McCann’s RBI double in 11th helps Yankees beat Indians 7

Leading by two runs after five innings, then tying the game in the seventh after falling behind, Cleveland finally succumbed in 11 innings, dropping a 7-6 decision in front of 32,951 fans.

Give the Yankees’ starting pitching credit – it has been about as consistently inconsistent as a staff could be.

Mike Napoli hit one of five Cleveland home runs – a 462-foot blast that almost hit the scoreboard in left field – and the Indians routed the New York Yankees 10-2 on Friday night.

It marked the first time the Indians began a game with back-to-back home runs since Kosuke Fukudome and Kipnis did so on September 22, 2011.

CLEVELAND (AP) – Francisco Lindor readily accepted the blame, even though his manager didn’t believe he was at fault. Shortstop Didi Gregorius charged the ball and attempted to make a barehanded play as Lindor, who was heading full steam into third, collided with third baseman Chase Headley, who stood in the path to third behind Gregorius.

With the score tied at 2 in the sixth, NY erupted for three runs and knocked Bauer out of the game. With the bases loaded, Headley hit a slow bounder to Lindor’s right.

Chapman struck out Juan Uribe on a 100 miles per hour fastball with two on to end the ninth.

Sabathia is 5-6 with a 3.48 ERA. It’s a rule. A rule is a rule. Yankees (42-44) catcher Brian McCann hit a solo home run for Kluber’s only blemish.

Headley drove in Castro with a hit to right field, thanks to Girardi’s first successful challenge.

The Indians’ offensive performance – five runs on 11 hits – was good enough for a win.

“I can see why it was called, but I really disagree with it”, he said.

At the beginning of this seven-game homestand that will lead into the All-Star break, Indians manager Terry Francona talked about hoping his team could “grind through” the remaining games before the break. “Frankie was watching Gregorius and he hit the third baseman hard”.

Bumped to the bullpen during this 5-5 road trip, Nathan Eovaldi (7-6) tossed the final four innings on a day when All-Star setup men Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller and closer Aroldis Chapman were unavailable.

The Twins, whose 30-55 record is the worst in the AL, won for the fifth time in six games. “Perfect world, he saw it just a hair sooner, we get the call at first and Naquin scores”. “We didn’t do that sometimes today and it cost us”. His two-run homer in the third inning landed near the top of the bleachers for his 18th homer of the season.

As they have for much of the season, the Indians fought the good fight Saturday at Progressive Field.

Rookie Chad Green (1-2) started for NY and allowed seven runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He has made 19 relief appearances with the Yankees with no record and a 4.91 ERA.

Francona is pleased that Salazar and right-hander Corey Kluber will take part in their first All-Star Game in San Diego, but admits being anxious about potential injuries. I don’t think they were going to get anybody out, but they both were. “But that’s not the way it works”. However, they outplayed us.

Yankees: 1B Mark Teixeira (right knee soreness) was given the day off to rest, but Girardi expects him to play Sunday in the final game before the All-Star break. Regardless of what happens, the Indians will go into the break with a multi-game lead over their AL Central rivals. He had shoulder surgery in May 2015, causing him to miss all of last season.

Cleveland has Carlos Carrasco on the mound to face Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees.