Zach Plesac threw a four-hit shutout to lead the Cleveland Indians to an 8-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Plesac (8-6) gave up two singles to David Fletcher and doubles to Kole Calhoun and Taylor Ward while throwing 114 pitches. He struck out five and walked two.

For Plesac, a 24-year-old rookie, the outing was the longest of his career after he lasted seven innings in five other starts.

The Angels were without both Mike Trout (nerve issue in right foot) and Albert Pujols (day off).

Jordon Luplow homered, drove in three and scored twice, Franmil Reyes drove in four runs, and Francisco Lindor hit his 30th home run of the season to allow Cleveland to keep pace with Tampa Bay and Oakland in the American League wild-card race.

The Indians are a half-game behind Oakland for the second spot and two games behind the Rays for the top wild card.

The Indians opened the scoring in the second inning after Yasiel Puig was hit by a pitch and scored on Luplow's two-run homer off Angels starter Jose Suarez (2-6).

Cleveland broke the game open in the third when Suarez lost all control of his pitches. With one on and two outs, Suarez hit Carlos Santana with a pitch, then hit Puig again to load the bases.

Luplow followed with a walk to drive in a run, and Reyes then cleared the bases with a three-run double for a 6-0 Indians lead.

Suarez managed to get the final out of the third inning, but he was done for the night, and the numbers weren't good -- six runs, four hits, two walks, one strikeout and three hit batters.

Meanwhile, Plesac cruised through the early innings. He gave up a one-out single to Fletcher in the first inning but didn't allow another hit until Fletcher singled again with two out in the sixth. Plesac retired the side in order in the second, third, fifth and eighth innings.

Calhoun doubled in the seventh, and Ward doubled with two outs in the ninth before Plesac struck out Matt Thaiss to finish it.

--Field Level Media