CLEVELAND — Indians manager Manny Acta had a simple explanation for why his team’s four-game winning streak came to a end Friday.

“When you only score two runs, you have to play almost perfect baseball and we didn’t,” he said after Cleveland’s 3-2 loss to Miami.

All three Marlins runs were scored by batters who had started rallies with walks. A throwing error by reliever Joe Smith led to the run that broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth. Those issues resulted in bigger trouble because three Marlins pitchers kept the Indians to four hits.

Carlos Zambrano (2-2) pitched seven strong innings, and Randy Choate and Heath Bell worked the final two frames to stop the Indians, who were bidding for a season-high winning streak.

Justin Masterson, bouncing back from a rocky outing Sunday against Boston, allowed two runs in seven innings. Reliever Tony Sipp (0-2) took the loss, but Smith’s error made the winning run unearned.

Bryan Petersen opened the Miami eighth with a walk against Sipp and was bunted to second by Jose Reyes. Smith came on and got Omar Infante to hit a bouncer back to him. Smith whirled and threw to second, trying to get Petersen, but the ball hit the runner and rolled into right field for an error, putting Marlins on first and third.

Hanley Ramirez then hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Petersen.

Acta thinks Smith is the Indians’ best fielding pitcher, but a brief moment of indecision played a big role in the play.

“I was trying to make a play on the run and I threw it away,” Smith said. “I thought it was the right play. I’d go to second again. If he’s going back to the bag, I have to get rid of the ball. In hindsight, I would catch it and get rid of it. In going back and looking at the video, he was easily far enough (off the bag). If I plant and make a throw, we got him.”

“He probably took too long to get rid of the ball,” Acta said. “When you get the guy caught inbetween, you give it up and get him. Once he didn’t throw the ball right away, get the out at first base and you have two outs and a man on second.”

Cleveland took a 2-0 lead against Zambrano in the second. Johnny Damon drew a two-out walk and scored all the way from first on Casey Kotchman’s double just inside the first-base line. After Jose Lopez walked, Shin-Soo Choo singled home Kotchman.

Zambrano allowed two runs and four hits. He has a 1.96 ERA in eight starts since being acquired in a January trade.

“He’s more of a pitcher now,” Acta said. “He’s not trying to blow the ball by people. He’s got good movement on his pitches. He’s cutting the ball and throwing off-speed stuff. With the heavy left-handed lineup we threw out there, we thought we had a good chance, but he pitched well.”

The first eight batters in Cleveland’s hit from the left side, but they combined for only three hits. Zambrano walked Damon three times.

“Zambrano pitched a good game,” Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I was kind of worried before the game because they have so many lefties in their lineup, but he made the big pitch when he had to make the big pitch. He controlled his emotions and did a good job.”

Petersen also walked to open the third, was singled to third by Reyes and scored when Infante’s ground ball forced Reyes at second. The Marlins tied it at 2 in the sixth. Infante walked, was doubled to third by Greg Dobbs and scored on a sacrifice fly by Giancarlo Stanton.

Marlins center fielder Emilio Bonifacio left with a strained left thumb in the fifth. Masterson threw to first base four times to check Bonifacio, who was 20 for 20 on steal attempts. On one of the pickoff attempts, Bonifacio jammed his hand as he dove back. He then was thrown out by catcher Carlos Santana, who went 3 for 4 throwing out potential base stealers and is 8 of 25 overall.

Masterson allowed six hits in seven innings, after allowing six runs in six innings of a 12-1 loss to the Red Sox.

CLEVELAND — Indians manager Manny Acta had a simple explanation for why his team’s four-game winning streak came to a end Friday.

“When you only score two runs, you have to play almost perfect baseball and we didn’t,” he said after Cleveland’s 3-2 loss to Miami.

All three Marlins runs were scored by batters who had started rallies with walks. A throwing error by reliever Joe Smith led to the run that broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth. Those issues resulted in bigger trouble because three Marlins pitchers kept the Indians to four hits.

Carlos Zambrano (2-2) pitched seven strong innings, and Randy Choate and Heath Bell worked the final two frames to stop the Indians, who were bidding for a season-high winning streak.

Justin Masterson, bouncing back from a rocky outing Sunday against Boston, allowed two runs in seven innings. Reliever Tony Sipp (0-2) took the loss, but Smith’s error made the winning run unearned.

Bryan Petersen opened the Miami eighth with a walk against Sipp and was bunted to second by Jose Reyes. Smith came on and got Omar Infante to hit a bouncer back to him. Smith whirled and threw to second, trying to get Petersen, but the ball hit the runner and rolled into right field for an error, putting Marlins on first and third.

Hanley Ramirez then hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Petersen.

Acta thinks Smith is the Indians’ best fielding pitcher, but a brief moment of indecision played a big role in the play.

“I was trying to make a play on the run and I threw it away,” Smith said. “I thought it was the right play. I’d go to second again. If he’s going back to the bag, I have to get rid of the ball. In hindsight, I would catch it and get rid of it. In going back and looking at the video, he was easily far enough (off the bag). If I plant and make a throw, we got him.”

“He probably took too long to get rid of the ball,” Acta said. “When you get the guy caught inbetween, you give it up and get him. Once he didn’t throw the ball right away, get the out at first base and you have two outs and a man on second.”

Cleveland took a 2-0 lead against Zambrano in the second. Johnny Damon drew a two-out walk and scored all the way from first on Casey Kotchman’s double just inside the first-base line. After Jose Lopez walked, Shin-Soo Choo singled home Kotchman.

Zambrano allowed two runs and four hits. He has a 1.96 ERA in eight starts since being acquired in a January trade.

“He’s more of a pitcher now,” Acta said. “He’s not trying to blow the ball by people. He’s got good movement on his pitches. He’s cutting the ball and throwing off-speed stuff. With the heavy left-handed lineup we threw out there, we thought we had a good chance, but he pitched well.”

The first eight batters in Cleveland’s hit from the left side, but they combined for only three hits. Zambrano walked Damon three times.

“Zambrano pitched a good game,” Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I was kind of worried before the game because they have so many lefties in their lineup, but he made the big pitch when he had to make the big pitch. He controlled his emotions and did a good job.”

