Indians annihilate Angels 14-4 amidst two rain delays

Only the rain slowed the Indians’ bats on Thursday night.

The Indians put together one of the best offensive nights of the season and wrapped it around two rain delays en route to trouncing the Los Angeles Angels 14-4.

The Indians scored at least one run in each of the first five innings, which included a five-run first that allowed starting pitcher Corey Kluber to cruise for most of the night.

Carlos Santana led off the first inning with a solo home run against Angels starter Jhoulys Chacin, his 25th of the season, to answer a first-inning home run by Mike Trout. It was also Santana’s fifth lead-off home run this year, making him the fourth Indians player with at least five in the same season, joining Shin-Soo Choo (2012), Grady Sizemore (2008) and Kenny Lofton (1999).

The Indians later in the inning loaded the bases and cleared them on Lonnie Chisenhall’s double to left field that was misplayed by Angels outfielder Ji-Man Choi, making it 4-1. Jose Ramirez rounded third base on the heels of Mike Napoli, and the two scored nearly simultaneously. Tyler Naquin followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Chisenhall.

The Indians kept adding on. A single by Francisco Lindor made it 6-1, and Mike Napoli followed with an RBI-double in the second. Jason Kipnis tacked on an RBI-single in the third inning.

The rains came in the fourth, causing a 31-minute delay, but the onslaught continued after play resumed. Chisenhall roped a double that scored Napoli, who doubled just before the delay, and Abraham Almonte drove him in with a double of his own to push it to 10-2.

In the fifth, though, a scary moment for the Indians. Lindor ripped a foul ball into the Indians’ dugout that struck Santana. Santana buckled to the ground and play was stopped for a few moments. He was later helped to the clubhouse by trainers. Per the club, he left the game with a contusion to the right side of his head.

Still, the Indians kept pounding. Napoli, the next batter, crushed a three-run home run to center field, his 29th of the season. He finished 4-for-4 with four RBI and was a triple short of the cycle. Jose Ramirez then went back-to-back with Napoli, drilling a solo home run that extended his current hitting streak to 15 games.

Kluber allowed three runs on four hits in six innings and struck out three. A second rain delay hit in the seventh inning with the game well in hand.

All nine Indians starters either recorded a hit or drove in a run in the win, which extends the Indians’ lead in the American League Central to four games over the Detroit Tigers, who were off on Thursday.