Indians Game Information, August 12

CLEVELAND INDIANS (53-61, 3rd, -9.0G) vs. BOSTON RED SOX (56-59)
RHP Corey Kluber (0-0, 6.10) vs. LHP Jon Lester (5-10, 5.36)
First Pitch 1:05 p.m. (ET)
TV: STO  Radio: WTAM/Indians Radio Network

ELIAS SAYS: BRENT LILLIBRIDGE went 3-for-4 w/ a 2B, HR and 2 RBI in  last  night’s  victory…according  to  Elias,  Lillibridge  became  just  the  2nd player in the last 53 seasons (1960-2012) to homer against Boston within 4 weeks of wearing a Red Sox uniform…just last month (July 17 at Fenway Park), the White Sox’s KEVIN YOUKILIS became the first player to pull that trick since Detroit’s TED LEPCIO did it on May 5, 1959 at Tiger Stadium just days after being traded by Boston.

THE STANDINGS: The Indians beat the Red Sox 5-2 last night, cutting their deficit to 9.0 games behind Chicago in the A.L. Central standings…the Tribe is also 8.5 games back in the A.L. Wild Card standings… Cleveland has been in 3rd place for 28 straight days after spending 56 consecutive days in either first or 2nd place (April 24-July 14)…of the 129 days of the Indians’ season, Cleveland has been in first place for 40 days, 2nd place for 46 days and 3rd place for 33 days…Cleveland held a season-high 4.0-game lead on May 17, but has gone 31-45 since.

LEFT COAST SWING: At the conclusion of the today’s game the Indians will head West to begin a 10-day, 9-game road trip against the Angels, Athletics and Mariners…trips starts with the Tribe’s first and only visit to Anaheim  this  season  to  conclude  the  season  series  against  the  Halos,  who have traveled to Cleveland twice this season (Indians hold a 4-2 advantage in 2012 play)…the Tribe is 122-140 all-time at Angel Stadium, going 11-17 over the last 5 seasons at “The Big A” (2007-11).