Petersen also walked to open the third, was singled to third by Reyes and scored when Infante’s ground ball forced Reyes at second. The Marlins tied it at 2 in the sixth. Infante walked, was doubled to third by Greg Dobbs and scored on a sacrifice fly by Giancarlo Stanton.

Marlins center fielder Emilio Bonifacio left with a strained left thumb in the fifth. Masterson threw to first base four times to check Bonifacio, who was 20 for 20 on steal attempts. On one of the pickoff attempts, Bonifacio jammed his hand as he dove back. He then was thrown out by catcher Carlos Santana, who went 3 for 4 throwing out potential base stealers and is 8 of 25 overall.

Masterson allowed six hits in seven innings, after allowing six runs in six innings of a 12-1 loss to the Red Sox.

CLEVELAND — Indians manager Manny Acta had a simple explanation for why his team’s four-game winning streak came to a end Friday.

“When you only score two runs, you have to play almost perfect baseball and we didn’t,” he said after Cleveland’s 3-2 loss to Miami.

All three Marlins runs were scored by batters who had started rallies with walks. A throwing error by reliever Joe Smith led to the run that broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth. Those issues resulted in bigger trouble because three Marlins pitchers kept the Indians to four hits.

Carlos Zambrano (2-2) pitched seven strong innings, and Randy Choate and Heath Bell worked the final two frames to stop the Indians, who were bidding for a season-high winning streak.

Justin Masterson, bouncing back from a rocky outing Sunday against Boston, allowed two runs in seven innings. Reliever Tony Sipp (0-2) took the loss, but Smith’s error made the winning run unearned.

Bryan Petersen opened the Miami eighth with a walk against Sipp and was bunted to second by Jose Reyes. Smith came on and got Omar Infante to hit a bouncer back to him. Smith whirled and threw to second, trying to get Petersen, but the ball hit the runner and rolled into right field for an error, putting Marlins on first and third.

Hanley Ramirez then hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Petersen.

Acta thinks Smith is the Indians’ best fielding pitcher, but a brief moment of indecision played a big role in the play.

“I was trying to make a play on the run and I threw it away,” Smith said. “I thought it was the right play. I’d go to second again. If he’s going back to the bag, I have to get rid of the ball. In hindsight, I would catch it and get rid of it. In going back and looking at the video, he was easily far enough (off the bag). If I plant and make a throw, we got him.”

“He probably took too long to get rid of the ball,” Acta said. “When you get the guy caught inbetween, you give it up and get him. Once he didn’t throw the ball right away, get the out at first base and you have two outs and a man on second.”

Cleveland took a 2-0 lead against Zambrano in the second. Johnny Damon drew a two-out walk and scored all the way from first on Casey Kotchman’s double just inside the first-base line. After Jose Lopez walked, Shin-Soo Choo singled home Kotchman.

Zambrano allowed two runs and four hits. He has a 1.96 ERA in eight starts since being acquired in a January trade.

“He’s more of a pitcher now,” Acta said. “He’s not trying to blow the ball by people. He’s got good movement on his pitches. He’s cutting the ball and throwing off-speed stuff. With the heavy left-handed lineup we threw out there, we thought we had a good chance, but he pitched well.”

The first eight batters in Cleveland’s hit from the left side, but they combined for only three hits. Zambrano walked Damon three times.

“Zambrano pitched a good game,” Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I was kind of worried before the game because they have so many lefties in their lineup, but he made the big pitch when he had to make the big pitch. He controlled his emotions and did a good job.”

Petersen also walked to open the third, was singled to third by Reyes and scored when Infante’s ground ball forced Reyes at second. The Marlins tied it at 2 in the sixth. Infante walked, was doubled to third by Greg Dobbs and scored on a sacrifice fly by Giancarlo Stanton.

Marlins center fielder Emilio Bonifacio left with a strained left thumb in the fifth. Masterson threw to first base four times to check Bonifacio, who was 20 for 20 on steal attempts. On one of the pickoff attempts, Bonifacio jammed his hand as he dove back. He then was thrown out by catcher Carlos Santana, who went 3 for 4 throwing out potential base stealers and is 8 of 25 overall.

Masterson allowed six hits in seven innings, after allowing six runs in six innings of a 12-1 loss to the Red Sox.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Indians finally got the aesthetic combination of large crowd and comfortable weather at Progressive Field. Right-hander Justin Masterson pitched superbly and catcher Carlos Santana caught three runners attempting to steal.

But the Tribe’s postgame clubhouse was relatively quiet Friday night because of a fielding mistake by reliever Joe Smith in the eighth inning. The unearned run that resulted pushed the Miami Marlins to a 3-2 victory.

Paid attendance of 29,378 was Cleveland’s second-largest in 21 dates, trailing only the 43,190 for the season opener April 5. The walk-up of 6,100 ranks as seventh-largest in Progressive Field history.

The fans were treated to an entertaining interleague opener that had more of a National League feel. The teams combined for 10 hits. Marlins right-hander Carlos Zambrano and two relievers allowed four hits. But it was not as if Tribe batters were swinging wet newspapers.

“We hit a lot of balls right at people,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “Give Zambrano credit — he pitched well — but I still liked how we swung the bats. Nothing fell for us.”

Zambrano (2-2, 1.96 ERA) gave up the two runs in seven innings. He and the relievers were particularly tough on the Tribe’s Nos. 3-6 hitters, who went 0-for-16.

“Zambrano did a good job of expanding the zone against those guys,” Acta said.

The Marlins were opportunistic in the eighth. With the score tied at 2, Bryan Petersen led off with a walk against lefty Tony Sipp. After Petersen moved to second on Jose Reyes’ sacrifice, Smith took over.

Omar Infante grounded routinely to Smith, who spun and had Petersen hung up. But Smith double-clutched, then threw the ball into the body of Petersen at second. As the ball rolled away, Petersen raced to third.

Hanley Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly to center.

“I thought [Petersen] was going to stop and try to get into a rundown,” Smith said. “Instead, he planted and went right toward the bag. I had to get rid of it. I tried to make the play on the run and threw it away.”

Smith did not second-guess his decision to bypass the out at first. At worst, it would have been runner on third with two outs.

“I’d go to second base again,” he said. “It was the right play. If I just plant and make the throw, we’ve got him, no doubt. I got caught off-guard when he broke back to the bag.”

