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Reds hand Tribe fifth loss in a row
Photo
Cincinnati Reds’ Xavier Paul (26) arrives at first with an infield hit as Cleveland Indians first baseman Nick Swisher awaits the throw in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday in Cincinnati.
Associated Press
CINCINNATI
Xavier Paul singled home a pair of runs in the first inning, and the Cincinnati Reds completed a two-game home sweep of the Cleveland Indians with an 8-2 victory on Tuesday night that was free of any up-and-in acrimony.
The intrastate rivals headed to Cleveland for two more games. The Indians lead the all-time series 42-41.
The Reds have won 14 of their past 17 games overall, leaving them with the second-best record in the majors at 33-19. They trail NL Central-leading St. Louis.
Cleveland has dropped five straight — matching its season high — and seven of eight.
Mat Latos (5-0) handled a slumping lineup, allowing one run in 61/3 innings. The Indians have been outscored 33-14 during their losing streak.
The Reds had 18 hits, one shy of their season high.
Paul’s two-run single put the Reds ahead 3-0 in the first against Zach McAllister (4-4). The Reds added four in the seventh against Cleveland’s struggling bullpen, with Derrick Robinson and Zack Cozart contributing RBI singles.
There was one lingering issue from Cincinnati’s 4-2 win in the series opener: Would the Indians retaliate for Aroldis Chapman’s inside pitches?
The Reds closer threw two of them up-and-in to Nick Swisher while closing out the game on Monday, resulting in stares.
Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips and Shin-Soo Choo were hit on Tuesday, but went to first without complaint or warning from plate umpire Chad Fairchild.
The series matching teams from Ohio’s north and south has taken on an edge for the second straight year.
Last year, Indians starter Derek Lowe got hit by a Latos pitch and gestured toward Reds manager Dusty Baker. Baker acknowledged that he had Latos pitch inside because Lowe had hit Joey Votto in a game three years earlier.
Choo, who came from Cleveland as part of the offseason trade for Drew Stubbs, homered in the series opener and had another solid all-around game on Tuesday. He ran down two fly balls on the warning track and opened the Reds’ first inning with a double.
Cozart followed Choo’s double with a bunt single, and Votto singled home a run. Paul’s single made it 3-0, matching the most earned runs that McAllister has allowed in a game this season.
Stubbs singled with one out in the fifth — only Cleveland’s second hit — and stole second. Michael Bourn singled off Votto’s glove at first base, cutting the lead to 3-1.
The Reds failed to score despite getting at least two runners aboard in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings before breaking it open by sending nine batters to the plate in the seventh.
PEREZ HAS TENDINITIS
Indians All-Star closer Chris Perez will not throw for a week after an MRI revealed tendinitis in his right shoulder.
Perez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday before the Indians opened a two-game series in Cincinnati. He underwent tests in Cleveland, which showed “mild” tendinitis of his rotator cuff. The Indians said their plan is for Perez not to pick up a baseball for at least five days in the hopes that rest will reduce the soreness in his shoulder.
The test results are encouraging for the Indians, who feared they might be without the two-time AL All-Star for a longer period.
Perez last pitched on Sunday in the ninth inning of a 6-5 loss to Boston. The right-hander was in the process of blowing a three-run lead when he felt a “pinch” in his shoulder and had to leave the game.