Indians manager Terry Francona said before the game he anticipated a tough pitchers duel, with Tribe starter Justin Masterson set to face Tampa Bay Rays ace David Price on Sunday afternoon.
He was wrong, but he'll take it--after two shutout losses to the Rays, the Tribe routed Price and the Rays, 13-0, as Masterson was equally dominant on the pitching front.
The Indians hit five home runs, two from Mark Reynolds. Price finished with a surprising pitching line of five innings, eight earned runs off 10 hits. The Cy Young Award winner struck out just three Indians while walking as many.
Opposite him, Masterson went seven strong innings of scoreless ball. He struck out eight Rays batters, walking just three, as his ERA improved to 0.69 through two starts this season.
After throwing up zeroes in the first two games of the series, the Tribe seemed determine to get on the board and continue producing throughout the game. The team hit 7-18 with runners on scoring position, a far cry from the offensive woes which plagued the team through the first two games in Tampa.
Capitalizing on 12 extra-base hits and flawless defense, the Tribe added five more runs against the Rays bullpen. Even Fernando Rodney, who'd finished with an incredible 0.60 ERA as the team's primary closer last year, struggled--in two-thirds an inning, the Indians managed two runs on three hits, including a two-run blast from Carlos Santana, his second of the year.
After a six-game road trip to start the year, the Tribe will host their home opener on Monday against the New York Yankees. With an even 3-3 record, the Tribe will hope to fare well against an aged, injury-laden Yankee squad, which comes in with a 2-4 record.
AL Central Scores for Sunday, April 7, 2013
New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers: 7-0
Minnesota Twins @ Baltimore Orioles: 4-3
Kansas City Royals @ Philadelphia Phillies: 9-8
Cleveland Indians @ Tampa Bay Rays: 13-0
Seattle Mariners @ Chicago White Sox: 4-3
AL Central Standings for April 8, 2013
Chicago White Sox:...4-2….0 games back
Minnesota Twins:...…4-2....0 games back
Detroit Tigers:...….…3-3....1.0 games back
Cleveland Indians...…3-3....1.0 games back
Kansas City Royals:...3-3…1.0 games back
AL Central Schedule for Monday, April 8
New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians - 4:05 p.m.
Minnesota Twins @ Kansas City Royals - 4:10 p.m.
All times in eastern standard.
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