Indians finally don’t go to the dogs, get a win

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

The dog days of summer have been unkind to the Cleveland Indians, who got a needed lift from slumping Matt LaPorta and a couple hundred four-legged fans.

LaPorta hit a go-ahead two-run homer to help Justin Masterson (5-12) win for only the second time in 10 starts as Cleveland broke a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night.

It came on “Puppypalooza Night,” a promotion in which fans bought tickets for their pet dogs.

The Indians doggedly clawed back to avoid a three-game sweep, snap a five-game losing streak and win for the fourth time in 17 games.

LaPorta hit the first pitch thrown to him from Vin Mazzaro (6-6) with two outs in the sixth inning to put Cleveland ahead 3-2. Trevor Crowe lined a two-out single to left. Then LaPorta, 0 for 5 in his career against the right-hander, broke a 4 for 44 (.091) slump with his eighth homer.

A few woofs of approval along with a genuine bark or two were heard from the crowd of 11,826. That included 269 canines, according to an Indians spokesman.

Chris Perez, the Indians’ fourth pitcher, worked 12/3 innings for his 16th save.

Masterson gave up five hits and two runs over six innings for his first win in four starts since Aug. 4. T

Gabe Gross’ two-out bloop single to left put the Athletics ahead 1-0 in the second inning.

Michael Brantley tied it with an RBI single in the fifth.

Kevin Kouzmanoff put Oakland ahead 2-1 with a two-out RBI double in the sixth.

Mazzaro gave up three runs and seven hits over 61/3 innings to fall to 0-4 in six starts since July 29.

His performance gave Oakland 18 consecutive games with starters going at least six innings and allowing three earned runs or fewer, the longest streak by the franchise since the 1927 Philadelphia Athletics had 18 in a row.