Indians 6, Angels 5
CLEVELAND -- Michael Bourn's RBI single in the seventh inning drove in the deciding run as the Cleveland Indians overcame an early 5-0 deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 6-5 on Sunday.
Bourn's hit capped a six-run outburst in the sixth and seventh innings in which the Indians also erupted for three home runs in the span of five batters as they snapped their six-game losing streak.
Reliever Matt Albers (3-1) got the win for Cleveland and Chris Perez picked up his 18th save.
After a four-run sixth inning cut a 5-0 Angels lead to 5-4, the Indians took the lead in the seventh. Carlos Santana, leading off the inning, greeted reliever J.C. Gutierrez (0-3) with a game-tying home run to right field. One out later Lonnie Chisenhall walked and went to second on a single by Drew Stubbs.
Lefty reliever Nick Maronde came in to face Bourn, who hit Maronde's only pitch of the game into left field for an RBI single, giving Cleveland a 6-5 lead.
The first five innings were dominated by Angels starter Jerome Williams, who came into the game having not won a game since June 12. He was 0-6 with a 7.19 ERA since his last win, but he mowed down Cleveland hitters, holding the Indians scoreless on one hit through the first five innings.
The Angels needed less than five innings to chase Cleveland starter Justin Masterson from the game. In the first inning Masterson gave up two walks and they both scored as the Angels took a 2-0 lead.
In the second Masterson gave up another walk and three more hits as the Angels scored twice to make it 4-0. The two runs came on a bases loaded single by Mike Trout.
In the fourth inning an error by Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, the Indians' fifth error in the last two games, led to an RBI single by Kole Cahoun.
Williams struck out the first two batters he faced in the sixth inning, but with two outs in the sixth the Indians finally got on the scoreboard.
Bourn singled and Nick Swisher swatted his 12th home run, a two-run shot over the left field wall, cutting the Angels lead to 5-2. Jason Kipnis drew a walk and he rode home on a home run to left field by Mike Aviles, his seventh of the season.
In the span of four batters the Indians turned a 5-0 deficit into a 5-4 game.
Notes: The Angels failed in their attempt to complete their first sweep of a three-game series in Cleveland since Sept. 3-5, 2004. . . OF J.B. Shuck leads all American League rookies in hits, just as Mike Trout did last year. No team has had AL rookie hits leaders in consecutive seasons since the Twins in 1981-82 (Gary Ward and Kent Hrbek). ... Indians RHP Danny Salazar will make his third major league start Monday in Minnesota. In his first two starts Salazar was 1-0 with a 3.29 ERA, 17 strikeouts and two walks in 13 2/3 innings. . . Cleveland SS Asdrubal Cabrera, who got thrown out of the game in the second inning for arguing a called strike, is hitting .193 since July 1.
