Scott Maine Gets First, Chris Perez Records 36th Save

Ezequiel Carrera and Jason Kipnis both homered in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Cleveland Indians over the Texas Rangers, 5-4, and salvage the finale of a three-game set on Thursday.

Matt LaPorta also hit a home run, as Cleveland snapped a five-game slide.

"We don't really have much to lose," said Kipnis. "We're not gonna just waste at-bats and put our tail between our legs and just accept the loss. Why not just go out there and see what we can get and see what kind of rally we can put together?"

Joe Smith allowed two unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth before Scott Maine (1-0) entered and left the bases loaded to earn the win.

Chris Perez worked around a two-out triple in the bottom of the ninth to secure his 36th save of the season.

Joe Nathan (2-4) allowed the homers by Carrera and Kipnis to snap a single- season and club record streak of 31 straight converted saves.

"It was more location today ... falling behind in the count and throwing balls in the middle of the plate," said Nathan. "You can't do that."

Michael Young had three hits and two RBI in defeat for the Rangers, whose lead atop the AL West fell to three games over the Oakland Athletics.

The game entered the bottom of the eighth inning tied at 2-2 after the Indians failed to push a run across with the bases loaded in the top of the frame, and Texas used a couple of defensive gaffes by Cleveland to go on top.

Nathan started the inning and induced a grounder to short by Elvis Andrus that Brent Lillibridge fielded cleanly, but his throw to first skipped short and deflected off the arm of LaPorta and into the stands, allowing Andrus to move to second.

After Andrus advanced to third on a David Murphy fly ball to center field, Cruz hit a bouncer towards third that Hannahan could not field cleanly to bring home Andrus and move Adrian Beltre, who reached base on an intentional walk, to second.

Young's base hit to center field brought home Beltre for a 4-2 advantage.

Maine then came into the game and allowed a Mitch Moreland single to load the bases, but got Geovany Soto to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Nathan entered for the ninth and quickly allowed a leadoff home run to right field by Carrera to make it a one-run game.

Russ Canzler followed with a pinch-hit single before Kipnis belted the second pitch of his at-bat into the seats in right field for the game-deciding runs.

Perez retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth before Andrus lifted a triple off the wall in right field, but Murphy fanned on three pitches to leave him there.

Texas broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning when Beltre hit a one- out single and rounded the bases on Nelson Cruz's double to right field.

Young followed with a base hit to plate Beltre and give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

But the Indians answered with LaPorta's two-run blast to right-center field in the sixth inning to make it a 2-2 game.

Vinny Rottino hit a leadoff single prior to LaPorta's first homer of the season.


(kansascity.com)