CLEVELAND — With Charlie Sheen’s train-wreck traveling circus making a stop at Playhouse Square on Tuesday, what were the Indians doing in their series opener against the Red Sox at Progressive Field?

Duh, winning.

Sheen, who starred as Indians pitcher Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn in “Major League,” wasn’t required against a potent Boston lineup that came in starved for its first win of the season.

Not with Josh Tomlin on the mound for Cleveland.

“Josh Tomlin was fantastic,” said manager Manny Acta of the right-hander, who allowed just a run on three hits over seven impressive innings of his season debut to help the Indians to a 3-1 victory. “He kept those lefties off balance the whole night with that four-pitch repertoire.

“I think he deserves all credit.”

He gets it after breezing through a Boston batting order that included six left-handed hitters, with the dangerous Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz in the middle of the order.

Left-handed hitters went 2-for-15 off Tomlin, while the trio of sluggers went a combined 0-for-7 with two walks.

For the first time in three games, the Indians did not set a record-low for attendance at Jacobs/Progressive Field. But the 9,025 fans was the smallest crowd to see the Red Sox on the road since 8,488 fans showed up to watch them play the Twins, July 5, 2000, at the Medtrodome.

It was a far cry from the packed house that watched then Boston ace Josh Beckett outduel CC Sabathia in Game 5 of the ALCS at Cleveland in 2007.

Beckett was back on the mound in Cleveland but was on the other end this time around after allowing three runs on five hits over five innings.

The hard-throwing right-hander didn’t allow a run and just one hit over the first three innings before the Indians finally broke free for all they required in the fourth inning.

Travis Hafner got things started with a one-out double, then rode home on Orlando Cabrera’s base hit. A two-out single from Jack Hannahan put the Indians in front for good.

“We had some quality at-bats in that fourth (inning),” Acta said. “Hannahan and Orlando Cabrera got some clutch hits.”

The Indians knew Beckett was off his game and laid in wait before pouncing at the opportune time.

“Josh is a guy that is a really difficult guy to face,” Orlando Cabrera said. “He wasn’t hitting his spots, so we just let him pitch and just attacked him when we got our pitch.”

Cabrera’s double-play partner, Asdrubal Cabrera led off with a double and scored Cleveland’s final run on Carlos Santana’s sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Hafner, who was once again a big question mark to begin the season, is off to a hot start. He went 1-for-3 Tuesday and is batting .375 (6-for-16) with a home run and two RBIs through the first four games. More importantly, the injury-prone Hafner has been in the lineup for all of the Indians’ games thus far.

“We need Haf. It’s not a secret,” Acta said. “50 RBIs is not going to cut it this year. He’s got to be one of those big bats in the middle of our lineup.”

Boston, which entered the season amidst lofty expectations after adding big names Carl Crawford and Gonzalez to an already stacked lineup, entered its series with the Indians reeling.

The Red Sox were swept by defending AL champion Texas in their season-opening series and have scored just 12 runs over their first four games.

At that rate, the Indians might not need Sheen’s Adonis DNA to tame Boston in the final two games of the set.

“Right now, we’re just doing our thing,” Orlando Cabrera said. “We don’t really care who we face.”

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

CLEVELAND — It is not a platoon situation in left field for the Indians. It is an “Acta” situation.

“By being the manager and playing whoever I want,” said Indians manager Manny Acta on how he would decide on his starter in left field on a day-to-day basis between right-handed hitting Austin Kearns and left-handed hitting Travis Buck. “We’ll go more by matchups. We’re going to see Buck but it’s not a straight platoon situation. They’re going to share time over there.”

With Grady Sizemore mending from microfracture surgery, Michael Brantley shifted to center field, while Kearns entered spring training as the projected starter in left.

An impressive spring training performance from Buck, not only won him a job as an extra outfielder, but it propelled him into the picture in left with Kearns. The Indians most likely want to see what Buck can do with a decision to be made on a roster spot once Sizemore is activated.

If Buck proves he is worth keeping, another utility player, infielder/outfielder Shelley Duncan’s roster spot is most likely in jeopardy.

Grady gab

Sizemore played seven innings Tuesday for Triple-A Columbus, going 0-for-4 with a run in an exhibition game against The Ohio State University at the Clippers’ Huntington Park.

