(TSX / STATS) — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A year ago, Jason Vargas was rehabbing from 2015 Tommy John surgery, which would limit him to three September starts and 12 innings last season.
This year, Vargas is a candidate for the American League All-Star game.
Vargas threw a complete-game shutout as the Kansas City Royals won a challenge and a game, beating the Cleveland Indians 4-0 on Friday night.
Vargas (7-3) last had a shutout on Aug. 13, 2014, against Oakland. He limited the Indians to seven hits, six of them singles, and was backed by four double plays. He lowered his ERA to 2.08, which ranks third in the American League.
Johnny Cueto threw the last complete-game shutout for the Royals on Aug. 10, 2015, against Detroit.
Vargas threw a season-high 103 pitches and retired the last 10 batters he faced.
“The double plays were huge,” Vargas said. “They were the reason I was able to stay in the game. It really sets the tone when you’re able to put two guys away with one swing. I don’t know if I felt stronger as the game went on. I felt pretty good from the start.”
Lorenzo Cain beat out an infield tapper to the left side that Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin fielded and threw to first in the sixth inning. Umpire Ed Hickox ruled Cain out, but the Royals challenged and the call on the field was overturned after a 75-second delay. The Royals have won 11 of 14 challenges this season.
Cain’s infield single with two outs scored Alcides Escobar with the game’s first run.
Escobar had singled with one out, took second on a Tomlin wild pitch and advanced to third on Mike Moustakas’ groundout before scoring on Cain’s dribbler.
“It looked like we weren’t going to score in the sixth inning and luckily for instant replay, we got that call reversed and gave us that one run,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.
The Royals added two runs in the eighth on a home run by Mike Moustakas and an RBI double by Eric Hosmer.
“Vargy kind of got better as the game went along,” Yost said. “He gave up hits the first five innings, which we turned around and negated with double plays. They only got a couple of hits the last four or five innings.
“He had a really good change up, had guys out in front, rolling over balls.”
Tomlin (3-7) gave up three runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings.
“There’s really no more pressure,” Tomlin said when the opposing pitcher is also putting up zeroes. “You’ve still got to go out there and do our job. He’s pitching his tail off and he continued to do that tonight. I got outpitched by a pretty good pitcher.”
Tomlin, who threw a complete-game six-hitter to beat the Royals on Sunday in Cleveland, breezed through the first five innings, holding Kansas City to two singles and no runs.
“He and Vargas looked like the mirror image of each other, just a left- and right-hander,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “Pitched the same, command the same and kind of take the sting out of your bat.”
Jorge Bonifacio and Brandon Moss singled with two outs in the second for the only time Tomlin was in any kind of danger the first five innings. Whit Merrifield flied out to right fielder Daniel Robertson to end the inning.
The Indians managed six hits and a walk off Vargas the first six innings but failed to score. They grounded into the four double plays in the first six innings.
“They always says that double plays are a pitcher’s best friend,” Yost said. “Vargas and the double play were snuggled up tight tonight.”
Carlos Santana grounded into double plays in the first and fourth innings.
Edwin Encarnacion led off the second with a single to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, but Vargas promptly erased him when Jose Ramirez grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.
Jason Kipnis walked to lead off the Indians’ sixth, but Francisco Lindor rolled into a double play. Vargas threw 69 pitches in six innings.
Yan Gomes’ double off the left-field fence with one out in the Indians’ fifth was the lone extra-base hit. Vargas struck out Austin Jackson and retired Robertson on a grounder to Alcides Escobar to strand Gomes.
NOTES: The game time was two hours, 19 minutes, the Royals’ fastest game of the season. … Indians OF Lonnie Chisenhall (concussion) could go to Double-A Akron for a rehab assignment this weekend if he gets clearance by the doctors. … The Royals finished May with a 15-14 record. “Better than April, it’s a start,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We need to find a way to get on a nice run where you win 15 out of 22.” … Royals OF Jorge Soler has started only one game since May 23. … Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco and Royals RHP Jason Hammel are the Saturday probables.
Photo credit – Orlin Wagner / Associated Press / Kansas City, MO
