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Cabrera helps Indians rally past Red Sox

May 24, 2011 - 5:49 AM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Asdrubal Cabrera's eighth-inning double plated the go-ahead run as Cleveland rallied to down Boston, 3-2, in the opener of a three-game series.

Cabrera finished 3-for-4 and added a solo homer for the Indians, whose fourth straight win came courtesy of their 11th victory in the final at-bat.

Michael Brantley posted an RBI single and Joe Smith (2-1) picked up the win by recording the final out of the eighth. Chris Perez hung on in the ninth to record his 13th save.

Carl Crawford homered for the Red Sox, who have dropped two of three. Daniel Bard (1-4) took the loss and a blown save, charged with the winning run on two hits in one-third of an inning.

"You have to expect things like this as a reliever," said Bard. "It will all even out eventually, just doesn't feel too good right now."

Jack Hannahan started the deciding frame with a base hit before being lifted for pinch runner Adam Everett. An Austin Kearns groundout moved him to second. Sox starter Clay Buchholz was lifted for Bard, who got pinch-hitter Carlos Santana on a pop out but served up an RBI single from Brantley to tie the game and the Cabrera double to put the Tribe ahead.

"He's a great pitcher and throws it really hard," said Brantley about Bard. "I was just trying to get a good swing on a fastball and I was lucky enough to battle and get a base hit."

Rich Hill took over and, though Cabrera stole third, Shin-Soo Choo fanned on a fastball to end the inning.

Perez made things interesting by allowing singles to J.D. Drew and Jed Lowrie that put runners on the corners, but Crawford hit into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Crawford singled with one out in the third and came home on a two-out base hit from Dustin Pedroia.

Cabrera countered in the home fourth with a leadoff homer, but Crawford answered in kind during Boston's next at-bat.

Jacoby Ellsbury was ruled safe on a grounder with one out in the eighth, and Indians manager Manny Acta was tossed for arguing the call. Replay seemed to reveal that Tribe starter Justin Masterson touched the outer edge of the bag with the ball. Ellsbury was erased trying to steal second, then Pedroia walked and Rafael Perez was called on.

On a base hit from Adrian Gonzalez, Pedroia tripped rounding second, crawled back to the bag, and left the game favoring his left leg for pinch-runner Drew Sutton. Boston failed to score as Smith entered to retire Kevin Youkilis on a fly out to right.

Game Notes

Cleveland improved its major-league best home record to 19-4...Masterson allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings, while Buchholz gave up two runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 7 1/3 frames.