By: T.J. Zuppe

Final Score: Indians 6, Mariners 3, 10 Innings

Win: Vinnie Pestano (1-0)

Loss: Lucas Luetge (0-1)

Save: None

What went down: Tied at three in the bottom of the 10^th, Jason Kipnis launched a three-run walk-off home run to the seats in right-field to give the Indians a 6-3 win in extra innings. It was the seventh homer of the season for Kipnis, his second career walk-off hit and first of the long-ball variety.

On the bump: Jimenez continued his string of impressive outings, working five solid frames, striking out a season-high nine hitters. His only issue? He threw way too many pitches. As a result, Terry Francona had to go get the righty after 98 pitches in the sixth. On the very next batter, lefty Rich Hill gave up a two-run jack to Raul Ibanez. That dinger tied the game at three and removed Jimenez from a possible winning decision. While Big U continues to look solid and instill more confidence, the high pitch count will continue to haunt him. The M’s fouled off a number of pitches, which paired with the high strike out total, limited how deep Jimenez could go. To his credit, he did not allow the frustration of the high pitch count to bleed over into his performance.

Speed Kills: Kipnis never gets his chance in the 10^th if not for the speedy efforts of outfielders Drew Stubbs and Michael Bourn. After a two-out walk by Stubbs, he appeared to be nailed by a pickoff attempt by Luetge. However, Stubbs put his head down and beat the relay throw to second for a stolen base. Bourn followed up the hustle by Stubbs with an infield single, extending the inning for Kipnis’s heroics (.316, 19 RBI, 13 extra-base hits in last 14 games). They say speed never slumps. In this case, it gave Cleveland the opportunity to pick up the dramatic win.

Pen Prevails: The Tribe does not have a chance to win without the stellar work of the Wahoo relievers. Outside of the homer surrendered by Rich Hill, the rest of the bullpen arms hung zeros on the board, including Vinnie Pestano in his return from the disabled list. Pestano worked a scoreless 10^th to pick up the win. Overall, the pen (Hill, Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Chris Perez, Pestano) hurled five innings, giving up three hits and only one run.

Up Next:

Saturday: Mariners (LHP Joe Saunders 3-4, 5.51) vs. Indians (Zach McAllister 3-3, 2.68)

By: T.J. Zuppe

Final Score: Yankees 7, Indians 0 - Game Two

Win: Vidal Nuno (1-0)

Loss: Trevor Bauer (1-2)

Save: Adam Warren (1)

What went down: The Indians were shut down by lefty Vidal Nuno and the rest of the Yankees pitching staff and imploded in the seventh en route to a 7-0 New York win. The two teams split the traditional double-header after the Tribe won game one, 1-0.

On the bump: Trevor Bauer pitched effectively in his spot start for six solid frames but was pulled after giving up two doubles in the seventh. In total, the 22-year old righty hurled 6.1 innings, allowing six hits and three runs, two earned. Nick Hagadone relieved and was unable to stop the bleeding, surrendering four runs, three earned before exiting. Bauer continued to show positive signs of the type of pitcher he can be. He struck out four and only walked two. Bauer seemed to improve as the game went on and only ran out of steam once he reached the seventh. He is not quite where he needs to be but he appears to be getting closer with each start he makes.

Three-out-of-five ain’t bad: When the Tribe started this five game stretch against the Tigers and Yankees, three wins seemed to be an acceptable goal. Flash forward to Monday - the Indians were able to do just that. All things considered, after winning two of three from Detroit, taking down Justin Verlander, stealing Sunday’s finale and splitting two with New York, Cleveland should feel good about their stretch of baseball against some of the league’s best.

Up Next:

Tuesday: Indians (Scott Kazimr 2-1, 4.87) vs. Phillies (Jonathan Pettibone 2-0, 3.63)

By: T.J. Zuppe

Final Score: Indians 1, Yankees 0 - Game One

Win: Justin Masterson (6-2)

Loss: David Phelps (1-2)

Save: None

What went down: For the second time in the 2013 season, Justin Masterson hurled a gem in a 1-0 Indians complete-game shut-out win over the Yankees in game one of a traditional double-header. The Tribe’s only run came courtesy of a Jason Kipnis home run in the first inning, his fifth of the season.

