Shoppach homer delivers Tribe win

His three-run shot was part of a five-run ninth-inning rally.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kelly Shoppach’s pinch-hit three-run homer capped a five-run ninth inning rally and gave the Cleveland Indians an 8-5 win over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.

Shoppach hit a 1-0 pitch from Alan Embree (1-1) into the left-field bleachers for his fourth homer and lifted the Indians to their sixth win in nine games.

Oakland has now lost five straight games.

Travis Hafner’s two-out, two-run double tied it.

Grady Sizemore drew a one-out walk off Embree, who had blown only one of nine previous save chances. With two outs, Victor Martinez walked on four pitches and pitching coach Curt Young went to the mound to speak with Embree.

Hafner lined the next pitch to right-center to tie it at 5.

Last at-bat win

After Jhonny Peralta was intentionally walked, Indians manager Eric Wedge called on Shoppach to bat for utility infielder Mike Rouse and the reserve catcher delivered the Indians’ sixth win of the season in their last at-bat at Jacobs Field.

The rally kept Athletics ace Dan Haren from earning his 10th consecutive win and gave the victory to Rafael Betancourt (1-0), who yielded Shannon Stewart’s fifth homer in the top of the ninth that put Oakland ahead 5-3.

Mark Ellis had four hits and three RBIs for Oakland.

Haren, who has not lost in 15 starts since falling to 0-2 in his second start of the season April 7, gave up three runs and eight hits over 62⁄3 innings. His ERA rose to 1.91. His nine-game winning streak matches Boston’s Josh Beckett for the longest in the majors this year.

Three early runs

The right-hander fell behind 3-1 in the third inning before settling in. He retired 13 of 14 until Josh Barfield singled with one out in the seventh and Sizemore followed with a walk.

Haren got Casey Blake to pop to second, but walked Martinez to load the bases and was replaced by right-hander Santiago Casilla.

The rookie got lefty Hafner to line out to center on a 2-2 pitch to end the threat. Hafner stepped to the plate hitting .388 (19-for-49) with nine homers and 70 RBI in his career with the bases loaded.

Ellis hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Indians starter Cliff Lee and doubled in the go-ahead run in the seventh against Tom Mastny, who wiggled out of further trouble.

Stewart singled with one out and scored on Ellis’ double for a 4-3 lead. After Nick Swisher was intentionally walked, Mastny struck out Eric Chavez and catcher Martinez threw out Ellis trying to steal third to complete an inning-ending double play.

Ellis’ two-run homer, his eighth, tied it at 3 in the fifth.

Sizemore doubled and scored on Peralta’s two-out single in the first.

Jack Cust homered on an 0-2 pitch by Lee to tie it in the second. The drive to right-center was his 12th homer of the season and fourth in 15 at bats against Cleveland.

Sizemore opened the third with his 13th homer. Blake then singled, went to third on a double by Martinez, and scored on a groundout by Hafner to make it 3-1.