As fireworks lit up the night sky and the Cleveland faithful erupted in cheers, the Indians celebrated their third walk-off win of the season by mobbing Edwin Encarnacion at home plate. Encarnacion played the role of the hero, as his walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 11th lifted the Indians over the Angels, 11-7, in Tuesday night’s series opener at Progressive Field.
Encarnacion’s walk-off blast — his 21st homer of the season — came on a first-pitch slider from Angels reliever Bud Norris and gave the Indians their fifth straight win to maintain their 1 1/2 game lead over the Royals in the American League Central division. It is Encarnacion’s sixth career walk-off homer and his 10th career walk-off hit.
With Encarnacion’s grand slam, the Indians became the first team in Major League history to hit two grand slams in one game with the second being a walk-off.
“I bet it does [feel good]. I bet it does,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of Encarnacion’s first walk-off hit with the Indians. “I know it felt good to me. Any time you get mobbed by your teammates, that’s a good feeling.”
Encarnacion’s slam in the 11th was the first walk-off grand slam for the Indians since Nick Swisher did so on June 19, 2014, also against the Angels.
“It’s a wonderful feeling,” Encarnacion said through team translator Anna Bolton. “Yes, this is my first walk-off with the Indians and it’s an amazing feeling and it felt amazing to connect with the ball and to hit it out like I did.”
The Angels, who fell to 49-52 and now sit four games back of the second American League Wild Card spot, crawled their way back into the game thanks to a three-run homer from Kole Calhoun and a two-run shot from Luis Valbuena. Valbuena also added an RBI single, and Yunel Escobar drove in the tying run with an RBI double.
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