On the bump: 1-0 victories are nothing new for the Cleveland ace. Monday’s complete game shut-out in game one marked the second time in 2013 that Masterson has had zero room for error and responded with a big win. On April 12^th against the Chicago White Sox, the righty also won a pitcher’s duel to the tune of 1-0. He gave Terry Francona exactly what the club needed in game one – and more. The Tribe will start game two with its entire bullpen intact. It was Masterson’s fifth complete game and third shut-out of his career. He struck out nine Yankees in the contest.

Heating up: While one youngster was sent down before the game due to his struggles (Lonnie Chisenhall), Kipnis has really started to settle into the season of late. Not only did he slug his fifth round-tripper, the only Tribe offense in game one, but the Wahoo second-baseman has been hitting the ball with more authority consistently. It started with his use of the opposite field in the Indians’ last home stand. His work at the top of the lineup will make the Tribe-nine more dynamic as he continues to heat up. However, he is not quite back yet. He struck out twice in the contest (including once in the seventh with two on.)

Come on, blue: Second-base umpire Brian Knight appeared to miss a call at second-base in the first inning, continuing a theme of bad umpiring over the last week. After walking, Michael Bourn attempt to steal second base. Knight called Bourn out, though a replay seemed to indicate Bourn slid in before the tag. The call would cost the Tribe. Kipnis launched a solo bomb a few pitches later.

Up Next:

Game two: Yankees (Vidal Nuno 0-0, 0.00) vs. Indians (Trevor Bauer 1-1, 2.70)

By: T.J. Zuppe | ESPNCleveland.com

Photo/Getty

Final Score: Indians 4, Athletics 3

Win: Justin Masterson (5-2)

Loss: AJ Griffin (3-3)

Save: Chris Perez (5)

What went down: Ahead by a run in the ninth, Chris Perez served up a pitch to Adam Rosales that hit off the padding of the left-field wall and landed in the field of play for a double – or did it? Replays indicated that the ball may have hit off the railing in left which would have been the game-tying home run. After a closer look on replay, the umpires ruled it hit below the railing despite a number of angles that appeared to show otherwise. Jaws dropped, A’s manager Bob Melvin was tossed and Perez managed to nail down the save and the Indians grabbed a 4-3 win over the A’s.

What it means: While catching what appeared to be a major break to everyone in the ballpark except the four umpires making the call, Cleveland reached three games above .500 for the first time in 2013 and increased their recent hot streak even more. The Wahoos have now won three in a row and nine of their last ten games. They will go for the four-game sweep on Thursday.

On the bump: After tossing three no-hit innings to start the contest, Masterson came a bit unraveled in the fourth frame. Masterson surrendered three runs in the inning, which at the time gave the A’s a 3-0 advantage. To his credit, Masterson composed himself and settled back into a groove to keep the deficit at three runs. After the offense chipped away and managed to grab back the lead in the sixth, Masterson cruised through the seventh. In total, he only gave up the three and hurled seven solid innings, striking out seven and walking two. The Tribe’s ace picked up his fifth win of the season and snapped a personal three-game losing streak to Oakland.

Yard work: Despite the wind blowing in for most of the game, two Wahoo bats found a way to slug their way through it. Trailing by a solo run in the bottom of the sixth, Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana crushed two solo homers deep into the night to seize the lead for the Tribe, 4-3. It was Swisher’s fourth home run and Santana’s seventh of the season. The Tribe improved to 13-7 when they hit at least one long-ball in a contest.

Flash that leather: The Tribe’s defense was on full display behind Masterson in the seventh. Nick Swisher, fresh off of crushing the game-tying homer, made a slick grab at first-base and Asdrubal Cabrera made a leaping grab at short to end the frame. Good defense, especially on hard-hit balls, is always the pitcher’s best friend.

Up Next:

Thursday May 9^th: Athletics (Bartolo Colon 3-1, 3.62) vs. Indians (Scott Kazmir 1-1, 6.28)

T.J. Zuppe covers the Cleveland Indians for ESPN 850 WKNR. Catch TJ on The Hooligans weekdays from 3:00p.m.-6:00p.m. on ESPN 850 WKNR. Follow TJ on Twitter @TJZuppe

By: T.J. Zuppe | ESPNCleveland.com

Photo/Getty

Final Score: Indians 1, Athletics 0

Win: Zach McAllister (3-3)

Loss: Tommy Milone (3-4)

Save: Chris Perez (4)

What went down? Zach McAllister and Tommy Milone went toe-to-toe in a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel at Progressive Field. McAllister was just a little bit better than his counterpart and the Indians found a way to squeak out a 1-0 win over the A’s.

