CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber will not take part in the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
According to multiple reports, Kluber had an injection in his right knee on Friday morning, which has been affecting his mechanics as of late.
Despite being at the 100-pitch mark after the seventh inning, Kluber took the mound at the start of the eighth against the New York Yankees in the opener of a four-game series against “The Bronx Bombers” Thursday night.
Despite being confident in his abilities, Kluber surrendered two runs that proved to be the difference in the game, as the Yankees worked their way to a 7-4 come-from-behind victory over the Indians.
Working against Kluber in the top of the eighth inning, center fielder Aaron Hicks doubled to the wall in center field and drove in shortstop Didi Gregorius, who drew a leadoff walk. Later in the inning, Hicks stole third base and came around to score on a sacrifice fly.
After the Indians took a 2-0 lead in their first trip to the plate, the Yankees had an answer in the top of the third inning when left fielder Brett Gardner fought his way back into an at-bat after going down 0-2 and got enough of a cut fastball to send it over the wall in right field for a game-tying home run.
Gregorius led off the fourth inning with a 430-foot home run to the bullpen in center field, and two batters later, first baseman Greg Bird smashed a double high off the wall in right-center, which brought in Giancarlo Stanton, who singled to center field earlier in the frame.
Thursday’s loss to the Yankees snapped the Indians’ streak of 74 consecutive victories when Kluber gets four or more runs of support. The streak started on June 11, 2013.
Kluber allowed six runs, all earned, along with eight hits and two walks against nine strikeouts over 7.1 innings of work against the Yankees.
“They’re one of the best offensive teams in baseball, I think,” Kluber said. “Their whole lineup, one through nine, there’s not really any letdown from the leadoff hitter to the ninth hitter. I think they’re a good lineup, one through nine, and if you make mistakes, like I did a few times, they take advantage of them and it cost us.”
On the season, Kluber is 12-5 with a 2.76 earned run average over 20 starts for the American League Central Division-leading Indians. In 133.2 innings of work, Kluber has allowed 104 hits, 17 walks and 43 runs, 41 of which were earned.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has struck out 132 hitters this season.
