Tomlin showcases hitting prowess, athleticism

CINCINNATI — As he sprinted around third base in the fifth inning on Thursday, Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin had his sights set on scoring. There was only one problem: Tomlin was not used to this kind of situation. His mind suddenly raced with the options that existed a few strides ahead.

“How am I going to slide?” Tomlin said with a laugh after Cleveland’s 7-2 win over the Reds. “That was one thing I was thinking. I didn’t know headfirst, feet first or what.”

Tomlin’s mind was put to ease when he saw second baseman Jason Kipnis standing behind the dish, motioning for the pitcher to cross the plate standing up. Both Kipnis and Tomlin were chuckling, too, because these were not typical circumstances. As an American Leaguer, Tomlin is not expected to collect hits — let alone two — or score many runs.

In the win over the Reds, however, Tomlin collected a pair of hits, including a double, and made that heads-up dash to the plate for that go-ahead run in the fifth. On top of that, the right-hander logged 7 2/3 innings, holding Cincinnati to two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. When it was all said and done, Tomlin improved to 6-0 on the season.

After the win, manager Terry Francona laughed when asked if he wanted to address Tomlin’s hitting or pitching first.

“I’m sure he’s going to want to start with his hitting,” Francona said with a smirk. “I hate …

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