Cleveland Indians, after a long day at the yard, score 5-4 walk-off win over Seattle in 10 innings – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Indians did the only thing left to do after another short start and long day for the bullpen.

They produced a 5-4 walk-off victory over Seattle on Saturday afternoon in the 10th inning at Progressive Field. The Indians won it when the ghost runner — Cesar Hernandez — scored from third on a throwing error by reliever Paul Sewald. With the bases loaded, Harold Ramirez sent a picture-perfect 1-2-3 double play grounder back to Sewald, but he made a high throw to catcher Tom Murphy as Hernandez slid to the inside part of the plate and slapped it with his hand.

Hernandez started the 10th as the automatic runner on second base. Amed Rosario singled to right center, but Hernandez stopped at third after making sure the ball wasn’t caught. Jose Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases and bring Harold Ramirez to the plate. He sent a tapper back to the mound, but instead of frustration it produced victory.

The win went to James Karinchak, who pitched the 10th. He was the seventh reliever used by the Indians.

Pinch-hitter Bobby Bradley, with the Indians down to their last out in the ninth, started the game-tying rally with a broken-bat bloop single to right that scored Bradley Zimmer to make it 4-2. Catcher Rene Rivera followed with a two-run double off the wall in left against closer Rafael Montero to tie at 4-4.

The Indians are 5-3 in extra innings this season. This was their fifth walk-off win of the year.

“Sometimes days like this turn out to be even better,” said Indians manager Terry Francona, “just because we used everybody and everybody feels a part of it. We got contribution late from guys who weren’t even in the lineup. It ends up being a really good day.”

Despite the dramatic win, this question remains:

How are the Indians going to do this? They are two games into a stretch of 30 games in 31 days and they literally have two starters capable of getting into the mid-section of a game. The other three pitchers either aren’t ready, aren’t stretched out enough or aren’t capable of doing the job.

Rookie Triston McKenzie, recalled before Saturday’s game from Class AAA Columbus, lasted two-thirds of inning in his 10th start of the season. Eight of his first nine pitches were balls. McKenzie’s second pitch of the game went to the backstop on a fly.

After walking Seattle’s first two batters, he retired the next two only to walk two more batters to force home a run. McKenzie was done for the day. He threw 32 pitches, 20 were balls.

This was McKenzie’s first start in the big leagues since May 31. When he left, he was among the big-league leaders in walks. When he walked off the mound Saturday, McKenzie had reclaimed to top spot with 39 walks.

Here is what the last turn in the rotation looks like:

June 6: Cal Quantrill goes 1 1/3 innings in an 18-5 loss in Baltimore;
Tuesday: Shane Bieber goes six innings in a 10-1 win in St. Louis;
Wednesday: J.C. Mejia goes 2/3 of an inning in a 8-2 loss in St. Louis;
Friday: Aaron Civale goes eight innings in a 7-0 win at Progressive Field;
and Saturday McKenzie went two-thirds of an inning.

That is not roadmap to 90 wins. That’s a roadmap to 90 losses.

McKenzie said he was overwhelmed by the crowd, the first large gathering he’s pitched in front of as a big leaguer.

“I let the game speed up on me,” said McKenzie.

Said Francona, “Carl (Willis, pitching coach) talked to him and definitely got that feeling. We’ve got to dig in because obviously that’s not what you’re looking for. We felt he’d been making some strides, but it got away from him today.”

Phil Maton relieved McKenzie and struck out Jake Bauers — traded from the Indians earlier this week — with the bases loaded to prevent any further damage in the first. But time was on Seattle’s side.

Jake Fraley’s two-run homer off Maton in the third made it 3-0. The bullpen continued to keep the Indians in the game despite Dylan Moore’s homer off Blake Parker in the seven that gave Seattle a 4-0 lead.

“We were just trying to get through the game without ruining our bullpen,” said Francona. “But because they never stretched the lead out, it gave us that chance. Every once in while, if you keep playing, you can get fortunate enough to win a game like that.”

Maton, Nick Sandlin, Trevor Stephan, Nick Wittgren, Parker and Sam Hentges covered 8 1/3 innings, striking out 13 and allowing just three runs, before the game entered the 10th.

Certainly a little offense could have overcome McKenzie’s short start. But the Indians, who scored seven runs on Friday, could do nothing against left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. He held them to three hits, including two by Harold Ramirez.

Kikuchi, who had to leave his last start when he was hit by a comebacker on his right knee, showed no ill effects against the Indians. After putting the leadoff batter on base in the first three innings, he cruised through seven scoreless innings.

In three starts against the Indians, Kikuchi has posted a 1.71 ERA (four runs in 21 innings) against them.

Hernandez started the rumblings of the late-inning rally when he homered with one out in the eighth for the Indians’ first run. It was his 10th homer of the season. Hernandez’s career high is 15 in 2018.

Next: RHP Logan Gilbert (1-2, 4.98) will face the Indians in the series finale Sunday. RHP Shane Bieber (7-3, 2.96) will start for the Indians. First pitch is 1:10 p.m. with Bally Sports Great Lakes, WTAM and WMMS carrying the game.