The first baseman started out with three homers and 11 RBI back in April, jumping to 6 home runs and 14 RBI in May, to 7 home runs and 17 RBI in June.
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Carlos Carrasco shook off a swarm of bugs to beat the Houston Astros 6-5 at Progressive Field. Houston is battling for the second wildcard spot in the American League and the Indians, who lead the AL Central by 5 1/2 games, are trying to hold off second place Detroit to win the division for the first time since 2007.
Carrasco appeared to get one of the pesky bugs in his eye on his first pitch to Yulieski Gurriel. A trainer made a brief visit to the mound to assist Carrasco, who gave up a single on the next pitch.
The Indians, who couldn’t score on Peacock in the first despite opening with a single and double, got a run back in the second on Tyler Naquin’s RBI groundout.
Cody Allen finished the game for his 25th save.
“Those are situations you don’t like them all the time but in hindsight you enjoy them”, Allen said.
“He’s a good hitter, and he found the barrel against a really good pitcher”, Hinch said. The Indians scored an unearned run in the ninth and got the tying run to second before Ken Giles, Houston’s fifth reliever, recorded his ninth save.
The loss cost Houston a chance to gain ground in the AL wild card race. Napoli hit his 31st homer a 433-foot blast three-quarters of the way up the bleachers in left field. Barring a torrid finish to the season, he’ll have to wait for next year to surpass Rod Carew at 3,053 hits.
“The whole fifth inning was a mess from the get go”, said Hinch.
Indians’ relievers combined to thrown two scoreless innings, scattering three hits and a walk while striking out two. “We needed some guys to get some outs, but I didn’t have a lot of guys available (out of the bullpen)”.
Lindor was 3 for 4 for his 23rd three-hit game, a major league high.
Mike Clevinger will start for the Indians in Minnesota on Saturday.
In the eighth, Andrew Miller didn’t bury one of his trademark sliders and paid for it, as Gurriel slugged a two-run shot, to left field to slice the Indians’ lead to 6-5.
Shortstop Carlos Correa joined him Wednesday after experiencing left shoulder inflammation, but Hinch is “optimistic” that the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year will be able to play this weekend against the Cubs. Josh Tomlin, removed from the rotation last week, will also be available. In four career starts against the Astros he is 4-0 with a 0.67 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 27 innings.
Indians: C Yan Gomes (separated right shoulder) caught five innings Wednesday for Triple-A Columbus. This will be Paulino’s debut, and he’s put up a nice 2.00 ERA with a 10.6 K/9 average in 90 innings of work in the minor leagues.
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Astros: RHP Doug Fister looks to bounce back after being tagged for seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings against Texas on September 2.
