Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo named MVP of Ohio Cup series between Indians and Reds.
Shin-Soo Choo's first home-run trot of Sunday earned a handshake from third-base coach Steve Smith and a quick 1-0 lead for the Indians in the first inning in Cincinnati. Choo's second homer, a three-run shot in the fifth, broke a 1-1 tie and helped lift the Indians to a 5-3 triumph to break a seven-game losing streak.ON DECK: INDIANS VS BLUE JAYS
Where: Progressive Field.
When: Monday through Thursday.
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.
Pitching matchups: LHP Ricky Romero (6-3, 2.84) vs. RHP Jake Westbrook (4-4, 4.90) Monday at 7:05 p.m.; RHP Brandon Morrow (5-5, 4.50) vs. RHP Fausto Carmona (6-6, 3.64) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.; RHP Jesse Litsch (0-2, 8.78) vs. LHP Aaron Laffey (0-2, 6.37) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. and RHP Shaun Marcum (7-3, 3.14) vs. RHP Justin Masterson (2-7, 5.21) Thursday at 12:05 p.m.
Season series: Indians are 0-3 against Toronto this season. Toronto leads, 181-177, overall.
Indians update: They finished this nine-game interleague trip at 2-7. Overall, the Indians went 5-13 in interleague play this year. Westbrook and Carmona had no decisions against Toronto in May, while Chris Perez had a blown save.
Blue Jays update: They outscored the Indians, 18-10, in three-game sweep in May. Romero and Morrow started against the Tribe, Romero winning and Morrow getting a no-decision when he threw 100 pitches in 5 1/3 innings. The Jays, leading the AL in homers, hit five against the Tribe.
Injuries: Indians — RHP Anthony Reyes (right elbow), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (broken left forearm) and CF Grady Sizemore (left knee) are on the disabled list. SS/2B Jason Donald (left wrist) is day to day. Blue Jays — RHP Dustin McGowan (right rotator cuff), OF Travis Snider (right wrist) are on the disabled list.
Next: Oakland arrives Friday for three-game series against the Indians.
— Paul Hoynes
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Shin-Soo Choo hit two homers in one game for the second time this season off Bronson Arroyo as the Indians broke a season-high seven-game losing streak today with a 5-3 victory over the Reds.
The win saved the Indians from a three-game sweep, but the Ohio Cup trophy still went to the Reds. They went 4-2 in the six-game interleague series.
Choo started the scoring with a one-out homer to right off Arroyo in the first inning. In the fifth, with the score tied, 1-1, Choo hit a 426-foot place to right center to for a three-run homer and a 4-1 lead.
After the game, Choo was named MVP of the Ohio Cup by a vote of writers and broadcasters.
Rookie Carlos Santana added a solo homer in the eighth to make it 5-1. It was Santana's fourth homer in 15 games and his first swinging right-handed.
Choo has hit 12 homers this season. He's had three two-homer games this season, two on this nine-game interleague trip in which the Indians went 2-7.
The first one came May 21 against the Reds and Arroyo (7-4). The Reds won the game, 7-4.
Mitch Talbot (8-6) went seven innings for the victory. He allowed one run on three hits. Talbot retired 12 straight before walking Drew Stubbs with two out in the seventh.
Joey Votto's two-run homer off Chris Perez made it 5-3. The Reds entered the game with 13 last at-bat victories and 24 come-from-behind victories.
Kerry Wood didn't let that happen in the ninth. He struck out the side in order for his sixth save in in nine chances.
The Reds tied it, 1-1, in the first as Brandon Phillips scored from second on another display of shoddy defense by the Indians. Talbot walked Phillips to start the game. Joe Votto walked with one out to put Phillips at second.
Scott Rolen sent a sharp grounder past third. Jhonny Peralta made a nice play on the line and threw to second to force Votto for the second out. Phillips, with two out, never stopped running. Second baseman Jayson Nix double clutched on his throw home and bounced the ball in front of Santana.
Phillips slid home untouched with the tying run. It's the third time the Indians have let a player score from second in the last 12 games on a ball that didn't leave the infield.