Nick Swisher threw his arms out at his sides, glided around first base and soaked in the cheers that surrounded him. Launching a walk-off grand slam was as satisfying an end to a day as the Indians’ designated hitter could have imagined.
On his way to the ballpark Thursday morning, Swisher was caught in a heavy traffic jam that threw off his normal routine. In his first four at-bats against the Angels, he struck out three times and heard boos from the frustrated Tribe faithful. It was all forgotten in the 10th inning of Cleveland’s 5-3 triumph.
“One at-bat can turn a whole day around,” Swisher said with a wide smile.
This is the Swisher the Indians had in mind when they brought his steady bat and contagious energy to Cleveland prior to last season. Twice in the past four games, he has belted a game-deciding blast for the Indians, giving hints that he might be on the cusp of prying himself from a three-month slump in the batter’s box.
Swisher’s 11th-inning home run on Sunday in Boston helped the Indians end their last road trip on a high note. His grand slam off Ernesto Frieri in the 10th inning on Thursday took things to another level. After Justin Masterson and Cleveland’s bullpen kept the contest close, Swisher’s final swing overcame a late Angels rally and upped the Indians’ record at home to a Major League-best 23-12.
“I’ve never hit a walk-off grand slam before,” Swisher said. “Man, I’m a little giddy right now.”
It marked the sixth walk-off win for Cleveland (37-36) this season. All of them have come within the past 17 home games, during which the Indians have gone 13-4 in front of their fans at Progressive Field. The walk-off grand slam was the first for the Tribe since Travis Hafner’s game-winning shot against the Blue Jays on July 7, 2011.
“I don’t know what the science is behind it,” Masterson said of Cleveland’s propensity for heroics at home. “But in sports in general, it’s the home-field advantage. We just seem to like it that much more, feel a little extra comfortable.”
Cleveland’s comfort level helped the club brush off the Angels’ late push.
In the top of the 10th inning, Angels slugger Albert Pujols beat the Tribe’s pull-oriented defensive shift with a chopper through the right side of the infield. The base hit off Indians reliever Scott Atchison scored both Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout, giving his squad a 3-1 advantage. As Pujols ran up the first-base line, he pumped his fist as he looked to the visitors’ dugout.
After Masterson and Angels lefty C.J. Wilson were each masterful for seven innings, it looked like the Angels finally had their break. All they had managed against Masterson was a lone run on a wild pitch, while Cleveland’s only breakthrough against Wilson came via a run-scoring groundout from Michael Bourn. There were plenty of baserunners, though the two clubs stranded a combined 15.
“It was just a battle the whole time for everybody,” said Masterson, who allowed four hits, walked three, hit one batter and threw 116 pitches.
That struggle just made Cleveland’s comeback more dramatic.
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