CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Near perfection seems to agree with Triston McKenzie.
McKenzie, fresh off his try for a perfect game on Aug. 15, threw seven scoreless innings Saturday as the Indians beat the Angels, 5-1, at Progressive Field.
The 6-5, 170-pound rookie, nicknamed Dr. Sticks for good reason, had his scoreless inning streak end at 17 when he opened the eighth with a walk and was removed. The leadoff walk turned into the Angels only run, but that was nothing to fret over.
McKenzie (3-5, 4.83) struck out eight, while allowing two hits and one walk in seven innings. In his last two starts, he’s allowed one run with 18 strikeouts in 15 innings. He has made a quality start -- three or fewer runs in six or more innings -- in his last four outings.
“He was really good, especially his curveball,” said acting manager DeMarlo Hale. “I think he got six strikeouts with the curveball. He was in the zone and out of the zone with a good break.”
On Aug. 15, McKenzie retired the first 23 Tigers he faced at Comerica Park. The perfect game and no-hitter evaporated on a two-out single by Harold Castro in the eighth.
There was no such drama on Saturday, just the continued emergence of another promising young Indians starter. McKenzie retired eight straight Angels before Jack Mayfield doubled off the wall in right center with two out in the third. McKenzie retired the next 10 batters before David Fletcher singled to start the seventh.
The next three Angels went down in order. McKenzie came out for the eighth, but walked Jose Iglesias to run his pitch count to 95. His day was over.
As he walked off the field, McKenzie received a standing ovation from the crowd of 31,406, the largest to watch the Indians play at home this season.
“The fans were very, very loud,” said McKenzie. “The stands were packed. I tried to take it in. . .It was very, very cool.”
Hale said McKenzie was at 88 pitches after the seventh and wasn’t going to pitch past the eighth.
“When he walked the first guy I said, ‘You know what, he’s done his job. He’s got us to this point,’” said Hale. “Just an outstanding effort by him.”
McKenzie threw 72% of his pitches (68-of-95) for strikes. He threw 69% of his pitches (73-of-106) for strikes against the Tigers. In his last four starts, covering 28 innings, he’s walked two batters. That’s a long way from the pitcher who walked 35 batters his first 10 appearances (41.2 innings) of the season.
“I just tried to get all my walks out of the way early,” said McKenzie with a laugh. “I feel like it’s a progression from the start of the season. Building blocks. Learning that not throwing in the zone isn’t going to get you outs. Not throwing in the zone isn’t going to get you deep into the game.
“Understanding that what this team needs to do to get wins, what I need to do to get wins consistently is throw the ball in the zone. Force these guys to swing the bat. Force these guys to put the ball in play and force the guys behind me to make plays. And that they’ll do every time.”
As he did against Miguel Cabrera in Detroit, McKenzie shut down the Angels’ main power source -- Shohei Ohtani. The man who could win the AL AL MVP and Cy Young awards this season went 0-for-3 against McKenzie with three strikeouts.
“I don’t feel I got super super amped about it,” said McKenzie. “I felt like I made some really good pitches. I kinda felt bad for him. I don’t think I threw any nasty pitches like that to anyone else.
“I’m 100% aware it’s him (batting). When you face superstars like him, when we were in Toronto facing Vlad Guerrero Jr., and George Springer, you get super locked in on the mound.”
Emmanuel Clase completed the three-hitter with a scoreless ninth.
Jose Ramirez gave the Indians a 3-0 lead with a homer into the bleachers in left in the third. Ramirez’s third homer in as many games was his 29th of the season and followed singles by Myles Straw and Amed Rosario to start the inning.
Ramirez has hit in eight straight games. In the streak he’s batting .361 (13-for-36) with five doubles, four homers and 11 RBI. He has 324 extra base hits since 2017, the most in the majors.
“Everytime Josie steps to the plate there is a feeling he can do something,” said Hale. “Whether he’s 0-for-2, 0-for-3. . .whatever. He’s just that kind of player. He’s got a great swing. He’s a switch hitter. He’s definitely starting to pick it up again.
“Guys like that, you get them in a spot in the lineup where they’re comfortable, and you run them out there. . .It’s good to see he’s starting to come on again.”
Ramirez doubled off the left field wall in the first inning against lefty Reid Detmers (1-3, 7.11). Good relay work by Justin Upton and Fletcher cut down Rosario at the plate. But there was no denying Ramirez in the third.
Straw singled to center and Rosario moved him to third with another single to center. Detmers, the Angels’ No. 1 pick in 2020, tried to throw a 72 mph curveball past Ramirez, but it didn’t work. Ramirez sent it into the left field bleachers for his seventh homer in August.
The Indians didn’t score again until the seventh, when they made it 5-0.
Rosario started it with a leadoff homer to left center field. He hit a 3-2 pitch from Mike Mayers for his seventh homer of the season. A walk by Ramirez and infield hits by Franmil Reyes and Oscar Mercado loaded the bases. Bradley Zimmer made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly to left.
Next: RHP Cal Quantrill (3-2, 3.24) vs. LHP Jose Suarez (5-8, 3.88) on Sunday night as part of the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa. at 7:10 p.m. Bally Sports Great Lakes, ESPN, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.
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