Indians hit 4 HRs; Kluber solid vs. Padres

March 12th, 2017

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Indians rode a late-inning power barrage to an 11-3 victory over the Padres on Sunday at the Peoria Sports Complex. launched a two-run homer in the seventh, and added solo shots in the eighth, and capped the afternoon with a grand slam in the top of the ninth.
Padres left fielder got in on the action as well, launching his Cactus League-leading fifth home run. and also knocked in runs for the Friars, whose offense was otherwise stymied by .
The Indians' ace was in midseason form through four, before Asuaje and Jankowski broke through in the fifth. Kluber would finish with four strikeouts over 4-plus innings.

"We were really pleased with his outing, and I think he should be, too," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He was good. He was only going to go four, but because his pitch count was so low, we sent him out so he could throw 10 more [pitches], just so he didn't have to throw 30 in the bullpen. And he went back out and threw another 20. He was real efficient, around the plate like he can be. You're starting to see that late movement."

Padres starter saw mixed results in his second outing of the spring. He was sharp during a quick first inning, before allowing a run on three hits and two walks over the next 1 1/3. Weaver -- who went heavier on the breaking ball than he did during his first start -- said he's still trying to nail down his timing when he's working from the stretch.
"Physically, it felt good," Weaver said. "Mechanically, I'm still getting a little quick front-side, but that will come with muscle memory and more repetitions. … Offspeed stuff is coming along. But the most important thing is feeling healthy."

Indians right fielder led the way early on, going 3-for-3. First baseman Nellie Rodriguez went 2-for-2 with an RBI single off Weaver in the second inning, but his day ended prematurely in the fourth when he exited with a sprained right ankle.

Indians Up Next: takes the mound Monday, as the Indians travel to Camelback Ranch for a 4:05 p.m. ET tilt with the White Sox. The game can be heard on a live, exclusive audio webcast on indians.com. Carrasco held the Mariners hitless for three innings in his last outing.
Padres Up Next: Two Friars will make some progress on the injury front when the Cubs visit Peoria at 1:10 p.m. PT on Monday on MLB.TV. Alex Dickerson is expected play the field for the first time after battling back stiffness, and (oblique tightness) could return after missing a week. Right-hander will start for the San Diego.
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