Indians barely hang on to edge Twins

Cleveland’s lead over Detroit has grown to 31⁄2 games.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Watching Joe Borowski work the ninth inning is riveting theater. Unless you’re an Indians fan.

“Pretty much everything than can happen has happened,” Borowski said following his latest circus-like save.

Borowski worked out of another late mess for Jake Westbrook, rookie Asdrubal Cabrera drove in the go-ahead run and Cleveland extended its lead in the AL Central with a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins Tuesday night.

Coupled with Detroit’s 6-3 loss at Kansas City, the Indians moved 31⁄2 games up on the second-place Tigers. It’s Cleveland’s largest lead since June 5.

Travis Hafner hit a two-run homer off Boof Bonser (6-11) and Grady Sizemore added a solo shot for the Indians, who are 9-3 since Aug. 15 — the day Cabrera replaced Josh Barfield in the starting lineup.

In trouble

Borowski came on to protect a three-run lead in the ninth and promptly gave up rookie Brian Buscher’s first major league homer. With one out and a runner at first, Jason Bartlett hit a grounder to third that ticked the bag and went through Casey Blake’s legs into the corner for a double.

Borowski gave up Torii Hunter’s sacrifice fly that brought the Twins within 6-5 but Cleveland’s closer froze Justin Morneau with a fastball for a strikeout and his AL-leading 38th save.

“I’ve come to the realization that statistically I’m going to have to wear it,” said Borowski, 2-5 with 5.64 ERA and five blown saves. “But as long as we save it, that’s all I care about.

“As long as we win, bottom line, that’s all that counts.”

Jason Tyner had four hits for the Twins, who had won a season-high five in a row before losing the first two games of the series. Minnesota has fallen 71⁄2 games behind the Indians.

Strong defense

The loss overshadowed three spectacular defensive plays by Minnesota’s Torii Hunter, Nick Punto and Jason Tyner. Hunter’s catch on the dead run before crashing into the center-field wall in the seventh was the best of the bunch.

“We have to figure out a way to get a win,” said manager Ron Gardenhire, who was ejected in the fifth.

Westbrook (5-7) allowed three runs — all in the fifth — and 10 hits in 62⁄3 innings. The right-hander, who spent six weeks on the disabled list and began the season 1-6, went 4-1 this month with 1.90 ERA.

Rafael Perez got a big out in the seventh and Rafael Betancourt worked a perfect eighth before turning it over to Borowski, who has gotten the job done more times than not despite some hair-raising moments.

“He got it done and that’s the bottom line,” manager Eric Wedge said. “It’s an end-result job, one of the few in baseball.”

After Minnesota rallied to tie it in the fifth, Cabrera’s RBI single in the bottom half put Cleveland ahead 4-3.