Santana’s grand slam powers Indians’ 12-1 win against White Sox

CLEVELAND A team needing to quickly make up ground in the standings and having Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale standing in its way normally isn’t a great proposition.

It didn’t seen to bother the Indians, though, as they knocked around Sale and later piled on in a 12-1 win Friday night at Progressive Field.

Much of the damage came with one swing in the third inning. With one out in a scoreless game, Roberto Perez singled to center field and Jose Ramirez reached on an error by Carlos Sanchez. After Francisco Lindor struck out, Mike Aviles blooped a single to center field that just dropped in-between two White Sox fielders to put the Indians on top 1-0. Michael Brantley followed on the next pitch with a single of his own, scoring Ramirez and making it 2-0.

Ryan Raburn then walked, setting up Carlos Santana against Sale with the bases loaded. Santana, who entered the game with a career .333 batting average (11-for-33) against Sale but with only one extra-base hit, got the best of him in a loud way, belting a grand slam deep into the bleachers in left field.

That opened up a 6-0 lead and all but cemented Sale’s second straight loss to the Indians, who have handled him recently.

Once again, Lindor did something to get the home fans on their feet. After a flurry of key hits and diving plays the last week, he didn’t disappoint Friday night. In the seventh inning and with Sale still on the mound, Lindor got ahold of an offering and sent it over the wall in right field for an opposite-field home run, his 10th of the season.

The Indians added on in the ninth, as Mike Aviles and Brantley each singled home a run, Lonnie Chisenhall was walked to bring in a run and Chris Johnson drove in two more runs with a single to right field, making it 12-1.

Cody Anderson, now comfortably in the starting rotation after Trevor Bauer was moved to the bullpen, responded well by tossing 62/3 innings, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out six.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. Prior to the Indians’ six-run third inning, Anderson worked himself into and then out of trouble. Anderson gave up a single to Adam Eaton and then walked Alexei Ramirez, putting two runners on with nobody out for the heart of the White Sox’ order. Anderson kept it in check, striking out Jose Abreu and Trayce Thompson and getting Melky Cabrera to fly out to center field.

Anderson’s lone blemish was a solo home run off the bat of Cabrera in the fifth inning. But it wasn’t enough to threaten the Indians after Santana’s grand slam two innings earlier.

(c)2015 Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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