Miller gets save over old team as Indians top Yanks in Bronx

Associated Press

new york

Andrew Miller stood slim and tall on the Yankee Stadium mound, snapping off tight sliders as he protected a late lead the same as so many times before.

The only thing out of the ordinary was the uniform he wore.

Corey Kluber put Cleveland’s rotation back on track, Miller earned a save against the team that traded him last weekend and the Indians beat the New York Yankees 5-2 on Saturday.

“It’s a lot easier just to focus on executing pitches when there’s no relationship or anything like that,” Miller said, sounding relieved. “This last week’s been pretty hectic and, like I said, happy I survived and found a way.”

Mike Napoli, Jason Kipnis and Rajai Davis homered to help the AL Central leaders recover from an early two-run deficit.

Kluber (11-8) fired eight innings of five-hit ball, beating CC Sabathia (6-9) in a matchup of pitchers who won the AL Cy Young Award with Cleveland.

Miller closed with a one-hit ninth for his first save with the Indians. And lo and behold, it came at the expense of his old pals in pinstripes.

“None of it was fun, honestly. It’s tough,” Miller said. “It’s just a huge distraction, honestly.”

The lanky left-hander, acquired Sunday in a blockbuster deal, entered to a warm ovation at Yankee Stadium and promptly gave up Brett Gardner’s leadoff single. Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira struck out on checked swings before Brian McCann grounded out to end it.

“It kind of took me back to my Boston days of facing that section of the lineup and pitching a lot here,” Miller said. “I’m glad I got the job done.”

Miller’s previous nine saves this year came with New York.

“It’s strange to see him in a different uniform,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He was just here.”

With the Indians in dire need of a solid outing after five straight rocky starts, Kluber wobbled early on a muggy, soupy afternoon with a game-time temperature of 84 degrees.

Yankees rookie Gary Sanchez lined an RBI double with two outs in the second and scored on a wild pitch that glanced off the mitt of catcher Roberto Perez.