Indians walk off against Tampa Bay Rays 1-0

By Neal Nachman
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Updated: June 21, 2015

The Cleveland Indians are stuck on one, but on Sunday one run was enough.

David Murphy’s sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning drove in the only run of the game, and three Cleveland pitchers combined on a three-hitter, as the Indians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 at Progressive Field.

After losing 4-1 in each of the first two games of the series, the Indians waited until the bottom of the ninth to score their only run on Sunday, giving them their first walkoff win of the season.

“We’ll take a win any way we can,” said Cleveland manager Terry Francona. “On a day when we did nothing offensively, our pitching was good enough to win.”

Catcher Roberto Perez led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to left off right-hander Kevin Jepsen (1-5). Second baseman Jason Kipnis singled to right, extending his hitting streak to 15 games.

Perez went to third on the hit by Kipnis. Shortstop Francisco Lindor flied out to shallow left for the first out.

Left fielder Michael Brantley was intentionally walked, loading the bases.

Designated hitter Murphy then hit a fly ball that was caught by center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, but the throw was a fraction of a second late to get the sliding Perez.

“The closer Perez got, the shorter his legs seem to get. That was hold your breath time, for sure,” Francona said.

“In that situation I was just trying to score the run anyway I can, I didn’t care how,” Murphy said. “It wasn’t the best at bat, but I was able to get the job done.”

The win went to right-hander Cody Allen (1-2), who pitched the top of the ninth.

“It was a well-played game on both sides. They just made the play in the ninth,” said Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash.

Right-hander Cody Anderson, in his major league debut, was very impressive. Anderson is the fifth pitcher to be tried in the No. 5 spot in the Cleveland rotation. He takes the spot of right-hander Shaun Marcum, who was designated for assignment last week.

Anderson, who was recalled from Triple-A Columbus prior to the game, did not throw like a pitcher making his major league debut. He pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings on six hits, with four strikeouts and one walk.

Anderson admitted he had a case of the nerves in the early innings.

“I couldn’t feel my body and couldn’t feel the ball,” Anderson said. “But then I settled down.”

The Rays had a chance to score in the first inning when left fielder Joey Butler walked and stole second base. But with one out and Butler at second, Anderson struck out third baseman Evan Longoria and designated hitter David DeJesus to end that inning.

In the seventh inning, second baseman Logan Forsythe singled and went to second on a one-out single by right fielder Steven Souza. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to right field, with Forsythe advancing to third base. But then Anderson got the third out of the inning when he got first baseman Jake Elmore to ground into a forceout at second.

Right-hander Alex Colome started for Tampa Bay and he was even better than Anderson. Colome, who gave up six runs in two innings in his last start against Washington, breezed through the first five innings, retiring all 15 batters he faced.

With one out in the sixth inning center fielder Michael Bourn hit a sharp grounder to the right of first baseman Jake Elmore. Elmore got a glove on the ball, but it ricocheted to second baseman Forsythe, and the speedy Bourn reached first safely with what was ruled a single, which ended Colome’s perfect game and no-hit bid.

Bourn went to second on a wild pitch, but Colome retired Perez on a fly out to left for the second out. Colome intentionally walked Kipnis, who came into the game leading the American League in hitting. Lindor then flied out to left to end the inning.

“Their guy was outstanding and our guy was outstanding,” Cash said. “It was nice to see Alex have a bounce-back start like that.”

With one out in the eighth, Kiermaier doubled into the left field corner and went to third on a groundout by Butler. Left-hander Marc Rzepczynski relieved Anderson and intentionally walked Longoria before striking out pinch hitter Nick Franklin to end the inning.

NOTES: The Indians recalled RHP Cody Anderson, who started the game in his major league debut. To make room on the roster, LHP Kyle Crockett was optioned to Triple-A Columbus. … Indians C Yan Gomes, who has been bothered by a stiff neck, did not start Sunday. Gomes has not played in two of the last three games. … At the start of play Sunday, the Rays had a major-league-best record of 21-11 on the road and the Indians had the second-lowest winning percentage in the majors at home, .382 (13-21).