CLEVELAND: The Cleveland Indians recorded their fifth straight victory with a 6-5 triumph over the Kansas City Royals yesterday to maintain a slim advantaged at the top of the American League Central division.
Cleveland blew a 4-0 lead when the Royals put up four runs in the fifth inning to tie the contest but the visitors recovered their composure to emerge with the win.
Catcher Carlos Santana hit a go-ahead sacrifice-fly in the seventh, in which Jason Giambi also had an RBI, and the Indians held on down the stretch.
The victory kept them half a game ahead of Detroit in the division race after the Tigers won 7-6 in Toronto.
Miguel Cabrera smashed a three-run home run for Detroit, his 26th of the season, while Toronto’s Colby Rasmus had a homer and four RBIs.
In Pittsburgh, Philadelphia prevailed 3-1 over the Major League-leading Pirates to snap their nine-game winning streak.
St Louis remained two games behind the Pirates in the NL Central, however, after they lost 5-1 to the Angels in Los Angeles.
Albert Pujols faced the Cardinals for the first time since leaving to sign with the Angels after the 2011 season and went 0-for-3, though Los Angeles still won their seventh straight game.
In Oakland, the Athletics defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-7 to take over first place in the AL West. With his team trailing 7-5 in the eighth, Derek Norris slugged a three-run homer to provide the difference for the A’s and Texas lost 9-2 to Seattle to fall half a game behind. REUTERS
