Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Associated Press
PHOENIX
The Cleveland Indians know the ball can soar through the dry desert night, a perfect environment to rev up a sputtering offense.
Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Orlando Cabrera homered with two outs in the ninth off closer J.J. Putz to give Cleveland a 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night, snapping the Indians’ three-game losing skid.
“That’s expected, it’s Arizona,” Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. “Closed roof, open roof, it doesn’t matter. So you better make pitches.”
Orlando Cabrera just cleared the fence in left field after Arizona had tied it on Kelly Johnson’s RBI triple in the eighth. Cabrera came on in a double switch in the seventh inning, just in time to get his sixth hit in 12 at bats against Putz.
“I don’t know if he [Acta] admitted it, but he knows I hit Putz really well,” Cabrera said. “I mean, he probably wouldn’t say it, but in the back of his head he knows if I get in late in the game and he [Putz] came in to pitch. I know I got a couple of hits before, but I don’t think I have an extra-base hit or anything like that until today.”
Lonnie Chisenhall, considered the Indians’ top minor league prospect, doubled, then singled in a run in his major league debut.
“Kind of a blur,” he said of the experience. “It was nice to go up there and get the win as a team.”