According to press reports, Indians pitcher Danny Salazar is still not fully over the flu bug he caught last week, forcing him to delay his turn in the starting rotation. But the only thing sick about Salazar in Toronto yesterday night was his command of the strike zone, as the righty struck out ten Blue Jays over seven innings, while scattering six hits and walking only one batter. And although the Indians’ bats weren’t quite as loud as they’d been in recent days, they got a few big hits when they needed them. The result? A satisfying 4-2 victory over the Blue Jays.

The only rocky inning for Salazar was the fifth, when back-to-back two-out singles set the table for Jays slugger Josh Donaldson, who then tripled to deep right field, giving the Jays a 2-1 lead. The Tribe bounced back in the seventh, when Carlos Santana scored from first on a Ryan Raburn double. Raburn alertly took third on the throw to the plate, then scored the go-ahead run when Jerry Sands singled to left. They tacked on an insurance run in the ninth thanks in large part to a throwing error by Donaldson.

Tribe closer Cody Allen got a four-out save. With two out in the bottom of the ninth, the Jays brought the winning run to the plate in toe form of Donaldson, he of the league-leading 108 RBI, but Allen struck him out swinging to end the game.

The win was the Tribe’s sixth in a row, and gave them a 16-12 record for the month of August. The Texas Rangers fell to the San Diego Padres, thus enabling the Indians to gain a game in the race for the second wild card spot. They are now four games off the pace. One month ago they were eight games back. If they can gain four games in August, who’s to say they can’t gain four or more in September? It’s a long shot, to be sure, but things sure look a lot brighter for the Indians than they did a month ago.

6 Comments

  • Travis Herr says:

    This is just like the tribe to start to build our hopes up.

    I anticipate a 4 game losing streak in the middle of the month when the hope has gotten so high so that the fall hurts that much more.

    • Peter says:

      I can tell you are from Cleveland! The pain never goes away.

      I was laughing during the broadcast last night. Matt was feeling sorry for the Toronto fans because it had been so long since they won back to back World series in the 90’s.

      uh, Hello? You get out of the country and forget all about us?

    • Michael Strozewski says:

      I predict they will do something stupid like sweep one of the best teams in baseball right now, the Jays, and then go to Detroit and drop a big fat smelly dump all over Comerica Park because even though the Tigers suck right now, they still have Cleveland’s owner’s manual.

      • Peter says:

        LMAO! That’s my worst nightmare. My office is in Detroit and they have been quiet recently. I’d like to keep it that way! I think tonight will be tough to win with Anderson pitching. he has looked ‘vulnerable’ lately!

        • Michael Strozewski says:

          If they win one of the next two I’ll be tickled pink. Tonight figures to be a 9-6 type of game, definitely take the over if you’re laying bets on this one. And Bauer scares the hell out of me in the last game. I love that guy but he is too much of a Jekyll and Hyde pitcher lately. The Jays will definitely make him pay if he decides to walk a bunch of guys.

          • Peter says:

            it’s not the walks that bother me about Bauer. It seems that he grooves a fastball down the middle when things don’t go his way or he gets mad. That ball can leave in a hurry!