Clevinger has off night in Tribe's loss

Cleveland’s starting rotation got off to a historic start through its first seven outings, but manager Terry Francona was always quick to mention that a hiccup along the way would be inevitable. Mike Clevinger was the first to hit a bump in the road. The Tribe had turned in seven

Cleveland’s starting rotation got off to a historic start through its first seven outings, but manager Terry Francona was always quick to mention that a hiccup along the way would be inevitable. Mike Clevinger was the first to hit a bump in the road.

The Tribe had turned in seven consecutive starts of at least six innings pitched while giving up two or fewer runs to start the year, which was tied for the longest such streak to begin a season in Major League history. Clevinger broke the remarkable run just one-third of an inning into the Indians’ 4-1 loss to the Twins on Friday night at Target Field.

In his last outing on Saturday against the Royals, Clevinger gave up back-to-back homers (his first career multi-homer inning) in the first, but he settled in to throw seven innings with six strikeouts, allowing just those two solo homers. Against the Twins, he struggled with the long ball once again in the first, surrendering a leadoff home run to Max Kepler, and became the first Indians starter to give up more than two runs this season on a two-run double by Eddie Rosario four batters later.