Indians battle Houston Astros, midges in 6-5 win

If facing major-league hitters wasn’t tough enough, Carlos Carrasco went to battle with a swarm of midges to lead the Indians to a 6-5 win Wednesday night.

Early on, the bugs began annoying the Indians infield, similar—but not to the same extent—to the time they swarmed the field during the American League Divisional Series in 2007 against the New York Yankees.

This time it was Carrasco, and not then-Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain, who had to fight them off. Carrasco, first baseman Mike Napoli, third baseman Jose Ramirez and others repeatedly swatted bugs away from their faces, neck and arms.

In the fourth, leading 2-1, Indians trainers had to tend to Carrasco after one particularly aggressive midge became lodged in his eye, forcing a mound visit. Though his eyes were free of bugs, Carrasco gave up a single to Yulieski Gurriel and a two-run home run to Colby Rasmus within his next three pitches, which gave the Astros a 3-2 lead.

With the exception of that three-pitch, post-bug stretch, Carrasco (11-7, 3.15 ERA) was strong Wednesday night, finishing with three earned runs on nine hits and five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

The Indians (80-58) overcame the bugs and Astros starter Doug Fister (12-11, 4.14 ERA) in the fifth. Francisco Lindor opened the inning with a single and was followed by Mike Napoli, who crushed a no-doubt two-run home run two-thirds of the way up the bleachers in the left field, putting the Indians on top 4-3. Lindor finished with a three-hit game, his 23rd of the season, which is the most by an Indians hitter since 1936.

Lonnie Chisenhall and Rajai Davis each singled later in the inning, sending Fister to the clubhouse and left-hander Kevin Chapman into the game. The Indians countered with Brandon Guyer, who was acquired to hit left-handed pitching. Guyer did as the Indians envisioned, ripping a two-run double to left-center field, extending the lead to 6-3.

In the eighth, Andrew Miller didn’t bury one of his trademark sliders and paid for it, as Gurriel slugged a two-run shot, to left field to slice the Indians’ lead to 6-5. It was his first career home run, and it came against one of the best relievers and best single pitches in baseball. It marked the first time Miller has allowed earned runs in back-to-back appearances since Aug. 11/13 of last year.

Cody Allen allowed a single in the ninth but struck out George Springer, Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve in order to notch his 25th save of the season.