CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Kipnis referred to it as "kickball."
That's how the Indians' second baseman described how the team played defense in 2014 and at the start of 2015. The club logged historically hideous defensive numbers in 2014. The arrivals of Francisco Lindor and Giovanny Urshela and the right-field renaissance of Lonnie Chisenhall guided the Indians' defense up the defensive rankings.
On Wednesday, Terry Francona fielded perhaps his best infield unit. Mike Napoli, a former catcher who worked himself into a Gold Glove Award finalist at his new position, started at first. Kipnis and Lindor started up the middle.