On a day meant for celebrating all the Indians accomplished last season, the Tribe quickly turned the page with a walk-off win for this year’s montage. In his long-awaited return to Cleveland, it was Michael Brantley who played the role of hero in Tuesday’s home opener at Progressive Field.
In a 2-1 win over the White Sox in 10 innings, Brantley slashed a pitch from righty Tommy Kahnle down the left-field line, scoring Francisco Lindor from first base. Brantley — who missed most of last season due to a right shoulder injury — raised his right arm skyward as he rounded second, and awaited a mob of teammates.
“I don’t know if you can write it up any better,” Brantley said. “I guess if you hit a home run, but we got a win. That’s all that matters. A lot of hard work went into this offseason. A lot of time away from my kids and my family.”
Kahnle said Brantley’s game-winner was a case of good hitting.
“That’s what we’re looking for,” Kahnle said. “[Catcher Geovany Soto] gave me a fastball outside and I basically hit my spot, but he put a good swing on it and they won the game.”
For Brantley, it was his fourth career walk-off hit, and the first of the year for a Cleveland club that had plenty in its run to the World Series last year. The Indians, who received their American League championship rings before the game, led the Majors last year with 11 walk-off wins from nine players.
“They worked so hard for it last year,” Brantley said. “We accomplished so much. Just to take a second and enjoy it and understand how hard they worked, we worked, to get there, I think is what’s most important. Now, it’s kind of past us now. It’s time to look forward to this season.”
The late heroics followed a pitchers’ duel between Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco and Chicago’s James Shields.
Over seven innings, Carrasco limited the White Sox to one run — courtesy of a Todd Frazier homer that rocketed out to left with an exit velocity of 110 mph in the fifth. Carrasco struck out seven and walked none. Shields, who has a 1.69 ERA on the young season, held the Indians to one run (via a first-inning homer from Lindor) over his 5 1/3 frames.
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