Guardians 5 - 4 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Orlando Cabrera's HR in ninth sends Indians over Diamondbacks

Jun 28, 2011 - 5:52 AM

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Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Orlando Cabrera took J.J. Putz's hanging breaking ball in the ninth inning and deposited it into the first row of seats in left field, sending the Indians to a 5-4 victory over the Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series.

The deciding homer came after the Diamondbacks tied the game in the eighth but failed three times to knock in Kelly Johnson from third base.

Asdrubal Cabrera added a two-run shot for the Indians, who scored more runs Monday than they did in three losses to the Giants over the weekend (four).

Lonnie Chisenhall, a first-round pick by the Indians in the 2008 draft, went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his debut.

"It was kind of a blur," Chisenhall said of his first appearance in the big leagues. "It was nice to go out and get a win."

Johnson and Stephen Drew each posted an RBI triple in Arizona's third straight loss.

Vinnie Pestano, the Indians' third arm out of the bullpen, couldn't hold a 4-3 lead in the eighth. Wily Mo Pena started the inning with a pinch-hit single, and Johnson followed by one-hopping the wall in right-center. The ball nearly bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double but stayed in the park, allowing Pena to score from first.

The heart of Arizona's lineup came up empty with Johnson 90 feet away. Drew flied out to short left, Chris Young struck out following an intentional walk to Justin Upton and Miguel Montero went down swinging against Rafael Perez (3-1).

Putz (1-2) got two flyouts before serving up the game-winner to Orlando Cabrera, who entered the game in a double-switch in the seventh inning.

"It was a 1-0 breaking ball that I was trying to throw for a strike. It just hung over the middle," said Putz.

Chris Perez worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth to notch his 19th save of the season.

Asdrubal Cabrera's 13th home run of the year -- and first since June 6 -- staked Cleveland to a 2-0 lead in the first as he drove a first-pitch fastball over the wall in left-center. Cord Phelps singled prior to the blast.

Mitch Talbot squandered the lead five batters into the bottom half. Johnson walked leading off the frame and raced home when Drew's line drive got under the glove of a diving Grady Sizemore in center and rolled to the wall.

Drew ended up with a triple and scored on a single by Upton, who moved to third on Young's double and came in for a 3-2 lead on a Montero groundout.

Ian Kennedy retired 10 straight hitters before getting out of a no-out, runners-on-the corners situation in the fifth, but the Indians got two runs off Arizona's starter in the sixth.

Asdrubal Cabrera doubled leading off and Carlos Santana walked before the pair scored on one-out singles by Travis Buck and Chisenhall, respectively.

Game Notes

The teams met for the first time since the Indians recorded a three-game sweep at home from June 17-19, 2005...Arizona went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position...Talbot went five innings and was charged with three runs on three hits and two walks...Kennedy lasted eight frames for the third time in four starts. He yielded four runs on eight hits while fanning eight...Cleveland pitchers retired 16 straight batters from the final out of the second inning through the seventh frame.






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