Mitch Talbot picks up his sixth win of the season, allowing two runs over seven innings.
Shin-Soo Choo's seventh homer of the season followed Jason Donald's first big-league blast in the third inning Tuesday at Progressive Field.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians' 2010 regular season. The Indians defeated the White Sox, 7-3, tonight in the second game of a three-game series at Progressive Field.
Big pop: The Indians, who entered the game ranked 12th in the AL in homers, took a 3-0 lead in the third. The rally was sparked by homers by Jason Donald and Shin-Soo Choo off Jake Peavy. It was Donald's first big-league homer and Choo's team-high seveth. A double by Travis Hafner and Russell Branyan's RBI single accounted for the third run.
Three more: The Indians added three more runs in the sixth to make it 6-0. Jhonny Peralta had an RBI double and Luis Valbunea and Lou Marson hit sac-flies off Peavy.
I don't believe what I just saw: After Chicago made it 6-3 with two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth, Valbuena squeezed home an insurance run in the eighth. Austin Kearns, who singled and took third on Choo's single, scored. For the previous seven years under manager Eric Wedge, the squeeze was all but banned as being unmanly.
The lines: Mitch Talbot allowed two runs on six hits in seven innnings. Peavy allowed six runs on eight hits in six innnings.
Pregame notes:
Game 44: Manager Manny Acta said there was no discussion today about whether Justin Masterson will stay in the Indians rotation after his tough outing Monday against Chicago.
"We're still evaluating the situation, the choices that we have and all that kind of stuff," said Acta. "It's something that we haven't given that much thought to."
Acta said Masterson, as of now, will make his next start Sunday against New York at Yankee Stadium. Masterson is 0-5 in nine starts this season. He's lost his last 11 decisions.
Sizemore tour: Grady Sizemore was in Vail, Col., today getting his left knee examined by Dr. Richard Steadman, noted knee surgeon. Sizemore is getting two different opinions on the knee after being examined in Cleveland last week after bruising his left knee diving back into first base on May 16 against Baltimore.
Sizemore originally injured the knee in April. "We'll have an update on Grady later this week when he's done visiting the doctors," said Acta. "Anytime any injury like that involves any of your players, regardless of their status, you have to be worried about it for the kid's sake, not only for the (sake of the) season.
"Hopefully, the doctors don't find it as serious as people think it is and things work out."
As for getting numerous opinions on the knee Acta said, "They're looking at different ways to attack it. Not necessarily surgery.
"It doesn't have to be one type of the surgeries that are out there. Hopefully, he doesn't need any of them. We'll find out later this week."
Lineups: White Sox (19-25): LF Juan Pierre (L), SS Alexei Ramirez (R), CF Alex Rios (R), RF Andruw Jones, 1B Mark Kotsay (L), DH Carlos Quentin (R), 3B Mark Teahen (L), C Ramon Castro (R), 2B Gordon Beckham (R) and RHP Jake Peavy.
Indians (16-27): CF Trevor Crowe (S), RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), DH Travis Hafner (L), LF Austin Kearns (R), 1B Russell Branyan (L), 3B Jhonny Peralta (R), 2B Luis Valbuena (L), C Lou Marson (R), SS Jason Donald (R) RHP Mitch Talbot.
Umpires: H Paul Schrieber, 1B Rob Drake, 2B Joe West, 3B Angel Hernandez.
Quote of the day: "Nobody should hit .200. Anybody should hit .250," Charlie Lau, the late hitting coach of the Kansas City Royals, as it appeared in Baseball's Greatest Quotations by Paul Dickson.
Too bad Lau isn't around to tell that to Indians' regulars Jhonny Peralta (.236), Russell Branyan (.221), Luis Valbuena (.143), Lou Marson (.212), Jason Donald (.208) and Matt LaPorta (.206).
Next: RHP Jake Westbrook (2-2, 4.56) vs. LHP Mark Buehrle (3-5, 4.55) Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. at Progressive Field. No TV.