Infielder Jason Kipnis #22 and outfielder Michael Brantley #23 of the Cleveland Indians congratulate Carlos Santana #41 after his three run home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during the game at Tropicana Field on …
Photographer: (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
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Posted: 07/18/2012
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Carlos Santana hit a three-run homer during a five-run seventh inning and the Cleveland Indians rallied for a 10-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.
Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera hit two-out singles off Kyle Farnsworth (0-2) before Jason Kipnis' RBI single against Jake McGee tied it at 4. After Michael Brantley had a run-scoring single, Santana extended the lead to 8-4 with his first homer since May 15.
Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon was ejected by home plate umpire Dan Iassogna after Kipnis' game-tying hit for arguing balls and strikes.
Kipnis and Santana added run-scoring singles in ninth as the Indians went ahead 10-5.
Cleveland starter Justin Masterson left trailing 4-3 and with the bases loaded in the fifth, but was bailed out when Esmil Rogers (1-0) entered and got two quick outs.
Rogers struck out three and walked one over 1 2-3 scoreless innings.
Santana walked and Casey Kotchman was hit by a pitch, and both scored on Jack Hannahan's two-out double in the fifth. Choo cut the deficit to 4-3 with an RBI single.
The Rays took a 2-0 lead in the second on Elliot Johnson's RBI single and a sacrifice fly by B.J. Upton. Luke Scott hit an RBI single and Desmond Jennings had a run-scoring bunt hit that made it 4-0 during the third.
Johnson had a seventh-inning RBI infield single. Jennings drove in a run during the ninth with a grounder.
Scott had four hits, and is 12-for-29 in seven games against Cleveland since the weekend before the All-Star break. In his last 12 games against all other teams, the Tampa Bay designated hitter is hitless in 38 at-bats.
Masterson went 4 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits. Tampa Bay's Jeremy Hellickson gave up three runs and five hits over six innings.
Notes: Rays 3B Evan Longoria, out since May 1 with a partially torn left hamstring, will accompany the team for a nine-game trip that starts Tuesday. "We haven't even put a potential date on going out and doing the rehab (assignment), but he's feeling less strained on different movements, which is a good thing," Maddon said. ... Cleveland LHP Rafael Perez (strained left lat) pitched a scoreless inning for Triple-A Columbus.
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