The Red Sox set the stage for an 8-1 victory with a three-run second inning, continued with a run in the sixth and then piled on with a four-run seventh inning against three Indians pitchers.

The Red Sox got their first five runs against Indians starter Justin Masterson, who started the rainy night with a 20-inning scoreless streak. Masterson gave up five runs in six-plus innings, allowing six hits, a walk and striking out five.

Meanwhile, Red Sox veteran John Lackey carved up the Indians the way Masterson has done to a majority of his opponents this season. In seven solid innings, Lackey held the Tribe to an unearned run in the third inning on two singles. After that, he did not allow a hit and went on to rack up eight strikeouts.

Indians manager Terry Francona was impressed with Lackey’s effort under difficult conditions.

“I thought he was good,” Francona said. “He had velocity, he ended up throwing that cutter very effectively and kind of ran it in on our lefties. Then as he got more successful with it, he started bringing it off the plate a little bit and opened up the rest of the plate.”

The Red Sox struck first in the bottom of the second inning against Masterson with a three-run home run to right field by left fielder Mike Carp, whose blast snapped an 0-for-21 slump.

“I hung a slider to Carp and he crushed it for a three-run home run, but I tried to keep battling,” Masterson said. “Then we got ourselves into a little more trouble later.”

The Indians scored an unearned run in the third inning. Third baseman Mark Reynolds led off with a single, advanced to second on left fielder Michael Brantley’s single, stole third base and scored on Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s throwing error on the steal attempt.

Masterson and Lackey (3-4, 2.72 ERA) swapped zeros for the next couple of innings until Masterson found himself in a one-out jam in the bottom of the sixth inning.

After striking out Jacoby Ellsbury to start the inning, Masterson hit Daniel Nova with a pitch, then gave up back-to-back singles to second baseman Dustin Pedroia and designated hitter David Ortiz to load the bases.

After Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway jogged to the mound to offer a little advice, Masterson induced first baseman Mike Napoli to hit a grounder that turned into a run-scoring fielder’s choice when Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis’ throw pulled first baseman Nick Swisher off the bag.

The run pushed the lead to 4-1, but Pedroia got a little greedy and attempted to score from second base as Swisher tried to tag out Napoli after leaping for Kipnis’ high throw.

Swisher recovered quickly enough to throw home, and catcher Carlos Santana easily tagged out Pedroia.

Left-hander Rich Hill replaced Masterson one batter into the seventh inning following a Saltalamacchia double that sailed over Michael Bourn’s head and bounced off the center-field wall. But Hill hit pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes and then with one out, loaded the bases on second baseman Jose Iglesias’ single.

Ellsbury also got to the rattled Hill as he singled past a diving Swisher to drive in two runs to increase the lead to 6-1.

Hill recovered to retire Nava but was then replaced by former Red Sox pitcher Matt Albers, who was treated to a loud round of applause when he reached the mound. Albers gave up a two-run single to Pedroia that made it 8-1 before finally getting out of the inning in which the Red Sox batted around.

Masterson (7-3, 3.20 ERA) struggled with his consistency.

“This is probably the first time I didn’t feel the greatest as far as I was hanging a lot of sliders, wasn’t getting through a lot of pitches like I want to,” he said. “If I didn’t hang a slider, I was hitting someone in the back foot with it. I got into some bad counts and didn’t feel as good as I would have liked to.”

He would not blame the rain for his struggles.

“I don’t know, I didn’t feel like I had a good whip and so everything felt like I was just pushing it to the plate,” Masterson said.

Francona just called it a difficult game and did not want to dwell on the loss.

“The conditions made it a tough night but both play in it, so it’s a better night if you’re winning,” he said. “Regardless of what happens, tonight’s game can have no bearing on tomorrow. That’s what we’ll do.”

Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SStormABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

But all the commotion in the visiting locker room at Fenway Park came to a complete halt Friday two hours before the 7:10 p.m. scheduled start. That’s when veteran slugger Jason Giambi ducked out of the room, walked down the tunnel to the dugout and out onto the field, put on a pair of headphones and stared into a television camera in front of him.

As Giambi went live on MLB Network with hosts Harold Reynolds and Brian Kenny, the clubhouse fell silent and a group of players, including outfielders Michael Bourn, Ryan Raburn and Michael Brantley, infielder Mike Aviles, first baseman Nick Swisher, reliever Vinnie Pestano and closer Chris Perez, huddled around the television to watch their teammate.

The interview lasted about 10 minutes and included topics such as the Indians’ surprising 27-19 start and the art of hitting. Not once during the segment did any of Giambi’s teammates speak. Instead, they were glued to the set in front of them, focused on his every word.

“It just goes to show you what kind of respect that man gets around here,” Swisher said. “You have to have guys like that on the roster. You really do. You can’t have a whole heap of young guys because the best thing you have in this game is experience.”

WALK THIS WAY — The stats of catcher Carlos Santana, a bunt single followed by four walks, during Thursday’s 12-3 win over the Boston Red Sox impressed many, including manager Terry Francona.

“That was unbelievable,” Francona said. “I can’t imagine having the patience to do that. Because he swings almost violently and he doesn’t miss that much. So when he gets to two strikes and he walks and swings at good pitches, it’s amazing. That’s why we like him hitting in front of [Mark] Reynolds. You can hit Mark down in the order and with Carlos’ on-base percentage, it works.”