Acta said: “Joe’s probably our best fielding pitcher. He’s very good on the mound. He just didn’t get that one.”

Sipp was charged with the loss, his second. Each of the Marlins’ runs scored after a walk with none or one out.

“When you only score two runs, you almost have to play perfect baseball,” Acta said. “We didn’t.”

Masterson allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings, walked three and struck out five. He rebounded from a rough outing in Boston to notch the fourth quality start in his last five. In lowering his ERA from 5.40 to 5.04, he gave up one extra-base hit — a Ramirez double — and repeatedly handled lefties.

The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the second. Zambrano was one strike from an easy inning. He got two groundouts and had a 1-2 count on Johnny Damon. But Damon battled back to draw a walk.

Just as Damon was getting settled into his lead, Casey Kotchman ripped a first-pitch double down the right-field line. As Damon motored around second, right field Giancarlo Stanton briefly struggled to control the ball. Third-base coach Steve Smith took notice and began waving in Damon. Second baseman Omar Infante needed to reach for Stanton’s throw. Damon, flashing wheels from his Kansas City days in the 1990s, slid in just ahead of the tag from catcher John Buck.

The ripple effect was Kotchman taking third on the throw. After Jose Lopez walked, Shin-Soo Choo’s single to center drove in Kotchman. It might not have been enough to score Kotchman from second.

Miami pulled within 2-1 in the third. Petersen led off with a five-pitch walk and advanced to third when Reyes singled to right. Petersen scored on Infante’s grounder to short.

Santana helped prevent further damage by erasing Infante’s steal attempt. Miami was in a stolen-base slump by the end of the fifth. Speedy Emilio Bonifacio led off with an infield single. With Petersen batting, Santana’s laser caught Bonifacio for the first time in 21 attempts this season. Bonifacio did not finish the game because of a sprained thumb.

Petersen singled, then quickly became Santana victim No. 3.

“An outstanding performance by Carlos, especially against a team like that,” Acta said. “Carlos has that ability to shut down a running game.”

The Marlins tied it in the sixth. Infante drew a one-out walk, moved to third on Ramirez’s double and scored on Dobbs’ sacrifice fly to left. Damon made the catch in foul territory near the tarp, but his throw had nowhere near enough juice or accuracy.

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd

CLEVELAND (AP) Travis Hafner is in the Cleveland Indians’ lineup, though manager Manny Acta doesn’t have an exact timetable for the return of other injured players.

For the fifth straight game, third baseman Jack Hannahan was not available due to a sore back Friday as the AL Central-leading Indians began interleague play with the opener of a three-game series against the Florida Marlins.

”Travis says he feels good, so he’s in there,” Acta said of the designated hitter, who left Thursday’s game against Seattle after being hit in the right hand by a pitch.

”Hannahan has gotten a lot better and is probably available for emergency status, but I can’t say he’s going to play tomorrow.”

Acta was encouraged that right-hander Josh Tomlin appeared closer to returning. Tomlin, out since May 8 with a sore right wrist, began a throwing program, while left-hander Rafael Perez, out since April 26 with a strained muscle in his back, threw a bullpen session and Grady Sizemore took some batting practice as he recovers from back surgery in March.

”It’s good news on Josh that he was able to play catch right away,” Acta said. ”Raffy will probably throw a simulated game before we can get him out and pitching.”

Hafner was disappointed that he had to be lifted for a pinch-hitter during Cleveland’s game-winning rally in the 11th inning on Thursday.

”I could see guys getting on base, so I ran down to the tunnel and was kicking stuff around, jumping around, trying to get some adrenalin pumping,” Hafner said. ”But my hand had swelled up so bad that I couldn’t grip a bat. I couldn’t go up there like that.

”It feels a lot better today.”

Hafner flied out to center in the first inning against Miami’s Carlos Zambrano.

Tomlin played catch at a 75-foot interval before the game and said he no longer needs to wear a protective splint. He said he is hopeful of being ready to pitch when he is eligible to come off the disabled list May 23.

”It feels good, but we have to see how it progresses,” Tomlin said.

Trainer Lonnie Soloff said an MRI confirmed what the team had suspected – Tomlin strained his wrist when he gripped the baseball a little tighter than usual while pitching in the rain in his last start.

”This is an uncommon injury for somebody who does a lot of throwing,” Soloff said. ”I don’t have a return date set in stone, but it is very encouraging.”

Fifteen years ago this fall, the Florida Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians in seven games to win their first World Series.

Since then, the Marlins have remained successful in their rare meetings with the Indians.

Carlos Zambrano hopes for another strong outing as the Miami Marlins look to prevent the AL Central-leading Indians from a season-high fifth straight victory Friday night at Progressive Field.

The image of Edgar Renteria’s game-winning single off Cleveland’s Charles Nagy in the bottom of the 11th inning of a 3-2 Game 7 victory Oct. 26, 1997, is forever etched in the minds of Marlins fans. Since that memorable night, the Marlins are 6-3 against the Indians (22-16). Miami took two of three in its only regular season trip to Cleveland in 2004, but the Indians returned the favor in Florida three years later.

Despite a 7-0 loss at Atlanta on Thursday, Miami (20-17) is 12-4 after dropping eight of nine to conclude April. Though the Marlins went 8-10 against the AL in 2011, their 135-117 all-time interleague record is the best among NL teams.

Miami also leads the NL with 1,212 runs and 2,283 hits during interleague action. Hanley Ramirez is batting .381 with three homers and 13 RBIs in his last 11 games versus AL opponents.

That overall success has first-year Miami manager Ozzie Guillen – formerly of the Chicago White Sox – excited about facing the AL once again.

“I love it,” Guillen told the Marlins’ official website. “It’s a great idea for baseball. I think people like it.”

He’s also excited about the way Zambrano (1-2, 1.88 ERA) has pitched. After finally wearing out his welcome with the Cubs, the right-hander has rebounded with the Marlins. Zambrano has yielded one earned run, 13 hits and struck out 21 in 23 innings while going 1-0 in three May starts – all Miami victories.

“I’m just having fun,” Zambrano said. “I’m enjoying my time here in Miami, and it’s everything I was looking for.”

He allowed his only earned run of the month and five hits in seven innings Sunday, not factoring in the decision of an 8-4 win over the New York Mets.

