Carrasco’s tank ‘not anywhere close to empty’

OAKLAND — The slider popped into Roberto Perez’s glove and the catcher gave an emphastic pump of his right fist. The pitch that Carlos Carrasco released seconds earlier dove under the bat of Khris Davis for a strikeout, bringing an end to the sixth inning and Oakland’s only real threat on Monday night.

In a 1-0 victory at the Coliseum, Carrasco was in cruise control. The same could be said for more than the big right-hander’s performance against the A’s, though. Right now, Carrasco appears to be hitting his stride as Cleveland continues to set its sights on the club’s first division crown since 2007.

“You can tell his tank is not anywhere close to empty,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

While baseball’s best workhorses are only a handful of starts away from 200 innings, Carrasco is sitting on 124 frames for the American League Central-leading Tribe. The Indians weathered the storm that was an early-season stay on the disabled list for the righty, who missed nearly six weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury at the end of April.

The fortunate aspect of Carrasco’s stint on the shelf was that his powerful right arm was unaffected. He kept throwing to stay ready until his legs allowed him to return. Now, as other starters around the game are dealing with the late-August fatigue that tests many a pitcher’s mettle, Carrasco looks like he is just settling …

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