RECAP: Cleveland Indians top New York Yankees, 6-5, at Progressive Field

8:57 p.m.-INDIANS ANSWER WITH TWO RUNS IN FIFTH

CLEVELAND -- Although the New York Yankees pushed across three runs in the top of the fifth inning, the Cleveland Indians had a response in the bottom half of the frame in Friday night’s game at Progressive Field.

The Indians got back two of the runs they allowed, and took a 6-3 lead over the Yankees after five innings of play.

Left fielder Michael Brantley started the inning with a single to center field after fouling off both a curveball and two-seam fastball from Yankees starter Domingo German, and then, went all the way from first base to home when All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez lined a triple into the right-field corner.

Following a walk to designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion from reliever Jonathan Holder, first baseman Yonder Alonso hit an RBI single to right field that drove in Ramirez for the Indians’ sixth run of the game.

8:37 p.m.-YANKEES CUT INTO INDIANS’ LEAD

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians jumped on the New York Yankees in their first two at-bats, but “The Bronx Bombers” got back into the game with a three-run showing in the top of the fifth inning at Progressive Field.

Courtesy of two doubles, a wild pitch and sacrifice fly, the Yankees cut the Indians’ lead down to a single run, 4-3, after their half of the fifth inning.

First baseman Greg Bird led off the inning with a double to the wall in right field on the first offering from Indians starter Shane Bieber, and after third baseman Miguel Andujar drew a walk, came around to score when second baseman Neil Walker roped a double off the wall in left.

Andujar came in to score on a wild pitch from Bieber that rolled to the backstop after it got past Indians catcher Yan Gomes, and Walker crossed home plate when left fielder Brett Gardner lifted a sacrifice fly to center.

Indians center fielder Greg Allen fired a no-hop throw to the plate from the outfield, but it drifted to Gomes’ right and he could not field it cleanly and make an attempt at a swipe tag.

8:15 p.m.-THERE IS A LOT TO LIKE ABOUT SHANE BIEBER

CLEVELAND -- Coming into tonight's game, there was a little bit of concern about how rookie starter Shane Bieber would handle the pressure of facing the New York Yankees' powerful lineup for the first time. Would he be able to stay poised? Or would Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and crew get to him?

So far, so good.

Through four innings of work, Bieber has shut out the Bronx Bombers as the Tribe holds a 4-0 edge. He's walked one, given up one hit, while striking out four. What was most impressive was how he handled a potential jam in the top of the fourth. After striking out Judge, Bieber walked Aaron Hicks and fell behind Stanton. Instead of panicking or overthrowing, the right-hander induced an inning-ending double play. That's the kind of sequence that doesn't necessarily show up on the box score, but is something to remember as we watch Shane Bieber develop.

7:55 p.m.-INDIANS BUILD ONTO LEAD OVER YANKEES

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians got to their 2-0 lead early, and this time around, just kept going on the way to a four-run lead after the bottom of the second inning against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field.

Already in front by a 1-0 count, the Indians added onto the lead with productivity from the bottom of the batting order.

On a 1-1 count, outfielder Tyler Naquin hit a two-seam fastball through the hole at shortstop and into left field for the Indians’ first hit of the game, and four pitches later, came around to score the Tribe’s second run when catcher Yan Gomes hit a double off the wall in left field.

Gomes sat on a 2-1 fastball from Yankees starter Domingo German and hit it deep to left field. While Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner timed his jump correctly, the ball hit off the screen protecting the out-of-town scoreboard six inches above his glove and ricocheted back to the outfield grass.

After seeing the ball hit off the board, Naquin motored around the base paths from just beyond second and into home standing up.

The big hit of the inning came when left fielder Michael Brantley drilled a double to the gap in center field and brought around both Gomes and shortstop Francisco Lindor, who drew his second walk of the game in as many at-bats against German.

7:25 p.m.-INDIANS TAKE EARLY LEAD OVER YANKEES

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians took a 1-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the bottom of the first inning at Progressive Field Friday night.

Yankees starter Domingo German struggled with control issues and threw three pitches outside of the strike zone in his first four offerings to shortstop Francisco Lindor, and the Indians’ table-setter fought his way to a lead-off walk, which left fielder Michael Brantley promptly followed with a second straight free pass.

After German bounced a pitch in the dirt to third baseman Jose Ramirez, an offering that trickled away from catcher Kyle Higashioka and allowed Lindor and Brantley to each move up a base, the two-time American League All-Star infielder smashed an RBI groundout to first base.

The Indians took a 1-0 lead over the Yankees after their starter, Shane Bieber, set down New York’s lineup, 1-2-3, in the top of the first inning.

Bieber got left fielder Brett Gardner to fly out to his counterpart, Brantley, right fielder Aaron Judge to ground out to Lindor at short, and then, punctuated the inning by setting down center fielder Aaron Hicks on a swinging third strike.

7:15 p.m.-GET A PREVIEW OF TONIGHT'S GAME ON WKYC'S FACEBOOK LIVE

WKYC.com's Dave "Dino" DeNatale and Matt Florjancic offered a preview of tonight's Tribe-Yankees clash on Facebook Live featuring special guests Dennis Manoloff of Cleveland.com, Jeremy Fedor of the Indians communications department, and our 'superfan' Brigid Curry.

5:00 p.m.-INDIANS LOOK TO EVEN SERIES WITH YANKEES

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians started fast, but struggled late on the way to a 7-4 loss to the New York Yankees in the first of four games at Progressive Field Thursday.

As the final series ahead of the break for the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game continues, the Indians are ready to get back to their winning ways and build on a 7.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central Division.