Five HRs power Indians past Yankees

The Associated Press
July 9, 2016 at 3:43AM
Cleveland Indians' Carlos Santana looks up as he crosses home plate after hitting a leadoff home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Aaron Josefczyk)
Cleveland slugger Carlos Santana looked up as he crossed home plate after his leadoff homer against the Yankees on Friday, the first of five home runs for the first-place Indians. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Mike Napoli hit one of five Cleveland home runs — a 462-foot blast that nearly hit the scoreboard in left field — and the host Indians routed the New York Yankees 10-2 on Friday night.

Napoli's two-run homer in the third inning landed near the top of the bleachers, a few feet below the scoreboard, for his 18th homer of the season.

Cleveland's five home runs marked a season high, with three coming in the first inning. Jason Kipnis homered twice while Carlos Santana and Lonnie Chisenhall also hit home runs.

Corey Kluber (9-8) gave up one run — Brian McCann's homer — in eight innings. Kluber gave up five hits, struck out eight and didn't walk a batter.

Rookie Chad Green (1-2) allowed all four homers and was charged with seven runs in 4⅓ innings.

Mark McGwire, playing for Oakland, is the only player to hit the scoreboard in the ballpark's 22-year history on April 30, 1997. Jim Thome hit the longest home run, traveling 511 feet, on July 3, 1999.

The AL-Central leading Indians bounced back from Thursday's 5-4 loss that ended when a replay review overturned a call that would have loaded the bases with two outs.

Cleveland left no doubt about Friday's game.

Santana and Kipnis started the first with home runs, coming on Green's first eight pitches. Chisenhall added a two-run homer.

Napoli's fifth-inning single gave him three RBI while Kipnis homered again in the seventh.

McCann homered in the sixth for the Yankees, who are 3-5 on a 10-game trip going into the All-Star break.

Toronto 6, Detroit 0: J.A. Happ and two relievers combined on a seven-hit shutout, Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run home run and the host Blue Jays extended their season-high winning streak to seven games by beating the Tigers.

Seattle 3, Kansas City 2: The Mariners scored two runs on a wild pitch and a rhowing error by catcher Salvador Perez and held on to beat the host Royals. Hisashi Iwakuma pitched 6⅔ innings for Seattle.

Boston 6, Tampa Bay 5: David Ortiz hit his 21st home run of the year, Bryce Brentz had two hits and broke a tie with an RBI single in the sixth and the host Red Sox beat the Rays.

National League

Miami 3, Cincinnati 1: Jose Fernandez gave up an unearned run and struck out eight in seven innings to help the host Marlins over the Reds. Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips suffered a hairline fracture on his left hand when he was hit by a pitch.

Pittsburgh 8, Chicago 4: Andrew McCutchen had three hits, including an RBI single during a decisive four-run seventh inning, as the host Pirates rallied for a rare victory over the Cubs and Jake Arrieta, who entered with a 9-1 career record against Pittsburgh.

Washington 3, New York 1: Mets stars Yoenis Cespedes and Noah Syndergaard left their home loss to the Nationals because of injuries. Cespedes was pulled after three innings because of a strained right quadriceps. Syndergaard exited in the fifth due to arm fatigue that was not elbow-related, the Mets said.

St. Louis at Milwaukee, late: Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha left in the seventh inning after being struck on the lower right leg by a low liner off the bat of Jonathan Villar.

Interleague

Atlanta at Chicago White Sox, late: The White Sox became the first team in the majors to turn three triple plays in a season since the 1979, turning one in the third inning vs. the Braves. With Chase d'Arnaud on second base and Gordon Beckham on first, Atlanta's Freddie Freeman hit a soft liner off Chicago's Chris Sale that rookie shortstop Tim Anderson trapped. Anderson tagged d'Arnaud as he tried to retreat to second for the first out. Anderson stepped on second to force out Beckham, then threw to first baseman Jose Abreu to get Freeman.

Notes

• The Nationals put first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list because of a left rib cage strain and sent prized pitching prospect Lucas Giolito to Class AAA Syracuse.


New York Mets center fielder Yoenis Cespedes is unable to reach a fly ball by Washington Nationals' Daniel Murphy in the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 8, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
New York Mets center fielder Yoenis Cespedes is unable to reach a fly ball by Washington Nationals' Daniel Murphy in the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 8, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Seattle Mariners' Robinson Cano (22) scores on an error by Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, right, during the sixth inning of a baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, July 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Seattle’s Robinson Cano scored following an error by Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez on Friday night. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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