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NEW YORK – Corey Kluber won for the first time in nearly four months, pitching six white innings in his first outing against the team that helped him be a star, and the New York Yankees beat Cleveland 8-0 Friday night at the start of the Indian Series Finals in the Bronx.
Joey Gallo has scored twice and Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner and Giancarlo Stanton each for the Yankees, who tied their season record with five home runs.
With 14 games to go, New York edged Toronto by half a game for one of the two AL spots in a tight race that also includes Boston. The Yankees are just 30-37 against AL East, but 47-28 against other teams.
Kluber (5-3) allowed four hits, four strikeouts, two walks and hit a batter with a pitch, escaping trouble with two hits and no outs in the third and fifth innings. The 35-year-old right-hander was 98-58 for Indians from 2011-19, winning two AL Cy Young Awards.
Kluber missed most of 2019 and 20 with injuries and rebounded to throw a hit for the Yankees in Texas on May 19. He left his next outing with an outstretched right shoulder and didn’t return until August 30, then went 0-1 in his first two starts back.
He was masterful against the Indians, throwing 61 of 95 shots for catches while mixing 31 curve balls, 31 cutters, 16 pellets, 16 changes and a single fastball. The hitters were 0 for 6 against his cutter.
The Cleveland heads hitters have reached four of the first six innings, but New York’s much-maligned defense managed three double plays, two over the Grounders of Myles Straw and Franmil Reyes. New York hosted another when Bobby Bradley first strayed too far and was passed by Judge on the Harold Ramirez mid-right volley – Judge’s 10th assist this season.
Gallo brought his season tally to 37 home runs, connecting first against Zach Plesac (10-6) and back-to-back with Stanton in eighth against JC Mejia. Gallo is tied with Salvador Perez of Kansas City for the major-league lead with six multi-homer games. New York is 14-1, including the playoffs, when Judge and Stanton made a homer in the same game.
The judge hit his 35th in the fourth inning, and Gardner greeted Nick Wittgren with a three-run homer in a four-run seventh.
Cleveland lost for the eighth time in 10 games and tied their worst three-game season under .500 at 71-74.
Known as the Indians since 1915, Cleveland announced in July that it was changing its nickname for 2022 and will be known as the Guardians when the team arrives at Yankee Stadium on April 22.
Michael King (six strikeouts) and Lucas Luetge rounded out the four batters with perfect relief in New York’s 12th shutout, tied for second among AL teams behind Toronto’s 14.
Plesac allowed five runs and seven hits in over six innings.
GROOVES
Gallo led the Yankees in the second with a drive through the second bridge to the right. He has scored in his last four batting games and has seven in his last 13 games.
PRECARIOUS
New York’s loss to Baltimore on Thursday was the Yankees’ eighth in which they led in the final set.
IN VACATIONS
SS Indians Amed Rosario remain in the Dominican Republic for a family medical emergency.
TRAINERS ‘ROOM
Indians: Shane Bieber is likely to make another appearance in minor league rehab on Sunday after throwing 47 shots in 2 2/3 innings Tuesday for the Triple-A Columbus.
Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (Tommy John operation Feb. 27, 2020) kicked off simulated play on the field before batting practice and hit 96 mph. Manager Aaron Boone has said the 27-year-old may soon join the Yankees as a reliever in his first major league action since 2019. RHP Domingo German, who hasn’t pitched for the Yankees since July 31 in due to inflammation of the right shoulder, must make an appearance in rehabilitation in the minor leagues on Saturday. RHP Jameson Tallion (right ankle tendon) is due to launch a bullpen on Saturday. RHP Jonathan Loaisiga, absent since September 3 with an outstretched right shoulder, has started a throwing program. RHP Sal Romano was put on the 10-day IL with a sprained right index finger, a move retroactive to Wednesday, a day after reaching barehanded a comebacker in Baltimore. RHP Clarke Schmidt has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton / Wilkes-Barre.
FOLLOWING
Yankees RHP Luis Gil (1-0, 2.88 ERA) start Saturday against RHP Aaron Civale (10-4, 3.76).
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