Morales aims to find win column as Rockies battle Indians
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - Franklin Morales tries for his first victory in over a month when he takes the mound for the Colorado Rockies Saturday afternoon against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.
Morales is 0-3 over his last five starts and hasn't won since April 28 at Arizona. The lefty is coming off a loss at Atlanta Sunday when he gave up five hits and five runs over 4 2/3 innings. He's 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA in seven games (1 start) against the Indians.
Trevor Bauer, who counters for the Indians, suffered a 4-2 loss at Baltimore on Sunday when he allowed six hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings. This will be the 23-year-old right-hander's fourth start of the season and first career appearance against the Rockies.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last night, Corey Kluber piled up 12 strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings and the Indians earned a 5-2 victory in the opener of this three-game series to snap a four-game skid.
Kluber (6-3), who surrendered five hits and a pair of runs, has 60 strikeouts this month. That's the most for the month of May since Curt Schilling had 62 in 2002 for Arizona. Kluber also became the fifth Cleveland pitcher since 1914 to have 60 K's in any month.
Kluber moved to 4-0 over his last six starts and hasn't lost since April 29 in Anaheim.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He threw a hard cutter, hard slider, big curve," Rockies third baseman Charlie Culberson said of Kluber. "He's a good pitcher, one of the better ones I've seen."
Asdrubal Cabrera slugged a two-run homer during a four-run fifth inning. Lonnie Chisenhall also knocked in two runs for the Indians, while Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 15 games and scored twice.
Juan Nicasio (5-3) gave up nine hits and five runs over 4 2/3 frames for the Rockies, who lost for the sixth time in eight contests.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Carlos Gonzalez clubbed a two-run homer to right-center with Corey Dickerson aboard in the fourth inning to give Colorado a 2-1 edge, but the Rockies fell apart in the fifth.
The Rockies are 10-9 all-time against the Tribe.