CLEVELAND (AP)– Rain kept Cleveland from a possible three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, though the Indians still gained a half game in the AL Central race.

Despite having a 1-0 lead was washed away after two innings and waiting two hours, 55 minutes for umpires to call it, Cleveland moved within 2 1/2 games of first-place Detroit when the Tigers lost in Baltimore 8-5.

Cleveland went 4-1 on its homestand, winning two of three from the Tigers, then two in a row from the Twins.

No makeup date was announced, but manager Manny Acta knows the Indians are going to be very busy down the stretch as they try to overtake Detroit and stay ahead of third-place Chicago.

“The games are piling up,” Acta said. “It looks like we’ll probably have nine games in seven days.”

The Twins return to Cleveland on Sept. 23, when Sunday’s washout probably will be part of a day-night doubleheader — the third upcoming for the Indians.

Cleveland already must play a day-night doubleheader Aug. 23 against Seattle, a single-game makeup against the Mariners on Sept. 19, and another day-nighter on Sept. 20 against the Chicago White Sox.

Acta hopes to have second baseman Jason Kipnis and outfielder Michael Brantley back by the time the Indians play three games in Chicago starting Tuesday and then go to Detroit on Friday for a three-game weekend set.

“We still have a month and a half left, but this week’s trip is important,” Acta said. “The rest gives them some time and they should be ready to go. Otherwise we have some decisions to make.”

Brantley appeared once as a pinch runner over the past four games because of a sore right wrist. Kipnis has not played since Friday because of a sore right side.

“He did it with all that diving around (making catches) in the 14-inning game Tuesday,” Acta said.

Kipnis had his right side taped Sunday and said that he has felt discomfort when he swings the bat, but believes he should be ready by Tuesday. Cleveland has Monday off. The Indians only have two more open dates, Aug. 25 and Sept. 12, the rest of the season.

A trip to the disabled list is possible for either player as the Indians can’t afford to play short-handed with an offense already missing outfielder Grady Sizemore.

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire actually welcomed the washout.

“In a strange way it helped us because now some guys got a day,” Gardenhire said. The Twins played the two innings Sunday without catcher Joe Mauer and outfielders Michael Cuddyer and Denard Span due to nagging aches and pains.

Ezequiel Carrera hit the second pitch thrown by Twins starter Kevin Slowey for a double. Shin-Soo Choo singled home Carrera on the next pitch for a 1-0 lead.

Cleveland recalled David Huff from Triple-A Columbus to start. The left-hander retired six straight, four on strikeouts, before it rained.

“It’s too bad because I felt I was pitching well, pitching aggressively,” Huff said. “I can’t control the weather.”

Notes: Cleveland sent OF Shelley Duncan to Columbus to clear roster room for Huff. … The Indians will open their three-game series in Chicago on Tuesday with recently acquired RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0) facing White Sox RHP Gavin Floyd (10-10). The Indians are just 1-6 against Chicago this year. Floyd gave up four hits over 7 2-3 innings in Cleveland in a 3-0 win on July 22. … The Twins open a three-game series in Detroit on Monday with LHP Francisco Liriano (8-10) opposing Tigers RHP Rick Porcello (11-7). Liriano has been hit hard by the AL Central-leading Tigers this year, going 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA. … Cuddyer remains day-to-day with a sore neck, Span is 1 for 31 since returning Aug. 2 from a concussion, and Mauer has general soreness.

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Jose Bautista hit a two-run double to help the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Cleveland Indians 7-1 on Sunday and head to the All-Star break with a three-game winning streak.

Brett Cecil (2-4) gave up one unearned run over six innings for his first win in three starts since being recalled from the minors June 30. The left-hander allowed six hits and walked three. He struck out six, got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, and stranded nine runners overall.

Eric Thames’ two-run homer in a five-run third off Carlos Carrasco (8-6) put the Blue Jays ahead.

Toronto moved within two games of .500 and have Bautista going to the All-Star Game as baseball’s home run leader with 31 — along with 65 RBIs and a .334 average.

Cleveland has lost four of six and despite a lineup hit hard by injuries, remain in a battle with Detroit for the AL Central lead. They entered play Sunday a half game ahead of the Tigers. The last time Cleveland was in first place at the break was 1999, when they went on to win their fifth straight division title.