Sizemore is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Akron on Thursday, but Acta said there is still no exact timetable for his return.

“It’s more about building him up to be able to play nine innings,” Acta said. “It’s not a certain amount of at-bats. It’s building up his stamina, really, so when he does come up, we don’t have to deal with that stuff.”

Sizemore has predicted that he will return before May.

Reliever Joe Smith (strained abdominal) also appeared in the exhibition game in Columbus, pitching a scoreless inning without allowing a hit and striking out one.

The right-hander will join Sizemore in Akron on Thursday and could be activated the following week.

Bonus bat

Defensive-minded third baseman Jack Hannahan brought his hot bat from Arizona.

One of the Indians’ top offensive producers this spring, Hannahan, a career .224 hitter in two-plus seasons in the big leagues, batted .364 (4-for-11) with a home run and three RBIs over the first three games.

He has been flawless in the field.

“Whatever Jack brings to the table offensively, we’ll take it. It’s a bonus,” Acta said. “We just really wanted a guy who could pick it at third base and help our pitchers.”

Cold front

It has been chilly for all four of the Indians’ season-opening games at Progressive Field — 42 degrees at first pitch Tuesday — but Acta isn’t complaining, and doesn’t think anyone else should, either.

“It’s been this way for 100 years in baseball at this time of the year,” Acta said. “It’s never easy but you figure it’s equal. You might as well deal with it until summer shows up.”

Roundin’ third

Entering Tuesday, the Indians led the American League with 17 runs after the fifth inning. … Three of Cleveland’s four minor league affiliates — Columbus, Akron and Single-A Lake County — begin their regular seasons Thursday. Advanced Class A Kinston opens Friday. … Tonight, 7:05, STO/WTAM 1100-AM/WEOL 930-AM. Talbot (first start) vs. Matsuzaka (first start).

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

CLEVELAND — It was a memorable day at Progressive Field, and not just because the Indians won their first game of the season.

Yes, Cleveland ensured that it would not go 0-162 on the year with a 7-1 victory over the White Sox in the series finale Sunday.

Failing to go 0-for-the season was not unexpected, even for these young Indians, but the triple play Cleveland turned in the fourth inning was. And it might just have spearheaded Win No. 1, which came in front of a record-low crowd (8,726) for the second straight day.

More photos below.

With runners on first and second and the White Sox threatening to add to a 1-0 lead, first baseman Carlos Santana charged a bunt from Alexei Ramirez and laid out to make a diving catch down the baseline.

With some prompting from pitcher Justin Masterson and catcher Lou Marson, Santana got up and threw to second baseman Orlando Cabrera at first to double up A.J Pierzynski. With more prompting from Masterson and Marson, Cabrera then threw to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera at second base to triple up Carlos Quentin.
It appeared all the fielders involved were unaware what was taking place, but in the end, the Indians avoided a potential jam on one play.

“We were a little confused as it went on but it was great,” said Masterson, who won in his season debut, allowing just a run on seven hits over seven innings. “It was kind of slow motion.”

“I didn’t know that Quentin ran to third base,” Orlando Cabrera said. “Everybody was yelling, ‘second base.’ I was like, ‘why?’ We we’re surprised they were bunting. They’d been kicking our (butts).”

It was the third triple play turned at Jacobs/Progressive Field, with Asdrubal Cabrera a part of all three, and Cleveland’s 31st overall. Only the Tigers (33) have turned more triple plays among American League teams. It was the first time Chicago hit into a triple play since April 22, 1978, at Toronto.

An Indians offense that went stagnant against Sox starter John Danks for much of the game, seemed to pick up steam after the play, scoring seven times over the final three at-bats.

Orlando Cabrera’s two-run home run to left scored the first runs of the game off Danks, who shut out Cleveland on four hits over the first five innings, while striking out eight.

The Indians tacked on five from there, putting the Sox away with apparent fuel from the triple play.

“A triple play is such an emotional play,” Acta said. “You go from runners on first and second and no outs to three outs on one play. It lifts everybody’s spirits coming into the dugout.”

