When Bieber is human, there's the Franimal

So often players snap an offensive slump on an infield hit or a bloop single that somehow finds a way to fall in. But when the entire Indians lineup fell silent over the past week, maybe all it took was an unconventional seventh inning on Tuesday to get some momentum

So often players snap an offensive slump on an infield hit or a bloop single that somehow finds a way to fall in. But when the entire Indians lineup fell silent over the past week, maybe all it took was an unconventional seventh inning on Tuesday to get some momentum back in their favor.

The Tribe entered the frame trailing by two runs, but an error, three walks and an infield single — an inning where the ball only once got beyond the infield dirt — allowed Cleveland to tie the game, setting up Franmil Reyes to be the hero in the eighth, launching a two-run blast to give the Indians a 4-2 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

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The cheers in the Indians’ dugout were loud enough to be heard on the television broadcast. It had been a while since the team had something to celebrate after dropping their last four games and only having scored six runs in its previous six contests.

Although the team has struggled collectively, the biggest sigh of relief may have come from Reyes himself. The Tribe slugger entered the night having gone 6-for-35 in his first 10 games of the season, without a home run. He raked during Spring Training in February and March, but he was not able to face live pitching over the 3 1/2-month pause due to COVID-19, saying his timing was off entering Summer Camp.

The team’s last win came on Shane Bieber’s latest superb start. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old allowed two earned runs on five hits through 7 2/3 frames. His eight strikeouts on the night bumped his total to 35 in three starts, which is the third most by a pitcher in his first three outings since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Only Nolan Ryan (37) and Gerit Cole (36) compiled more.