“I don’t want to say he’s back to the top of his game, but very close to that,” Guillen said. “He’s showing people he can still pitch.”

Zambrano, 9-8 with a 4.63 ERA in 25 interleague starts, gave up two runs in six innings of a 9-2 Cubs victory at Cleveland on June 21, 2006.

He’ll try to contain an Indians lineup that has totaled 25 runs and 42 hits during a four-game winning streak. Carlos Santana’s RBI single capped a two-run 11th inning in Thursday’s 6-5 victory over Seattle.

Santana is 7 for 17 (.412) with four RBIs in his last five games.

Teammate Travis Hafner is batting .358 with six homers and 16 RBIs during a 15-game interleague home hitting streak, but it’s uncertain if he’ll play after being hit in the hand by a pitch Thursday.

“It got swollen up,” Hafner said. “I iced it up. I think there’s definitely a chance I can play (Friday).”

Scheduled Indians starter Justin Masterson (1-3, 5.40) is 2-4 with a 4.23 ERA in nine career interleague starts, and pitched one scoreless inning of relief against the Marlins while with Boston in 2009.

The right-hander looks to bounce back after allowing six runs and hitting three batters Sunday in six innings of a 12-1 road loss to the Red Sox.

Cleveland went 11-7 during interleague play in 2011, improving to 129-136 all-time.

Seattle Mariners closer Brandon League has been a very reliable reliever throughout his nine-year career.

When he faces the Cleveland Indians, however, things typically do not end on a positive note.

League allowed the game-tying single to Asdrubal Cabrera and the winning hit to Carlos Santana in the 11th inning on Thursday, allowing the Indians to rally for a 6-5 victory over the Mariners.

Seattle had taken a one-run lead in the top of the 11th on Michael Saunders’ RBI double, but League (0-3) squandered it by walking three batters, throwing a wild pitch and allowing two hits in just one-third of an inning.

“We gave them that game,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge fumed. “Walks killed us early and walks killed us late. I liked the way we battled back after they tied the score the first time, but then we blew it again.”

It marked League’s third blown save _ and third walk-off loss _ at Progressive Field in the last two seasons. In his career against Cleveland, the right-hander is 2-5 with a 9.18 ERA and seven blown saves in nine chances.

“The guys were pretty confident since we had done it before against him,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “Everyone in the dugout said, `Let’s get two, we can do it.’ “

“I’m not sure what happened, but Brandon didn’t look like himself the whole inning,” Wedge said.

Cabrera’s one-out single scored Jose Lopez, while Santana’s liner up the middle came two batters later and brought Jason Kipnis home from third base.

“My control was just absolutely unacceptable today,” said League, who has converted 45 of 53 total save opportunities since the start of 2011. “I was issuing free passes, and when I did get the ball over the plate, it was right down the middle.”

Seattle is 1-6 on its current 10-game, 10-day road trip and has played a major-league high 25 away games. The Mariners travel to Colorado for a three-game set beginning Friday.

Joe Smith (4-1), the seventh Cleveland pitcher of the day, earned the victory despite allowing Saunders’ go-ahead shot off the wall in left-center that scored Dustin Ackley. The right-hander went one inning and was the lone Indians reliever to give up a run in 5 1-3 combined innings.

Seattle’s bullpen, meanwhile, was torched for five runs, five hits and five walks to waste a fine performance by starter Hector Noesi. The 25-year-old righty went 6 1-3 innings, allowing one run on five hits while walking three and striking out five.

Noesi exited the game with a 4-0 lead and one out in the seventh, but was powerless to stop the Mariners from losing their fourth straight game and falling to 1-12 in their last 13 road contests.

“Noesi was fantastic today,” Wedge said. “I was really pleased with the way he pitched, and I think he’s gaining a whole lot of confidence each time out.”

The Indians cut their deficit to 4-1 in the seventh when Cabrera singled off Seattle reliever Lucas Luetge with two outs, plating Casey Kotchman, who had singled off Noesi.

Former Mariners third baseman Lopez then tied the score in the eighth with a three-run homer off Steve Delabar. The 348-foot shot, which barely cleared the left-field wall, was Lopez’s second of the season and came with two outs.

“The ball got up and he put some wood on it,” said Delabar, who walked Santana to open the inning and gave up a double to Kotchman. “You never want to put anybody on for free, but that’s what I did to start things for them.”

Seattle had taken a 2-0 lead with single runs in the third and fifth, both without the benefit of a hit.

Saunders’ RBI groundout scored Brendan Ryan in the third, while John Jaso came around on a passed ball committed by Santana in the fifth.

Ryan, who entered the contest hitting .137 and in a 5-for-56 slump, went 2-for-3 with two walks. Justin Smoak also had two hits for the Mariners, whose 16-24 record is the second worst in the American League.

Seattle went 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position, making it 8-for-96 in its last 13 road games.

“It gets old being a young team having growing pains,” Ryan said. “At some point, we have to figure out how to close out games. Good teams step on your throat when they get ahead. We need to learn how to do that.”

Seattle extended its advantage to 4-0 with two runs in the sixth, knocking Indians starter Zach McAllister out of the game after 5 2-3 innings. Jaso doubled home Kyle Seager, then scored on Ryan’s RBI single off reliever Jairo Asencio.

McAllister, a right-hander, gave up four runs (three earned) and five walks while striking out six.

NOTES: OF Mike Carp, who was a late scratch Wednesday with a stiff right shoulder, started at DH and was hitless in two at-bats. He sprained the shoulder in the season opener in Japan and spent four weeks on the DL. … C Jesus Montero, who committed a costly throwing error Wednesday, didn’t start, but pinch-hit for Carp in the eighth. … The Mariners complete their road trip with three games in Colorado. RHP Kevin Millwood faces RHP Alex White on Friday. … Alex Liddi made his first major league start in left field. Normally a third baseman, he made his initial big league appearance in the outfield Wednesday in the ninth inning. … Indians OF Johnny Damon singled in the fourth for his 2,732nd career hit, tying him with Tony Perez for 55th place on the all-time list.

Chillicothe’s Zach McAllister, making his third start of the season for the Cleveland Indians, had a no decision in a 6-5, extra-innings victory on Thursday.

