much-needed RBI single three batters later as the Indians remained two games behind the Twins in the division race while maintaining their three-game lead in the wild-card standings. Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis also notched three hits for Cleveland while Alex Gordon and rookie Bubba Starling did the same for Kansas City, which has gone 7-3 over its last 10 contests - with all three losses coming against the Indians. Starling has hit safely in nine consecutive games after going 0-for-3 against Detroit on July 12 in his major-league debut while Hunter Dozier belted a two-run homer on Thursday, giving him a hit in 11 of his last 12 contests.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Zach Plesac (4-3, 3.50 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jakob Junis (6-8, 4.83)
Plesac will be facing Kansas City for the third time in four starts this month. The 24-year-old rookie from Indiana recorded the victory over the Royals at home on Sunday after allowing two runs and four hits over six innings. Plesac lasted only 2 2/3 frames in a no-decision at Kansas City on July 4, when he gave up three runs - two earned - on two hits and three walks while throwing only 32 of his 58 pitches for strikes.
Junis is expected to return from the paternity list and is hoping for a repeat performance after limiting the Indians to two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings of a victory at Cleveland on Saturday. The 26-year-old native of Illinois atoned for his previous three outings versus the Indians this season in which he went 0-2 while surrendering 16 runs and 23 hits over 17 frames. Junis has made nine starts and one relief appearance against Cleveland in his career, going 3-4 with a 5.73 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Ramirez has recorded four multi-hit performances in his last five games, going 9-for-21 with two homers and three RBIs in that span.
2. Kansas City 2B-OF Whit Merrifield singled in the series opener to avoid going hitless in back-to-back contests for the first time this season while Gordon has recorded three hits in two of his last three games.
3. Cleveland OF Tyler Naquin (hamstring) was kept out of the starting lineup Thursday for the third consecutive game.