Eight is much too much for the Angels

By Pete Zarustica

It was a nasty game of crazy eights Friday night in Cleveland. The Indians stole eight bases and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim suffered their eighth straight loss, this one by the score of 13-3.

The game was close through four innings, with the scored tied at 3-all. But the Indians, leaders of the American League Central, scored in each of the next four frames to deliver another smackdown to the Halos (49-66), mired fifth and last in the AL West.

Rajai Davis and Jose Ramirez each stole three bases; the total of eight ties a club record first set in 1917.  But it wasn’t all fleetness of foot. The Tribe hammered four Angel pitchers for 17 hits. Starter Tyler Skaggs did OK until the fifth inning. He came out of the game having yielded 10 hits and seven runs. He struck out five and walked just one. Cleveland got two home runs, one from

Brandon Guyer, who ended up with five RBIs, and another by Ramirez.

As for the Halo offense, it was once again pretty much absent without leave. The team had seven hits. Kole Calhoun homered and had two hits; no other Angel had more than two hits. Albert Pujols drove in two runs.

Matt Shoemaker (6-12) is slated to start for the Orange County team on Sunday, dueling Mike Clevinger (1-2).