Indians-A's: A Nice Sunday in Cleveland, the Weather Was OK As Well

Sunday was a beautiful day in Cleveland.  The weather wasn’t bad either.

The Cleveland Indians, facing getting swept at their own Progressive Field, stepped it up.

The Tribe won the finale of the three-game set over the Oakland A’s.  Cleveland improved to 5-7 by winning 7-1.

Cliff Lee went eight strong innings, limiting a potent Oakland offense to two hits and one run. His ERA dropped to a minuscule 0.61 in the process.  He also earned his second victory of the season.

Grady Sizemore, playing in his 360^th straight game, went 2-for-4 with three RBI in the victory.  Travis Hafner also had two hits and drove in two runs.

The Tribe got on the board first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third.  Jamie Carroll was hit by a pitch, then Sizemore walked after Andy Marte registered the first out on a strikeout.  That put two men on without a hit.

David Dellucci lined out to center, leaving the runners at first and second.  That’s when Hafner singled in both runs.  Martinez popped out to end the inning.

It was nice to see the Tribe in the lead for once.  Oakland, however did not think so. The A's scored a run in the top of the fourth on a Joe Buck triple and an Mark Ellis infield RBI single.  Lee then got Daric Barton to ground into a double play.  Mike Sweeney flied out to end the inning. 

The Indians opened the lead back up to two in the fifth on a Carroll single, a Marte bunt that pitcher Chad Gaudin overthrew first base on, putting runners on the corners. 

Sizemore singled in Carroll from third, but with nobody out and runners on first and second, the Indians did not get any more.  Dellucci did get Marte to third, but it cost the Indians two outs on the double-play ball, then Hafner popped out, squelching what could have been a huge inning. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Cleveland tacked on four more runs on three hits, the walk helping immensely.  With one out, Garko walked, Gutierrez doubled, and Carroll walked, loading the bases.

Asdrubal Cabrera came on to pinch-hit, but he struck out for the second out.  Sizemore came through with the clutch hit, singling, and scoring Garko and Gutierrez.  He and Carroll came home on a Dellucci single.  Hafner flied out, but by then four had crossed the plate. 

That ended the scoring for the afternoon.  Rafael Betancourt shut the A’s down in the ninth, keeping the crowd from wondering if Joe Borowski would blow the victory. 

The Indians scored an efficient seven runs on eight hits, while Indians pitching combined to keep Oakland at three hits and one run.  Both teams used two pitchers each.  Oakland had seven players in the lineup with a batting average over .300 and that is after Sunday’s poor performance.