Tribe tops A’s on hit in 10th by LaPorta

July 4, 2010 at 12:05a.m.

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Matt LaPorta hit a game-ending single in the 10th inning, giving the Cleveland Indians a 5-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.

Travis Hafner started the rally with a one-out double off Craig Breslow (3-2) and was run for by Anderson Hernandez. After Austin Kearns was intentionally walked, Jhonny Peralta flied out to deep center. LaPorta bounced a full-count pitch into center field, giving Cleveland its sixth win in seven games.

Oakland lost for only the second time in eight games.

Tony Sipp (1-2) pitched the 10th for Cleveland.

Jake Westbrook allowed three runs — two earned — and four hits in six innings.

Clay Mortensen started for Oakland in place of Dallas Braden, who was placed on the disabled list Saturday with elbow stiffness. Mortensen pitched six innings and allowed four runs and six hits. He struck out seven, a career high.

Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo missed the game with an injured right thumb. Choo was hurt trying to make a diving catch in the eighth inning Friday. He was scheduled to have an MRI on Saturday.

Jayson Nix hit a two-run homer in the first, giving Cleveland the early lead. Oakland scored three in the third with the help of two errors by shortstop Jason Donald. After Adam Rosales led off with a double, Donald fielded Gabe Gross’ groundball, but his throw to first pulled LaPorta off the bag. Cliff Pennington tripled off the fence in center to tie it.

Donald couldn’t field Coco Crisp’s groundball for his second error, and Pennington scored.

Gross, the left fielder, helped give back the lead with an error of his own in the fourth. Mortensen retired the first two batters, but gave up a single to Kearns and walked Peralta. Gross charged LaPorta’s single, but the ball skipped by him and rolled to the wall. Kearns and Peralta scored on the two-base error.

Oakland tied it in the seventh against Rafael Perez. Pennington doubled with one out and scored on Daric Barton’s two-out single that skipped over third base.