CLEVELAND — Nick Swisher is ready for LeBron James’ return to Cleveland.
CLEVELAND — Nick Swisher is ready for LeBron James’ return to Cleveland.
“I almost felt like I should take some powder and throw it up in the air,” he said, referring to James’ signature pregame ritual, after hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning of Cleveland’s 7-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Before Swisher’s home run, the biggest cheer from the crowd of 24,652 came when the Indians put a message on the scoreboard welcoming home James, who announced he was returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Chants of “LBJ” were heard later in the game.
Corey Kluber (9-6) allowed four runs in six innings while David Murphy also homered for Cleveland, his first since May 21.
The win moved the Indians back to .500 (46-46) for the first time since June 20.
“It’s hot in the 216 right now, for sure,” Swisher said in reference to Cleveland’s area code. “There’s a lot of excitement.”
Kluber, left off the AL All-Star team despite a strong first half, wasn’t his usual dominant self but pitched well enough to win. The right-hander has won three of his last four decisions.
“I think Klubes is a really good pitcher,” manager Terry Francona said. “You’re not going to have your best command every night, but he still stayed out there for six and gave us a chance to win.”
“When you have 30-some starts, there are going to be times when it’s a struggle to get through it,” Kluber said. “You have to keep your team in the game. The important thing is we got a win.”
Cody Allen struck out the side in the ninth for his 11th save.
Swisher’s homer off Hector Noesi (3-7) to center field broke a 4-4 tie.
Adam Dunn hit a leadoff homer in the fifth for Chicago, which has lost three straight. The White Sox took the lead on three different occasions, but the Indians responded to tie or go ahead each time in their next at-bat.
“If you’re going to be down, that’s important,” Francona said.
The Indians were helped by an overturned call on a replay in the fifth. Asdrubal Cabrera was originally called out trying to steal second, but Francona challenged the call, and Cabrera was ruled safe after a review.
“That was obviously a huge call for us,” Francona said.
Lonnie Chisenhall’s single tied it before Swisher homered to center.
Francona and a trainer visited Kluber in the fourth after he slipped backing up the plate, but he remained in the game. Kluber struck out five, walked two and gave up eight hits.
Kluber was among the players in an online vote for the final spot on the All-Star team. The Indians’ massive marketing campaign for Kluber fell short, but he enters the break with a 3.01 ERA and is fourth in the AL with 142 strikeouts.
“Kluber’s offense bailed him out tonight,” Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. “It looked good for us against him, but he ended up outlasting Hector and getting the win. Give the Indians credit, they made it happen for him.”
Adrian Nieto’s RBI double and Leury Garcia’s run-scoring grounder in the second put Chicago in front. Murphy’s two-run homer tied it in the bottom of the inning.
Adam Eaton’s RBI double in the fourth made it 3-2, but the Indians quickly tied it when Chris Dickerson drew a bases-loaded walk.
ANGELS 3, RANGERS 0
ARLINGTON, Texas — Garrett Richards allowed five hits over seven innings to extend his personal winning streak to seven decisions as the Los Angeles Angels handed the Texas Rangers their sixth consecutive loss, 3-0 on Friday night.
Mike Trout provided Richards all the run support he needed with a solo home run in the fourth inning, his 22nd of the season.
Richards (11-2) is unbeaten with a 1.27 ERA in his last eight starts.
Albert Pujols and Erick Aybar had two hits each for Los Angeles, and Alex Rios had two for Texas.
Texas right-hander Nick Tepesch (3-5) retired the first 10 batters he faced before Trout sent a 1-0 sinker 418 feet to center field for the game’s first run. Tepesch allowed two runs in the seventh.
The Rangers left eight men on base, including runners in scoring position in six innings.
PHILS 6, NATIONALS 2
PHILADELPHIA — Jimmy Rollins homered twice and A.J. Burnett pitched 7 2-3 strong innings to lead Philadelphia to its fifth straight victory
Domonic Brown doubled and drove in two runs for Philadelphia, which matched its longest winning streak of the season. It has been a surprising run for the Phillies, who had lost 13 of 16 before a four-game sweep of the NL Central-leading Brewers in Milwaukee.
Burnett (6-8) allowed two runs and five hits while striking out six and walking four.
Bryce Harper homered for the Nationals, who have lost three of four. Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmerman (6-5) abruptly left his start in the fourth inning with an apparent injury.
CUBS 5, BRAVES 4
CHICAGO — Justin Ruggiano hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning and Chicago sent Atlanta to its fifth loss in six games following a nine-game winning streak.
Arismendy Alcantara singled with two outs off Jordan Walden (0-1) and stole second. Ruggiano then got a hit that slipped past shortstop Andrelton Simmons to win it.
