CLEVELAND – Mike Clevinger struck out 10 and allowed one hit over five scoreless innings, then left with upper back tightness as the Cleveland Indians beat the struggling Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 Sunday to complete a four-game sweep.
Clevinger (1-0) hasn’t allowed a run in 12 innings over his first two starts, striking out 22. He retired his first nine hitters, walked Socrates Brito leading off the fourth, then gave up a double to Freddy Galvis. Clevinger fanned Randal Grichuk, Rowdy Tellez and Teoscar Hernández in order, all swinging. He threw 75 pitches in all.
Indians pitchers struck out 16, raising their three-game total to 57.
Toronto dropped to 3-8 and has struck out a major league-leading 111 times.
Carlos Santana, reacquired during the off-season, had an RBI double in the first and is hitting .419 with a 1.067 OPS. Tyler Naquin had three hits, including a run-scoring single in the first. Jose Ramirez added an RBI double in the fifth.
Brad Hand got five outs for his fourth save, completing a three-hitter. Pinch-hitter Lourdes Gurriel grounded into an inning-ending double play in the eighth.
Marcus Stroman (0-2) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings with six strikeouts. Danny Jansen had an RBI single in the eighth off Adam Cimber.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Justin Smoak has a sore neck and was scratched from the original lineup for the third time in the series. Smoak was 1 for 5 with a double Saturday, but couldn’t play in the finale.
Indians: 2B Jason Kipnis had a scheduled day off at his rehab assignment for Triple-A Columbus. He strained his right calf late in spring training. Kipnis hopes to return during the upcoming road trip.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Matt Shoemaker (2-0, 0.00 ERA) started Tuesday at Fenway Park, where LHP Chris Sale (0-2, 8.00 ERA) takes the mound in Boston’s home opener.
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (0-2, 5.23 ERA) starts for Cleveland and RHP Jordan Zimmermann (0-0, 0.66 ERA) for the Tigers in the opener of a three-game series at Detroit.
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