On the strength of a Jason Kipnis ninth inning home run that broke a tie game wide open, the Cleveland Indians pulled off a thrilling series victory over St. Louis on Sunday with a crucial 4-1 win.
The 5-foot-11 Kipnis stepped to the plate against St. Louis closer Jason Motte with one out and belted a three-run shot to right field, marking his team-leading 10th homer of the year. Kipnis' 3-for-4 performance not only raised his season average to .286, but also could have gone a long way towards getting him voted into the 2012 MLB All-Star Game next month.
In arguably his most accurate start of the season, Cleveland pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez tossed a legitimate gem despite walking away with a no decision. Jimenez gave up just one run, a solo shot to Carlos Beltran in the very first inning, and proceeded to settle down and keep St. Louis hitters guessing over the next six frames. The right-hander's seven strikeouts represented a season-high.
Up next for the Indians is a trip to Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark for a three-game set beginning on Tuesday. From there Cleveland will return home for a very manageable series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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