Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber will go into his start Monday night in Kansas City in an unfamiliar position: in a slump.
In his first 14 starts this year
Sam Darnold Jets Jersey , Kluber was 10-2 with a 1.99 ERA. But in his last three starts, Kluber is 1-2 with a 6.59 ERA.
Nevertheless, the slumping Kluber will be on the mound Monday night for the Cleveland Indians, who, not coincidentally, are slumping as a team.
Although they walloped Oakland 15-3 on Sunday, the Indians have lost four of the first six games on their nine-game trip that will conclude with three games
in Kansas City.
Kluber, who is 10-6 with a 2.82 ERA in 21 career starts against the Royals, will try to get back on track against one of his favorite opponents.
Kluber’s three-start slump is actually two really bad ones sandwiched around a really good one. It started June 15 with a 10-3 loss to Minnesota in which
Kluber gave up four runs in five innings.
However, Kluber’s next start, on June 20
http://www.patriotsauthorizedshop.com/authentic-troy-niklas-jersey , was a 12-0 win over the Chicago White Sox in which he pitched seven scoreless
innings and gave up one hit.
But on June 26 in St. Louis, Kluber had his worst start of the year, his worst in several years. In an 11-4 loss to the Cardinals, Kluber was removed
from the game after giving up six runs in 1 2/3 innings.
“He’s human. Guys don’t go 35 starts (during the season) without a bump in the road,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.
Kluber said, “No excuses. I just didn’t get the job done. I had some things going on delivery-wise and didn’t execute my pitches consistently.”
Although the Indians have a comfortable nine-game lead in the American League Central, they have had trouble winning on the road.
Cleveland is 27-13 at home but just 18-24 on the road, the only division leader in the majors with a losing record on the road. The Indians are hoping
Kluber can help shake his slump and get a road win Monday.
Kluber is 11-4 with a 2.54 ERA overall this season. One of those wins came against the Royals on May 13, a 6-2 Cleveland victory in which Kluber pitched
seven innings without allowing an earned run.
The Indians bolstered their bullpen Sunday by selecting left-hander Marc Rzepczynski from Triple-A Columbus and optioning starter Adam Plutko to
Columbus.
Kluber’s mound opponent Monday night, Royals right-hander Jakob Junis (5-9, 4.67)
http://www.broncosauthorizedshops.com/authentic-bradley-chubb-jersey , is also mired in a slump.
Junis hasn’t won a game since May 18. In seven starts since then, he is 0-6 with a 6.30 ERA. His last start came June 26, a 5-1 loss to Milwaukee. In that
game, Junis pitched five innings, giving up four runs and seven hits with seven
strikeouts and three walks.
Junis’ last start against Cleveland came May 13. In a 6-2 loss to the Indians, he pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits with seven
strikeouts and two walks.
In three career appearances against Cleveland, Junis is 0-1 with a 5.93 ERA.
The Royals, who have lost three in a row, were glad to see the calendar change to July. They went 5-21 in June, the worst record in June in the team’s
50-year history.
Scott Foster thought it was going to be just another night. Then the 36-year-old accountant signed a contract
John Kelly Color Rush Jersey , put on his goaltender gear and waited in Chicago’s locker room. Then he got into the game.
Then it was his night.
Foster was pressed into action when Chicago lost Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia to injuries, and the former college goalie stopped all seven shots he
faced over the final 14 minutes of the Blackhawks
.tpClipInfo > * { display: none !important; }.tpPlayer { display: none !important; }.tpReleaseList > * { display: none !important; }.tpReleaseModel > * { display: none !important; }.tpNavigation > * { display: none !important; }.tpSearch > * { display: none !important; }.tpCategoryModel > * { display: none !important; }.tpHeader > * { display: none !important; }.tpCategoryList > * { display: none !important; }‘ 6-2 victory over the playoff-bound Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
”This is something that no one can ever take away from me,” Foster said. ”It’s something that I can go home and tell my kids and they can tell their
friends. … Just a ton of fun.”