NEED MORE TIME — Francona said right-hander Brett Myers’ velocity was down during his Double-A rehab start Wednesday with the Aeros at Canal Park.

“He had a kind of rough outing,” Francona said of Myers, who’s recovering from an elbow strain. “The velocity wasn’t quite where it was the time before.”

Tribe General Manager Chris Antonetti, who’s with the team in Boston, said Myers needs to make another minor-league start with one of the Tribe’s affiliates Monday.

— Stephanie Storm

Swisher was away from the team for three days for to be with his wife JoAnna for the birth of their first child on Tuesday, a girl named Emerson Jay Swisher.

“She is the most badass thing on the planet,” said Swisher, in a way that only Swisher can. “I mean, she is the cutest thing ever. It’s crazy because this game has been my whole life and when that little thing popped out, I never knew I could love something that much — and she don’t even know me yet! It was the most magical, amazing experience. Out of a 10, I would have given it a 40.”

Swisher, who signed a $56 million deal with the Indians in the offseason, is batting .274 with 12 doubles, one triple and six homers, 16 RBI and has scored 24 runs in 40 games.

“I think he’s in a good place,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of Swisher. “I think he’s as thrilled as he should be and we’re thrilled to have him back.”

To make room on the roster for Swisher, infielder Cord Phelps was optioned back to Triple-A Columbus. Indians manager Terry Francona was able to get Phelps into Thursday night’s 12-3 blowout win over the Boston Red Sox, but Phelps grounded out in his only at-bat.

“I’ve got that dad strength now,” joked Swisher, who worked out Thursday morning at Progressive Field and again Friday at Fenway Park early in the afternoon.

“I’m going to have to learn some new things, man, like some ballerina practice,” Swisher said. “I mean, words can’t describe it. When they pulled her out and put her on top of Jo’s chest and I was standing right there, in that two seconds it took, I was crying so much. It was like this huge wave of emotion came through.”

Somehow, Swisher managed to find time to watch the games he missed while away from the team.

“We swung the bats in all three games [two losses to the Detroit Tigers followed and Thursday’s win over the host Red Sox], we just couldn’t keep the runs down against Detroit. But for having two rain delays [during Wednesday’s game] and showing up here in Boston at 5:30 in the morning, the way the boys came out last night and played, I’m so proud of ’em. Bringing me back will maybe take a little stress off some of them.”

Asked how the Indians have been able to play through stretches without key players like himself, Swisher thought for a moment.

“I think it’s just a different attitude around here,” he said. “It’s a change, a different vibe. Sometimes, that’s all you need. A little shot in the arm, a different way of thinking about things. No one expected us to be in the spot we are now.”

Since arriving in Cleveland, Swisher said he’s heard a lot about the team’s previous hot starts that were not sustained in the second half of the season.

“You can’t say whether that’s going to happen or not, but I think just the attitude we have, I don’t feel that,” Swisher said. “I don’t feel like this team is going to crumble. These other teams better start paying attention because we have a squad over here.”

The Indians might not crumble, but Swisher’s heart now that he’s a proud papa, that’s another thing all together.

“I was so excited to be a part of that and Jo was just a rock star,” Swisher said. “It was her show, she did it all. I was just so proud because now I got my girls now. Not just my girl, I got my girls.”

Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SStormABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Time: 1:35 p.m.

TV: STO

Pitchers: Scott Kazmir (2-2, 6.35) vs. Jon Lester (6-1, 3.15)

SUNDAY: Indians at Red Sox

Time: 1:35 p.m.

TV: STO

Pitchers: Corey Kluber (3-3, 5.19) vs. Felix Doubront (3-2, 5.61)

MONDAY: Indians at Reds

Time: 1:10 p.m.

TV: STO

Pitchers: Ubaldo Jimenez (3-3, 6.05) vs. Mike Leake (4-2, 3.25)

TUESDAY: Indians at Reds

Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: STO

Pitchers: Zach McAllister (4-3, 2.89) vs. Mat Latos (4-0, 3.17)

WEDNESDAY: Reds at Indians

Time: 7:05 p.m.

TV: STO

THURSDAY: Reds at Indians

Time: 7:05 p.m.

TV: STO

Swisher, who signed a $56 million dollar deal with the Indians in the off season, is batting .274 with 12 doubles, one triple and six homers and 16 RBI and has scored 24 run in 40 games. The daughter is the first child of he and his wife JoAnna.

Tomake room on the roster for Swisher, infielder Cord Phelps was optioned back to Triple- A Columbus. Indians manager Terry Francona was able to get Phelps into Thursday night’s 12-3 blowout win over the Red Sox, but Phelps grounded out in his only at-bat.

But if any of the pre-game commotion bothered them, it was impossible to tell during the Indians’ 12-3 thrashing of Francona’s former team.

Red Sox starting pitcher Ryan Dempster struggled and the aggressive Tribe batsmen pounded him for four runs on five hits and four walks in just three innings.

The Red Sox didn’t get much help when manager John Farrell, a good friend of Francona’s, went to his bullpen.

The Indians continued their onslaught against relievers Clayton Mortensen (five runs in two innings) and Alex Wilson (three runs on four hits and an error).

