Game #3 Observations: Carrasco Makes a Successful Return as Indians Bats Come to Life in 9-2 Win over Royals

Led by 10 K's for Carlos Carrasco the Indians topped the Kansas City Royals 9-2 at Progressive Field Sunday, taking two of three from their AL Central rivals. The Indians pounded out 13 hits in the win, and Jose Ramirez hit a pair of homers to lead the team's offense, which scored just two runs apiece in the first two games.

CLEVELAND - The Indians first weekend back playing baseball against someone other than each other could be deemed a success, as the team was one run away from a sweep of the Royals, but did enough to take two of three over Kansas City.

Sunday at Progressive Field the Tribe, led by the return of starter Carlos Carrasco, took care of the Royals with a solid 9-2 win.

It was a day when the bats finally came alive, as the team put up 13 hits, and Jose Ramirez got the first two Indians homers of the shortened 2020 season.

Carrasco was the story through, as he was poised and focused, breezing through the Royals order retiring the first 10 batters he faced until Adalberto Mondesi doubled with one out in the fourth.

He lasted six innings, striking out 10 and allowing two runs on five hits with a walk. He threw 87 pitches, 62 of which were strikes.

The win puts the Tribe at 2-1 on the young season, and the team will play host over the next three days to the AL Central rival Chicago White Sox, who will come to Cleveland with a mark of 1-2.

Here’s some observations on the Indians first series winning game of 2020, and a peek to the action Monday against the Sox.

Carrasco Dominant in Return

Carlos Carrasco probably wasn’t sure if he would ever see this day, a day in which his warmup music “Summer of 69” by Bryan Adams blared from the Progressive Field sound system as he got ready to go to battle.

It’s been a long time back for Carrasco, but Sunday was a successful return as he led the Tribe to a solid 9-2 win.

“I thought he established his fastball early, and when he does that comes the offspeed and that really gave them a hard time,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Carrasco on the day struck out 10, he allowed two runs on five hits with a walk and 10 K’s. He threw 87 pitches, 62 of which were strikes.

Part of the task for Carrasco Sunday was just to keep his emotions in check after not starting a game for the Indians in over a year.

He did a solid job of that, and keeping his breaking pitches sharp he was able to keep the Royals guessing all afternoon.

“My emotion was good, really strong today, my lsat start was May 30th, so I wait for this moment, I feel really good, keeping my emotions down, just thinking of how I am going to pitch, even just getting here (to the park) this morning,” Carrasco said.

“It was a curveball, between curveball and changeup, I know those guys for the first two games were really aggressive.”

Carrasco was able to establish his fastball early, and then from there he turned it over to the breaking pitches, which was able to keep him in the game for six innings and amass 10 strikeouts of Royals batters.

“I think I have gone through a lot, I think about different things, I always think about something good, that’s what I did, even with my last start, my command was really good, and it was different facing a different team and I was really more aggressive,” Carrasco said.

The effort for Carrasco was not lost on his teammates, as outfielder/DH Franmil Reyes who went 1-for-3 with the team’s first RBI said it was emotional seeing Carrasco out there after what he went through in 2019.

“Seeing him there today and doing a great job, it made me feel happy for him, especially with the tough year he had last year, honestly I feel great,” Reyes said.

Carlos Carrasco, Filthy 84mph Slider. 🍪 pic.twitter.com/uBJYDsyVp6

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 26, 2020

Ramirez Gets the “O” Going

The Indians scored a pair in the first and another pair in the third to take a 4-0 edge, but it wasn’t until Jose Ramirez’s first homer of the game in the fourth, a three-run blast, that the team was able to really put the game away.

Ramirez wasn’t done, as he came up again in the 6th inning and hit a solo blast, giving the Indians an 8-2 lead.

The first homer for Ramirez traveled 382 feet, the second 394.

Y'all cool if we post another José Ramírez homer?#OurTribe pic.twitter.com/4nUOAijNeq

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 26, 2020

Having a hot hitting Ramirez to start 2020 is a welcome sight to the Indians, as last season he got off to an awful start, and while he did hit in the second half, he also got hurt and was shutdown in September.

“I was able to execute today and have a clear plan, and everything came out a success,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez after his second homer Sunday in the Indians 9-2 win over the Royals

The offense as a whole put up 13 hits, and were 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

It was a far cry from the lack of success the team had on Saturday when against the Royals they struck out 15 times.

“I thought we came out with really good energy, after a tough day yesterday and a tough loss, we knew it was going to be a hot one, and we came out with really good energy, good intent, and kind of kept that,” Francona said.

How’s That For a Hot Start?

Three days of baseball at Progressive Field, three days of tremendous pitching performances from three Tribe starters.

Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger and now Carlos Carrasco all combined to look like Cy Young candidates in their first starts of 2020, as the three were dominant in their outings against the Royals.

The three combined to throw 19 innings, allowing 12 hits, four runs, 30 strikeouts and two walks.

‘“We got a good rotation, you guys know and we know we strike out a lot of people, that’s what happened today I got 10 strikeouts, I just need to command my pitches,” Carrasco said.

Bieber: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 14 K, 1 BB. Clevinger: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 0 BB. Carrasco: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 10 K, 1 BB.

So what outing was the most impressive of the three? That’s a great question, and one that you can bet will be argued unti the three each make another start which should come for Beiber on Wednesday against the White Sox, Clevinger Thursday in Minnesota, and Carrasco Friday in Minnesota against the Twins.

Perez Sets a Record

Indians relief pitcher Oliver Perez came into the game for the Indians in the top of the 7th, replacing starter Carlos Carrasco.

Perez in his effort reached a milestone, as now officially in his 18th Major League season, he’s set a new mark for seasons for a Mexican-born player.

The relief pitcher made his debut in June of 2002 with the San Diego Padres, and since then has pitched for eight teams (Mets, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Padres, Astros, Mariners, Nationals, Indians).

In his time with the Indians starting in 2018, Perez has appeared in more games with the Tribe than with any other team he’s been with, as entering the 2020 season he’s gone to the mound 118 times.

Perez set a record for Mexican born players Sunday as he threw in his 18th Major League Season

In his now 18-year career Perez is 72-91, with a 4.38 ERA. He was a starter from 2002 to 2010, and in 2008 he led the National League with 34 starts for the Mets, going 10-7 with a 4.22 ERA.

Starting in 2012 with the Seattle Mariners Perez became a relief pitcher, and in his career out of the pen he’s recorded four saves, including one with the Tribe in 2019.

Looking Ahead

The Chicago White Sox, who made a number of offseason pickups that many think will put them in the hunt in the AL Central, will be in town for the first of three with the Indians starting on Monday.

The two teams will play 10 times total in 2020, with the first three in Cleveland followed by three games in Chicago August 7th, 8th, and 9th.

The teams will meet again for four games in Cleveland in late September, playing the 21st through the 24th.

Here’s the way the series with the Sox lines up:

Mon, July 27 v Chicago-AL RHP Aaron Civale (-, --) vs. RHP Dylan Cease(--) 7:10PM SportsTime Ohio/WTAM/WMMS/Indians Radio Network

Tue, July 28 v Chicago-AL RHP Zach Plesac (-, ---) vs. RHP Carlos Rodón(--) 7:10PM SportsTime Ohio/WTAM/WMMS/Indians Radio Network

Wed, July 29 v Chicago-AL RHP Shane Bieber (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Lucas Giolito (---, 17.18) 6:10PM SportsTime Ohio/WTAM/WMMS/Indians Radio Network