Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Monday 24 July 2017

Kluber strikes out season-high 14, Indians top Blue Jays 8-1

“He’s kind of set the bar an RBI single in the fourth.
pretty high,” Francona Brantley’s home run was his
said. “We rely on him so first since April 30, a span of
much and he knows that. 54 games.
It’s nice to put his name in Happ allowed a season-
there every five days.” high seven runs in six in-
Blue Jays manager John nings. The Blue Jays were
Gibbons, whose team fin- outscored 23-5 in the series.
ished 3-7 on its longest “We need to get home,”
road trip of the season, ex- Gibbons said. “It was a
pressed a similar opinion. lousy day.”
“He’s one of the best in BREAK-EVEN MARK
baseball, but he was as The win moved the Indians
good today as we’ve ever to 24-24 at Progressive Field
seen him,” Gibbons said. after going 53-28 at home
Michael Brantley hit a two- last season.
run homer in the sixth and BASEMENT VIEW
had three RBIs. Brandon The Blue Jays are 44-54 and
Guyer’s three-run double firmly in last place in the
was the key hit in the first, AL East. “We have come
when Cleveland took a back from similar situations
4-0 lead against J.A. Happ and made it to the play-
(3-7). Kluber allowed three offs,” said Jose Bautista,
Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber delivers to Toronto Blue Jays’ Josh Donaldson in runs in 7 1/3 innings against who struck out three times
the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 23, 2017, in Cleveland. Oakland on July 15. Fran- against Kluber. “All we can
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak) cona decided earlier in the control is the games we
By STEVE HERRICK ing,” said Kluber, whose The 2014 AL Cy Young win- week to push his next start have left.”
Associated Press regular turn in the rotation ner fanned the first two hit- back a couple of days. TRAINER’S ROOM
CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey was scheduled for Friday. ters in the eighth before Happ was behind after Blue Jays: SS Troy Tulowitzki
Kluber’s stiff neck cleared “Just needed a couple of walking Josh Donaldson, throwing four pitches. Car- (groin) was not in the line-
up a day too soon for the extra days to get to the ending a nine-pitch at- los Santana led off with up for the second day in a
Toronto Blue Jays. spot I wanted to be. I didn’t bat. The right-hander, who a single, took second on row. He was injured while
Cleveland’s ace struck out think about it at all.” threw 120 pitches, received Francisco Lindor’s bunt hit running to first base in his fi-
a season-high 14 in 7 2/3 in- Kluber (8-3) allowed five a standing ovation from the and scored on Brantley’s nal at-bat Friday.
nings and showed no signs hits, including Kevin Pillar’s crowd of 30,701 after being single. Edwin Encarnacion UP NEXT
of the neck problem that leadoff homer in the third, removed by manager Terry flied out but Jose Ramirez Blue Jays: LHP Francisco
pushed back him back in and reached double fig- Francona. walked on four pitches and Liriano opens a four-game
the rotation with another ures in strikeouts for the Kluber missed a month Guyer lined a 2-2 pitch to home series against Oak-
dominating performance ninth time in 16 starts. He earlier this season with a the gap in left-center. land. He moved up one
in the Indians’ 8-1 victory fell four strikeouts short of strained back. He’s 5-1 with Lindor, whose 10th-inning day in the rotation when
Sunday. “It wasn’t anything matching his career-high a 1.52 ERA in 10 starts since home run Saturday gave Aaron Sanchez was placed
that was really concern- 18 against St. Louis in 2015. coming off the disabled list. the Indians a 2-1 win, had on the disabled list.q

Chris Weidman tops Kelvin Gastelum in UFC college homecoming

By DENIS P. GORMAN telum with an arm triangle one no-decision. The win with seconds left in the punches in the third. Follow-
Associated Press choke at 3:45 of the third was Weidman’s first since round, Gastelum landed ing a sequence in which
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — round Saturday night in a knocking out Vitor Belfort at a hook to Weidman’s chin the two grappled along-
Chris Weidman sat on top UFC on Fox event at Nas- UFC 187 on May 23, 2015. that dropped the former side the cage, Weidman
of the Octagon, his arms sau Coliseum. “I can’t wait “This is a surreal feeling,” middleweight champion took down Gastelum and
outstretched, his mouth to tell my kids I won.” Weidman said. “This is an before the bell rang. transitioned to the submis-
agape. It had been a long Weidman the former Hof- indescribable moment. I “Thirty more seconds and sion. After a few moments,
time since he could experi- stra wrestler fighting just wanted to come out here I could have finished the Gastelum tapped out.
ence that feeling. across the Hempstead and prove myself.” fight,” Gastelum said. Weidman hopped the
Seven hundred and ninety Turnpike from the univer- After spending much of Weidman then relied on his cage and celebrated with
one days, to be exact. sity’s campus, snapped the first two minutes feint- wrestling skills against the 11,198 of his Long Island
“It feels like a champion- a three-fight losing streak ing and circling, Weidman former Ultimate Fighter win- fans before returning to the
ship,” Weidman said, after to improve to 14-3. Gaste- successfully wrestled Gas- ner, setting up opportuni- octagon to hugged family
he submitted Kelvin Gas- lum dropped to 14-4-0 with telum to the canvas. But ties to land hard, accurate and team members.q