By the time left-hander Craig Breslow managed to keep them out of the scoring column in the seventh inning, the Indians led by nine runs.

Turns out that Francona’s return to Boston worked to fire the Indians up. Not only did the offense do its job, but also the Tribe’s pitching followed suit.

Starter Zach McAllister made just one mistake in his five-inning outing to earn the win, giving up a no-doubt home run to Red Sox slugger David Ortiz with two runners on in the third inning to cut the Indians’ lead to 4-3.

McAllister (4-3, 2.89 ERA) buckled down after the Ortiz homer.

“It made me upset,” he said. “I don’t like giving up runs of course and I definitely wanted to get the next guys out and kind of make a statement that they aren’t going to get any more runs.”

They didn’t and the Indians continued to pile on the runs thanks to 16 hits, with the big blow coming in a six-run sixth inning.

McAllister wasn’t thrilled with how he pitched but was happy with the victory.

“I thought it was OK, I didn’t think it was my best outing,” he said. “I thought I battled and was able to get us a chance with some good some defense behind me. But I was definitely happy to get the win and happy our offense did a great job tonight.”

The Tribe’s offense got started in the second inning when right fielder Drew Stubbs’ bloop double beyond first base drove in first baseman Carlos Santana, who led off with a bunt. Santana went on to walk a career-high four times in his next four trips to the plate and scored three times.

Grady Sizemore was the last Indians batter to walk four times in a game on July 19, 2008, against the Seattle Mariners.

In the third inning, designated hitter Mark Reynolds’ two-run single and third baseman Mike Aviles’ run-scoring fielder’s choice pushed the lead to 4-0 against Dempster before Stubbs struck out with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Francona liked the way the Indians responded to the atmosphere surrounding his return to Boston.

“We got in late,” Francona said. “You never make excuses, but I was thrilled with the way we came out with energy and grinded out at-bats. We made Dempster work hard and we got him out and got into the bullpen. In a four-game series, you help yourself by doing that.”

Ortiz’s big blast in the bottom of the inning gave the Red Sox life, but only temporarily.

Center fielder Michael Bourn led off the fourth inning with a double that clanked off the left-field wall and scored two batters later on shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera’s single to push the Indians’ lead back to two runs at 5-3.

In the fifth, Bourn’s RBI single with two outs against Mortensen made it 6-3.

The Tribe tacked on another run against Mortensen in the sixth inning on a Bourn RBI single and had the bases loaded with no outs when Farrell turned to Wilson. But Wilson couldn’t stop the bleeding, either. He yielded a run-scoring single to Reynolds followed by a two-run double by catcher Yan Gomes. Stubbs added a run-scoring triple and Bourn another RBI single as the Tribe batted around and scored six runs to make it 12-3.

Bourn finished 3-for-6 with two RBI and Reynolds was 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBI.

Reynolds was happy to be part of a special night for Francona.

“The little montage they had before the game was pretty cool. It was a class act by the Red Sox,” Reynolds said. “Tito led them to two world championships, the playoffs almost every year. It was neat to see the organization do that for him. I think I saw him teary eyed a little. It was pretty neat.”

The Indians’ bullpen provided plenty of relief for McAllister. Cody Allen set the side down in order in the bottom of the sixth and Scott Barnes blanked the Red Sox in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, finishing in the rain for his first save of the season.

Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians.

That’s because a love fest for Boston’s former manager ensued the moment Francona showed up at Fenway Park on Thursday for the first time as an opposing manager following his ouster.

Francona said he stopped and talked to all kinds of folks on his way into Fenway Park. He was later greeted by a throng of media so large, he ended up having to do his pregame question-and-answer session in the visitors’ dugout in three phases — one for electronic media, another for print media and a third for local media.

“I had no idea that was coming,” a wide-eyed Francona said after a majority of the media dissipated.

“But I’m the one that elected to do the book [The Red Sox Years], so I understand I have to be more patient if people ask questions, I get that. But I want to make it as easy I can for [the Indians] to play the game, that’s why we’re here.”

Francona seemed to answer every question with sincerity, but a couple of times he was quick to chastise reporters for trying to lead him into saying something negative about his former job.

“I’m really proud of coming here with this hat on,” he said. “And that takes nothing away from the eight years that I was here. It just makes it easier for me to look back on some of the fonder memories and now you start new ones in another place.”

After the lengthy media session, Francona admitted his return was a much bigger deal than he could have ever imagined and wished it weren’t so for his new team.

“It’s unfair if they have to carry a little bit of my baggage through this series,” said Francona, who was 744-552 with five playoff appearances and World Series titles in 2004 and ’07 as the Red Sox manager from 2004-11. “I don’t want that to happen.”

Francona had hoped all the added attention would go away once the game began. But he was still clearly moved when he was treated to a special montage on the video board between the first and second innings.

In response, Francona waved to the Fenway faithful and put a hand over his heart and Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia waved to Francona as he took his place in the field.

Before the game started, Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi tweeted: “[Red Sox president and CEO] Larry Lucchino described his on-field conversation with Terry Francona as ‘very cordial,’ said Tito ‘seemed as he always does — genuine.’”

Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SStormABJ.

That’s because his “assist” did not involve throwing out a runner.

