Here are 16 Walk-Off Thoughts on the Indians’ 13-3 win against the Los Angeles Angels.
1. The Indians tied a nearly 100-year-old record Friday night, swiping eight bases. Rajai Davis (now with 31 this season, fourth in baseball) and Jose Ramirez each stole three, and Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis both stole one.
2. The last and only other time the Indians have ever stole at least eight bases in a single game came on Aug. 27, 1917. That game was won by Walter Johnson as a member of the Washington Senators. The freaking Big Train was on the mound the last time this happened. It happened at Dunn Field, which was League Park before it was called League Park. The United States had only been involved in World War I for about four months. It’s been a while.
3. It started with Davis in the bottom of the first inning. He drew an 11-pitch walk, stole second, stole third and then scored on a single by Kipnis. Then Kipnis stole second for good measure.
4. Said Indians manager Terry Francona, “I thought our baserunning tonight set the tone. We had hits to get on, and it was early in the innings, but our baserunning, they did a good job. We stole bases, we didn’t just run with abandon. We were intelligent. I thought it set the tone for the whole game.”
5. Facing left-hander Tyler Skaggs, the Indians had no trouble timing his motion. Said Ramirez, “He just wasn’t pitching very quickly and he had a movement that was easy to read for us to know when to go. So we just took advantage of those opportunities.”
6. Said Francona, “You’ve got a lanky left-hander. He’s young. And Sandy does a really good job over there of helping the guys. But it’s one of those nights where you’re getting on base early, the right guys are getting on, and we’re not down. We were able to be really aggressive.”
More: Indians DH Carlos Santana not diagnosed with concussion but held out of Friday's game
7. Skaggs spent much of the night throwing over to first or second base, desperately trying to at least slow down the mini 90-foot dash Olympic trials the Indians went through Friday night. Davis’ speed, especially, has been credited as a way to get into a pitcher’s head.
8. Said Davis, “It seemed like it kind of affected him on the mound. His pitches—I don't know the locations they were in—but it seemed like Kip was getting some good pitches to hit. And he usually hits good pitches really well.”
9. No team has stolen eight bases in a game since the Rangers did so against the Red Sox in April of 2010. For Davis, he becomes the oldest player to steal at least 30 bases since Ichiro did so in 2001, his rookie year.
10. Brandon Guyer had his first big game with the Indians, driving in five runs and hitting his first home run with Cleveland. It’s the exact reason the Indians acquired Guyer prior to the non-waiver trade deadline: To hit lefties and compliment Lonnie Chisenhall and Tyler Naquin.
11. Said Francona, “He’s got 250 at-bats. His at-bats have been really quality at-bats, too. Even his first at-bat the night here we got blown out, he had an eight-pitch at-bat. He’s got a chance to do what he did. I know his last one was kind of an ‘excuse me’ but you take those, too.”
12. Ramirez hit a home run as well, drove in two runs and stole three bases. He’s hitting .453 during his current 16-game hitting streak. He’s been an unsung hero for the Indians, filling the void in left field left by Michael Brantley and then the void left by Juan Uribe at third base, and lately he’s done it hitting fifth in the lineup.
13. Said Francona, “I think of it is has gone a little bit under the radar because of Nap, which I understand. But my goodness. He’s driving the ball. He doesn’t strike out. Running the bases. I do think being at third has probably helped him. He had to work so hard in left, I think it took some of his energy at times. But you can even see him moving a little better at third now. His arm looks like he’s finding his release point. We talked about it [in] spring training hoping he can be a weapon. I’d say that was probably an understatement.”
14. Said Kipnis, “That dude is hitting lights out right now. He's really maturing into who he is. You see him coming into his own. He's learning what works for him and he's making the right adjustments. He's not trying to do too much, trying to hit 20 home runs. He's become a real weapon for us.”
15. The Indians are currently enjoying a power-combo that few teams can boast. They’ve avoided a particular label while doing so. Thursday night was more of a power-show. Friday night was about speed, with a little power mixed in as well.
16. Said Kipnis, “That's the kind of dynamic we've had here in this lineup. We're having four or five guys passing our career years in home runs. We have almost the same thing with stolen bases. We know with the staff we have, it's on us to score some runs and make it easier on them. You'll see, not only with home runs and stolen bases, we're doing a good job of cashing in on the chances we do create. We're getting guys to third with less than two outs and we're cashing them in.”