Carlos Santana hit a game-ending single with one out and the bases loaded in the 11th inning, capping a two-run rally and lifting the Indians to a victory over the Seattle Mariners.

McAllister, who started again in place of the injured Josh Tomlin, allowed four runs in 5 2-3 innings. The right-hander gave up three hits and four runs (three earned). He walked five and struck out six.

McAllister was called up from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday when Tomlin went on the disabled list with a sore right wrist. McAllister got the loss that night in Boston, allowing four runs in seven innings.

Tomlin, who hasn’t pitched since May 7, will undergo a second MRI on the wrist Friday.

Michael Saunders’ run-scoring double in the top of the inning gave Seattle a 5-4 lead, but closer Brandon League (0-3) couldn’t hold the lead.

Jose Lopez, who tied the game in the eighth with a three-run homer, drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a wild pitch. After Shin-Soo Choo struck out, Jason Kipnis walked. Asdrubal Cabrera’s single to right tied it.

Santana lined a 3-2 pitch to center for the winning hit. He was mobbed by his teammates in a celebration that spilled onto the outfield grass after Cleveland won its fourth straight.

Hafner was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Charlie Furbush in the ninth inning. He walked slowly to first, but remained in the game after talking with manager Manny Acta and a team trainer. Hafner has been hit by a pitch 80 times in his career, a club record.

League has blown four saves against Cleveland in the last two seasons. The Mariners, who have lost four straight, are 1-6 on their 10-game road trip and are 1-12 away from home since April 28.

Joe Smith (4-1) got the win despite allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th. Brendan Ryan started the inning with a single. After Dustin Ackley hit into a fielder’s choice, Saunders doubled to the gap in left-center to score Ackley.

The Mariners led 4-0, but the Indians scored a run in the seventh and Lopez’s three-run homer off Steve Delabar tied it in the eighth.

The Mariners wasted a strong outing by right-hander Hector Noesi, who allowed one run and five hits in 6 1-3 innings.

Delabar came on to start the eighth with Seattle holding a 4-1 lead. He walked Santana leading off, but retired the next two hitters. Casey Kotchman’s double to right moved Santana to third. Lopez then hit a 2-0 pitch off the railing above the 19-foot wall in left field to tie it at 4.

Lopez, who played for the Mariners from 2004-10, started at third base in place of the injured Jack Hannahan. He committed a fielding error that led to an unearned run in the fifth and grounded out weakly to the mound with the bases loaded to end the fourth.

Ryan broke an 0-for-17 slump with an RBI single in the sixth and drew walks in the third and fifth when the Mariners scored their first two runs.

Seattle, which had been outscored 34-14 in the first six games of the road trip, got a run in the third on Saunders’ groundout. Santana’s passed ball scored another run in the fifth. John Jaso’s run-scoring double and Ryan’s single pushed the lead to 4-0.

Indians left fielder Johnny Damon singled in the fourth and moved into a tie with Tony Perez for 55th place on the all-time career hits list with 2,732.

Ackley extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a first-inning single.

Hannahan missed his fourth straight game with lower back soreness. The Indians said an MRI revealed mild back inflammation and Hannahan is day to day.

NOTES: Seattle LF Mike Carp, who was a late scratch Wednesday with a stiff right shoulder, started at DH. He sprained the shoulder in the season opener in Japan and spent four weeks on the DL. … Montero, who committed a costly throwing error Wednesday, didn’t start, but pinch-hit for Carp in the eighth. … The Mariners complete their road trip with three games in Colorado. RHP Kevin Millwood faces RHP Alex White on Friday. … The Indians open a three-game home series against Miami on Friday. RHP Justin Masterson meets RHP Carlos Zambrano.
 

CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Santana hit a game-ending single with one out and the bases loaded in the 11th inning, capping a two-run rally and lifting the Cleveland Indians to a 6-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.

Michael Saunders’ run-scoring double in the top of the inning gave Seattle a 5-4 lead, but closer Brandon League (0-3) couldn’t hold the lead.

Jose Lopez, who tied the game in the eighth with a three-run homer, drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a wild pitch. After Shin-Soo Choo struck out, Jason Kipnis walked. Asdrubal Cabrera’s single to right tied it.

Santana lined a 3-2 pitch to center for the winning hit. He was mobbed by his teammates in a celebration that spilled onto the outfield grass after Cleveland won its fourth straight.

Hafner was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Charlie Furbush in the ninth inning. He walked slowly to first, but remained in the game after talking with manager Manny Acta and a team trainer. Hafner has been hit by a pitch 80 times in his career, a club record.

League has blown four saves against Cleveland in the last two seasons. The Mariners, who have lost four straight, are 1-6 on their 10-game road trip and are 1-12 away from home since April 28.

Joe Smith (4-1) got the win despite allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th. Brendan Ryan started the inning with a single. After Dustin Ackley hit into a fielder’s choice, Saunders doubled to the gap in left-center to score Ackley.

The Mariners led 4-0, but the Indians scored a run in the seventh and Lopez’s three-run homer off Steve Delabar tied it in the eighth.

The Mariners wasted a strong outing by right-hander Hector Noesi, who allowed one run and five hits in 6 1-3 innings.

Delabar came on to start the eighth with Seattle holding a 4-1 lead. He walked Santana leading off, but retired the next two hitters. Casey Kotchman’s double to right moved Santana to third. Lopez then hit a 2-0 pitch off the railing above the 19-foot wall in left field to tie it at 4.

Lopez, who played for the Mariners from 2004-10, started at third base in place of the injured Jack Hannahan. He committed a fielding error that led to an unearned run in the fifth and grounded out weakly to the mound with the bases loaded to end the fourth.

Ryan broke an 0-for-17 slump with an RBI single in the sixth and drew walks in the third and fifth when the Mariners scored their first two runs.

Seattle, which had been outscored 34-14 in the first six games of the road trip, got a run in the third on Saunders’ groundout. Santana’s passed ball scored another run in the fifth. John Jaso’s run-scoring double and Ryan’s single pushed the lead to 4-0.

Zach McAllister starting again in place of the injured Josh Tomlin, allowed four runs in 5 2-3 innings. The Indians’ first run came on Cabrera’s seventh-inning single.

