Cleveland Indians Sweep Rays, Homestand and Month of June

The Cleveland Indians beat the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 6-1 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep and win their sixth in a row. It was also the Tribe’s 11th straight win at home, which is the longest in the majors this year. The Indians also finished the month of June off going 11-0 at home for their first undefeated month at home in club history (minimum 10 games).  The win also moved the Indians to 11 games over .500 on the season at 41-30 while the loss dropped the Rays to 31-39.

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Trevor Bauer picked up right where Corey Kluber left off the night before as he flat out dominated the Rays in route to his first complete game of the season. Bauer went nine innings allowing just a single run on three hits. He walked just one while striking out 10 to move to 5-2 on the season with the win and dropping his ERA to 3.20. The lone blemish on Bauer’s magnificent night came in the 7th inning when he issued his first and only walk to Brad Miller. After a one-out double to Logan Morrison and a strikeout of Desmond Jennings, Corey Dickerson drove home Miller on an infield single. At one point in the game, Bauer retired 16 Rays’ hitters in a row.

The Tribe offense jumped on Rays’ starter Chris Archer early and staked Bauer to an early lead. After a leadoff walk to Carlos Santana, second baseman Jason Kipnis smacked a 415-foot home run to center field to make it 2-0 Indians. It was his ninth home run of the season. Later in the inning, Jose Ramirez made it 3-0 Tribe on an RBI single to score Francisco Lindor. Santana would make it 4-0 Indians in the bottom of the 4th inning on an RBI double to center to score Lonnie Chisenhall.

Santana would add another RBI in the bottom of the 7th on a single to left field to score Tyler Naquin and make it 5-1 Indians. Two batters later, Lindor would make it 6-1 Indians on a sacrifice fly that scored Santana. The Tribe collected nine hits on the night, making it just the second time on the homestand they did not reach double-digit hits (eight hits on Friday).

Next: Trevor Bauer Continues to Impress This Season

The Indians will enjoy an off day Thursday, their last before the All-Star break, before heading to Detroit to take on the Tigers Friday night at Comerica Park. Danny Salazar (8-3, 2.23 ERA) will get the start for the Tribe as they begin a 10-game road trip. Righty Jordan Zimmerman (9-3, 3.24) will get the start for the Tigers in the series opener. The Indians will look to extend their three-game division lead over the Kansas City Royals before heading off to Atlanta and Toronto to finish the road trip.