Thames followed a single by Yunel Escobar with his fourth homer for a 2-0 lead. Carrasco held Bautista — who had three homers in his previous two games — to a rare opposite-field single hit where the second baseman normally would have been stationed if not in a shift against the pull-hitting slugger. Bautista got to third on a pair of groundouts before Carrasco walked Travis Snider and gave up an RBI single on the first pitch to J.P. Arencibia that made it 3-0.

After pitching coach Tim Belcher went to the mound to try and settle Carrasco, the right-hander wild pitched the runners to second and third, and Corey Patterson hit a ground-rule double into the seats in right-center for a 5-0 lead.

Carrasco released some frustration when he got Rajai Davis to bounce back to him to end the inning. Carrasco barehanded the ball, then fired it hard, forcing first baseman Carlos Santana to make a lunging stab of the near-errant throw.

It was the second consecutive rough outing for Carrasco following a 7-2 stretch over nine starts. The Blue Jays scored five runs on seven hits in three innings against him. On Tuesday, he allowed six runs and 10 hits in four innings to the New York Yankees.

Bautista’s two-run double off Rafael Perez made it 7-0 in the sixth. Continued…

Jack Hannahan had an RBI single in the bottom half for Cleveland.

Joe Smith worked a scoreless seventh for the Indians. He has not allowed an earned run in his last 25 outings, covering 23 2-3 innings since May 12.

Notes: Cleveland stranded 13 overall and went 3 of 12 with runners in scoring position. … Jays LHP Luis Perez struck out Travis Hafner on four pitches in seventh. On Thursday, Hafner hit the first pitch from the rookie for a walkoff grand slam. … Jays manager John Farrell is encouraged by the progress of two pitchers on the disabled list. RHP Casey Janssen, out since June 15 with a strained right forearm, worked a scoreless inning at Double-A New Hampshire, hit 92 mph on the radar gun, and is scheduled for another rehab outing Monday. Jesse Litsch, out since May 20 with a sore shoulder, yielded 12 hits over four innings at Triple-A Las Vegas. Farrell said Litsch is “physically fine” and will start again Friday.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jose Bautista hit a two-run double to help the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Cleveland Indians 7-1 on Sunday and head to the All-Star break with a three-game winning streak.

Brett Cecil (2-4) gave up one unearned run over six innings for his first win in three starts since being recalled from the minors June 30. The left-hander allowed six hits and walked three. He struck out six, got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, and stranded nine runners overall.

Eric Thames’ two-run homer in a five-run third off Carlos Carrasco (8-6) put the Blue Jays ahead.

Toronto moved within two games of .500 and have Bautista going to the All-Star Game as baseball’s home run leader with 31 — along with 65 RBIs and a .334 average.

Cleveland has lost four of six and despite a lineup hit hard by injuries, remain in a battle with Detroit for the AL Central lead. They entered play Sunday a half game ahead of the Tigers. The last time Cleveland was in first place at the break was 1999, when they went on to win their fifth straight division title.

Thames followed a single by Yunel Escobar with his fourth homer for a 2-0 lead. Carrasco held Bautista — who had three homers in his previous two games — to a rare opposite-field single hit where the second baseman normally would have been stationed if not in a shift against the pull-hitting slugger. Bautista got to third on a pair of groundouts before Carrasco walked Travis Snider and gave up an RBI single on the first pitch to J.P. Arencibia that made it 3-0.

After pitching coach Tim Belcher went to the mound to try and settle Carrasco, the right-hander wild pitched the runners to second and third, and Corey Patterson hit a ground-rule double into the seats in right-center for a 5-0 lead.

Carrasco released some frustration when he got Rajai Davis to bounce back to him to end the inning. Carrasco barehanded the ball, then fired it hard, forcing first baseman Carlos Santana to make a lunging stab of the near-errant throw.

It was the second consecutive rough outing for Carrasco following a 7-2 stretch over nine starts. The Blue Jays scored five runs on seven hits in three innings against him. On Tuesday, he allowed six runs and 10 hits in four innings to the New York Yankees.

Bautista’s two-run double off Rafael Perez made it 7-0 in the sixth.

Jack Hannahan had an RBI single in the bottom half for Cleveland.

Joe Smith worked a scoreless seventh for the Indians. He has not allowed an earned run in his last 25 outings, covering 23 2-3 innings since May 12.