Indians left fielder Johnny Damon singled in the fourth and moved into a tie with Tony Perez for 55th place on the all-time career hits list with 2,732.

McAllister was called up from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday when Tomlin went on the disabled list with a sore right wrist. McAllister got the loss that night in Boston, allowing four runs in seven innings.

Tomlin, who hasn’t pitched since May 7, will undergo a second MRI on the wrist Friday.

Ackley extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a first-inning single.

Hannahan missed his fourth straight game with lower back soreness. The Indians said an MRI revealed mild back inflammation and Hannahan is day to day.

NOTES: Seattle LF Mike Carp, who was a late scratch Wednesday with a stiff right shoulder, started at DH. He sprained the shoulder in the season opener in Japan and spent four weeks on the DL. … Montero, who committed a costly throwing error Wednesday, didn’t start, but pinch-hit for Carp in the eighth. … The Mariners complete their road trip with three games in Colorado. RHP Kevin Millwood faces RHP Alex White on Friday. … The Indians open a three-game home series against Miami on Friday. RHP Justin Masterson meets RHP Carlos Zambrano.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — For a second straight home start Wednesday night, Ubaldo Jimenez was the heavy on-paper underdog against his counterpart. For a second straight home start, Jimenez crumpled the paper and fired a four-seamer into the trash can.

Jimenez gave up three runs in six innings and the Tribe’s offense pounded Felix Hernandez en route to a 9-3 victory at Progressive Field. Paid attendance: 12,092. New leadoff batter Shin-Soo Choo went 3-for-5 and Travis Hafner homered as the Indians won their third in a row. They are 21-16, first place in the AL Central.

Eric Wedge’s Mariners (16-23, last in AL West) have lost three in a row and five of six.

On May 6, Jimenez lugged a 2-2 record and 5.02 ERA into a start against Rangers rookie sensation Yu Darvish, who was 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA. Jimenez threw seven shutout innings and defeated Darvish, 4-2.

Wednesday, Jimenez was 3-3, 5.18 entering a matchup with Hernandez, who was 3-2, 2.29. Jimenez rose to the occasion again with a performance even better than the numbers indicated.

“This was the best Ubaldo has thrown the ball so far [this year],” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “He was in command the whole time. He looked very confident out there.”

Jimenez gave up five hits, walked two and struck out four in rebounding from a bad start in Boston.

“Ubaldo kept up his velocity and was able to use all his pitches,” Acta said. “He looked relaxed and fluid with his delivery.”

Jimenez got ahead of hitters and had good speed variance from his fastball to his breaking pitches. He threw 69 of 107 pitches for strikes.

“It’s all about the mechanics,” Jimenez said. “We’ve been working on them every single day. [Wednesday] I was able to use the adjustments more than I was the last outing. We’re moving in a good way.”

Indians hitters were comfortable, too. They tagged Hernandez for eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. In his previous start against the Indians, April 19 in Seattle, Hernandez gave up five hits, walked one and fanned 12 in eight innings of a no-decision.

Hernandez’s streak of quality starts — at least six runs, three or fewer earned runs — against Cleveland ended at 10. It dated to July 2006.

“Our offense had a very good approach against Felix,” Acta said. “We wanted to be aggressive early in the count, and we were aggressive early.”

The Indians led, 4-1, after one inning. The teams combined for four hits, two walks, two errors, a hit batsman, wild pitch, passed ball and stolen base.

Dustin Ackley led off the game with single to center. He eventually scored on a groundout.

Choo singled to right on Hernandez’s first pitch. Jason Kipnis singled to right two pitches later, Choo stopping at second. Asdrubal Cabrera, in a 2-2 count, was hit in the right calf by a breaking pitch. During Hafner’s at-bat, everybody moved up on a passed ball by Jesus Montero.

Hafner, in a protracted slump with runners in scoring position, ripped a grounder into the hole at second that Ackley snared. Even though the play went in the books as a 4-3, Hafner not only drove in a run but pushed Cabrera to third.

Carlos Santana walked. After Michael Brantley struck out, Johnny Damon came to the plate. With Damon in a 2-2 count, Progressive Field turned into a playground.

As Hernandez’s pitch missed the zone, Santana took off on a delayed steal. Montero looked toward second, then third, where Cabrera was well off the bag. Montero double-clutched before firing the ball into left field.

Chone Figgins scooped cleanly, but his attempt to erase Cabrera at home eluded Montero. Santana, who had been hanging near second, channeled Kenny Lofton in the Kingdome in 1995 and never stopped running as Montero tracked the ball. Santana barely beat Hernandez’s tag with a head-first slide for the 4-1 advantage.

Official scorer Bob Maver sorted it out thusly: SB, E-2, Cabrera scores; E-7, Santana scores. The Mariners entered with a 10-game errorless streak.

Seattle pulled within 4-3 in the third on Ackley’s two-run homer to right.

The Tribe scored four more in the fourth, knocking out Hernandez in the process. Choo singled with one out, cruised to second on a wild pitch and scored on Kipnis’s double to left-center. Kipnis went to third on a grounder and trotted home on Hafner’s double. The Tribe’s designated hitter snapped an 0-for-25 with RISP by belting a full-count off-speed pitch into right-center.

Santana doubled in Hafner and Brantley singled in Santana. Shawn Kelley relieved Hernandez and got the final out of the inning.

“When you get opportunities against a guy like [Hernandez], you’ve got to take advantage of them,” Hafner said.

Hafner made it 9-3 with a homer on the first pitch from Hisashi Iwakuma to open the sixth. He moved past Al Rosen into eighth place on the club’s all-time list with 193.

Jimenez gave way to Jeremy Accardo to begin the seventh. Accardo pitched a perfect seventh in his Tribe debut.

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd

Winning two straight on the road against a division opponent is never anything to take for granted, regardless of how poorly that opponent may be playing at the time. The Cleveland Indians, in need of a mind eraser after a rough weekend in Boston, took two of two from the Minnesota Twins at Target Field to start the week. The first place Indians now return home for eight straight games, a stretch that concludes with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers.

