Indians end Pirates’ win streak
CLEVELAND (AP) 无毛视频� Travis Hafner provided a big boost to the Cleveland Indians无毛视频� offense in his return.
Hafner doubled home a run and helped get Cleveland无毛视频檚 sluggish offense in gear for a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
无毛视频淚t proves that even a rehabbing Hafner can help our lineup,无毛视频� Acta said after the designated hitter was activated from the disabled list and delivered his key hit in a three-run eighth inning.
Cleveland went 10-18 while Hafner was sidelined with a strained right oblique muscle. Since May 23, the Indians were only 6-16, shut out six times and winning twice by 1-0. Cleveland moved into a virtual tie for first in the AL Central after Detroit lost to Colorado.
无毛视频淚 just tried to be a presence in the middle of the order,无毛视频� Hafner said. 无毛视频淚t was a fun night.无毛视频�
Manager Manny Acta argued for a three-run homer and the umpires used TV replay, which showed the ball hitting the yellow line atop the right-field wall. It must go over the line to be a homer.
Asked if he thought the ball was gone, Hafner joked: 无毛视频淣o. I thought it would hit the yellow line.无毛视频�
Carlos Santana had three hits including a home run for Cleveland, which opened a six-game interleague homestand. He broke a 2 for 26 slump by hitting his eighth homer, a solo shot off Kevin Correia (8-6) that made it 2-0 in the fourth. He also had a bases-loaded RBI single in the eighth.
Josh Tomlin (8-4) bounced back from three consecutive rocky starts. He gave up six hits but no walks over 6 2-3 innings, striking out five.
无毛视频淚 located pitches better tonight,无毛视频� Tomlin said.
Acta agreed.
无毛视频淗e threw 20 of 25 first-pitch strikes,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 how he gets people out.无毛视频�
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle also was impressed after Pittsburgh had a four-game winning streak snapped and failed to move three games over .500 for the first time since being 40-37 on July 1, 1999.
无毛视频淗e was very, very efficient,无毛视频� Hurdle said. 无毛视频淗e had a real sharp breaking ball to right-handed hitters.无毛视频�
Vinnie Pestano struck out Michael McKenry with two on to end the seventh, then worked a perfect eighth. Tony Sipp pitched the ninth, allowing a walk before getting Garrett Jones to bounce into a game-ending double play.
Cleveland first baseman Matt LaPorta was hurt in the third inning.
无毛视频淗e has a right ankle sprain, but X-rays were negative,无毛视频� Acta said. 无毛视频淭hat means no fracture. He无毛视频檒l have an MRI exam tomorrow and we无毛视频檒l see then (about possible ligament damage).无毛视频�
Cleveland scored an unearned run in an odd third inning despite LaPorta无毛视频檚 baserunning gaffe. He was hurt when caught in a rundown between second and third base and helped off the field by third-base coach Steve Smith and assistant trainer Rick Jameyson.
LaPorta reached when Pirates shortstop Ronny Cedeno leaped to catch his line drive, but the ball bounced off his glove to second baseman Neil Walker, whose low throw skipped past first baseman Lyle Overbay for an error.
Orlando Cabrera followed with an easy grounder to Cedeno and LaPorta tried to go to third.
Jack Hannahan singled and Grady Sizemore walked to load the bases. After Michael Brantley lined out and with Asdrubal Cabrera at bat, Correia was called for a balk, scoring Orlando Cabrera.
无毛视频淥bviously it无毛视频檚 a dumb thing to do,无毛视频� Correia said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not something that无毛视频檚 going to happen very often, but we just happened to be changing signs and me going from the windup, which I never do with someone at second, just combined into an odd play that got a run in.无毛视频�
In the Pirates无毛视频� sixth, Cedeno hit a leadoff double and scored on a one-out single by Xavier Paul, who was out trying for second.
Correia dropped to 7-2 on the road, allowing one earned run and four hits over 5 2-3 innings. Chris Resop bailed him out of further damage by coming on with the bases loaded in the sixth and getting Adam Everett to ground into a force out.
NOTES: Pittsburgh leads the series, 15-13. It was the first time the teams met with both above .500. 无毛视频� The Pirates无毛视频� first appearance in Cleveland since 2006 drew 36,549 fans. 无毛视频� Correia has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of nine road outings 无毛视频� OF Travis Buck was optioned to Triple-A Columbus to clear roster space for Hafner, who hit .345 with 22 RBIs in 32 games before being hurt. 无毛视频� Valerie Bertinelli, star of the TV show 无毛视频淗ot In Cleveland无毛视频� delivered the ceremonial first pitch in a unique way to Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. Wearing an Indians jersey, she took a big windup, then ran the ball to home plate and placed it into Alomar无毛视频檚 glove. 无毛视频� Cleveland signed six more draft picks, including third-round choice RHP Jake Sisco. 无毛视频� The Indians are 4-0 in interleague games this season. They swept three games from Cincinnati in May.
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