Notes: Cleveland stranded 13 overall and went 3 of 12 with runners in scoring position. … Jays LHP Luis Perez struck out Travis Hafner on four pitches in seventh. On Thursday, Hafner hit the first pitch from the rookie for a walkoff grand slam. … Jays manager John Farrell is encouraged by the progress of two pitchers on the disabled list. RHP Casey Janssen, out since June 15 with a strained right forearm, worked a scoreless inning at Double-A New Hampshire, hit 92 mph on the radar gun, and is scheduled for another rehab outing Monday. Jesse Litsch, out since May 20 with a sore shoulder, yielded 12 hits over four innings at Triple-A Las Vegas. Farrell said Litsch is “physically fine” and will start again Friday.

St. Petersburg, Fla. — The first time Grady Sizemore came off the disabled list this season, he did so with a flurry. On April 17, he homered and doubled in a 4-2 victory over Baltimore at Progressive Field.

It started an 18-game sprint by Sizemore that helped carry the Indians to the best record in baseball until he was injured again May 10. He came off the DL Friday for the second time this season and the trumpets have yet to blare.

Sizemore, in Sunday’s 7-0 loss to the Rays, went 4-for-4 — in strikeouts, that is. In the three-game series at Tropicana Field, he went 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts.

The Indians decided not to send Sizemore on a rehab assignment before activating him because they needed his presence, as much as his bat, in the lineup with designated hitter Travis Hafner on the disabled list.

“It’s a tough task. Getting off the disabled list and facing David Price and James Shields right off the bat,” said Tribe manager Manny Acta before Sunday’s game.

Price combined on a five-hit shutout Friday. Shields lost to the Tribe, 7-3, Saturday. On Sunday, Jeremy Hellickson pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out Sizemore three times.

Acta said Sizemore needs four to five games before he starts to “click pretty good for us.”

After the game, Acta added: “I still feel he needs about four or five games. I’ve been right before, I’ve been wrong a ton of times. I just think the more at-bats he gets, his timing will be better. Sometimes you can come back and have the best timing in the world, but if you’re facing a tough guy, he’s going to get you.”

Hitting coach Jon Nunnally said Sizemore has looked good in batting practice.

“When you get in the games, it’s a faster pace,” said Nunnally. “It’s just a matter of getting your rhythm and timing down. He’ll be all right.”

Sizemore, who spent the series batting sixth as the DH because Acta didn’t want him playing the outfield on the artificial turf at Tropicana Field, is hitting .244 (22-for-90) with 10 doubles, six homers and 11 RBI. He has 26 strikeouts and an on-base percentage of .292.

Fan dancers: Sizemore wasn’t the only Indian striking out against the Rays. The Indians spent 32 percent of their at-bats (30-for-95) swinging and missing in the three-game series.

The Rays’ two shutouts over the weekend mark just the third time they have done that in one series in franchise history.

On the run: Acta has let loose the hounds this season. He wants the Indians to run the bases aggressively. With that aggression comes mistakes, a few of which happened in Saturday’s 7-3 victory over Tampa Bay.

In the first inning, Asdrubal Cabrera was picked off third base after a run-scoring triple. Later in the inning, Travis Buck was doubled off first base after he took off on a pitch that Carlos Santana turned into a sacrifice fly.

In a four-run eighth inning, confusion reigned on Shelley Duncan‘s bases-loaded single. Michael Brantley scored from third, but Asdrubal Cabrera went back to second when it looked like the ball might be caught at the left-field wall before turning on the jets to score. When Cabrera went back to second to tag up, Shin-Soo Choo went back to tag at first base, but in the process, Duncan had to pull up as he rounded first for fear of passing Choo.

“You have to take the good with the bad,” said Acta. “We’ve done a very good job running the bases. You’re going to go through some stretches where guys aren’t going to make the best decisions.

“You talk to them. Get them to focus on baserunning and go for it.”

Finally: If you’re scoring at home, change Matt LaPorta‘s game-ending error on Saturday to a hit. Credit Tampa Bay’s Johnny Damon with a hit and an RBI. Also charge Rafael Perez with a run. . . . Tampa Bay’s Casey Kotchman left Sunday’s game in the fifth inning with a right ankle injury. Kotchman opened the inning with a single to right but was thrown out by Choo trying for a double. It was Choo’s seventh assist. He entered the game tied for the most with Baltimore’s Adam Jones and Kansas City’s Jeff Francoeur.

Published: Sunday, March 20, 2011, 5:51 PM     Updated: Sunday, March 20, 2011, 7:23 PM



GOODYEAR, Ariz. — There would be no perfect game, botched or otherwise, for Armando Galarraga on Sunday when he faced the Indians at Goodyear Ballpark.