3 thoughts on Indians sweeping the Twins: Had to win

Indians radio play-by-play announcer Tom Hamilton said it best on Tuesday: The Twins are playing lousy baseball right now, and thus they’re a team the Indians simply must beat at this stage of the season. Beating the bad teams and then splitting series after series with playoff contenders is how the 2012 Indians will, if they manage to actually do so, reach postseason play. Things nearly got out of hand Monday night when relievers Vinnie Pestano and Nick Hagadone combined to blow a three-run lead in the eighth inning. Cleveland answered right back in the top of the ninth in that contest, however, as Shin-Soo Choo brought home what was ultimately the game-winning run. The Indians then took care of business on Tuesday thanks to Derek Lowe pitching yet another gem.

This team has thus far done well to avoid getting into any type of funk this spring. They entered Minnesota having lost three in a row and five of their last six, and you couldn’t have blamed the Cleveland bats for being silent in the top of the ninth of Monday’s game after the bullpen failed to hold the lead. Instead, the Indians picked themselves up, and they now return to Cleveland with heads held high.

3 thoughts on Indians sweeping the Twins: A steal

It’s still early into the current campaign, but it appears as if the Indians pulled off one of the best moves of this past offseason by acquiring starter Derek Lowe for a minor leaguer. Lowe, now 6-1 after Tuesday’s victory, forced Minnesota batters to hit into 22 ground ball outs and four double plays. With his sinker looking as good as it has at any point during the season, Lowe completed his first shutout in almost seven years. He also gave the Cleveland bullpen some rest, which is always a plus at the end of any road trip. In his last four starts, Lowe has surrendered just four earned runs, and he’s notched wins in four of his last five appearances. While both Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson have struggled to get into any rhythm this spring, Lowe has been one of the better starters in all of the American League.

3 thoughts on Indians sweeping the Twins: The new leadoff man

The previously mentioned Choo will, “until further notice” according to Cleveland manager Manny Acta, be the team’s leadoff hitter. Choo went 0-3 at the plate with two strikeouts on Monday night leading up to the ninth inning of that game. Since then, he has three hits in five at-bats, a two-out RBI single, a homer, a walk, and he’s crossed the plate twice. It’s very possible, even likely, that Choo will not be Cleveland’s long-term option at the top of the order. Watch out, though, if he gets more and more comfortable in his new role in the lineup as time goes on.

By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Derek Lowe pitched his first shutout in nearly seven years, throwing a six-hitter Tuesday and leading the Cleveland Indians over the Minnesota Twins 5-0.

Shin-Soo Choo, the Indians’ new leadoff man, scored after a leadoff double in the third inning and then hit the first of three Cleveland home runs in the fifth against Jason Marquis (2-3). Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana also homered to break the game open.

The 38-year-old Lowe (6-1) was at his sinker-balling best, walking four without a strikeout. He induced four double-play grounders in winning his fourth straight decision.

This was Lowe’s longest outing in eight starts this season. He’s allowed three runs or less with six innings or more in seven of them.

Acquiring Lowe from Atlanta for a minor leaguer has turned out to be arguably the best move the Indians made for 2012. The Fausto Carmona false-identity fallout and inconsistency by Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson have hurt the rotation, but Lowe has been a welcome stabilizer.

Lowe threw a season-high 127 pitches for his 10th career complete game, and first since Aug. 26, 2008, for the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was his fourth big league shutout, the previous one coming on Aug. 31, 2005, for the Dodgers at San Diego.

The only time the Twins truly came close to scoring was in the seventh when they loaded the bases with two outs on two singles and a walk. But Alexi Casilla swung at the first pitch for a lazy fly to right field.

The first-place Indians rebounded from five losses in their previous six games with a two-game sweep at Target Field of the majors-worst Twins, who entered the game with the most groundballs hit in the league, an average of more than 14 per game.

Starting pitching has been just as much of a problem, and Marquis was the latest to falter. Manager Ron Gardenhire spoke before the game of the importance of a quality performance from Marquis, but he gave up nine hits, five runs and two walks in five innings while striking out only two.

The last time the Twins surrendered three homers in one inning was in 2010 when Carl Pavano did it at Detroit.

Casey Kotchman punched an RBI single down the lane past a shifted-over third baseman Jamey Carroll to drive in Santana after a double to start the second. Marquis escaped a leadoff triple by Michael Brantley in the fourth, but the ball was flying all over the place in the fifth.

Choo’s drive reached the left-field seats. Two batters later, Cabrera hit an 0-1 sinker to the upper deck in right-center. Then Santana turned on a changeup that sailed just inside the pole down the right-field line.

NOTES: Cleveland manager Manny Acta said before the game that Choo will be the leadoff hitter until further notice. … The Indians improved to 12-6 on the road, the third-best mark in the majors. … Indians 3B Jack Hannahan was held out for a second straight game because of a sore back. … Pavano will stay in Minnesota for a few days to work with a soft-tissue specialist on his bothersome right shoulder when the team leaves for the road, but he’s expected to make his next start on Saturday. … Twins C Joe Mauer, who went 0 for 3 with a walk and three groundouts, batted second for the first time this season.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Cleveland Indians had lost three in a row and five of their previous six, with another strong start to the season threatening to start swirling down the drain.

They appeared headed toward another loss when the bullpen faltered in the eighth inning before Shin-Soo Choo came to the rescue.

Choo hit the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning to back Jeanmar Gomez‘s seven superb innings and lift the Cleveland Indians to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.

Choo’s hit off Twins closer Matt Capps (0-2) scored pinch-runner Lou Marson from second base, bailing out an Indians bullpen that squandered a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning.

”Especially coming off our first three-game losing streak, we blew the lead it would have hurt more,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. ”Those are the type of things that tend to carry over. It was nice that we were able to come back, especially playing on the road. It was very important to do that so that things don’t start snowballing.”

The Indians won 30 of their first 45 last season, becoming one of the surprise teams in the league as they grabbed first place in the division right out of the gates before fading to the Detroit Tigers. They started this season 17-10, and are hoping to stick around the race a little longer this time.

Gomez did his best to stop the skid, allowing one unearned run and three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. But Vinnie Pestano gave up an RBI double to Josh Willingham in the eighth and Nick Hagadone served up a two-run homer to Ryan Doumit to tie the game 4-4.

Chris Perez pitched the ninth for his AL-leading 12th save in 13 chances.

”We needed to stop the losing streak and Gomez did a good job,” Choo said.

