Salazar handcuffs N.Y. as Indians win again

By RYAN LEWIS

Akron Beacon Journal

CLEVELAND

The Indians’ offense didn’t do a great job of converting its scoring opportunities, but they didn’t have to with Danny Salazar on the mound in a 2-1 win against the New York Yankees Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

It was another game, another quality effort from an Indians starting pitcher. Salazar threw 71/3 innings, allowing just one run on four hits to go with eight strikeouts.

The Yankees’ lone run Wednesday night came courtesy of catcher Brian McCann, who got hold of a Salazar offering in the second inning and deposited it into the seats in right field for a solo home run. Aside from that pitch, the Yankees were off balance for much of the night.

The Indians (53-59) gave Salazar (10-6) enough run support, but it certainly could have been more against Yankees starter and former Indians ace CC Sabathia (4-9). The Indians had at least one runner in scoring position in five of the first six innings but couldn’t get a run across until the fifth inning.

Trailing 1-0 in the fifth inning, Roberto Perez and Mike Aviles each singled. Jose Ramirez moved both over with a sacrifice bunt and Francisco Lindor tied the score 1-1 with a single to right field. Chris Johnson continued his poor night with an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, killing any chance of the Indians taking the lead.

Johnson came up with the bases loaded in the third inning but came away with the same result, an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

The sixth started the same as the fifth, with two singles, this time by Carlos Santana and Jerry Sands. Abraham Almonte, who’s quickly becoming one of the more popular players on the team, gave the Indians their first lead of the night with an RBI single up the middle.

Once again, a big inning was relegated to a small one. Perez struck out and Aviles grounded out to end the inning, though it was enough to give Salazar the lead.

It was a lead he protected. The Yankees (61-51) threatened in the top of the seventh inning after Mark Teixeira singled and Carlos Beltran doubled to put the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. Salazar got Didi Gregorius to pop out and then struck out Chris Young to end the threat.

Salazar received a large ovation from the crowd and pounded his glove as he walked off the mound with the lead in-tact.

Salazar got some help from Cody Allen in the eighth. Salazar walked two in a row with one out to bring up Alex Rodriguez. Indians manager Terry Francona went to Allen for the five-out save. Allen made quick work of him, as he got Rodriguez to end the inning with a 6-4-3 double play, again preserving the one-run lead.

Allen worked himself into some trouble in the ninth but was able to earn his 23rd save of the season. He struck out McCann with one out, but McCann reached first base after the ball got away from Perez. Allen then got Beltran to line out to left field and struck out Gregorius to end the game.