Carrasco strikes out 11, Indians beat Yankees once again

NEW YORK (AP) -- Brian McCann did his best, taking off in quick pursuit of a high pop foul near the third base dugout.

But as the Yankees catcher lunged into the stands, the ball glanced off his glove. Too bad for him, he got tangled with a fan holding up a sheet of paper - it was a shield the man in the front row used it to protect a baby he was cradling.

On the next pitch, Carlos Santana homered in the sixth inning Friday night to help the Cleveland Indians extend their lead in what became a 7-3 win over New York.

"The ball was in my glove, it just popped out. I should've caught it," McCann said. "I should've made the play, didn't and then he went deep."

In a game where the Yankees never quite caught the ball or caught up, Carlos Carrasco struck out 11 as the Indians once again stopped the AL East leaders.

The last-place Indians improved to 4-1 against New York this year. A night after a 3-2 victory at Yankee Stadium, Cleveland remained the only sub-.500 team in the majors with a winning record on the road.

"They've given us trouble," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I've said it always, the one thing about baseball, it doesn't make sense."

Carrasco (12-9) outpitched Masahiro Tanaka (9-6), giving up one run and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. Carrasco has permitted just six runs in his last five starts. Soon after he left, the Yankees got close.

Alex Rodriguez bounced an RBI single in the eighth off Zach McAllister that made it 4-2. With two outs, second baseman Jose Ramirez let an easy grounder roll between his legs for an error that produced another run.

Closer Cody Allen retired Stephen Drew on a long fly with the bases loaded to end the inning, keeping a 4-3 lead.

Allen finished for his 25th save in 28 chances. On Thursday night, he escaped his own ninth-inning jam for a save.

Michael Brantley hit his second RBI single of the game during a three-run ninth as Cleveland broke away. Santana beat out a double-play relay for the final run.

Santana lined his 14th home run, all left-handed by the switch-hitter, leading off the sixth against Tanaka for a 3-1 lead.

"Thank you for the baby," Santana said.

The Indians took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when backup shortstop Brendan Ryan fumbled Francisco Lindor's easy chopper over the mound with two outs and runners at the corners.

"I looked in my glove and it wasn't there," Ryan said. "I don't want to look at it, I'm too upset. Probably the easiest play you could possibly have, and it cost us a run."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: Pitcher Bryan Mitchell, recovering from a nasal fracture after being hit in the head by a line drive Monday, has done work on the treadmill and is ready to begin playing catch, Girardi said. ... RHP Michael Pineda (forearm strain) threw 62 pitches for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his second and perhaps final rehab start.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Danny Salazar (11-6, 3.16 ERA) aims to beat the Yankees for the second time in 11 days. He pitched into the eighth inning and held them to one run last week at home.

Yankees: Former star catcher Jorge Posada will have his No. 20 retired and be honored with a plaque in Monument Park before Saturday's game. "This is a kid we all saw grow up in front of us and become a superstar," Girardi said. Posada took over for Girardi in the late 1990s as the team's starter behind the plate. ... 21-year-old rookie Luis Severino makes his fourth start, trying for his first MLB win. He pitched well in a loss at Cleveland last week.

PLAY OF THE DAY

A woman sitting in the second deck behind third base got a big cheer when she caught a foul pop by Ramirez - right in her plastic cup full of beer. The ball plopped in and sent the suds flying.

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