Casey Kotchman had two hits, including a two-run homer, and Joe Smith (3-1) picked up the win for the Indians.

The Twins managed only five hits and Capps allowed a run for the first time in six outings.

The 24-year-old Gomez got off to a dazzling start to the season with the first-place Indians, going 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA in his first five outings. The first two of those came in relief for the team’s No. 5 starter, thanks to a rainout, and he pitched well through his first four starts.

But the White Sox roughed up Gomez his last time out, tagging him for eight runs in 6 2-3 innings. The right-hander was able to stabilize himself on Monday night to put the Indians in position to end a three-game losing streak – their longest of the season.

”Today, I tried to be aggressive because last time I was a little too fine with the hitters,” Gomez said.

Darin Mastroianni scored on a throwing error from catcher Carlos Santana to put the Twins up 1-0 in the third, but that was all they could muster against Gomez, who wiggled out of another jam in the fifth.

The Twins had runners on second and third and one out, but Gomez got Brian Dozier to ground out to first and Joe Mauer on a grounder to second, drawing boos from the home crowd.

”It’s always more important when it’s a young guy that’s fighting his way up here at the back of the rotation,” Acta said. ”He’s pitched so well since spring training. (The White Sox game) was his roughest outing. I’m sure that this is going to be very good for his confidence.”

Santana and Travis Hafner had RBIs in the fourth before Kotchman smashed his third homer of the year well into the seats in right field in the fifth for a 4-1 lead.

Twins starter Carl Pavano gave up four runs and six hits in six innings while pitching through some soreness in his shoulder.

He was relieved in the seventh by Francisco Liriano, the lefty’s first appearance out of the bullpen since being demoted from the starting rotation last week. Liriano went 0-5 with a 9.45 ERA in his first six starts. Liriano pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

NOTES: Indians 3B Jack Hannahan did not play because of a sore back. … Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said INF Alexi Casilla is the team’s utility player after the shuffle that brought Dozier up from Triple-A and moved Jamey Carroll to 2B. Gardenhire planned to play Casilla on Tuesday. … It was Liriano’s first relief appearance since Sept. 24 when he gave up five earned runs in one-third of an inning and took the loss against the Indians. … RHP Jason Marquis (2-2, 6.26 ERA) will pitch for the Twins on Tuesday against Cleveland RHP Derek Lowe (5-1, 2.47). The 38-year-old Lowe is 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA in 25 2-3 innings over his past four starts.

Minneapolis — Indians manager Manny Acta tinkered with the top of his lineup before Monday night’s game against the Twins.

Help arrived from the familiar bats of Jason Kipnis and Asdrubal Cabrera. Then a new voice was heard from at Target Field.

Shin-Soo Choo, installed in the leadoff spot for the first time since August, hit a two-out single in the ninth inning to score pinch runner Lou Marson and give the Indians a 5-4 victory over the Twins.

In a game of contrasting strategies, Acta made more good decisions than bad as the Indians ended a three-game losing streak. The win went to Joe Smith (3-1), and Chris Perez pitched the ninth for his 12th save.

The Indians entered the eighth with a 4-1 lead, but Vinnie Pestano couldn’t get through the inning. Pestano, who is having trouble against lefties, walked Denard Span to start the inning. He retired the next two batters, but Span stole second and scored on Josh Willingham’s double past first to make it 4-2.

Acta called for rookie left-hander Nick Hagadone instead of the right-handed Smith to make switch-hitter Ryan Doumit bat right-handed. Doumit had four homers coming into the at-bat, all from the left side of the plate.

Doumit foiled that strategy as he hit a two-run homer into the left-field seats to make it 4-4. He hit a 2-0 fastball.

“Nick has thrown the ball really well,” said Acta. “We wanted to turn Doumit around, and he just got Nick.”

The opposition has 35 at-bats against Hagadone. Doumit’s homer was just the fourth hit Hagadone has allowed.

“I’m just glad we won,” said Hagadone.

Casey Kotchman, who has spent the first six weeks of the season searching for his swing, gave the Indians a jolt from the bottom of the lineup with a two-run homer off Carl Pavano in the fifth for a 4-1 lead.

Kotchman contributed to the winning rally, as well, with a one-out single off Matt Capps (0-2). Aaron Cunningham popped out to second, but Kotchman advanced to second on a wild pitch with Choo batting. Acta sent Marson to pinch-run for Kotchman, and Choo delivered the game-winner on a clean hit to center.

“First, I felt good for the team because we ended a losing streak,” said Choo. “Second, I felt good for me. I think the team will feel good coming to the park for our next game.”

Acta took no credit for moving Choo into the leadoff spot.

“It worked because we didn’t pitch better at the end of the game,” said Acta. “I didn’t make up the lineup thinking Choo was going to come up with two out and a runner on second base in the ninth inning.”

The homer was Kotchman’s third of the season, but his first since April 15. Jose Lopez, who joined the Indians on Saturday in Boston to replace demoted Jason Donald, started the inning with a double to the wall in left.

Kotchman hit Pavano’s 1-2 pitch into the bleachers in right field. While Kotchman’s defense at first base has been excellent, the Indians still are looking for the player who hit .306 with the Rays last year. He is hitting .282 (11-for-39) in May, but only .198 (21-for-106) overall.

Starter Jeanmar Gomez showed toughness in his most recent start when he pitched seven innings against the Chicago White Sox, despite allowing eight runs on nine hits, to save the bullpen.

Monday night, all he had to do was pitch.

Gomez allowed one unearned run on three hits in seven innings. Catcher Carlos Santana’s throwing error in the third led to the run. Gomez struck out two and walked three against a Twins team that went 6-16 in April.

“He pitched well, but I feel bad for him, he should have got the win,” said Acta.

Pavano was facing his former team with a sore right shoulder. He has had it since spring training, but has been able to pitch with it. He told Twins reporters Sunday that it has cost him some velocity.

The Indians were held scoreless until the fourth when Kipnis singled through the middle. Cabrera, who just missed homering down the right field line, readjusted his sights and doubled down the left-field line as Kipnis stopped at third.

Travis Hafner’s grounder to second scored Kipnis to make it 1-1. Hafner is 4-for-32 with 11 RBI with runners in scoring position.

Santana’s sacrifice fly made it 2-1.