• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Kluber tries to build off last start vs. White Sox

May 18, 2015 - 2:34 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Corey Kluber snapped his winless start to the season in a big way last time out and looks to post another dominating performance on Monday when the Cleveland Indians open a four-game set with the Chicago White Sox.

After winning 18 games a season ago, Kluber opened 2015 with an 0-5 record and 5.04 earned run average through seven starts, all Cleveland losses. However, the righty got on track with a dominating 2-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, striking out 18 batters over eight scoreless innings of one-hit ball. He didn't walk a batter and didn't allow that lone hit until the seventh inning.

Kluber matched Indians legend Bob Feller for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game in franchise history. Feller struck out 18 in a game on Oct. 2, 1938.

"Any time that your name gets thrown in with Bob Feller, that's obviously very humbling and a great accomplishment," said Kluber. "But more importantly, we got the win."

The 29-year-old reigning AL Cy Young Award winner lost to the White Sox on April 22, giving up season highs of six runs and 13 hits over six innings. He is 4-3 against them lifetime with a 3.60 ERA in 11 games (10 starts).

The Indians look to rebound tonight after getting denied a sweep of their three-game set with the Texas Rangers. They lost Sunday's finale 5-1 despite Carlos Carrasco's complete-game effort.

Carrasco allowed five runs on seven hits over eight innings for the Indians, who had won three of four coming in. Michael Brantley hit an RBI double in the fifth inning.

"You come up in spots and you either get it done or you don't," said Cleveland outfielder Nick Swisher. "Today we didn't get it done, but that's the good thing about baseball, you don't have to wait long to get a chance to turn it around."

Chicago should also be eager to get back onto the field as it tries to win a sixth straight contest tonight.

The White Sox are coming off a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics and a victory in seven of their past eight has the club at the .500 mark for the first time this season (17-17).

Alexei Ramirez hit a two-run single to highlight a four-run fifth inning in Sunday's 7-3 win. Avisail Garcia added a two-run homer and Jeff Samardzija topped his former Athletics team with eight innings of three-run ball.

"As the game went one I felt more comfortable," Samardzija said. "I have the utmost respect for those guys over there."

Chris Sale eyes a second straight winning start tonight for the Chicago White Sox.

Returning from a five-game suspension stemming from an incident with the Kansas City Royals on April 23, Sale rebounded from a couple of rough starts to notch a 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday. He struck out 11 batters over eight innings of two-run ball, scattering three hits and a walk.

Sale had been tagged for 13 earned runs, 16 hits and seven walks over a total of 8 1/3 innings in his previous two outings, but the win over the Brewers lifted the right-hander to 3-1 on the year with a 5.09 ERA.

The 26-year-old has not faced the Indians this season and is 3-4 against them lifetime with three saves and a 4.29 ERA in 21 games (10 starts).

The Indians have won six of their past nine against the White Sox, but did lose two of three in Chicago from April 20-22.