SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - In a rare scheduling perk, the Cleveland Indians didn’t have to travel far for a much-needed change of scenery after a disappointing weekend dud at Oakland.
Just a quick jaunt across San Francisco Bay.
Josh Tomlin struck out five and pitched into the eighth inning to win back-to-back starts for the first time this year, and Cleveland capitalized on two costly errors to rally and beat the Giants 5-3 on Monday night.
Tomlin (6-9) allowed six hits and three runs without walking a batter in 7 1/3 innings. Cleveland snapped a season-high four-game skid with its first victory against the Giants in the last seven tries.
“It’s good to get back to playing our style of baseball, and taking advantage of the mistakes is kind of what we’ve done in the past,” Tomlin said. “… That’s huge for us.”
Yan Gomes homered leading off the third for the Indians.
San Francisco starter Matt Moore (3-10) hit an RBI single in the third before a wild throw did him in, and the Giants dropped their fourth straight home game. Moore became the first Giants starter to lose five straight home starts since Ryan Vogelsong in 2011.
The left-handed Moore scooped up Bradley Zimmer’s chopper in the fifth and made a wild underhanded throw - he doesn’t ever remember doing that to first before - that sailed well over fill-in first baseman Jae-Gyun Hwang, allowing Giovanny Urshela to come home. Zimmer then scored on Michael Brantley’s tying single.
Hwang’s throwing error covering Brandon Guyer’s sacrifice bunt in the sixth allowed the go-ahead run by Jose Ramirez, aboard on a leadoff double.
“We get home and we want to get off to a good start and win the ballgame and to lose like that, sure, it’s always tough,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “And you hate to shoot yourself in the foot, which we did.”
Gorkys Hernandez hit an RBI double in the third for the Giants, who began a season-long 10-game homestand and play 18 of the next 23 at AT&T Park.
On the play, Joe Panik was initially thrown out at home, but it went to replay review to determine whether Panik’s sliding left leg got beneath the tag by Gomes, the catcher. The call was overturned in 2 minutes, 13 seconds, and Panik had the tying run on Hernandez’s hit.
Cody Allen finished for his 17th save as Cleveland improved to just 4-11 in interleague. A day after Cleveland’s bullpen was taxed, Tomlin set the tone.
“He just has a way about him,” manager Terry Francona said. “He competes. He always competes.”
San Francisco’s Eduardo Nunez saw the end of his streak reaching base at 33 consecutive games.
SELLOUT STREAK
The Giants’ sellout streak ended at an NL-record 530 games after attendance was 39,538. The run dated back to 2010, the club’s first World Series title season here, and was second only to Boston’s 794.
HEALTHIER HEARTS
Last Thursday after the All-Star break, Francona rejoined his club in Oakland following a heart ablation procedure. He looked forward to saying hello Monday to Bochy, who also had the surgery in April to fix his heart rhythm problems.
“I want to see him. I heard he went through the same thing. I want to say hi to him,” Francona said. “I like seeing Boch.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: CF Austin Jackson was scheduled to go through baseball work Monday while rehabbing with Triple-A Columbus and play in another game Tuesday. He has been on the 10-day disabled list since June 27 with a strained left quadriceps. … RHP Danny Salazar also is at Triple-A recovering from soreness in his pitching shoulder and came out fine from his six-inning outing Sunday. He will remain with the club over the coming days, and the Indians planned to communicate with him Tuesday about their plans for his next start. … After the bullpen was overextended with 7 1/3 innings of work Sunday at Oakland, the Indians optioned OF Tyler Naquin to Columbus - “He caught the unfortunate shrapnel from the move,” Francona said - and recalled LHP Ryan Merritt from Triple-A.
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt missed his second straight game after he was scratched a few hours before first pitch in Sunday’s series finale at San Diego with a sprained left wrist. Belt was hopeful he’d be in the lineup Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Mike Clevinger (5-3, 3.00 ERA) makes his first career appearance against the Giants seeking his first ever interleague win in his third such outing.
Giants: The Giants have won six of the last starts pitched by LHP Ty Blach (6-5, 4.60), who takes the mound Tuesday.
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