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Shoppach's game-winning homer leads Indians past Athletics

Jun 27, 2007 - 5:26 AM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Kelly Shoppach spoiled Dan Haren's chance at double-digit wins.

Shoppach belted a pinch-hit three-run homer in the ninth inning as the Cleveland Indians rallied for an 8-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday.

Travis Hafner had a game-tying two-run double and Grady Sizemore scored three times for Cleveland, which has won three of four and six of nine.

"It seems like we are coming back a lot this season," Hafner said. "Tonight was a good comeback win."

It was the 22nd come-from-behind win for the Indians this season, tied for most in the AL with Tampa Bay.

"This team always has a chance, it really does," said Shoppach. "Like I have been saying all season and will continue to say, 'It's a pretty special club.' We believe in one another. If one guy doesn't do it, the next guy will."

Trailing, 5-3, in the ninth inning, Cleveland rallied off reliever Alan Embree (1-1) in the ninth. After a one-out walk by Sizemore and a two-out walk by Victor Martinez, Hafner drilled a double to the right-center to tie the score.

"I got a fastball to hit," said Hafner, who lined out with the bases loaded in the eighth. "I had a chance earlier (in the eighth) and I had a feeling I would get up again. I was pumped up when I got to second."

After Jhonny Peralta was intentionally walked, Shoppach hit a 1-0 pitch into the left field seats for the victory.

"(Embree) is a fastball guy," Shoppach said. "I knew he was going to go with his bread and butter. There was no way he was going to let a young guy beat him with his second or third stuff. I hit it right on the screws."

"It was a strike," Embree said. "(Shoppach) let me know how good of a strike it was by the way he hit it."

Shoppach's first career pinch-hit homer set off a mob scene at home plate.

"It's exciting," Shoppach said. "It what you want. Once the ball was over the fence, I ran harder than I normally do because I was in a hurry to get beat up."

Indians reliever Rafael Betancourt (1-0) got two outs in the ninth to get the win.

"It was just a great effort by everybody to finish off the game," Indians manager Eric Wedge said.

The loss was the fifth straight for Oakland and prevented Haren from winning his 10th consecutive decision. The righthander gave up three runs on a season-high eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. Haren hasn't lost a game since April 7.

"Danny did a great job," A's manager Bob Geren said. "It was hot. He battled. He pitched well against a very good hitting team."

"I really felt if we got Haren out of the game and got into their bullpen, we would have a chance," Shoppach added.

With the score tied at 3-3 in the seventh inning, Mark Ellis hit an RBI double to give Oakland a 4-3 lead. Shannon Stewart added a solo homer in the ninth inning to make it 5-3.

"This could have been a big win for us," Embree said. "But I let us down. It definitely stinks."

Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, Oakland tied the game off Indians starter Cliff Lee. Jason Kendall led off with a double before Ellis belted the first pitch from Lee into the left field bleachers. It was the eighth home run for Ellis and just his second on the road.

The Indians had taken a two-run lead in the third when Sizemore led off with a solo homer and Hafner added an RBI groundout to put the Indians up 3-1.

Jack Cust tied the game at 1-1 in the second with his 12th homer off of Lee.

Lee, who had won his previous two starts, allowed three runs and six hits in six innings while striking out two.