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Carrera comes up big in first MLB at-bat, Tribe edge Reds

May 21, 2011 - 5:35 AM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - In his first major league at-bat, Ezequiel Carrera dragged a bunt single down the first base line to score the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, lifting the Indians to a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Reds.

The opener of this three-game interleague series had a little bit of everything, including a no-hit bid that Reds starter Travis Wood carried into the sixth inning before the wheels fell off during a four-run Indians rally that tied the game.

On as a pinch-hitter with two outs, Carrera dragged a first-pitch fastball from Nick Masset that first baseman Joey Votto fielded near the line. Votto reached to tag the 23-year-old, but Carrera danced around his glove to score Shin-Soo Choo from third.

"We had Joey (Votto) playing in front of the bag figuring he might bunt, which he did, but he made a perfect bunt," said Reds manager Dusty Baker.

Chris Perez closed the game for Cleveland in the ninth, but not without a little drama. He walked leadoff hitter Fred Lewis and Drew Stubbs hammered a fastball that Choo leaped to catch in front of the wall in right field.

The next batter, Jonny Gomes, hit a liner that Perez caught between his legs, then tossed to first for a force out and game-ending double play.

Five players knocked in a run for the Indians, who are trying to win a series against the Reds for the first time since 2007 -- a streak of seven series.

They finally solved Wood in the sixth, when Austin Kearns singled with one out to break up the no-no bid. It was the first of three straight singles, with Kearns scoring on Michael Brantley's base hit to right.

Asdrubal Cabrera walked and Wood hit Choo with a pitch to knock in another run. Logan Ondrusek relieved him and walked Carlos Santana before Shelley Duncan lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score another run, tying the game at 4-4.

"It looked like threw a couple pitches that were close and didn't go his way. We had some good at-bats, laying off some good 0-2 pitches," said Perez about Wood.

Vinnie Pestano (1-0) got two outs in the top of the eighth to earn the win, while Bill Bray (1-1) took the loss after giving up Choo's triple in the eighth and intentionally walking Santana before giving way to Masset.

Indians starter Alex White lasted just three innings before leaving with an injured finger on his throwing hand. The right-hander winced after a pitch in the third, but remained in the game after being looked at by the trainer and throwing a couple of practice pitches.

The Reds then scored two runs to take the lead.

White walked three straight batters to load the bases, but was still almost out of the inning on a Votto grounder that could have been a double play. Instead, first baseman Matt LaPorta fielded it, then threw wide and high to second base, letting Paul Janish and Stubbs to scored for a 2-0 lead.

Frank Herrmann relieved White to start the fourth and remained in the game until the sixth, when he gave up back-to-back singles to Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce. Phillips scored on an error by second baseman Orlando Cabrera, making it 3-0, and Joe Smith relieved Herrmann.

Smith threw a wild pitch, advancing Bruce to third and Scott Rolen to second, and Chris Heisey followed with an RBI single to make it 4-0. Heisey was caught trying to steal second base and Janish grounded out to end the inning.

Game Notes

Orlando Cabrera returned after missing a game to become a U.S. citizen...The Indians placed designated hitter Travis Hafner placed on the disabled list Friday with a strained right oblique...The Reds have lost three straight after being swept at home by the Pirates in two games. The Indians snapped a two- game losing streak after being swept by the White Sox...Cincinnati's last no- hitter was Tom Browning's perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 16, 1988...The Indians haven't been no-hit since Jim Abbott shut them down as a Yankee on September 4, 1993...The Reds went 4-2 in the six-game series last year.