Instead, Bourn turned a ball hit by Tigers’ slugger Miguel Cabrera into a home run when it bounced off his glove and over the fence.

“I just missed it,” said Bourn, a two-time Gold Glove center fielder. “There’s nothing else to it. I don’t have any excuses for it. That’s never happened to me before. Usually when it goes into my glove, it doesn’t come out, but that time it did. I don’t know if it’s because I jarred against the wall or what. But I gave somebody that really don’t need no help a home run.”

Cabrera’s 13th home run of the season helped the Tigers outlast the Indians and two rain delays 11-7.

“Lucky home run,” Cabrera admitted after the game. “I take it, especially with a win in a long game.”

Bourn said he felt worse for Indians reliever Rich Hill than himself.

“I can’t take that off his ERA,” Bourn said. “I can’t do nothing about it, wish I could. That’s the person you feel worse for, not yourself. I know [Cabrera] hit it good, but he didn’t hit it good enough to get it out of the park.”

ROSTER MOVES — The Indians swapped minor-league left-handed relievers before Thursday’s game, designating David Huff for assignment and recalling Scott Barnes from Triple-A Columbus.

Because it is Huff’s second time being designated, he can elect to become a free agent rather than sign back with the Tribe if he prefers. When he was sent down earlier this season, Huff made it through waivers without another team claiming him.

Left-handed relief has become a problem spot for the Tribe this season. Left-handed relievers have a 6.16 ERA and have issued 21 walks in 30⅔ innings.

SWISHER BACK — Manager Terry Francona said Nick Swisher remains on track to return to the team today following the birth of his daughter.

“He came in [to Cleveland] and worked out this morning and he’ll be back [today] for the game,” Francona said. “It’s one of those situations where we support what he’s doing and miss him at the same time.”

WELCOME BACK — In addition to the throng of media and fans welcoming back former Red Sox manager Francona, five former Red Sox players returned to Fenway Park wearing Indians jerseys — pitchers Justin Masterson, Matt Albers and Rich Hill, infielder Mike Aviles and bullpen coach Kevin Cash.

FAMILIAR FACE — Former Indians left-hander Rafael Perez signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox.

— Stephanie Storm

The Tribe designated David Huff for assignment and recalled Scott Barnes from Triple-A Columbus.

The Indians made the move as they continue to search for reliable left-handed relief. Entering Thursday's game, the team's southpaw relievers owned a 6.16 ERA that includes 21 walks over  30 2/3 innings.

Besides, Verlander never has been an Indians killer. If Tribe fans are looking for a villain, Miguel Cabrera is their man. He doubled home one run and ensured a 11-7 win for the Detroit Tigers with a two-run homer in the eighth Wednesday night, but that was hardly the entire story.

This was a home run that shouldn’t have happened. Michael Bourn retreated almost to the center-field fence to make the catch — a glove save and a beauty — when the ball struck his glove and bounced up and over the wall to turn a two-run advantage into a four-run lead.

It was Cabrera’s third home run of the season against the Tribe and his 13th overall, his lucky 13th.

Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, but the Indians had trailed by seven runs in the middle of the fifth inning and seemed to have the Tigers reeling. That took awhile, as the teams stopped play twice while it rained, the delays lasting a total of one-hour, 50 minutes.

Fans who thought they had seen the last of the bad Jimenez were in for a rude awakening. Out of the blue, the ineffective Ubaldo showed himself with a vengeance, giving up multiple runs in the very first inning.

The first three batters of the game all got hits, including Cabrera, who doubled home a run with runners on first and second. Jimenez slowed the pace of the Tigers assault temporarily, allowing only sacrifice fly for the rest of the inning, but there were more innings to come.

Plummeting to his most discouraging worst, Jimenez gave up four runs in the third inning, in a rally that began with consecutive one-out walks. After that, Prince Fielder doubled home a run, Victor Martinez hit a sacrifice fly and Jhonny Peralta and Brayan Pena swatted RBI doubles.

Jimenez struggled through the next inning — giving up a single and hitting a batter — but did not allow another run. He gave way to a reliever after that, having given up six runs, seven hits and three walks, using 96 pitches in only four innings.

The outing was all the more disappointing because Jimenez had shown clear signs that he was turning around his career. In his previous four starts, he was 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA

One awful outing doesn’t mean that Jimenez is destined to labor in vain the rest of the season, but there was little to be encouraged about in in his latest performance.

If Jimenez had been only a little more adept at retiring Tigers hitters, Verlander’s sub-par outing might have cost him.

One of two things usually happens when Verlander faces the Tribe: He pitches well and loses or does not get credit for the decision, or he pitches poorly and loses. Wednesday night, he encountered a third option.

Verlander gave up five runs and 10 hits in five innings, despite striking out nine, and he was fortunate that a couple of hard hit drives to the outfield were caught.

He got to the fifth inning with 9-2 lead and gave up an RBI single to Michael Brantley and a two-run homer to Carlos Santana, then it started to rain. Verlander struck out Jason Giambi for the first out, but he needed two more to get credit for the win.

After a 62 minute delay, Verlander came back out (most pitchers would not have been given that chance following that much inactivity) and retired the side in the fifth. As long as the Indians didn’t tie the score, Verlander would be the Tigers’ pitcher of record.