It certainly gave a lift to Masterson, who didn’t get his first win until June 4 last year. With his heavy sinker working wonders, the right-hander had his way with Chicago hitters that put up 23 runs over the first two games of the series.

Of the 21 outs Masterson recorded, 16 came on groundballs, with the three on the triple play started by a popout.

“He was great,” catcher Lou Marson said of Masterson, who didn’t strike out a batter for the first time in any of his starts spanning at least four innings. “He stuck to his strengths. He let them put it in play and got a lot of groundballs.”

“As usual, it’s about pitching and Justin did an outstanding job,” Acta said. “He kept us in the game all the way to the seventh inning.”

With help from Masterson and a triple play, the Indians won’t have to look for their first victory when they host AL power Boston in a three-game series that begins Tuesday.

“It’s always nice to get the first win out of the way,” Acta said. “It’s still early but you don’t want to be the last team to get one.”

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

CLEVELAND — Grady Sizemore is back in Ohio, but not to rejoin the Indians.

Sizemore

Pomeranz

Sizemore, on the disabled list due to microfracture surgery on his left knee, is scheduled to continue his rehab in minor league games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus today and Wednesday. Today’s game is in Akron, while the Cleveland minor league affiliates will face off in Columbus on Wednesday.

Sizemore has already progressed to playing five innings in center field, and is expected to increase his innings count to a full game before beginning a minor league rehab assignment.

Three of Cleveland’s minor league affiliates — Akron, Columbus and Class A Lake County — begin their seasons Thursday, while advanced Class A Kinston opens Friday.

Reliever Joe Smith (strained abdominal) is also scheduled to pitch in both games. If things go well for Smith, who missed the majority of spring training, he could be activated to join the Indians’ bullpen.

Sizemore is still on track to join the Indians before May.

Swing away

Jason Donald (fracture left hand) took dry swings prior to the series finale at Progressive Field and will hit off a tee today.

Donald had a hold on the starting job at third base when training camp began, but the injury and an impressive exhibition effort from Jack Hannahan took him out of the running.

Even when Donald is ready to return, he might stay in the minors (Columbus), with Hannahan off to a fast start in the field and at the plate. The Indians would want Donald to play every day, which would mean they would not add him to the roster as a utility infielder.

First time at first

It was a memorable debut at first base for Carlos Santana, who made the first appearance of his career there Sunday and started a triple play with a diving catch on Alexei Ramirez’s bunt in the fourth inning.
Santana is expected to play first sporadically throughout the season, but Indians manager Manny Acta doesn’t have a set amount of games planned.

“We’re going to see when it’s going to be better for him,” Acta said. “It’s going to be about Carlos, when we feel it’s time for him to get out of his (catching) gear.”

Santana seems open to anything.

“I feel comfortable wherever the manager puts me, left field, center or right,” he joked.

Solid start

It has been a good spring for LHP Drew Pomeranz, the Indians’ first-round draft pick (fifth overall) last year who didn’t allow a run or hit in two big league spring training games. He had five strikeouts in three innings.

Pitching for advanced Kinston in a game against Akron on Saturday in Goodyear, the 22-year-old Pomeranz didn’t allow a run and just one hit, while striking out six over five innings.

Pomeranz is expected to begin his first professional season at Kinston.

Next up

The Indians are off today, continuing their season-opening homestand Tuesday with a three-game series against Boston.

Josh Tomlin makes his season debut in Game 1 at 7:05 p.m., opposing RHP Josh Beckett (first start), while Mitch Talbot (first start) goes against RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (first start) Wednesday at 7:05.

Fausto Carmona (0-1, 30.00 ERA) starts the series finale Thursday at 12:05 p.m., while the Red Sox counter with LHP Jon Lester (0-0, 8.44).

Omar-velous

Former Indian Omar Vizquel was in the lineup for Chicago for the first time in the series.

Vizquel, who starred for Cleveland at shortstop from 1994-2004, went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.

He scored Chicago’s first run in the third after a hit in his first at-bat. It was the 2,800th career hit for Vizquel, who is in his 22nd season in the majors.

Roundin’ third

• The Indians’ win Sunday snapped a string of seven straight losses to the White Sox at Progressive Field, dating back to the 2010 season.
• Becky Minger, Miss Ohio 2010, sang the national anthem.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.