Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Carlos Santana and David Murphy homered to
support a strong return start from Carlos Carrasco in the Cleveland Indians’
6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Taking the mound one week after being struck in the jaw by Melky Cabrera’s
line drive in the opening inning of an eventual losing decision to the White
Sox, Carrasco (2-1) struck out eight while yielding just one run — a Jose
Abreu solo homer — over five successful innings.
Ryan Raburn contributed two hits — including a pinch-hit, two-run single —
to the win, while Michael Brantley went 2-for-4 with an RBI to help Cleveland
rebound from a ninth-inning collapse that resulted in a 4-3 setback in
Monday’s opener of this three-game series.
Abreu added an RBI single for the White Sox, but prized pitching prospect
Carlos Rodon turned in a dud in his major league debut.
Rodon, the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft who was called up from
Triple-A Charlotte Monday, walked three and surrendered two runs in 2 1/3
innings in relief of Hector Noesi.
Noesi (0-2) was charged with four runs and served up both Cleveland homers
over 5 2/3 innings of work.
Noesi, who walked six over 4 2/3 innings in losing his season debut to
Minnesota on April 10, was very sharp early on. The right-hander retired 11 of
the first 12 Cleveland hitters, with Santana’s wall-clearing blast that tied
the game at 1-1 in the second inning the lone blemish.
Abreu had given the White Sox an early lead by hammering a slider deep into
the seats in left center in the bottom of the first, the only one of Chicago’s
first five batters that Carrasco didn’t strike out.
Murphy’s leadoff shot in the fifth sent the Indians ahead, and singles by
Jason Kipnis and Brantley an inning later helped chase Noesi and bring on
Rodon with runners at the corners and two down in the sixth.
The 22-year-old rookie didn’t fare well in the tough spot, walking Brandon
Moss on four pitches and falling behind Raburn before the pinch hitter laced a
single to left that brought in Kipnis and Brantley for a 4-1 advantage.
Rodon’s control problems continued in the seventh, as he walked the first two
hitters and both ended up crossing the plate. A sacrifice bunt and Kipnis’
flyout brought home Roberto Perez prior to Brantley singling in Jose Ramirez
and extending the margin to 6-1.
Carrasco, meanwhile, concluded his stint by setting down his final eight
hitters, and the White Sox didn’t threaten again until consecutive singles by
Adam Eaton, Cabrera and Abreu against Zach McAllister produced a run in the
eighth.
Indians closer Cody Allen, torched for four ninth-inning runs in Monday’s
game, finished out the contest by fanning two in a spotless frame.
Game Notes
Only 29 of Rodon’s 60 pitches went for strikes … Indians hurlers combined
for 15 strikeouts on the night, with Chicago catcher Tyler Flowers going 0-
for-4 with three K’s … Carrasco had gone 34 consecutive innings without
giving up a home run prior to Abreu’s shot … Eaton and Cabrera both went 2-
for-4 … Raburn now has eight hits and six RBI in 14 at-bats during a five-
game hitting streak.
