• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Hafner helps Indians rally past Twins

Sep 5, 2007 - 5:17 AM By Anthony Maggio By PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Down to their last out, the Cleveland Indians dug deep to eventually pull out a win.

After knotting the contest on a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning, Travis Hafner drove in the key run in the top of the 11th for the Indians, who rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins, 7-5, on Tuesday.

Victor Martinez added an insurance run with an RBI double for Cleveland, which has won 10 of 11 and 15 of 19.

"A great win against one of the best closers in the game," Hafner said. "We've got a good group of guys here that always fight to the last out."

"Hafner's been hitting; Martinez has been hot," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Those are two great hitters in the middle."

The victory also pushed the Indians lead to seven games over the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central Division. Detroit lost to the Chicago White Sox, 3-1, earlier on Tuesday.

With the score tied at 5-5 in the 11th, the Indians loaded the bases before Hafner drilled a pitch from rookie reliever Julio DePaula (0-1) to center field. Torii Hunter made an over-the-shoulder catch, but the fly ball was deep enough to plate Franklin Gutierrez from third to give the Indians the lead. Martinez then hammered a double into the left-center field gap to increase the lead to 7-5.

Rafael Betancourt (4-0), the fourth of five Indians pitchers, hurled two innings of relief, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out one.

"The bullpen picked us up today," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "(Tom) Mastny and (Jensen) Lewis (kept) us where we were (and) allowed Hafner to be in the position to hit that (home run) ball."

Closer Joe Borowski worked around a two-out single to Jason Bartlett in the bottom of the 11th for his 40th save in 46 opportunities.

"Joe's been a huge part of our success," Wedge said. "He's been strong on and off the field."

Cleveland would not have had the opportunity for this win without the heroics of Hafner earlier.

Trailing, 5-3, with two outs in the ninth, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a double off Twins closer Joe Nathan to the center field wall to bring up Hafner, who had homered in the first inning to give Cleveland an initial 1-0 advantage.

After taking the first two pitches for balls, Hafner belted a fastball to straight-away center field, easily clearing the 408 mark on the fence. It was Hafner's 13th multi-homer game.

"I was just trying to put a good swing on it," Hafner said. "Just trying to hit something hard."

"You see the way it's coming off his bat," Wedge said. "He's driving it to the gaps, and the (good) timing of his hits. It's great to see."

It was only the third homer Nathan has allowed and just his third blown save all season.

It was Hafner's sixth home run against the Twins this season.

The Twins trailed, 2-0, in the top of the second before scoring five runs over the next three frames.

After Jason Kubel hit a run-scoring double in the bottom of the second to cut Minnesota's deficit to 2-1, Justin Morneau made his presence felt.

The reigning American League Most Valuable Player belted a deep fly to center field with one out and the bases loaded in the third inning. Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore got his glove on the ball, but couldn't secure it as he crashed into the wall. Morneau was tagged out after he was caught between second and third base, but all three runners scored to put the Twins up 4-2.

Luis Rodriguez singled home a run in the fourth inning to make it 5-2 before Cleveland cut the score to two on Kenny Lofton's RBI double off Twins reliever Matt Guerrier in the sixth inning.

Morneau went 3-for-5 with three RBI for Minnesota, which has lost six straight to Cleveland.