Corey Kluber only needed a half-hour in the car to get to Rangers Ballpark when he was a kid. If he ever imagined himself pitching a gem on the stadium’s mound, it was probably not as a visitor.
On Tuesday night, working in the kind of hot conditions in which he was raised, the hometown kid quieted Texas’ potent lineup. Kluber turned in a solid outing en route to a 5-2 victory for the Indians, helping the club pull even with the Rangers in the series and end its lengthy eight-game losing streak.
“I don’t think I’m used to it anymore,” Kluber said of the Texas heat. “I don’t know how we used to play two or three games a day in it.”
All the elements that had gone missing of late for the Tribe returned.
Kluber provided the club with a strong performance on the mound and the offense broke through when opportunities arose. The Indians, who have won just five of their past 21 games, also received a sampling of stellar defense. Kluber kept the infielders active with 14 outs on the ground created with a mix of sliders and cutters.
Indians manager Terry Francona raved about Kluber after the victory. Francona joked that he and pitching coach Mickey Callaway practically ran to Yankee Stadium last Wednesday because they were so excited to see Kluber taken on New York ace CC Sabathia. Kluber’s improvement has accelerated at a rapid pace lately, making it no surprise that he was the one who ended Cleveland’s losing streak.
“He’s getting better right in front of our eyes,” Francona said. “For him to go out there today and kind of shoulder that responsibility, we’re really proud of him.”
It is beginning to look like Kluber’s rough outing against the Tigers on May 10, when he allowed eight runs over 4 2/3 innings, is an aberration more than anything else. In his six starts since that setback, the right-hander has posted a 3.09 ERA with 37 strikeouts against six walks in 35 innings. Toss out that start against Detroit and Kluber has a 3.08 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in his other 10 appearances this season.
Indians third baseman Mark Reynolds pointed to Kluber’s Wednesday start in New York as a testament to how the pitcher is growing in ability. The Yankees plated six runs (four earned) in the first two innings, but Kluber quickly settled down and settled in, giving the Indians six innings with no more runs relinquished.
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