Foster is part of a crew of recreational goaltenders who staff Chicago’s home games in case of emergencies for either team. But it usually just means a nice
dinner and a night in the press box watching the world’s best players compete at
hockey’s highest level.
Nothing at all like this.
”What a moment,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said with a chuckle.
Forsberg was expected to start, but he got hurt during a ”pregame ritual,” according to Quenneville. Delia, who was just recalled from the minors
Wednesday, then stopped 25 of 27 shots in his NHL debut before he was helped off
the ice with 14:01 left after he cramped up.
Enter Foster, a married father of two who lives in nearby Oak Park and plays in two rec leagues. After a short warmup, the game resumed and Foster got a big
cheer from the crowd of 21,839 when he denied Tyler Myers for his first save
about a minute after he came in.
”The initial shock happened when I had to dress. I think you just kind of black out after that
http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-lorenzo-carter-jersey ,” Foster said.
Backed by chants of ”Foster! Foster!” and more loud ovations, he made another stop on Myers and turned away Paul Stastny and Dustin Byfuglien in the final
minutes. When it was over, the Blackhawks poured onto the ice and mobbed Foster
in the net.
”He was great,” defenseman Brent Seabrook said. ”I think the boys were doing whatever they could to help him out. He made some big saves. Fun night.”
The Jets had won six in a row and were trying to clinch home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. But even they were moved by what
happened.
”It’s tough for anybody to come in 50 minutes into a hockey game, let alone a guy who hasn’t played in the (NHL),” coach Paul Maurice said. ”A great moment
for him.”
Carolina Hurricanes equipment manager Jorge Alves became the first emergency goalie to play in a game in the modern era last season. He closed out the final
7.6 seconds of a 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
The NHL adjusted its rules last summer to mandate that teams have an emergency goalie present for all home games ready to fill in for either team –
setting the stage for Foster’s most competitive action since 20 minutes in
relief with Western Michigan University in the 2005-06 season.
”A few hours ago I was sitting on the computer typing on a 10-key, and now I’m standing in front of you guys having just finished 14 1/2 minutes of NHL
hockey,” he cracked.
It was a wild finish to one of Chicago’s best performances in a lousy season.
Tomas Jurco scored a career-high two goals in Seabrook’s 1,000th regular-season game, and touted prospect Dylan Sikura had two assists in his NHL
debut. Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat and defenseman Erik Gustafsson each had a
goal and an assist
http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jalyn-holmes-jersey , and Brandon Saad also scored.
The 32-year-old Seabrook got the start alongside fellow alternate captain and frequent defensive partner Duncan Keith. He became the fifth player in franchise
history to skate in 1,000 or more games for the team, joining Stan Mikita, Bobby
Hull, Eric Nesterenko and Bob Murray.
Bryan Little scored his 200th NHL goal for Winnipeg in the opener of a four-game trip. Mark Scheifele also scored for the Jets, and Eric Comrie made 36
saves while subbing for starter Connor Hellebuyck.
”It wasn’t a good night,” Little said. ”It wasn’t good from the start. It’s one of those games you want to forget and put behind you and look to the next
one.”
Kane got Chicago off to a fast start when he shot it between Comrie’s legs for his 27th goal 3:44 into the first, and the Blackhawks just poured it on from
there. Saad made it 2-0 with a nifty move to his backhand in front at 17:17.
Jurco added two goals in the second before Little got Winnipeg on the board with his 16th of the season at 14:24. But Gustafsson responded for the
Blackhawks, scoring on a nice rush to the net at 17:27.
NOTES: Quenneville said Delia was going to travel with the team to Colorado and should be fine for Friday night’s game against the Avalanche. With four
games left in the season, he said Forsberg (lower body) is likely done for the
year. Jean-Francois Berube was recalled from Rockford of the AHL on an emergency
basis.
UP NEXT
Jets: Visit Toronto on Saturday night.
Blackhawks: Visit Colorado on Friday night.
—
Jay Cohen can be reached at .
