– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport
ARLINGTON, Texas — If you ask Cleveland infielder Jason Kipnis, his recent turnaround at the plate can be traced back to one of his worst days in the office in his Major League career. On Wednesday, Kipnis’ swing remained as red hot as the Texas weather to coincide with its improved play overall.
Kipnis smashed two home runs, including a three-un shot in the first inning, as Cleveland banged out another 12 hits in its 10-4 victory over the Texas Rangers. Cleveland has now won five of its last six and sports the American League’s best record in the month of June at 11-5.
One of Cleveland’s victories in June was a 4-2 win in Detroit last Saturday, one in which Kipnis was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. In the four games since, Kipnis is batting .467 (7-for-15) with three home runs and 10 RBI, and adjustments made after his struggles last week have paid immediate dividends.
“It was one of the worst hitting days I’ve had in a long time, but the fact that I was able to take something from it positive, go to sleep that night with kind of a glass-half-full thing, we were excited to get to the ballpark the next day. And since then, it’s been rolling,” Kipnis said. “I like what I’m doing right now, and I’ve got some catching up to do.”
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Wednesday’s game, with all photos taken by Dallas-area photographer Ross James. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 23 pictures in total.
