After losing his third straight start Sept. 1, many were questioning if Corey Kluber was fatigued or had hit the wall after being dominant for two months. In the past three starts, the right-hander has returned to midseason form.
On Tuesday in Houston, Kluber struck out a career-high 14 and won his third straight game as the Indians beat the Astros 4-2 to snap a four-game losing streak. Kluber went seven innings and allowed only one run on seven hits with two walks. His previous career high in strikeouts was 13 on May 4 against the White Sox.
"He looks as strong as ever," manager Terry Francona told reporters after the game. "There were times tonight where he needed strikeouts. He worked ahead and executed pitches. He normally starts out a game establishing fastball command but this game he had to work into it. His stuff is so late moving and going both directions, pitching in and opening up away. There's a reason why he had those strikeouts."
Kluber gave up his only run in the first on a two-out single by Marwin Gonzalez to score Jose Altuve. According to Baseball Reference, Kluber became only the third Indians pitcher since 1914 to have a game where he struck out 14 or more, walked two or fewer and gave up one run or fewer. Sam McDowell did it three times (May 1, 1968, vs. Oakland; June 21, 1973; July 19, 1970, vs. Minnesota and Sept. 18, 1968, vs. Detroit) and Gaylord Perry did it on June 21, 1973, against Milwaukee.
"I just think it is executing pitches at the right time," Kluber told reporters after the game. "Yan (catcher Yan Gomes) did a good job leading me through the early part of the game when I didn't have great stuff."
Tuesday also marked Kluber's ninth game this season with double-digit strikeouts, which makes him the fifth Indians pitcher to have nine or more in a season. The others are McDowell (five times), Bob Feller, Herb Score and Louis Tiant.
Kluber, who improved to 16-9 with a 2.54 ERA, should be in line for two more starts -- Sunday at Minnesota and Sept. 26 or 27 at home against Tampa Bay. His 244 strikeouts on the season are 12th most in team history and the most recently since Bartolo Colon had 212 in 2000. Score is 11th with 245 in 1955 and Feller 10th with 246 in 1939.
In terms of handicapping the Cy Young race, Kluber has once again reestablished himself as a top three candidate. Many still see Seattle's Felix Hernandez as the favorite but Chicago's Chris Sale and Kluber are also making strong bids.
"When someone gets in scoring position he turns it on and is almost unhittable," pitching coach Mickey Callaway told SportsTime Ohio's Katie Witham after the game. "There's no one that goes about his business better than that. He has to be considered (for the Cy Young)."
Kluber Tracker
Where Corey Kluber ranks among American League leaders after Tuesday's game:
Starts: 32 (T-1st)
Wins: 16 (T-2nd)
Complete Games: 3 (T-2nd)
ERA:2.54 (4th)
Innings Pitched: 219 2/3 (2nd)
Strikeouts: 244 (2nd)
Ks Per 9 Innings: 10.0 (3rd)
Home ERA: 2.33 (4th)
Road ERA: 2.51 (6th)
Day ERA: 2.46 (9th)
Night ERA: 2.39 (5th)
Opp. Average Against: .234 (T-7th)
Indians pitchers with most double-digit strikeout games in a season:
Player, Year, Games
Sam McDowell, 1965, 17
Sam McDowell, 1968, 13
Bob Feller, 1946, 12
Herb Score, 1956, 11
Sam McDowell, 1969, 10
Sam McDowell, 1970, 10
Luis Tiant, 1968, 9
Sam McDowell, 1966, 9
Corey Kluber, 2014, 9
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