Valuable veteran Byrd comes through for Tribe

CLEVELAND — There was a chance that the ball might be caught, so Indians baserunner Francisco Lindor held his position beyond second base as Jose Ramirez closed in from first. Once the deep fly dropped beyond the reach of Twins center fielder Danny Santana, Lindor and Ramirez were off to the races with a win in their sights.

Separated by only a few steps, the pair of Cleveland runners crossed home plate one after the other as the Progressive Field crowd roared with delight. At second base, Marlon Byrd pumped his fist after his two-run double gave the Indians a lead in the eighth inning, igniting a late rally that helped the Tribe pull off a 7-6 comeback victory on Friday.

“We battled with those guys,” Byrd said. “To come out on top was good.”

This was the kind of moment the Indians had in mind when they signed Byrd back in March.

With Michael Brantley sidelined during the spring with a right shoulder issue — one that has resurfaced in recent days — Cleveland wanted to inject some veteran experience into its outfield. Byrd had been waiting for an opportunity to play a 15th Major League season. As Opening Day approached, he went without a job until March 18, when the Indians only offered a chance to compete for a spot on the roster.

Byrd secured that job and has served as a part-time corner outfielder for the Indians through the season’s first six weeks. It has not been all smooth sailing for the aging slugger — trying to fire up his swing without the luxury of a full spring slate was not easy …

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