The Braves scored the tying run in ninth on Christian Bethancourt’s two-out single.
Jordan Schafer stole three bases for Atlanta and was caught stealing once.
Cubs starter Jake Arrieta gave up three runs and four hits in 7 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Arrieta left with a 4-3 lead but wound up with a no-decision when Cubs closer Hector Rondon (2-3) couldn’t hold the lead in the ninth.
CARDS 7, BREWERS 6
MILWAUKEE — Matt Holliday hit a solo homer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning off Brewers closer Francisco Rodriguez, completing the St. Louis’ Cardinals comeback from a six-run deficit for a 7-6 win Friday night over Milwaukee.
Milwaukee has lost six straight and 10 of 11 games.
Holliday sent the first-pitch changeup from Rodriguez (3-3) into the left-field seats to break the tie. The Cardinals hit four homers and cut the sliding Brewers’ lead in the NL Central to one game.
Trevor Rosenthal wrapped up six shutout innings for the St. Louis bullpen with his 28th save, getting two strikeouts after allowing a leadoff single to Aramis Ramirez in the bottom of the ninth. All-Star setup man Pat Neshek (4-0) tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
It was also a second straight tough loss for the Brewers, who fell 9-1 on Thursday to the Phillies despite Matt Garza’s no-hit bid into the seventh inning.
On Friday, the Cardinals chipped away with three home runs off starter Yovani Gallardo.
Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer — his team-high 14th — to get St. Louis within 6-5 with one out in the sixth, two pitches after manager Ron Roenicke visited the mound but decided against pulling Gallardo with the bullpen going.
METS 7, MARLINS 1
NEW YORK — David Wright went 4 for 4 with a mammoth homer, Lucas Duda also hit a long two-run shot and New York rocked recent nemesis Henderson Alvarez in a victory over Miami.
Zack Wheeler shut down Miami again and Juan Lagares had three hits as the Mets improved to 6-2 on a 10-game homestand that takes them into the All-Star break.
Wheeler (5-8) pitched 6 2-3 strong innings and helped himself with an RBI double. He moved to 2-0 with a 1.05 ERA in five career starts against the Marlins.
Alvarez (6-4) had been on quite a roll, allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last nine games. He was 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA during that stretch, and the Marlins had won his last 10 outings — a club record for one of their pitchers.
ORIOLES 3, YANKEES 2
10 INNINGS
BALTIMORE — Manny Machado led off the 10th inning with a double and scored on a one-out single by Nick Hundley, giving Baltimore its ninth win in 11 games.
The AL East-leading Orioles extended their margin over third-place New York to five games. Baltimore has gone to extra innings in three of its last five games and won in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings.
BLUE JAYS 8, RAYS 5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Steve Tolleson’s two-run single snapped a ninth-inning tie and helped Toronto rally after blowing a four-run lead.
Jose Reyes and Jose Bautista also drove in two runs apiece for the Blue Jays, who used a walk and Reyes’ one-out double to set up the go-ahead hit off Grant Balfour (0-3).
Aaron Loup (3-2) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win. Casey Janssen worked a perfect ninth for his 14th save.
Toronto’s Mark Buehrle labored five innings in pursuit of his elusive 11th victory, departing with a 5-2 lead that the Blue Jays bullpen couldn’t hold. He is 0-5 over seven starts since last winning on June 1.
REDS 6, PIRATES 5
CINCINNATI — Brayan Pena’s pinch-hit single in the eighth inning completed another late rally by Cincinnati, which overcame more injuries to beat Pittsburgh and keep its momentum going toward the All-Star break.
Down 5-1 after six innings, the Reds scored twice with the help of third baseman Pedro Alvarez’s throwing error in the seventh and added three more in the eighth.
Curtis Partch (1-0), called up earlier in the day, escaped a bases-loaded threat in the eighth.
TIGERS 2, ROYALS 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Anibal Sanchez tossed seven stingy innings, Ian Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera drove in runs and Detroit squeaked by Kansas City.
Sanchez (6-3) scattered eight hits without a walk to help the AL Central-leading Tigers take their second straight from Kansas City. The second-place Royals dropped 6 1-2 games back in the division with two games left before the All-Star break.
Salvador Perez drove in the only run for the Royals, who squandered a solid start by Danny Duffy (5-9). He gave up both runs, only one earned, while losing for the fourth time in five starts.
Joe Nathan worked around a single and a walk in the ninth inning to earn his 19th save, and gave Detroit its fifth straight win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium this season.
Nathan got Nori Aoki to ground out on a full-count pitch to end the game.