David Huff put Verlander’s win in jeopardy by giving up three runs in the Detroit fifth, thus giving the rain clouds a chance to reach Progressive Field.

After Verlander left, Drew Smyly pitched the sixth and gave up a leadoff home run to Yan Gomes and a two-out RBI single to Brantley, his third hit and RBI of the game, to trim the Tigers’ advantage to a mere two runs.

It stayed that way until Cabrera’s remarkable home run.

Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SheldonOckerABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: WKYC (Channel 3)

Pitchers: Zach McAllister (3-3, 2.65) vs. Ryan Dempster (2-4, 4.27)

FRIDAY: Indians at Red Sox

Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: STO

Pitchers: Justin Masterson (7-2, 2.83) vs. John Lackey (2-4, 3.31)

SATURDAY: Indians at Red Sox

Time: 1:35 p.m.

TV: STO

Pitchers: Scott Kazmir (2-2, 6.35) vs. Jon Lester (6-1, 3.15)

SUNDAY: Indians at Red Sox

Time: 1:35 p.m.

TV: STO

Pitchers: Corey Kluber (3-3, 5.19) vs. Felix Doubront (3-2, 5.61)

MONDAY: Indians at Reds

Time: 1:10 p.m.

TV: STO

TUESDAY: Indians at Reds

Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: STO

WEDNESDAY: Reds at Indians

Time: 7:05 p.m.

TV: STO

THURSDAY: Reds at Indians

Time: 7:05 p.m.

TV: STO

More 2013 Schedule

MAY

9-30 — Cincinnati; 31 — Tampa Bay.

JUNE

1-2, — Tampa Bay; 3-5 — at New York; 7-9 — at Detroit; 10-12 — at Texas; 14-16 — Washington; 17-19 — Kansas City; 21-23 — Minnesota; 24-27 — at Baltimore; 28-30 — at Chicago White Sox

JULY

2-4 — at Kansas City; 5-8 — at Detroit; 9-11 — Toronto; 12-14 — Kansas City; 19-21 — at Minnesota; 22-24 — at Seattle; 26-28 Texas; 29-31 — Chicago White Sox

AUGUST

1 — Chicago White Sox; 2-4 — at Miami; 5-8 — Detroit; 9-11 — Los Angeles Angels; 12-14 — at Minnesota; 16-18 — at Oakland; 19-21 — at Los Angeles Angels; 23-25 — Minnesota; 27-29 — at Atlanta; 30-31 — at Detroit

SEPTEMBER

1 — at Detroit; 2-4 — Baltimore; 6-8 — New York Mets; 9-11 — Kansas City; 12-15 — at Chicago White Sox; 16-18 — at Kansas City; 19-22 — Houston; 24-25 — Chicago White Sox; 27-29 — at Minnesota

*ALL GAMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

“Sometimes as I get older,” he said, “sometimes when I don’t want to, like when Swish [Nick Swisher] called me the other night about the baby, I caught myself lying in bed, and I was tearing up. ‘What the hell’s wrong with you?’ ”

Swisher, whose wife gave birth to a girl on Tuesday, is on the Paternity List and is expected to return Friday.

“He’s going to be there in time for the game that night,” Francona said. “Everybody is doing well, and he’s obviously over the top with excitement.”

UNSTOPPABLE? — Miguel Cabrera continues his assault on big-league pitching. The Detroit Tigers’ third basemen entered Wednesday night’s game with a .384 average, 12 home runs and 49 RBI.

In his first at-bat, he delivered an RBI double.

So how do pitchers’ get him out?

“That’s really it,” Francona said. “That’s the problem. He seems to cover so much of the plate. That’s why he’s so special.”

TRIVIA PURSUIT — In the past 23 games, the Tribe rotation is 13-5 with a 3.29 ERA, lowering the staff ERA to 4.37 from 5.72. The starters have limited opposing lineups to three or fewer runs in 19 of those games.

FARM FACTS — Carlos Carrasco (2-0, 1.36 ERA) delivered six scoreless innings, allowing six hits and two walks, as Columbus beat Scranton Wilkes-Barre 5-1 in Class AAA. Ryan Rohlinger had two hits and two RBI, and Chun Chen had three hits. … Tony Wolters doubled, singled and drove in one run in Carolina’s 3-2 loss to Myrtle Beach in Class A. … Richard Stock doubled, singled twice and drove in one run on Lake County’s 8-5 loss to Lansing in Class A. Dylan Baker gave up three earned runs (four total) in six innings.

— Sheldon Ocker

Five times in the previous 10 years, they carried a record of .500 or better after 44 games. Three times in that span, including in 2011 and 2012, their winning percentage was at least .591 at that point in the season.

Yet they made the playoffs only once, in 2007, when they followed through on a 27-17 start with a 96-66 finish.

But somehow this seems different. And I’m not the only one who feels that way.

Indians ace Justin Masterson has been with the Tribe since July 31, 2009. He’s seen fast starts in three of his four seasons. But in previous years, Masterson said there was a sense the Indians were overachieving, that their success was tenuous. They were waiting for the bottom to drop out, and it usually did.

He doesn’t get the same vibe about the 2013 Tribe, 26-18 going into Wednesday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers.

