Indians' outfielder drives in all four runs in the Tribe's triumph.
UPDATED: 11:15 p.m.
Shelley Duncan gets all of this Scott Kazmir pitch for a two-run homer in the sixth inning of Tuesday night's game against the Angels at Progressive Field. It was the second homer of the night for Duncan, who drove in all four runs in the Indians' 4-3 victory.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians signed Shelley Duncan to a minor-league contract and brought him to spring training this year with the idea that he just might do what he did Tuesday night against the Angels.
Duncan hit two homers and drove in four runs in the Indians' 4-3 victory over the Angels at Progressive Field. Duncan's two homers and four RBI tied his career highs in the big leagues.
"What you saw tonight is why we brought Shelley on board," said manager Manny Acta. "Not just the two home runs, but his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He's done that most of his career in the minor leagues and the time he's been up here.
"He's an aggressive guy. At least you know he's going to take some hacks in there. We like that. Tonight he won the game by himself offensively."
Duncan looks like a home run hitter. He's big and rangy and swings hard. He does not always look as graceful in the outfield. Maybe that's why he liked what happened in left center field in the sixth inning Tuesday night more than going 3-for-3.
The Indians led, 2-1, thanks to Duncan's RBI single in the first and leadoff homer in the fourth off left-hander Scott Kazmir (8-14, 5.99). With two out in the sixth, Torii Hunter singled and Hideki Matsui doubled to left center.
Duncan played Matsui's ball off the wall barehanded and threw to cut-off man Asdrubal Cabrera, who fielded the ball on the short hop. Cabrera, in turn, short-hopped his throw to catcher Lou Marson with Hunter arriving at full speed. Marson took Cabrera's throw and then played tackling dummy to Hunter. Marson went down, but held the ball to end the inning.
"That was a fun play to watch from left-center field," said Duncan. "Cabby makes the good play on the short hop and got rid of it really quick. Then Lou picks the short hop as Hunter gets there at same time.
While Duncan felt the adrenaline of the play, Marson took its impact.
"He got me pretty good," Marson said of Hunter. "It was pretty much what I expected from a guy trying to blow me up.
"I knew he would come in hard, and I knew it would be a clean play, because he plays the game the right way. He's one of my favorite players."
When Duncan came to the plate in the sixth, he was still vibrating. Kazmir started the inning by walking Shin-Soo Choo. Duncan followed by sending another ball onto the home-run plaza behind the left-field wall for a 4-1 lead. Duncan is hitting .240 (46-for-192) with 10 homers and 31 RBI.
The last time Josh Tomlin and Kazmir faced each other, the Indians and Angels played 16 innings. The way Tomlin (4-3, 4.17) pitched the first six innings, extra innings did not seem to be a possibility.
He started the seventh with two quick outs and a 4-1 lead. Then came Howie Kendrick's double, Bobby Wilson's RBI single and Peter Bourjos' triple to make it 4-3. Rafael Perez relieved and retired Alberto Callaspo on a liner to third to protect the lead.
"Tomlin threw very well," said Acta. "He had command of the cutter and changed speed on it. He had them out in front all night until there were 2-out in the seventh."
Tomlin is 3-0 in his last four starts with a 4.56 ERA.
Perez worked a scoreless inning and Joe Smith ended the eighth with a runner on first by getting Mike Napoli to ground out.
Then it was time for closer Chris Perez. He walked Kendrick and gave up a hit-and-run single to pinch-hitter Juan Rivera. Perez came back to strike out Bourjos and retired Callaspo on a fly ball to left for his 20th save.
"Chris Perez got into a bit of jam there," said Acta, "but when you have the stuff he has, you can work yourself out of those once in a while with a strikeout. He continues to be terrific for us."
Perez is 20-for-24 in save situations.