Ramirez backs Kluber with 2 HRs to lift Tribe

BALTIMORE -- Corey Kluber wasn't yet ready to leave the mound, so he paused, his gaze fixed downward, and brushed some dirt with his foot Sunday afternoon. Finally he made off for the visitors' dugout at Camden Yards, having struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Kluber surrendered a pair of early home runs to Manny Machado, but he looked more and more like himself as the game wore on. The perfect seventh inning capped another strong outing for Kluber, and the Indians rolled to a 7-3 victory.
"I didn't command the ball great today, but that being said, I got a lot of weak contact and we were able to get some quick outs," said Kluber, who has thrown quality starts in all five of his chances this season.

Cleveland's offensive charge was led by José Ramírez, who opened his team's scoring with a solo shot in the fourth and then added a two-run dinger in the ninth. It marked the seventh multi-home run game of his career. Yonder Alonso added an RBI double in the fourth, and Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley hit RBI singles in the fifth. Yan Gomes doubled in the final run in the ninth.

In seven-plus innings, Kluber allowed three earned runs on six hits to go along with four strikeouts. Left-hander Andrew Miller -- who entered after a leadoff single chased Kluber in the eighth -- and right-hander Cody Allen tossed a spotless inning apiece to close out the game.
"At that point in time, it's a one-run game and we've got one of the best relievers in baseball down there waiting, so it's no time to mess around," Kluber said.

SOUND SMART
Before Ramirez struck out in the first inning, he was the hardest batter to fan in the Major Leagues (20 PA/K entering Sunday). He struck out again in the seventh, but his pair of homers more than made up for the whiffs.
HE SAID IT
"The line early looked like he had given up three runs, but I mean Machado kind of had a lot to do with that. Probably the one guy he didn't locate to, and the one guy you better. He's obviously feeling good about himself. But other than that, I thought he was really good." -- Indians manager Terry Francona, on Kluber

UP NEXT
Right-hander Carlos Carrasco takes the ball for the Indians in the series finale against the Orioles on Monday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Carrasco is in the middle of a terrific April; he's completed at least six innings while allowing two runs or fewer in each of his three starts. Carrasco will duel Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman.