SB Nation Cleveland - Matt LaPorta Walk-Off Home Run Gives Tribe 7-6 Win Over Minnesotahttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48841/cleveland-fave.png2010-08-07T05:55:12-05:00http://cleveland.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13741482010-08-07T05:55:12-05:002010-08-07T05:55:12-05:00After Tribe Bullpen Fails To Hold Lead, Matt Laporta Ninth-Inning Jack Lifts Tribe Past Twins
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<p>Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) – Matt LaPorta hit the game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth, as the Cleveland Indians snuck past the Minnesota Twins, 7-6, in the opener of a three-game series at Progressive Field.</p>
<p>Shin-Soo Choo and Shelley Duncan each had two <span class="caps">RBI</span> for the Indians, who have won five of seven. Asdrubal Cabrera had three hits, drove in a run, and scored a run.</p>
<p>Jeanmar Gomez, making his third start in the big leagues, was solid in 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits. He also struck out three and walked two. Chris Perez (1-2) got the win despite allowing two runs on three hits in the top of the ninth.</p>
<p>Alexi Casilla knocked in four runs for the Twins, who still trail the White Sox by 1 1/2 games in the AL Central. Chicago lost to the Orioles in 10 innings on Friday.</p>
<p>Francisco Liriano lasted just 4 2/3 frames, allowing four runs on seven hits. He also walked a season-high six batters and fanned six. Matt Guerrier (2-7) gave up the homer to LaPorta to suffer the loss.</p>
<p>Trailing by two, 6-4, the Twins came to bat in the top of the ninth against Perez, who gave up an infield single to J.J. Hardy before pinch-hitter Jim Thome came to the plate. Thome blasted Perez’s offering off the top of the wall in left-center field for a double. Minnesota argued that the ball cleared the yellow line for a homer, leading to a review. However, the umpires stuck to the call on the field.</p>
<p>“It was a home run,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “HD [high-definition] showed it plain as day. And the angle from the side showed it plain as day.”</p>
<p>Casilla erased the controversial call two batters later with a two-run single that tied the game.</p>
<p>Guerrier, who recorded the final two outs in the eighth, stayed on to pitch the home ninth. LaPorta stepped to the plate and smacked the second pitch he saw over the left-center field wall to give Cleveland the victory.</p>
<p>Liriano, who was riding a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless frames, gave up three runs in the first inning. Michael Brantley and Cabrera hit consecutive singles to get things started. Choo grounded into a fielder’s choice to put men on the corners for Duncan, who hit a two-run double down the right-field line. LaPorta walked and Jayson Nix singled to load the bases. Another run scored when Trevor Crowe grounded into a fielder’s choice.</p>
<p>“You’re hoping you can score three or four off him (Liriano) through seven innings,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “We had a good approach. We used the whole field.”</p>
<p>Cabrera’s <span class="caps">RBI</span> single in the second extended Cleveland’s margin to four. Minnesota, though, got the run back in the third on Joe Mauer’s sacrifice fly.</p>
<p>Gomez was pulled in the top of the sixth after putting men on first and second with one out. Justin Germano got Michael Cuddyer to ground into an inning- ending double play.</p>
<p>The Indians added a run in the home sixth to make it a 5-1 game. Brantley walked and crossed the plate on Choo’s double down the left-field line.</p>
<p>Minnesota scored twice in the seventh to cut the gap to two. Germano put men on first and second with one out before being replaced by Rafael Perez. After Denard Span struck out, Casilla hit a two-run double to left. Mauer grounded out to end the frame, but not before the Twins made it 5-3.</p>
<p>Jason Kubel’s solo homer in the top of the eighth cut the lead to 5-4. Cleveland, though, got the run back in the home half on Choo’s <span class="caps">RBI</span> double to right.</p>
<p>Minnesota and Cleveland have split 10 games this season…The Indians have recorded an extra base hit in 59 straight games dating back to June 2 at Detroit…Liriano was riding a four-start winning streak…Indians catcher Carlos Santana underwent successful left knee surgery on Friday at Cleveland Clinic. He will need four to six months to make a full recovery and is expected to be at full strength for the 2011 season…The Indians recalled Brantley from Triple-A Columbus and optioned pitcher Jensen Lewis to Columbus. In another minor move, the club claimed infielder/outfielder Drew Sutton off waivers from Cincinnati and assigned him to Columbus…Cleveland started a nine-game homestand on Friday…Minnesota has played terrific baseball over the past two-plus weeks, having amassed a 12-4 record since July 21…The Twins signed pitcher Alex Wimmers, their first-round draft choice.</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/2010/8/7/1610627/after-tribe-bullpen-fails-to-holdAncientMariner2010-08-06T17:34:22-05:002010-08-06T17:34:22-05:00Jeanmar Gomez Aims For Third Straight Win Tonight Against Minnesota
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<p>(Sports Network) - Both the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/MIN">Minnesota Twins</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/1197/Francisco_Liriano">Francisco Liriano</a> will be aiming to continue their respective hot streaks when the American League Central contenders start up a three-game series with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/CLE">Cleveland Indians</a> tonight at Progressive Field.</p>
<p>Minnesota has played terrific baseball over the past two-plus weeks, having amassed an AL-best 12-3 record since July 21. The defending AL Central champions still haven't been able to make much ground in the division race, however, as first-place Chicago has won nine of its past 11 contests to maintain a 1 1/2-game advantage over the Twins.</p>
