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Kluber, Indians shut down Yankees

Aug 9, 2014 - 10:39 PM Bronx, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Corey Kluber played stopper once again for the Cleveland Indians, striking out 10 over six scoreless innings to lead his team to a 3-0 win over the New York Yankees.

Kluber's performance and homers by Jose Ramirez and Michael Brantley enabled the Indians to halt a four-game skid and hand Brandon McCarthy his first loss in six starts as a Yankee.

Both Brantley and Ramirez finished with three hits, while Kluber (13-6) gave up just four hits and a walk to improve to 6-0 with a spectacular 1.33 ERA over his last seven assignments.

McCarthy (4-1) fanned eight over 6 1/3 strong innings, but wound up with his first defeat since June 21 while with Arizona after surrendering Ramirez's two-run homer in the top of the second.

New York managed just five hits overall, including two from Jacoby Ellsbury, in having its three-game win streak snapped.

Kluber, who took a perfect game into the seventh inning three starts back in Kansas City, didn't permit a hit in this one until Ellsbury doubled with one out in the fourth. He was staked to a 2-0 lead at the time courtesy of Ramirez's first major league homer, a shot into the right-field stands that followed a Lonnie Chisenhall single in the second.

The Cleveland ace continued to shut down New York through six, fighting out of his toughest jam of the day in his final inning of work. Singles by Derek Jeter and Ellsbury put two Yankees aboard with none out in the sixth, but Kluber answered with three consecutive strikeouts to keep the shutout bid intact.

"Just throw strikes and get ahead in the count," said Kluber of his approach. "Obviously, there were some instances today where I did fall behind, but there were other times when I was able to make pitches when I needed."

Jeter's hit was the 3,431st of his illustrious career, breaking a tie with Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner for sole possession of sixth place on baseball's all-time list.

"When you [can] say you have more hits than anyone that's played the position at all, it's something I'm extremely proud of," said Jeter afterward.

Cleveland wasn't able to extend its lead despite loading the bases with one out in the seventh, but Brantley homered off Chase Whitley in the eighth to give the Tribe some additional breathing room.

New York threatened in its half of the eighth, with Brett Gardner greeting reliever Bryan Shaw with a leadoff double and Ellsbury hit by a pitch two batters later. Shaw struck out Carlos Beltran and Chase Headley, however, and Cody Allen fanned two more in the ninth -- the 14th and 15th K's recorded by Cleveland hurlers on the day -- to notch his 15th save of the year.

Save for a poorly located cutter that Ramirez knocked out of the park, McCarthy matched Kluber virtually pitch-for-pitch. The right-hander yielded just two singles after the blast until being chased by a pair of hits in the seventh.

"I would definitely like it back," said McCarthy of his pitch to Ramirez. "Over the course of a game you expect a few of those to happen, [but] they don't typically get punished like that."

Game Notes

Prior to the game, the Yankees unveiled a plaque in Monument Park for former right fielder and current YES Network analyst Paul O'Neill. A part of four World Series-winning teams with New York, O'Neill played for the Yankees from 1993-2001 and captured the 1994 AL batting title ... McCarthy had been 6-0 with a 2.09 ERA over his previous seven starts, with two of those wins coming with the Diamondbacks ... The Indians had lost seven straight at Yankee Stadium since a 1-0 win there in June of 2011 ... Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes had a 13-game hitting streak end after going 0-for-4.