What it means: The Tribe improved to two games above the break-even mark for the first time since the club was 2-0. The Indians (16-14) have reeled off eight wins in their last nine games and remained one of baseball’s hottest squads, while nothing the club’s fifth shut-out of the campaign.

On the bump:Don’t look now but Zach McAllister is quietly becoming the Tribe’s most steady hurler. Sure, he may not have the high ceiling that arms Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez or others possess, but if slow and steady wins the race, McAllister may truly be in good shape. He is not flashy, but he steadily gets the job done each and every time out and always seems to give his club a chance to win. The tall righty attacked the zone and hurled 7.2 scoreless frames before giving way to left-hander Rich Hill. He gave up five hits, striking out four and walking one. His season ERA lowered to 2.63. Chris Perez picked up his fourth save in the ninth with a scoreless inning.

Way to Gomes: Not only was the only Indians run courtesy of a sacrifice fly off the bat of catcher Yan Gomes, the back-up to Carlos Santana continued to handle the pitching staff wonderfully in his time with Cleveland. He has seemed to develop good chemistry with about every Tribe arm and the numbers indicate they enjoy having him as their battery mate (2.89 ERA over 12 games behind the dish). He has thrown well from behind the plate (threw out Yoenis Cespedes trying to steal in the ninth) and has handled the bat well enough to warrant his playing time. Even when catcher Lou Marson is ready to return from the disabled list, the Indians should think twice about being so quick to replace a guy that has played well in a limited role.

Finding ways: Cleveland’s bats got pitched to by A’s lefty Tommy Milone. They were only able to pound out five hits and one run and wasted a couple of opportunities following lead-off doubles. However, what is impressive about the truly good teams, they usually find ways to win close ballgames, even when one area of their game struggles. This club has already proven it can win some slugfests but they have not been truly tested in a great deal of low-scoring tightly contested games. Hurling a gem pitching performance, while getting just enough offensively is a sign of a good club.

Up Next:

Wednesday May 8^th: Athletics (A.J. Griffin 3-2, 3.79) vs. Indians (Justin Masterson 4-2, 3.64)

By: T.J. Zuppe | ESPNCleveland.com

Photo/Getty

Final Score: Indians 7, Athletics 3

Win: Ubaldo Jimenez (2-2)

Loss: Jarrod Parker (1-5)

Save: None

What went down: The Tribe pounded out four home runs, including two from Asdrubal Cabrera, and pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez was solid for his second straight start as the Indians beat the A’s 7-3. Cleveland has now won seven of their last eight games.

What it means: Despite a loss on Sunday that snapped their six-game win streak, the Indians were able to put a win back in the positive column and get back above .500 at 15-14. The Indians increased their team home run total to 44 (leads the league).

On the bump: Jimenez has managed to hurl back-to-back impressive outings. Monday, Jimenez tossed 5.2 frames while only allowing two runs on four hits against the Athletics. The righty relied a lot on his off-speed stuff, striking out a season-high eight batters. In his last two games, the Tribe pitcher has tossed 12.2 innings, surrendering only the two runs. While not as impressive as his outing against the Royals, the more solid and consistent Jimenez can be will only instill more confidence that the enigmatic hurler can repeat his success. That repetition has escaped him throughout his Tribe career.

McGwire territory: After getting drilled by a pitch from A’s starter Jarrod Parker in the first, Tribe slugger Mark Reynolds got the last laugh in the fifth. Reynolds clubbed a Parker pitch to the third-to-last row of the bleachers in left-field for his 10^th homer of the season. After crushing the 460-foot blast deep into the night, Reynolds stopped to admire his work for a few seconds before entering his home-run trot around the bases. All things considered, he earned that right.

Let’s get it started: The duo of Jason Kipnis and Cabrera have been highly scrutinized this season for a lack of production, but both came through in a big way. The double-play combination doubled-up in the first inning on back-to-back homers. It was the fourth time in 2013 that Cleveland had accomplished that feat. Kipnis’s bat looks much better of late. He has flashed some power the other way, the usual sign of a hitter coming out of a slump. As stated numerous times before, the Tribe nine takes on a different feel when both contribute to the cause.

Up Next:

Tuesday May 7^th: Athletics (Tommy Milone 3-3, 3.69) vs. Indians (Zach McAllister 2-3, 3.30)

T.J. Zuppe covers the Cleveland Indians for ESPN 850 WKNR. Catch TJ on The Hooligans weekdays from 3:00p.m.-6:00p.m. on ESPN 850 WKNR. Follow TJ on Twitter @TJZuppe