The Indians used a ninth-inning homer by minor league catcher Roberto Perez to beat the Giants, 4-3, Tuesday at Scottsdale Stadium.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In the Indians farm system, catcher Roberto Perez is known for his defensive skills.
This afternoon, he made a statement for the offensive side of the game as he homered in the ninth inning to give the Indians a 4-3 victory over the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium.
Perez's homer off Daniel Otero was the Tribe's third of the game. The Indians have hit six in the last two spring games.
The Indians are 8-5 in the Cactus League. The eight wins are one more than they won all last spring.
The Tribe took a 1-0 lead in the second when Ezequiel Carrera reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and third base and scored on Luis Hernandez's single to left.
Shortstop Juan Diaz made it 2-0 with his first Cactus League homer, a drive to right field with one out in the fourth off Ramon Ramirez.
The Giants tied the score, 2-2, on Brandon Crawford's two-run homer in the fourth. Joe Smith, making his first appearance of the spring, retired the first two batters in the inning, but gave up a single to Francisco Peguero to bring Crawford to the plate.
The Indians reclaimed the lead, 3-2, on Nick Swisher's leadoff homer in the fifth. It was Swisher's second Cactus League homer.
The Giants pulled into a 3-3 tie in the sixth as Brandon Belt homered off left-hander David Huff. It was the only run Huff allowed in three innings of work. Huff is trying to win a job on the Tribe's pitching staff whether it's in the rotation or the bullpen.
Huff is out of options.
Daisuke Matsuzaka started for the Tribe and went three scoreless innings. He pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the first when Belt sent a short fly ball to Ryan Raburn in left field, who threw home to get Kensuke Tanaka for an inning-ending double play.
The Giants put runners on first and second with one out in the second, but Matsuzaka induced a 1-6-3 double play from Hector Sanchez, who sent a bouncer back to the mound. Matsuzaka allowed five hits and struck out two.
He was throwing between 87 mph and 90 mph.
While the Giants had a run erased at the plate in the first, the Indians suffered the same fate in the third. After Ben Francisco doubled and went to third on a wild pitch, Swisher walked to bring Raburn to the plate. Raburn sent a bouncer to third with Francisco going on contact. Joaquin Arias threw to Buster Posey at home, where Francisco was an easy out.