Cleveland Indians Win 1-0 Over Minnesota; is it the Start to Another Win Streak?

The last time the Indians started a winning streak was May 10^th. That streak ended up being six games in a row and was the product of stellar starting pitching. Tuesday, Cleveland won its second game in a row 1-0 with the same formula. They hadn’t won back-to-back games since the 15^th of May, almost an entire month.  

C.C. Sabathia went the distance. Nine innings, five strikeouts, nary a walk, five hits, and something he’s only been credited with three other times this season—a win. In Sabathia’s four wins this season, two of them have been complete game shutouts, the other also a five hitter against the Oakland Athletics. Coincidentally, the last time the Indians had a winning streak, Sabathia was the guy winning the first game in that streak. 

He needed the shutout. Minnesota’s Scott Baker was almost as good, going seven innings, allowing eight hits and one run. Baker drops to 2-1 on the season. 

In the first inning, the Twins had their best scoring opportunity of the evening against C.C., but squandered it on a base-running blunder. Gomez singled to left and Casilla bunt singled, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Joe Mauer lined out to Ben Francisco in left, and the runners stayed put.

Morneau hit a fly-out to left and Gomez was running all the way. He rounded third just in time to see Francisco catch the ball and double him off of second, ending the inning. 

The lone run of the game came in the bottom half of the first inning. Grady Sizemore led off the game with an out. Francisco, the man responsible for all three out just moments prior, doubled to left. Victor Martinez flied out.

With two outs, Ryan Garko spanked a single into center, and speedy Francisco cruised home. Peralta flied out, ending the inning, but the one run would be all the Tribe needed on this evening.

The Twins put the lead-off man on in the top of the third on a Macri bunt single. It was the second bunt for a hit of the night. Sabathia countered by picking off Macri from first base for out number one, ending that threat.

The Twins had all five of their hits over by the top of the fourth, Sabathia yielding two in the first, and one hit in each of the next three innings. The fifth through the ninth did not yield a single base-runner for the Twins, via the hit or the walk.

Meanwhile the Indians had nine hits overall, but could only push the one run across for Sabathia.

Garko and Dellucci had a pair of hits apiece for the Indians. Sizemore, Francisco, Martinez, Blake, and Carrol each had one hit.

The Minnesota Twins are riding a six game losing streak.

Wednesday’s game pits Byrd against Blackburn. Game time is 7:05pm.