(SportsNetwork.com) – A pair of unbeaten hurlers square off on Sunday
afternoon in Cleveland as the Indians and Toronto Blue Jays conclude a four-
game series.
Trevor Bauer will start today for the Indians and is 2-0 with a 1.80 earned
run average through four starts. He won his first two outings before posting
back-to-back no-decisions.
The right-hander had his most recent start pushed back to last Tuesday versus
Kansas City due to food poisoning and gave up a season-high three runs over
six innings. He did not get a decision in his club’s 11-5 loss.
Bauer, 24, has never faced the Blue Jays and has fanned 28 in 25 innings.
Toronto’s Drew Hutchison also has yet to suffer a loss this season despite
lasting less than five innings in three of his five starts. In those three
games, the righty has allowed 17 earned runs, but the Blue Jays have countered
with 28 runs.
Hutchison was solid with eight innings of two-run ball to beat Baltimore on
April 23, but yielded six runs, allowed nine hits and walked five over four-
plus frames in a no-decision at Boston on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old, who is 2-0 with a 6.67 ERA, gave up two runs over 5 1/3
innings in his lone previous start against Cleveland, getting a no-decision.
The Blue Jays are closing out a 10-game road trip today and are 3-6 on the
swing. They grabbed the edge in this set on Saturday with an 11-4 victory that
was led by Jose Bautista’s four RBI.
Edwin Encarnacion drove in a pair of runs and Russell Martin was 3-for-5 with
a solo home run and two runs scored for the Blue Jays. Aaron Sanchez allowed
two runs on four hits while walking six and striking out five in 5 2/3
innings.
“It came against a tough pitcher but we were able to grind out some at-bats,”
Toronto coach John Gibbons said.
Gibbons was referring to Cleveland’s Corey Kluber, who fell to 0-4 with the
loss. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was touched for five runs on eight
hits over five-plus innings.
Jason Kipnis went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored for the Indians, who have
dropped six of their last eight.
Outfielder Michael Bourn was scratched from Saturday’s lineup due to a neck
strain suffered on Friday. His status for this game is unknown.
“He’s doing better,” Tribe manager Terry Francona told his team’s website
following Saturday’s loss. “I think he’ll be good to go tomorrow. His neck was
stiff. He was examined and everything. I think we thought that one day would
do him a lot of good.”
Bourn has struggled to a .202 average in 21 games this season with five RBI
and a pair of stolen bases.
The Indians went 2-4 against the Blue Jays last season.
