CLEVELAND: The Indians won a game Monday night but might have lost a bigger battle in the process.
Sparked by a five-run first inning, the Indians took down the Tampa Bay Rays 8-7 at Progressive Field. Starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, however, had to exit the game in the fourth inning after experiencing left pectoral tightness.
Carrasco struggled for the first time this season, allowing runs in each of the first four innings. After allowing an RBI single to Brad Miller with two outs in the fourth, which cut the Indians’ lead to 7-4, Carrasco was visited on the mound by manager Terry Francona and head athletic trainer James Quinlan and was removed from the game.
Carrasco is off to a hot start in 2017, entering Monday’s outing with a 4-2 record, a 1.86 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 48⅓ innings.
The Indians’ three-run lead was quickly cut to 7-5 after Carrasco’s exit and Nick Goody’s entrance on an RBI double by Evan Longoria.
From there, though, the bullpen managed to hold on despite some shaky moments. Goody, Boone Logan (1-0), Bryan Shaw, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen (10 saves) combined to throw 5⅓ innings while allowing two runs.
Miller entered with the tying runs on base and one out in the seventh, and struck out Rickie Weeks and Derek Norris to end the inning.
In the eighth, he allowed his first run of the season, though it was due in part to an errant decision and throw by Jose Ramirez. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Longoria grounded a ball to Ramirez, who instead of stepping on third, tried for the double play and threw to second. His throw pulled Jason Kipnis off the bag, who was able to apply the tag but was not able to turn the double play.
A few pitches later, Logan Morrison hit a sacrifice fly to center field, cutting the Indians’ lead to 7-6 and ending Miller’s scoreless streak at 18⅓ innings to start the season.
Carrasco wasn’t the only Indians player to leave the game early. Abraham Almonte left after four innings after aggravating a right biceps strain, with Daniel Robertson taking his place. Almonte felt a pinch in his shoulder area last week but had been cleared to play this weekend.
Offensively, the Indians (20-17) put another positive night between them and their slump to start the month of May. Trailing 1-0 and facing Rays ace Chris Archer (3-2), Carlos Santana hit an RBI single to left-center field in the first inning to tie it.
Edwin Encarnacion, hitting fifth in the lineup for the first time this season, then grounded into what was nearly an inning-ending double play. But he was safe at first by half a step, which allowed Michael Brantley, who had walked earlier in the inning, to score.
Lonnie Chisenhall blew the inning open two batters later, drilling a towering three-run home run to right field to put the Indians on top 5-1.
Almonte opened the second inning with a triple off the wall in left-center field. He later scored on a throwing error by Norris. In the third, Yan Gomes continued his torrid May by doubling high off the left-field wall to score Ramirez from first.
Francisco Lindor belted a solo home run — his team-leading ninth of the season — to right field in the eighth off Jumbo Diaz to push the Indians’ lead to 8-6.
The Rays answered in the ninth, making it 8-7 on Peter Bourjos’ solo home run off Allen with two outs. Allen recovered to record his 10th save, getting Norris to pop out in foul territory.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ.