NEW YORK (AP) - Mike Freeman found out Saturday night he was going to pick up a rare start in place of Cleveland Indians star infielder José Ramírez.
A couple of hours before Sunday’s game, the 32-year-old career minor leaguer took a walk out to an empty Monument Park in Yankee Stadium to check out the plaques of past Yankees greats.
Freeman looked like a star, too, on Sunday when he hit a three-run homer and two doubles as the Indians tamed the New York Yankees 8-4 for a four-game split between AL pennant contenders.
“That’s just baseball history right there,” said Freeman, who’s spent the bulk of his 10-year professional career in the minors with five organizations.
“My grandfather on my mom’s side was a huge baseball fan. I always loved the game early on and he was one that would save the clippings and was a big fan of the history of the game. He passed away many years ago. I think that’s where I get it from. I kind of do those type of things because I know how much he would appreciate it and want to do it,” he said.
Oscar Mercado homered and drove in three runs and Francisco Lindor also connected for Cleveland to back Mike Clevinger (8-2).
Clevinger struck out 10 in five shutout innings. He won his seventh straight decision, limiting New York to three hits and walking two.
A day after manager Aaron Boone, outfielder Brett Gardner and pitcher CC Sabathia were ejected for again ranting against umpires, it was a relatively quiet afternoon.
Miffed by a strike three call against rookie Mike Ford, Boone merely threw his hands up and walked down the dugout steps without saying a word.
Sabathia (5-7) came off the injured list after being out with knee tendinitis. He lasted only three innings, allowing four runs and four hits while walking three and striking out five.
Sabathia, ejected by umpire Phil Cuzzi the day before, bickered a bit with him behind the plate before Cleveland scored four times in the second.
Greg Allen plated the first run of the game on a grounder and then Freeman a drive into the Yankees bullpen for his fourth home run.
“Just a little rusty, but I felt really good,” Sabathia said.
It was the veteran lefty’s first start since July 27. Sabathia is 0-3 in his last five starts, and hasn’t won a game since June 24 against Toronto.
Lindor hit 21st homer off Nestor Cortes Jr. in the fourth. Mercado increased the lead 6-0 with an RBI single in the sixth and added a two-run homer, his 10th, in the eighth to make it 8-2.
New York’s streak of 207 consecutive games without being shut out was in danger until DJ LeMahieu connected a two-run shot in the seventh. It was his 21st.
The Yankees cut the deficit to 8-4 on a pair of run-scoring hits from LeMahieu and Aaron Judge off reliever Brad Hand in the ninth before he struck out Didi Gregorius and got Gio Urshela to fly out to end it.
PUIG’S POSE
Indians star Yasiel Puig provided a playful moment by copying - for a moment - an unusual batting stance from the Little League World Series that’s getting a lot of looks. Deivis Ordonez of Venezuela has drawn attention for his exaggerated crouch that leaves him nearly sitting down in the batter’s box. Puig mimicked the stance in his first at-bat, then straightened up before Sabathia threw the first pitch.
GOING BATTY
Boone said he talked to Gardner about the outfielder’s recent habit of banging the bat against the dugout roof to express displeasure with decisions by umpires. Gardner was ejected for doing that Saturday, and Boone suggested umps might be watching him in the future.
“We’ll try and not escalate situations, especially when there’s some contention, different than when we’re rallying or getting guys excited,” Boone said.
Boone said he hadn’t talked to anyone at MLB about “no, you hard and fast cannot” do what Gardner has been doing.
Gardner’s dent-dinging routine might be a new rally symbol for the team with the best record in the majors. When Judge singled in the third, he looked into the dugout and imitated grabbing a bat the way Gardner did a day earlier.
ON HIS WAY BACK
RHP Luis Severino (right shoulder inflammation) threw a 15-pitch simulated game with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Boone looking on. The 25-year-old, who is recuperating from an injured right rotator cuff, faced assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere, who hit a changeup back at him, and bullpen catcher Radley Hadaad shortly after going through a 25-pitch bullpen session.
“It’s something different. You want to visualize the batters at home plate that way they can see what’s going on,” said Severino, who has not appeared in a game this season after going 19-8 in 2018.
“You’re just not throwing at the mitt, they’re out there looking, making swings. So right there you know the progress you’re making, whether the pitches are moving,” he said.
Severino, who suffered a lat muscle injury in spring training, will report to Tampa, Florida, this week to continue his rehab program and is expected to throw in another simulated game. He said he hopes to make a start in “high” Class A before moving on to Double-A.
“You can tell just talking to Sevy how good he feels and this has been building now for a while where he’s starting to really start to gain some confidence in his mind about being sound, being sharp, being healthy and continuing to take these next steps,” Boone said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (broken right forearm) was pulled from his rehab start after one scoreless inning for Triple-A Columbus with abdominal tightness. He walked two. The two-time Cy Young Award winner will return to Cleveland for evaluation.
Yankees: 1B-DH Luke Voit will join (sports hernia) will join Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to continue his rehabilitation program. He’s expected to play in games beginning Thursday. … INF Thairo Estrada (strained right hamstring) was placed on a 10-day injured list. INF-OF Tyler Wade was recalled from Triple-A. … RHP Dellin Betances (right shoulder impingement) threw bullpen session and will head to Tampa, where he’ll have a ramped up bullpen session, throwing 15 and 10 pitches, respectively, in two separate sessions Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Indians: Shane Bieber (12-5, 3.27 ERA) continues Cleveland’s weeklong visit in New York City with the start of a three-game set at the Mets on Tuesday night.
Yankees: New York opens up a nine-game, three-city road trip at Oakland on Tuesday with Domingo Germán (16-2, 3.96 ERA) pitching the first of three games. He is 7-0 in eight starts since coming off the injured list on July 3.
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