Indians scratch out win after facing another lefty

CLEVELAND — A few hours before the Indians’ game against the Mariners on Tuesday, a handful of players took early batting practice on the field against a pitching machine. It was sending a stream of sliders tailing inside on the right-handed hitters, mimicking the movement from a left-handed pitcher.

These days, Cleveland is doing everything it can to counter the unusual string of southpaws it has faced out of the gates this season. This time around it was Mariners lefty Wade Miley, though the Indians piled up the hits early and drew some well-timed walks to shake off some recent woes with a 3-2 victory at Progressive Field.

Asked if it has been tough to see so many lefties of late, Mike Napoli cracked a smile.

“It’s nice for me,” the right-handed-hitting Napoli said.

Seeing a lot of left-handers is nothing new for the Indians. Last year, Cleveland had 2,097 plate appearances against lefties, representing the second-highest total in the Majors. The Indians, who have featured a lineup with a lot of lefty hitters in recent seasons, went 24-31 against southpaw starters in 2015. Over the winter, the team targeted some right-handed bats to help the situation.

Napoli was signed to be an everyday first baseman, but the Indians especially liked his career track record against left-handers. During the offseason, Cleveland also added Marlon Byrd, Collin Cowgill, Rajai …

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