“I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but as far as the feeling goes, it does feel different,” Masterson said. “It feels like we’re just playing the game. It’s not like, ‘Wow, we’re playing really, really, really good.’ We are. But it’s, ‘We’re doing pretty good.’ It’s a different guy each night. It feels as though we’re just working at it together and it’s happening.”

There is an air of legitimacy about these Indians, and I’m not being swayed by the fact that I returned from vacation Sunday night to find them in first place in the American League Central and the lead story on Baseball Tonight. That’s not to say they’ve reached the level of the Tigers, who have been to two World Series since 2006 and have won back-to-back division titles.

But the Indians seem to be closing the gap. Claiming a wild-card spot, with a second added in 2012, does not seem farfetched.

Masterson agrees.

“I think we’re at a place where this is something we can carry throughout the year,” Masterson said. “I don’t think it’s ‘Wow, these guys are playing way out of their shoes.’ You want to be excited for it and you want to think that you can do it, but the realism — and there are some realistic voices in here who would speak about it — is like ‘I hope we continue, but more than likely this is a pace we can’t hold on to.’ It was maybe a month or maybe a couple weeks, that’s all it took to go downward. I think we have a team that can go down and be able to pick it back up.”

In the past, Masterson said the Indians weren’t good enough to survive without a player like right fielder/first baseman Nick Swisher, who missed his second consecutive game Wednesday after his wife, JoAnna Garcia, gave birth to their first child. Swisher also sat out three games earlier this season to rest his shoulder.

“He’s the team leader, he’d supposedly be our savior,” Masterson said. “He’s a big part of the team, but we’ve got other guys who can fill in and keep the fight going until he returns.”

Not only did the front office spend for front-line free agents Swisher, Michael Bourn and Mark Reynolds, but it also brought in high-priced bench players like Jason Giambi and Mike Aviles. Aviles signed a two-year, $6 million contract, a far cry from major league minimum players like Shelley Duncan who used to inhabit the dugout. Giambi’s deal was for a reported $750,000, plus incentives.

This year’s Indians also have a backup right fielder (Ryan Raburn) who is better defensively than last year’s starter (Shin-Soo Choo).

They have a backup catcher (Yan Gomes) who can actually hit.

“We have such a deep lineup that the top can do it one day, the bottom can do it the other day, there’s times we have guys on the bench who can come in. Almost everyone is a threat,” Masterson said. “Those [backup] guys can kill it just like the guys who start. I don’t think we’ve ever really had that since I’ve been here, in that way, shape or form with the experience those guys bring. That’s what kind of sets us apart.”

Masterson said the old Indians might let Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to the Tigers send them into a tailspin.

“We still thought we had a chance, even in the ninth inning,” Masterson said. “It didn’t come for us, but when you lose a game like that, sometimes it would be like, ‘Oh, man, we’re done. Can we do it? Can we do it?’ Where now it’s like, ‘All right, let’s go get ’em tomorrow.’ ”

Reynolds said the Indians are a “mirror image” of his team last year, the Baltimore Orioles. Their starting pitching was questioned and few believed. After 44 games, they were 28-16. The Orioles went 93-69, earned a wild-card spot and reached the AL Division Series before falling to the New York Yankees three games to two.

“I get the same sense, the same coming to the field every day and expecting to win kind of feeling,” Reynolds said of these Indians.

The Tribe’s deep lineup gives such thoughts credibility. The starting pitching must still come through, just as it did for Reynolds’ Orioles. But unlike in past years, these Indians might be different. They might have staying power.

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the her blog at http://www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Consequently, Terry Francona’s first trip to Fenway Park as a rival manager tonight is sure to bring out the media hordes, curious to quiz the Indians’ skipper on his frame of mind and his thoughts about his former club and its fans.

Every indication is that the Fenway Faithful never stopped believing in Francona, even after he was forced from his job in the wake of the team’s collapse in 2011, when the Sox lost 21 of their last 29 games to blow a commanding lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the wild-card race.

Stories emerged about indifferent players eating fried chicken, drinking beer and playing video games in the clubhouse while the season was disintegrating out on the field. In the end, it was Francona who became the scapegoat.

Now that he is returning, what does he feel?

“I don’t know. I really don’t know,” Francona said Wednesday. “I’m sure I’ll have a lot of emotions. The one thing I want to remind myself is that this game is tough enough to play, and I don’t want our guys having extra baggage during that series. Whatever feelings I’m having, I’ll deal with them.

“I’m proud to go back there as an Indian. I don’t want that to ever get lost in the shuffle.”

Francona isn’t concerned about the fan reaction one way or the other.

“I don’t really think about stuff like that,” he said. “I never really spent much time. It’s just not part of what I’m hopefully about.”

Francona was Justin Masterson’s manager in Boston, though the Tribe starter was already in Cleveland during the Red Sox’s darkest hours of 2011.

“I think fans should be cheering, overjoyed and excited,” Masterson said of Francona’s return. “I mean he put Boston on the map. He helped revitalize the city by bringing Red Sox Nation back. It hadn’t really been much before he got there and he helped, along with many other people, to put them back on the map.

“He helped end the curse, didn’t he? Twice.”

Francona didn’t deny that returning to Fenway will be an emotional experience, but it’s doubtful he’ll wear his feelings on his sleeve.