The Indians scored three runs on three hits in the first inning off Galarraga on the way to a 5-3 victory over Arizona at Goodyear Ballpark.

Grady Sizemore made his Cactus League debut, leading off and DHing. He grounded out to second in the first and flied out to center in the second. It was Sizemore’s first game since May 16 when he injured his left knee sliding back into first base at Camden Yards.

Travis Buck gave the Indians a 2-0 lead with a bases-loaded double high off the right field wall in the first. Orlando Cabrera followed with a single to make it 3-0. Galarraga hurt himself with two first-inning walks, which turned into runs.

The Indians stretched their lead to 4-0 with Luis Valbuena’s leadoff homer in the third. Valbuena, who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the first for injured Asdrubal Cabrera, leads the Indians with four homers this spring.

Cabrera left in the first after reaching third base. He said he had a cramp behind his right knee after beating out a base hit.

“We’re not going to play him Monday,” said manager Manny Acta. “It was just a cramp, but there’s no reason to push him. He’s had a good camp and he played winter ball.”  

Arizona scored twice in the fifth against Mitch Talbot. Nicholas Gallego doubled home one run and Willie Bloomquist hit a sacrifice fly for the second run. Michael Brantley caught the sacrifice fly in center field and threw out Gallego as he tried to advance to third.

The Indians came back to make it 5-2 on Shin-Soo Choo’s single in the fifth. Brantley started the inning with a double. 

Talbot (1-0) allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked one.

“That’s two good outings back to back for Mitch,” said Acta. “Its good for these guys to have success before the season starts. It beats going up to Cleveland on a sour note.”

Arizona made it 5-3 on Tony Abreu’s double in the eighth off Rafael Perez.

Closer Chris Perez pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his first save of the spring. It was his first save situation of the spring because he’s been used earlier in games to make sure he faces big league hitters before the managers start substituting.

Galarraga, pitching for Detroit, lost a perfect game on umpire Jim Joyce’s botched call with two out in the ninth inning on June 2 against the Indians at Comerica Park.

On Sunday, Galarraga allowed five runs on six hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out one.

 

Published: Sunday, March 20, 2011, 5:51 PM     Updated: Sunday, March 20, 2011, 7:23 PM



GOODYEAR, Ariz. — There would be no perfect game, botched or otherwise, for Armando Galarraga on Sunday when he faced the Indians at Goodyear Ballpark.

The Indians scored three runs on three hits in the first inning off Galarraga on the way to a 5-3 victory over Arizona at Goodyear Ballpark.

Grady Sizemore made his Cactus League debut, leading off and DHing. He grounded out to second in the first and flied out to center in the second. It was Sizemore’s first game since May 16 when he injured his left knee sliding back into first base at Camden Yards.

Travis Buck gave the Indians a 2-0 lead with a bases-loaded double high off the right field wall in the first. Orlando Cabrera followed with a single to make it 3-0. Galarraga hurt himself with two first-inning walks, which turned into runs.

The Indians stretched their lead to 4-0 with Luis Valbuena’s leadoff homer in the third. Valbuena, who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the first for injured Asdrubal Cabrera, leads the Indians with four homers this spring.

Cabrera left in the first after reaching third base. He said he had a cramp behind his right knee after beating out a base hit.

“We’re not going to play him Monday,” said manager Manny Acta. “It was just a cramp, but there’s no reason to push him. He’s had a good camp and he played winter ball.”  

Arizona scored twice in the fifth against Mitch Talbot. Nicholas Gallego doubled home one run and Willie Bloomquist hit a sacrifice fly for the second run. Michael Brantley caught the sacrifice fly in center field and threw out Gallego as he tried to advance to third.

The Indians came back to make it 5-2 on Shin-Soo Choo’s single in the fifth. Brantley started the inning with a double. 

Talbot (1-0) allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked one.

“That’s two good outings back to back for Mitch,” said Acta. “Its good for these guys to have success before the season starts. It beats going up to Cleveland on a sour note.”

Arizona made it 5-3 on Tony Abreu’s double in the eighth off Rafael Perez.

Closer Chris Perez pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his first save of the spring. It was his first save situation of the spring because he’s been used earlier in games to make sure he faces big league hitters before the managers start substituting.

Galarraga, pitching for Detroit, lost a perfect game on umpire Jim Joyce’s botched call with two out in the ninth inning on June 2 against the Indians at Comerica Park.

On Sunday, Galarraga allowed five runs on six hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out one.