CLEVELAND — The comeback kids did it again.
Trailing for much of the game Friday night at Progressive Field, the Indians produced more late magic, rallying for a 3-2 victory in the series opener against Minnesota.
Resiliency has been a trademark of this young Indians team and it was on display again, with Cleveland notching its 28th come-from-behind win and its American League-high 18th victory in its last at-bat.
“That’s what these guys have done the whole year,” said manager Manny Acta, whose team has generated 14 of the 18 last-at-bat wins at home. “They haven’t been able to be shaken up by anything.”
The Indians weren’t fazed by going scoreless over the first five innings against Twins starter Carl Pavano, tying the game at one in the sixth. Then, after Minnesota forged ahead 2-1 in the eighth, Cleveland stormed back to win it with two in the bottom of the inning.
An RBI double from Carlos Santana tied the game, with Matt LaPorta scoring Santana to win it on a blooper to left that fell in front of a diving Ben Revere.
“I think a lot of it is just guys feeding off each other and wanting to step up and do anything they can to help us win,” LaPorta said of his club’s tendency for late-game heroics. “I don’t think we quit.”
Despite getting his usual lack of run support, there was no quit in Cleveland’s starting pitcher Justin Masterson.
Pitching three days after an abbreviated start Tuesday thanks to a lengthy rain delay, Masterson was the picture of consistency again, keeping pace with Pavano by allowing two runs on five hits over 7 2/3 innings.
The right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.69 over 25 starts (26 games), but has only nine wins. He has just one win over his last six outings despite pitching well in each of them.
“I just like that I’m pitching good, whatever,” Masterson said of the lack of run support. “I like the consistency that’s been there (for me). Our guys have shown that they will score some runs at some point. I don’t care when they come, as long as they come.”
The Indians’ offense, which has scuffled for the majority of the season, has scored three runs or fewer in over half (13) of Masterson’s starts. If it has affected him, Masterson has yet to display as much.
“He’s a very positive and mentally tough guy,” Acta said. “He doesn’t allow that to bother him. He knows he can’t control our offense. He knows that he can control that two-seam fastball and four-seam fastball and go from there.”
The Indians’ late rally and a stingy effort from the bullpen at least kept Masterson from shouldering a tough-luck loss.
Left-hander Rafael Perez got the final out with runners on first and third in the eighth before closer Chris Perez retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 24th save in 27 opportunities.
Cleveland right fielder Shin-Soo Choo was activated from the disabled list prior to the game and was in the lineup, going 1-for-4 with a run. Choo was expected to play in a week’s worth of minor league rehab games but returned after playing in just three and didn’t look rusty.
“That was impressive for a guy that had eight at-bats in the minor leagues,” Acta said. “He hit some balls hard. It looked like he didn’t miss a beat.”
Cleveland pitching was able to stall Jim Thome’s quest for 600 career home runs, holding Minnesota’s designated hitter at 598. Thome, the Indians’ all-time homer leader with 334, went 0-for-2 before walking and being removed for a pinch runner in the eighth inning.
The Indians have won five of their last eight games to keep pace with first-place Detroit, which maintained its three-game lead over Cleveland on Friday.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
