Indians' bench comes through again
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians' bench bunch struck again Tuesday night.
One night after Jason Giambi hit a pinch-walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth to key a four-run rally in a 7-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
"I don't think I've ever seen a bench this productive," said Raburn, who is hitting .462 with two outs and runners in scoring position.
Raburn, ironically, was pinch hitting for Giambi.
"Tonight was a good team win because it showed our versatility," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "Our roster really works well. The guys really complement each other."
With Cleveland trailing 4-3, Asdrubal Cabrera led off the bottom of the eighth with a single against reliever Donnie Veal (1-2). Cabrera went to third on a one-out single by Carlos Santana. Drew Stubbs ran for Santana and stole second base. Raburn greeted reliever Matt Lindstrom with a single, scoring both runners and giving the Indians a 5-4 lead.
"He left one up on me, one I could do something with and I was able to put a good swing on it," Raburn said.
Lonnie Chisenhall singled Raburn to second and Yan Gomes followed with a booming double to right-center field, scoring both runners to make it 7-4.
The win went to Indians reliever Bryan Shaw (2-2), who got the last out of the eighth.
The late Cleveland rally prevented Chicago's Andre Rienzo from claiming a win in his major league debut. Rienzo pitched seven innings and allowed three runs, all unearned. He wound up with a no-decision.
"He was very impressive," Francona said of Rienzo. "A fastball he could throw for strikes up and down and a breaking ball that he commanded well."
Rienzo was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the day to start in place of veteran Jake Peavy, who was traded to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
"We just felt it was better he didn't pitch tonight, with the (trade) deadline and everything," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Peavy.
Chicago broke a 3-3 lead in the sixth against Cleveland starter Scott Kazmir. Paul Konerko led off the inning with a checked-swing dribbler in front of home plate that Kazmir and Gomes both tried to field, but neither did cleanly.
Matt Albers relieved Kazmir and got Jeff Keppinger to ground into a double play, but Dayan Viciedo lined a two-out single to center, scoring Konerko and giving the White Sox a 4-3 lead.
The Indians traditionally have had trouble with pitchers they have never seen, and that temporarily was the case again. Rienzo breezed through the first four innings, holding Cleveland scoreless on two hits and striking out the side in the fourth.
Kazmir came into the game undefeated since June 10. In eight starts since, he was 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA. However, the White Sox reached Kazmir for two runs in the first inning and another run in the third.
Alejandro De Aza led off the game with a single and he went to second on a one-out single by Alex Rios. Both runners scored on a two-out double into the gap in right-center field by Adam Dunn.
Chicago made it 3-0 in the second when Gordon Beckham snapped his 0-for-20 streak with a double and then scored when Josh Phegley snapped his 0-for-14 streak with an RBI single.
Kazmir was charged with four runs and nine hits in five innings.
"It was one of those nights for Scott, but he hung in there," Francona said.
Cleveland tied it with a three-run fifth, the first run coming on a bases-loaded walk by Gomes. The Indians scored two runs when Michael Bourn grounded into a forceout at second. Bourn beat the return throw to first, allowing a run to score, and when Rienzo, covering first, appeared to get spiked on the play and fell to the ground, another runner came home.
NOTES: Rios, also the subject of trade rumors, left the game in the eighth inning after fouling a pitch off his left foot. ... The Indians acquired LHP Marc Rzepczynski from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for minor league INF Juan Herrera. .., Cleveland's franchise-record streak of scoring first in 16 consecutive games was snapped when the White Sox scored two runs in the top of the first inning. ... To make room on the roster for Rienzo, the White Sox optioned OF Blake Tekotte to Charlotte. ... Only two Brazilian-born players have appeared in major league games, and they were both in the game: Rienzo and Gomes.