“I don’t think he will let anyone see if it’s emotional for him,” Masterson said. “But I think the caring individual that he is, there’s always going to be a soft spot in his heart for Boston and for Fenway Park and for everything that took place there.”

Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SheldonOckerABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Frandcona was forced out of his managerial job with the Red Sox after the club's September collapse that cost it a spot in the playoffs.

“”I don’t know. I really don’t know,’’ he said today.  “”I’m sure I’ll have a lot of emotions. The one thing I want to remind myself is that this game is tough enough to play, and I don’t want our guys having extra baggage during that series. Whatever feelings I’m having, I’ll deal with them.’’
“”I’m proud to go back there as an Indian. I don’t want that to ever get lost in the shuffle.’’
Francona isn’t concerned about the fan reaction one way or the other.
“”I don’t really think about stuff like that,’’ he said. “”I never really spent much time. It’s just not part of what I’m hopefully about.’’
 

For the second time in two weeks, Corey Kluber had the misfortune to go up against Scherzer and for the second time finished second.

Scherzer teased the Tribe by giving up a run in the first inning then put on a pitching clinic for the succeeding seven innings.

Michael Bourn led off the first with a single and took third on Asdrubal Cabrera’s one-out bloop single. Michael Brantley followed with a sacrifice fly to score Bourn, but after that the Indians’ fun was over.

“Scherzer looked pretty nasty from where I was,” manager Terry Francona said.

“He was dominant.”

Scherzer delivered seven perfect innings from the second through the eighth, striking out seven from the fifth through the eighth.

He punctuated his outing by striking out Jason Giambi, Mike Aviles and Drew Stubbs in the eighth. How much did the fatigue of throwing 118 pitches take out of him? Scherzer whiffed Giambi on a 97-mph fastball and got Stubbs on a 98-mph heater.

“When you get up to 118 pitches and have that much left in the tank, it’s pretty good,” Francona said.

What made Scherzer (6-0, 3.61 ERA) such a tough read?

“He’s good,” Bourn said. “He had his good stuff tonight — fastball and change-up, and he had his slider working. He got us tonight, but we’ll be back tomorrow.”

Strikeouts were the ostentatious statistic of the game. Tribe batsmen went down on strikes seven times; the Tigers succumbed 14 times. Prince Fielder was victimized four times.

Kluber’s undoing was strange, indeed, considering the way he pitched until that point. But Andy Dirks opened the sixth inning with a home run on a 3-and-1 pitch to put the Tigers on the scoreboard. Torii Hunter followed with a double to the right-field fence, and Miguel Cabrera parked Kluber’s 0-and-1 pitch over the wall in center for two more runs.

Although Kluber (3-3, 5.19 ERA) allowed another hit during the inning, he struck out the side after the damage had been done.

“Corey was extremely aggressive; he was crisp,” Francona said.

“In that long inning [sixth], he went away just a little from attacking.”

Francona sees improvement in Kluber, despite the result Tuesday night.

“I think he’s getting better,” Francona said. “He’s learning, and he’s getting more confident. He just made a mistake to the wrong guy.”

Kluber saw his bad inning as a case of making too many mistakes.

“I made three mistakes,” he said.

When he got behind in the count on Dirks, Kluber said he still had a chance to recover.

“Even when you get behind, you have to execute,” he said. “I didn’t execute that 3-and-1 pitch. The ball was out over the middle of the plate.”

In the larger scheme of things, Tribe pitchers “manhandled” Cabrera, holding him to one homer and bloop single. In the seventh, he struck out on Cody Allen’s 96-mile-per-hour fastball. For his brief career, Allen has faced Cabrera four times and struck him out all but once.

Keep in mind that Cabrera hit three home runs on Sunday, but the Tiger lost to the Texas Rangers, anyway.

The first hint of trouble for Kluber came in the fifth inning, when the first two batters, Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta, singled. But Kluber got the side out without allowing either runner to advance.

Until the fifth, Kluber had it all his way, giving up just one hit and striking out four. He lasted 6⅓ innings, giving up all the runs on eight hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out eight.

Kluber was the losing pitcher on May 8, when the Tigers ran away with a 10-4 win at Comerica Park. In that game, Cabrera delivered a three-run homer and a double. Scherzer was the winning pitcher that night, giving up four runs in eight innings.

Cabrera didn’t hurt the Indians in the final two games of the series, both won by the Tribe. In fact, his error in the second game led to a run that helped the Tribe eke out a 7-6 victory.

Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SheldonOckerABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

He’s already 19 years old and he’s heard (and probably read) that he is one of the best prospects in all of the minor leagues. Before the season, Baseball America ranked him 28th.

Fans in Cleveland and now in the Carolina League know about Lindor, who is tearing up the league for the Tribe’s “high” Class-A team, the Mudcats. In 42 games, Lindor is batting .331 with 11 doubles, four triples, one home run, 26 runs and 17 RBI.

He doesn’t walk much but he doesn’t strike out much, either, having gone down on strikes an average of once every 9.6 at-bats.

So is he ready to play in the big leagues? That question should not elicit a laugh, despite his youth. In spring training exhibition games, he received 24 at-bats and hit .292 with one double, one triple and only two strikeouts.

