Rare klunker for Kluber in Indians’ loss
Corey Kluber had a rare rocky performance, lasting just five innings and losing for the first time in seven starts as Kyle Gibson outpitched the Cy Young winner and Brian Dozier hit a two-run homer to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 6-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.
Kluber (10-3) allowed a homer on his fourth pitch of the game to Eddie Rosario and was pulled after throwing just 65 pitches by manager Terry Francona.
It was the shortest outing this season for the All-Star, who came in 5-0 with a 0.76 ERA against AL Central teams and was riding several other impressive streaks.
Gibson (2-4) limited the Indians to one run and three hits in seven innings and got his first win since his season debut on March 31.
Yan Gomes homered in the ninth and the Indians closed to 6-3 before closer Fernando Rodney struck out Francisco Lindor with one on for his 15th save.
The Twins came into the series struggling at the plate and figured to have a tough time with Kluber, who has been as dominant this season as any stretch of his career and was seeking to become baseball’s first 11-game winner.
Kluber, though, wasn’t Kluber.
With Joe Mauer returning from the disabled list after missing 25 games with a strained neck and concussion-like symptoms, Minnesota manager Paul Molitor dropped Dozier from the leadoff spot to No. 5 and the second baseman responded with his two-run homer in the fourth and three RBIs.
Lindor had two more errors, giving the Indians All-Star shortstop 10 this season, tying his total from 2017.
Dozier put the Twins ahead 4-0 in the fourth inning, when Kluber allowed his first walk in seven starts.
More injuries for Angels: The Los Angeles Angels lost four more players to the disabled list Friday, putting the club’s total at a franchise-record 15 players on the DL at one time.
Infielder Zack Cozart went on the DL with a partially dislocated left shoulder, while right-hander Jim Johnson has a lower back strain; right-hander Garrett Richards is nursing a strained left hamstring; and right-hander Nick Tropeano has inflammation in his pitching shoulder.
Meanwhile, Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani is taking some one-handed swings as the Angels wait out his sprained elbow to be re-evaluated in a few weeks.
The timeline for Richards, plagued by injuries the past two seasons that limited him to 12 total starts over 2016 and ’17, to return is unclear, though manager Mike Scioscia said the injury is considered mild. “Hamstrings,” he said, “they’re a different animal.”