Pronk is back.
And, judging by their Friday night performance, so are the Indians.
Travis Hafner, who had been on the disabled list due to a strained oblique muscle since May 18th, drew a walk and hit a RBI double as the Tribe topped the Pirates at Progressive Field.
The announcement that Hafner would be making his return helped bring a crowd of 38,549 to the ballpark, and those fans were treated to a gem thrown by Josh Tomlin. Buoyed by his impeccable command, Tomlin allowed only 1 run in 6 2/3 innings. Of Tomlin's 85 pitches, 63 were thrown for strikes. The young righty whiffed 5 and earned his 8th victory of the season.
A bases-loaded balk and Carlos Santana's solo homer gave Cleveland an early 2-0 lead.
Xavier Paul's RBI single pulled the Buccos to within a run, but the Indians removed all doubt in the bottom of the 8th. Michael Brantley and Asdrubal Cabrera hit back-to-back singles to begin the rally, and Hafner socked a double off the very top of the right field wall, plating Brantley. Following an intentional walk, Santana laced a RBI single to right, and the Indians finally had some breathing room. Orlando Cabrera later added a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-run inning.
The Tribe's series-opening triumph was definitely a positive, but it was costly. Matt LaPorta suffered what appeared to be a sprained ankle when he was caught in a rundown in the 3rd. It is unclear how serious the injury is.
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| Hafner provided the spark that pushed the Tribe back into 1st place |
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