CLEVELAND (AP) - José Ramírez homered from both sides of the plate and drove in four runs, and the Cleveland Indians routed the Cincinnati Reds 13-0 on Thursday night.
Ramírez hit a solo drive batting from the left side against Luis Castillo in the first inning. He connected again during Cleveland’s 10-run seventh, belting a two-run drive off left-hander Cody Reed.
Ramírez also homered from both sides of the plate during a 9-2 victory over Kansas City on July 26. According to STATS, he is the first player in major league history to accomplish the feat twice within his team’s first 15 games of the season.
“We’ve heard people say the Indians aren’t going to hit, but we know we’re going to be good for the rest of the season,” Ramírez said. “We have a very good group of hitters. As long as we do our job, we know the pitchers are going to do theirs and we’ll be fine.”
César Hernández had the big blow in the seventh, clearing the bases with a three-run double. Franmil Reyes added a two-run single, helping Cleveland reach double-digits in an inning for the first time since Sept. 28, 2018 at Kansas City.
Ramirez also had an RBI triple in the third and scored four times. He was named the MVP of the annual Ohio Cup series after driving in six runs during the four-game set, one more than Cincinnati’s total.
“Our team doesn’t need a wake-up call, we just need to play better, and we will,” Reds manager David Bell said. “Nobody likes to get beat whether it’s by one run or by any score, they all count the same.”
Carlos Carrasco (2-1) allowed one hit over six innings - equaling his longest outing since returning from chronic myeloid leukemia last Sept. 1 - and combined with three relievers to blank Cincinnati for the second night in a row.
The Reds failed to score in the final 23 innings of the home-and-home series, only managing two hits by Jesse Winker and a Shogo Akiyama single in the finale at Progressive Field.
“There is a little competition between our pitchers, but we never talk about it,” Carrasco said. “It’s a lot of fun seeing the other guys throw zeroes after zeroes and pitching great. You get emotional, man, seeing your teammates doing their thing.”
The Indians were without manager Terry Francona for the fifth straight game because of a gastrointestinal problem that he has experienced for months. First base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. filled in for the 61-year-old Francona, who will not travel with the team to Chicago.
Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos went 0 for 4, ending his season-opening hitting streak at 12 games.
Castillo (0-2) struck out nine in five innings, allowing three runs and walking four. Reds infielder Matt Davidson pitched the ninth, giving up one hit, in his fourth career appearance on the mound.
Bell was ejected by home plate umpire Jerry Meals in the sixth after Winker was called out on a third strike to end the inning.
“You’re trying to grind out runs and the pressure kind of escalates on everyone, myself included,” Cincinnati catcher Tucker Barnhart said. “It’s human nature. It’s something as players we try as hard as we can to not do, but it’s something that happens.”
THREE FOR ALL
Reds right-hander José De León issued three bases-loaded walks in the seventh, mere hours after being promoted from the taxi squad. He is wearing No. 87 because his birthday is Aug. 7.
Once a top-tier Dodgers prospect, the 27-year-old had only appeared in three games in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: 2B Mike Moustakas (left quadriceps bruise) missed his second game in a row after being injured Tuesday against Cleveland. Bell is confident Moustakas will return to action over the weekend.
Indians: OF Delino DeShields (coronavirus) was reinstated from the injured list and made his season debut, batting ninth and playing center. His father, Delino Sr., is Cincinnati’s first base coach.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Trevor Bauer (1-0, 0.68 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series in Milwaukee. The National League ERA leader tossed a two-hit shutout over seven innings Sunday during a doubleheader at Detroit.
Indians: RHP Aaron Civale (1-1, 3.75 ERA) takes the hill in the opener of a three-game set against the White Sox. He is 1-4 with a 3.46 ERA in seven career road starts.
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