Indians, Carlos Carrasco cruise to 6-2 win against Miami Marlins

After a string of wild finishes and walk-off thrillers in recent weeks, the Indians’ 6-2 win against the Miami Marlins Friday night was a little closer to how the club would like to draw up a victory.

The Indians’ offense used some patience in the right spots to build an early lead and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco cruised to one of his best starts of the season.

Carrasco (10-7, 3.06 ERA) threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing six hits and walking one. He also struck out 11, marking the 10th time in his career he’s struck out at least 10 in a game and the third time this season.

He’s now struck out at least eight batters in six consecutive starts, the longest active streak in the majors and tied for the longest such streak this season, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw as the only two to accomplish that feat. An Indians pitcher hasn’t pulled it off since Corey Kluber did so in May of 2014.

While Carrasco racked up strikeouts, Marlins starting pitcher Andrew Cashner (0-4, 5.00 ERA) struggled to find the strike zone. Aided by some patience, the Indians took a 4-0 lead in the first two innings that allowed Carrasco to cruise the rest of the night.

The bottom of the first began with two walks and a bloop single to load the bases with nobody out. Mike Napoli drew the third walk of the inning to bring in a run. Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall each followed with ground balls that led to an out but added a run, putting the Indians up 3-0 with only a bloop single to show in the hit column.

In the second, Tyler Naquin doubled to center field, advanced to third with a sacrifice bunt by Roberto Perez and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Carlos Santana.

Abraham Almonte tacked on a couple more in the fifth, ripping a two-run double off the wall in right-center field that scored Jose Ramirez, who had doubled, and Lonnie Chisenhall, who had walked.

Jeff Manship entered in the eighth inning and promptly allowed a two-run home run to J.T. Realmuto, leading to Cody Allen working the ninth inning.

Coco Crisp was available off the bench for the first time but did not make it into the game. Friday night also marked the first time that some members of the Indians and Marlins, in addition to many teams across the league, wore gold wristbands for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.