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Cleveland Indians' Corey Kluber becomes 20-game winner with victory over Chicago White Sox

Cleveland Indians starter Corey Kluber became a 20-game winner with Monday's victory over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.
Credit: Patrick Gorski
Cleveland Indians starter Corey Kluber (28) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber is a 20-game winner.

For the first time in his eight-year career in Major League Baseball, Kluber reached the 20-win plateau with a seven-inning effort in Monday night’s 4-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

The first Indians pitcher since Cliff Lee in 2008 to win 20 games in a season, Kluber struck out 11 batters and scattered just one walk and four hits over seven innings of work against the White Sox, all of which helped the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner lower his regular-season earned run average to 2.83.

Kluber’s previous single-season high for victories was 18, which he reached in the 2014, 2016 and 2017 seasons. In two of those years, 2014 and 2017, Kluber won the AL Cy Young Award.

Credit: Patrick Gorski
Cleveland Indians starter Corey Kluber (28) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

In his 32 starts this season, Kluber (20-7) registered 216 strikeouts against 32 walks, 172 hits and 66 earned runs allowed over 210.0 innings of work while anchoring a pitching staff that led the way to the Indians’ third consecutive AL Central Division Championship.

Opposing batters have hit just .221 against Kluber this season.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, Kluber has won four games in three different months this season, starting with an 8-1 slate through April and May. Additionally, Kluber posted a 4-1 record over his six August starts.

During the month of May, Kluber registered a 4-1 mark over six starts. In 39.1 innings of work, Kluber posted a 1.83 ERA with 41 strikeouts against just one walk. Opposing hitters batted .233 and drove in just eight earned runs against him.

In August, Kluber averaged nearly one strikeout per inning, as he set down 41 batters over 41.2 innings of work on the way to a 4-1 record in six starts, one of which he went the distance. Kluber allowed a season-low two home runs in August, less than any other month he made more than one start.

Credit: Patrick Gorski
Cleveland Indians starter Corey Kluber (28) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

An AL All-Star for the third consecutive season, Kluber has posted a 7-2 record in 11 starts following the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. Over 69.1 innings pitched, Kluber struck out 73 batters and walked only 14 while cutting down on his home runs allowed.

Kluber allowed 19 home runs in 133.2 innings pitched before the Mid-Summer Classic, but in half as many frames of work since mid-July, he allowed only six round-trippers.

Kluber is scheduled to make one final start in Kansas City during the regular season before the Indians open up the 2018 MLB Playoffs next Friday night.

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