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Tribe edge White Sox to sweep doubleheader

May 8, 2012 - 7:31 AM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Shelley Duncan's run-scoring double in the bottom of the eighth inning helped the Cleveland Indians take a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox and complete the sweep of a day-night doubleheader at Progressive Field.

The Indians won the early portion, 8-6, behind a pair of two-run doubles by Casey Kotchman and Michael Brantley.

"We made it through it without our bullpen and got two wins out of it. The guys (starting pitchers) deserve a lot of credit," Indians manager Manny Acta said.

Brantley and Jason Kipnis each knocked in runs in the nightcap for the Indians, who won for the sixth time in seven games.

Joe Smith (2-1) earned the win despite giving up the tying run in the top of the eighth inning. Tony Sipp tossed a scoreless ninth for his first save of the year.

Matt Thornton (1-2) allowed the deciding run to suffer the loss for Chicago, which dropped its third straight game.

"This is no fun to go through, but as long as you stay with it, you'll come out on the other side," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of his team's recent lackluster play.

Josh Tomlin got the start for Cleveland and allowed two runs on five hits with a season-high eight strikeouts through 7 1/3 innings, while Eric Stults gave up two runs on four hits and four walks in six full frames for Chicago in his first start since 2009.

Chicago entered the eighth inning trailing, 2-1, but Alejandro De Aza worked a one-out walk that was followed by a Gordon Beckham single, knocking Tomlin out of the game.

A rain delay was called while the Indians were making their pitching change, and Smith took the mound for Cleveland when play resumed an hour and 25 minutes later.

Alex Rios greeted the reliever by slapping a base hit to right field that scored De Aza and placed runners on the corners.

But Adam Dunn stepped up next and hit a dribbler to the mound on a check swing for an inning-ending double play to keep the score tied at two.

Cleveland, though, quickly regained its lead in the home eighth off of Thornton after Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana led off the frame with consecutive singles to right field.

Duncan then pulled a double into the left-field corner two batters later to bring home Cabrera, but that would be all the Indians would get as Jack Hannahan grounded into an inning-ending double play after an intentional walk to Aaron Cunningham.

Sipp worked around a two-out walk to pinch-hitter Paul Konerko in the ninth by fanning Tyler Flowers to seal the win for the Indians.

After each team stranded a runner on second in the fourth inning, the White Sox were able to break through in the fifth after Dayan Viciedo led off the frame with a single and Flowers followed with a double into the left-field corner.

Brent Morel then hit a grounder to short to bring home Viciedo, but back-to- back groundouts by De Aza and Beckham ended the inning and kept it a 1-0 game.

Cleveland answered in the bottom of the fifth when Lou Marson worked a two-out walk, stole second and came home on Brantley's base hit through the right side of the infield.

Brantley moved to second on Rios' throw home during the play, and Kipnis' single to right plated Brantley to give the Indians a 2-1 advantage.

Game Notes

Dan Wheeler was the pitcher about to enter the game when the rain delay was called and he received credit for an appearance...The save was just the second of Sipp's career...Chicago went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base...The Indians went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight.