Asdrubal Cabrera followed up a career day on Sunday against the Cincinnato Reds with another game-winning hit, this time in the bottom of the eighth inning, to lead the Cleveland Indians over the Boston Red Sox 3-2 at Progressive Field. The Indians have now won four straight and lead the Major Leagues with a 30-15 record. The Tribe is now 4-0 against the red Sox in 2011.
Cabrera, who went 5-5 against the Reds on Sunday, extended his consecutive hit streak to 7 when he belted his 10th home run in the 4th inning, tying the game at 1. The Red Sox regained the lead in the 5th inning on a home run from the struggling Carl Crawford, a 2-1 lead that stood until the bottom of the eighth when Michael Brantley and Cabrera combined for some more Progressive Field magic.
With two outs and pinch-runner Adam Everett on second base, Brantley drilled a single to right field, scoring Everett. Brantley wisely took second on the throw to the plate, a move that would be rewarded by Cabrera who drilled a double high of the left-field wall to give the Indians a 3-2 lead.
Chris Perez came on in the 9th and had to pitch out of a jam. After getting David Ortiz to fly out, J.D. Drew and Jared Lowrie had back-to-back hits to put Red Sox on 1st and 3rd with one out and Crawford at the plate. Batting just .217 this season, the speedy Crawford had a chance to be a hero. Instead, his laced a taylor-made double play ground ball to Orlando Cabrera who dished it to Asdrubal, then on to Matt LaPorta to end the game. It was the 13th save of the season for Perez.
The Indians are now 19-4 at home. The two teams will meet again Tuesday night at Progressive Field with Josh Beckett(3-1, 1.73) set to face Fausto Carmona(3-4, 4.76)