<p>Following this series, the Twins and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/CWS">White Sox</a> will face one another three straight times in Chicago beginning on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Minnesota comes into Cleveland having split four matchups with AL East leader Tampa Bay to begin an important 10-game road trip. After losing the first two tests of the trek, the Twins regrouped to win the next two games and closed out the set with a wild 8-6 triumph on Thursday.</p>
<p>After blowing a 6-0 lead by allowing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/TAM">Rays</a> to score six times in the bottom of the eighth inning, Minnesota bounced back with a two-run ninth that was aided by the strange dimensions of Tropicana Field. With runners on first and third and two out, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/651/Jason_Kubel">Jason Kubel</a> hit a towering popup towards second base that struck a catwalk near the stadium roof and changed direction. The Rays were unable to catch the ball as it hit the turf behind the pitcher's mound, allowing <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/4379/Jason_Repko">Jason Repko</a> to score the go-ahead run.</p>
<p>"We got a leadoff double (from Repko), got him over and got a nice break there off the speaker," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire remarked. "We've lost ball games here the same way."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/732/Michael_Cuddyer">Michael Cuddyer</a> followed with an RBI single and was one of six Minnesota regulars, along with Kubel and Repko, to collect multiple hits on the afternoon. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/837/J_J_Hardy">J.J. Hardy</a> had a 3-for-4 day for the Twins that included an RBI single during a four-run first inning.</p>
<p>Kubel's fluke hit helped give newly-acquired reliever <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/366/Matt_Capps">Matt Capps</a> his first win in a Minnesota uniform. The former Washington closer threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings after taking over for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/107/Ron_Mahay">Ron Mahay</a>, who served up a game-tying grand slam to ex-Twin Jason Bartlett in the bottom of the eighth.</p>
<p>Liriano has played a key role in Minnesota's recent surge and been one of baseball's most dominant pitchers since the All-Star break. The talented lefty has won all four of his second-half starts and yielded a mere two runs in a combined 28 2/3 innings over that outstanding span. He enters tonight's clash riding a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless frames.</p>
<p>The 26-year-old began that scoreless stretch by firing seven shutout frames with eight strikeouts to defeat the Indians July 21 at Target Field. Liriano has also thrown seven scoreless innings in each of his last two assignments, including a sensational stint against Seattle on Sunday in which he gave up only two hits and matched a season high with 11 strikeouts.</p>
<p>Liriano has won all three of his 2010 encounters with Cleveland as well and limited the Tribe to three runs over 22 innings during those games. He allowed three runs and fanned nine batters in an 8-3 verdict at Progressive Field back on May 2.</p>
<p>In 11 career appearances (nine starts) against Cleveland, Liriano is 5-3 with a 3.15 ERA.</p>
<p>The Indians remain at the bottom of the AL Central standings, but had won four times in a five-game span on the road before dropping a 6-2 decision at Boston last night. Cleveland split four meetings with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/BOS">Red Sox</a> and finished off a seven-game road trip with a 4-3 record.</p>
<p>Rookie Josh Tomlin (1-1) lasted seven innings in his third major league start, but the Indians right-hander served up a grand slam to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/854/Adrian_Beltre">Adrian Beltre</a> in the bottom of the fourth inning that turned out to be the difference. He gave up just four hits and struck out five in an otherwise solid showing.</p>
<p>The Indians didn't provide Tomlin much offensive support, managing only a first-inning solo homer by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/113/Shin_Soo_Choo">Shin-Soo Choo</a> and five hits total in eight innings against Boston starter <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/296/Daisuke_Matsuzaka">Daisuke Matsuzaka</a>.</p>
<p>"Daisuke was tough," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "We aren't going to be a hitting-machine type of club. We battled and scrapped, but [Thursday] was tough with him throwing the ball low to mid-90's and the arsenal he has."</p>
<p>Acta will be sending out another hurler with limited experience in tonight's opener, with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/103256/Jeanmar_Gomez">Jeanmar Gomez</a> set to make his third start in the big leagues. The 22-year-old's first two have gone quite well, as he posted wins over Detroit and Toronto and surrendered only four runs -- two earned -- in 12 innings over the pair of games.</p>
<p>Gomez dazzled in his Indians debut on July 18, holding the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/DET">Tigers</a> to two unearned runs and five hits over seven innings in a spot start. The right- hander was sent back to Triple-A Columbus following the contest, but was promoted again last weekend to fill the rotation spot vacated when Cleveland traded veteran <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/120/Jake_Westbrook">Jake Westbrook</a> to St. Louis on Saturday.</p>
<p>The native Venezuelan picked up his second win after allowing two runs in five innings to best Toronto on Sunday.</p>
<p>Minnesota took two of three games from the Indians in Cleveland from April 30- May 2 and has prevailed in five of the nine overall meetings in this year's season series.</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/2010/8/6/2318969/jeanmar-gomez-aims-for-third-straight-win-tonight-against-minnesotaAncientMariner