Indians reign over Haren, Angels

Associated Press

Cleveland

Rookie Zach McAllister lasted six innings, overcoming a throwing error and two home runs in the fifth, and Shelley Duncan homered to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 9-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.

McAllister (3-1) allowed three earned runs and eight hits, and he and the Indians recovered after blowing a four-run lead.

Duncan homered in the fourth off an ineffective Dan Haren (6-8). Jose Lopez had three hits and Michael Brantley two RBIs for Cleveland.

Rookie Mike Trout hit a three-run homer and Albert Pujols had a solo shot but also made a crucial error in the fifth for the Angels, who lost for just the fourth time in 13 games.

The Indians are 5-1 in games started by McAllister, who began the season in the minors.

Throwing errors by both teams low-lighted an eight-run fifth inning when the Angels scored five times to take the lead before giving it right back.

Cleveland, which led 4-0 after four, trailed 5-4 before scoring three in the fifth to chase Haren, who allowed six earned runs and nine hits in 41/3 innings and lost for the first time in six career starts at Progressive Field.

Shin-Soo Choo opened the fifth with a double and with one out the Angels intentionally walked Jason Kipnis to face Lopez, who singled in his previous at-bat.

The strategy backfired when Lopez doubled to score Choo and Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia pulled Haren. Hisanori Takahashi came in and got Brantley to hit a grounder to Pujols, who stepped on first but threw wildly to the plate as Kipnis scored from third.

The ball skipped away from catcher John Hester, who recovered it and made an accurate underhand toss to Takahashi covering, but the reliever dropped it as Lopez slid home to make it 7-5.

Brantley drove in Cleveland’s eighth run in the seventh on a groundout.

Aided by third baseman Jack Hannahan’s throwing error, the Angels overcame a four-run deficit by scoring five runs in the top half.

Trout hit a three-run homer and Pujols added his solo shot, but neither would have happened if not for Hannahan’s costly miscue.

After giving up two singles, McAllister retired Erick Aybar on a liner to third and got Hester to hit a routine grounder to Hannahan, who quickly threw to second to start a double play. However, Hannahan’s throw was way off the bag and went right, scoring a run.

Trout fell behind 0-2, worked the count full by taking a couple close pitches and crushed his 10th homer. One out later, Pujols connected for his 13th homer — all since May 4 — to make it 5-4.

Duncan hit a two-out homer, his ninth, in the fourth to make it 4-0. It was the ninth homer allowed by Haren in his past five starts.

Duncan’s sacrifice fly and Hannahan’s RBI double gave the Indians a 3-0 lead in the second.

Brantley singled and went to third on Casey Kotchman’s one-out hit. Duncan, whose wife, Elyse, is days away from giving birth to twin boys, delivered a fly to center before scoring on Hannahan’s double.

Shut out for just the second time all season in Monday’s series opener, the Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first when Choo tripled and scored on Kipnis’ single.