Indians recap: Tribe trounces Reds 12-3; Carlos Carrasco looks sharp

The Indians picked up their first victory of spring training, defeating the Reds 12-3 Thursday afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark.

Justin Masterson started for the Indians, he struck out 2 in a scoreless inning. Corey Kluber took over for the 2nd, which did not go as well. He hit the first batter he faced, then gave up back-to-back doubles. On the second of those hits, Michael Bourn made a nice throw to Mike Aviles, who pegged the runner at third base, as Carlos Santana applied the tag.

Yes, Santana made his third-base debut for the Indians. That relay catch was his only defensive play of the game though, as he played only two innings and no balls were hit his way. Look from him to spend a few more innings there Saturday or Sunday.

Carlos Carrasco came in for the 3rd, and wound up pitching two innings. He faced six batters and retired them all, including a pair of strikeouts. Carrasco is considered the favorite for the fifth spot in the Tribe's rotation, so while this was only two innings, it was an encouraging start (by comparison, on his 7 starts in 2013, Carrasco got through the first two innings without allowing any hits just once).

A series of relievers pitched the final 5 innings, allowing 1 run. (the full listing is in the box score)

Among position players, Nyjer Morgan picked up a pair of hits and also scored a pair of runs, including one on a wild pitch. The Indians also got their first three home runs of the spring: a 2-run shot by Elliot Johnson, a grand slam by Jake Lowery ( a 23-year-old catcher who'll likely begin the season at Double-A Akron) that blew the game open in the 5th, and a a 2-run golf shot by Tyler Naquin, the team's 1st-round pick in 2012.

It wasn't worth getting concerned about Wednesday's loss, and so it's not worth getting too excited about Thursday's win, but seeing Carrasco do so well was a nice sight.

Friday's game (also against the Reds) starts at 3:05 ET. Sadly, it will not be televised, though the audio will be available through WTAM and MLB.TV. Zach McAllister and Josh Tomlin will each make their Cactus League debut, followed by a series of bullpen candidates.