All of this is not to suggest that Asdrubal Cabrera will be traded this week to make room at shortstop for Lindor, but if there’s such a thing as a fast track to the big leagues, he’s on it.

Asked if Lindor might be summoned to Cleveland before the end of the 2014 season, Ross Atkins, vice president of player personnel said, “That could happen.”

It’s not even a question of his readiness.

“You saw him in spring training,” Atkins said. “He could play up here. The question is when is the best time for him to come up and make an impact.”

In spring training, Lindor showed no signs of discomfort or nervousness playing with the big boys. He was not overmatched either at the plate or in the field.

“Every night [at Carolina] he gets two or three hits and makes an exceptional play,” Atkins said. “And I haven’t seen that kind of leadership and professionalism from a high school player. Not only does he have the ability, he outworks people.”

Lindor was the Tribe’s first pick (eighth overall) in the 2011 draft. He was born in Puerto Rico but attended high school in Florida, so he hasn’t been forced to make a huge cultural adjustment since signing a professional contract.

How quickly will Lindor advance through the Indians’ farm system?

“He continues to speed up the timetable,” Atkins said.

Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SheldonOckerABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

He issued a written statement Tuesday explaining his actions.

“The decision to deactivate my Twitter account was a personal choice I made in order to maintain the greater focus on the success of the team this season and our shared goals moving forward.

“We have an extremely positive and supportive group of players, coaches and staff members in our clubhouse, and I want to participate in activities and routines that contribute positively to the culture we’re building here.

“Out of respect for my teammates, I want to minimize any potential off-the-field distractions so this is the only time I will comment on this topic. Thank you for your understanding.”

Manager Terry Francona was asked what he thought of Perez deactivating the account.

“I don’t know if it’s good or bad idea,” he said. “But I like his reasons, to focus on the right things.”

SUPERMAN COMES TO TOWN — Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera is generally acknowledged as the best hitter in the American League, if not all of baseball.

He presents a difficult challenge for teams in the Central Division, like the Tribe, which must deal with Cabrera for at least 18 games.

“He’s a pretty special hitter,” Francona said. “I get how good a hitter he is. But teams have to pitch to him, or they have to pitch around him or there are times when [it’s OK to give up] a single. If you’re going to pitch around him every time, they’re going to score.”

The dilemma is that Cabrera has few, if any, weaknesses.

“He hits the ball the other way with power, he fights balls off, and if you make a mistake, he hits it 400 feet,” Francona said. “He’s a very intelligent hitter. And if you get him out early, he’ll probably make you pay later. One thing he doesn’t do is run well. If he did, [facing him] would be a joke. It would be like a video game.”

BABY NEWS — Nick Swisher and his wife, Joanna Garcia, are the parents of baby girl, born Tuesday in a Cleveland-area hospital. Swisher was placed on the paternity list and can be absent from the team for up to three days. The Tribe called up Cord Phelps from Triple-A Columbus to take Swisher’s place on the roster.

At Triple-A, Phelps is batting .233 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 116 at-bats. In a brief call-up earlier in the season, the middle infielder played in three games and went hitless in eight at-bats.

GIVING BACK — Swisher donated $25,000 to the FBI Citizens Academy Foundation to support the FBI Child Identification Kit program.

KUDOS — The Tribe chose Carolina right-hander Cody Anderson as its Minor League Player of the Week.

Anderson, 22, went 1-1 with a 0.73 ERA in two starts last week, giving up one earned run in six innings against Salem and working 6⅓ scoreless innings against Lynchburg, striking out 16 in the two outings.

FARM FACTS — Chun Chen, promoted from the Aeros on Sunday, hit his first Triple-A home run and singled twice, driving in two runs, as Columbus beat Scranton Wilkes-Barre 6-5. Lonnie Chisenhall had two hits and two RBI. … LeVon Washington doubled twice and Nellie Rodriguez had two hits and one RBI in Lake County’s 7-4 loss to Fort Wayne in Class A.

— Sheldon Ocker

   Though he has not spoken about his actions, Perez explained in a written statement that he wanted his focus to be on the team and on positive events.

   ""I don't know if it's good or bad,'' manager Terry Francona said of deactivating the account, ""but I like his reasons for doing it.''  

   Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera is genderally acknowlesdged as the best hitter in the American League if not all of baseball.
He presents a difficult challenge for teams in the Central Division, like the Tribe, which must deal with Cabrera for at least 18 games.
   “”He’s a pretty special hitter,’’ Francona said. “”I get how good a hitter he is. But teams have to pitch to him, or they have to pitch around him or there are times when (it’s OK to give up) a single. If you’re going to pitch around him every time, they’re going to score.’’ 
   Nick Swisher and his wife, Joanna Garcia, are the parents of baby girl, born today in a Cleveland area hospital.
   Swisher has been placed the paternity list dand can be absent from the team for up to three days. The Triber has called up Cord Phelps from Columbus to take Swisher’s place on the roster.
   At Triple-A, Phelps is batting .233 with five home runs and 219 RBI in 116 at-bats. In a brief call-up earlier in the season, the middle infielder played in three games and went hitless in eight at-bats.
   Swisher has donated $25,000 to the FBI Citizens Academy Foundation to support the FBI Child Identification Kit program.