Kluber stifles Yankees in Indians' 3-0 win
NEW YORK – Brandon McCarthy has a bad history when it comes to balls being hit back at him on the mound. Erick Aybar cracked a line drive off his head in September of 2012, leaving the then-A's pitcher in an operating room with a hemorrhage and a skull fracture.
Now McCarthy was pitching for the Yankees against the Indians in the third inning Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Michael Brantley sent a liner screaming back at him. This one got him much lower, nailing him in the right foot.
"It was Paul O'Neill Day," McCarthy said. "It wasn't Leave the Game Early Day."
The July import from Arizona shook off the pain and numbness and allowed two runs, seven hits and no walks and struck out eight in 61/3. But he received no support. After scoring 10 times Friday night, the Yankees fell 3-0 on the day O'Neill received his ticket into Monument Park with a plaque and Derek Jeter passed Honus Wagner for sole possession of
sixth on the all-time hits list with 3,431.
"It was one of those 'wow' moments," Jeter said of the sixth-inning milestone, which ironically came on a roller toward short by the 40-year-old shortstop. "You have more hits than anyone who's played the position at all. It's something I'm extremely proud of. Obviously I would've liked to have won the game, but it's something I'll be able to tell my kids one day about."
Corey Kluber can tell his kids about the day he allowed just four hits and struck out 10 Yankees in six innings on the way up to 13-6. The 28-year-old right-hander is on a 7-1 run with a 1.19 ERA over his last nine starts.
"Just stick with my same approach," Kluber said. "Maybe just executing a little better."
The Yankees didn't execute much, striking out 15 times overall and going 0 for 9 with six strikeouts with runners in scoring position on the way down to 61-55.
They were minus two of their bigger bats, though.
Brian McCann went on the seven-day concussion DL. And Mark Teixeira sat out his third straight game with a three-stitch cut on his left pinkie.
"He felt better," Joe Girardi said. "It's possible tomorrow he's a player for us. We'll see."
McCarthy lost for the first time in six starts since coming over from the Diamondbacks, falling to 4-1. X-rays were negative on the foot. The sight of Brantley's ball coming at him didn't have the 31-year-old righty flashing back to Sept. 5, 2012, in Oakland.
"Pain in my foot was flashing in my mind," McCarthy said. "No, I don't think about it. I've had comebackers since. That was one of the things when I was coming back that you accept the reality that things can come back at you again."
Jose Ramirez drove a McCarthy cutter over the right-field wall for a two-run shot in the second, his first major-league homer.
Cleveland didn't score again until Brantley sent a Chase Whitley pitch high off the foul pole in right to open the eighth. But Kluber was the star of the game.
"I know there was a lot of talk with what we faced this week with Detroit," Girardi said. "If you look at the top five guys in the AL, he's right there."
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