Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) – Matt LaPorta bounced a base hit back through the middle to chase home the winning run in the 10th, as Cleveland captured a 5-4 win against Oakland.
Travis Hafner lined a double into the right-center gap with one out in the 10th, stayed put on an intentional walk and was then replaced by pinch- runner Anderson Hernandez, who scored on the hit by LaPorta, who ended with three hits and a pair of RBI.
Jayson Nix added a two-run homer for the Indians, whose season-high, five-game winning streak was broken in the opener of this three-game set Friday.
Cliff Pennington went 3-for-4 with a two-run triple and scored twice for Oakland, which had won six of seven coming in. Craig Breslow (3-2) took the loss.
Tony Sipp (1-2) got Adam Rosales to ground out to end the top of the 10th with a runner on third.
Nix popped a two-run homer off A’s starter Clay Mortensen in the first inning to follow a Trevor Crowe leadoff hit and open the scoring.
Oakland came back with a three-spot in the third to move in front. Rosales doubled leading off and Gabe Gross reached on an error. Both scored on Pennington’s triple to deep center. Pennington then crossed home on the second error of the inning by Jason Donald.
The sloppy fielding continued in the fourth, this time to Oakland’s detriment.
Austin Kearns got on with a two-out single and Jhonny Peralta drew a walk to bring LaPorta to the plate. LaPorta ripped a base hit through the left side and Gross charged in from the outfield in an attempt to set up a throw to the plate. It skiddered under his glove and back to the wall as both runners scored for a 4-3 Indians lead.
Rafael Perez entered for Indians starter Jake Westbrook in the seventh, gave up a double to Pennington and allowed the tying run to score on Daric Barton’s two-out single to left.
Cleveland moved a runner to second base with one out in the home portion, but a combination of Michael Wuertz and Jerry Blevins got out of the inning. The A’s stranded a runner at second in the ninth against Kerry Wood, and Breslow sent the game to extras after Blevins gave up a leadoff hit in the home half.
Game Notes
Mortensen worked six innings in place of scheduled starter Dallas Braden, fanning seven with two walks while yielding four runs (three earned) on six hits in his 2010 debut. Braden hit the 15-day disabled list Saturday with tightness in his pitching elbow. He has failed to pick up a win since hurling his perfect game way back on May 9 versus the Rays…Westbrook was touched for three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks in six innings. Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo sat with an injured right thumb. He left the game late in Friday’s opener after a diving catch attempt in right field…Oakland is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings between the teams. The Indians have won seven of nine as the host in this series.