CLEVELAND — Injuries will mark the Indians’ season from start to finish.

General manager Chris Antonetti told reporters Sunday that center fielder Grady Sizemore would be shut down for the remainder of the year a day after outfielder Trevor Crowe met the same fate.

Sizemore, who had not played since Thursday, is experiencing soreness in an ailing right knee that has already landed him on the disabled list twice this season. He was not at Progressive Field for the team’s home finale Sunday.

Sizemore, a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove award winner, began the year on the disabled list recovering from microfracture surgery on his left knee.

He returned April 17, but endured another injury-plagued and unproductive season, batting just .224 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs in 71 games. Sizemore, whom the Indians own an $8.5 million option in 2012, hit just .139 (5-for-36) in his final 10 games.

With Crowe out as well, the Indians recalled outfielder Jerad Head from Triple-A Columbus. To make room for Head on the 40-man roster, Cleveland transferred starting pitcher Josh Tomlin (right elbow soreness) to the 60-day DL.

It is also possible that All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera will not play again this season. Cabrera’s right elbow is still ailing after being hit by a pitch in a 6-5 win over the Twins on Friday.

He told reporters that he would not play in the series opener at Detroit tonight and wasn’t sure if he would in the remaining two games of the regular season, either.

September swingin’

Shelley Duncan continued his productive pace this month, going 2-for-3 with his 11th homer and two RBIs.

In 23 September games, Duncan is batting .291 (21-for-72) with seven homers and 22 RBIs. His RBI count is the second-highest in the majors behind Texas’ Adrian Beltre (24).

Next up

The Indians finish the regular season with a three-game series at Comerica Park against Central Division champion Detroit.

Ubaldo Jimenez (10-12, 4.52 ERA) opens the set tonight (7:05), opposing RHP Doug Fister (10-13, 2.94), while Jeanmar Gomez (5-2, 3.52) goes for Cleveland on Tuesday (7:05 p.m.) against RHP Max Scherzer (14-9, 4.37).

Zach McAllister (0-1, 5.83) will pitch the season finale Wednesday (7:05 p.m.), while the Tigers counter with RHP Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.76).

Final count

A crowd of 22,539 left the Indians with a season attendance total of 1,840,835 — up 449,191 from last year.

Cleveland entered Sunday ranked 24th in the majors with an average attendance of 22,728.

“I’m really grateful for the support our fans have given us all season,” manager Manny Acta said, “especially (Sunday) with the Browns in town. I thought it was a pretty good crowd.”

The Indians went 44-37 at Progressive Field with 17 last at-bat wins.

Roundin’ third

The Indians went 11-7 against the Twins this year, the first time they have won a season series against Minnesota since 2007. … Though they have captured just one since 2001, the Indians rank third in the majors with seven division titles during the wild-card era, which began in 1995. … Tonight, 7:05, STO/WTAM 1100-AM/WEOL 930-AM.

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

The Indians dropped their finale at Progressive Field on Sunday, losing 6-4 to the Twins in 10 innings.

Tony Sipp allowed a pair of runs in the 10th.

CLEVELAND – The Indians’ youth movement again paid dividends Saturday in their day/night doubleheader with the Minnesota Twins.

In the opener, right-handed reliever Zach Putnam earned his first major league victory as the Tribe poured it on late for an 8-2 win.

The second game saw fellow rookie Nick Hagadone accomplish the same feat when Cleveland scored seven straight runs to steal a 7-6 victory. It was the biggest comeback of the year for the Indians, who have won eight straight over the Twins.

“It was a long, but productive day,” said Tribe manager Manny Acta, whose squad is 80-78. “It’s especially nice to see two kids getting their first wins on the major league level on the same day.

“Obviously we’re disappointed that we’re not going to the playoffs, but what’s gone on this season is definitely a step in the right direction.”

It also was a memorable day for left fielder Shelley Duncan, who knocked in three runs in each game and had both game-winning RBIs. The journeyman went 3-for-7 with one run, two doubles and a home run.

“Shelley continues to be a huge force offensively for us,” Acta said. “He’s made the most of the opportunities he’s been given this year, and he looks very confident out there every day.”

Tribe right-hander Mitch Talbot got rocked in his return from the minors, allowing six runs, nine hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings in the second game. He exited with the Tribe trailing 6-0, but was taken off the hook when it scored seven runs over the next two innings.

“I felt a little out of whack tonight, not fluid is maybe the best way to put it,” said Talbot, whose final stats were a 2-6 record with a 6.64 ERA. “I definitely didn’t want it to happen, but unfortunately, it did.”

Cleveland’s bullpen followed with 3 2/3 scoreless innings as lefty Hagadone (1-0, 4.82 ERA) recorded three outs to pick up the win. All-Star closer Chris Perez locked down his 36th save.

“Again tonight, our bullpen was outstanding,” Acta said. “Hagadone threw the ball the best he has here so far, and Chris has been fantastic for us all season. I don’t know if anyone in baseball has more one-run saves than Chris, but he’s been nails in those situations.”

The Indians did suffer a pair of injuries as center fielder Trevor Crowe strained his right shoulder in Game 1, and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera’s sore right elbow flared up in Game 2.

The day started on a good note for the Tribe as David Huff struck out a career-high seven and didn’t permit a walk in 5 2/3 strong innings. The lefty was aggressive and accurate with his fastball, throwing 67 strikes in a 101-pitch outing.

“From where I was at the beginning of the season to now, I’ve made some great strides,” said Huff, who finished the year with a career-low 4.09 ERA and 2-6 record. “(The Indians) have told me I’ll be fighting for a spot in the rotation next year, which is what I’ve been doing for three years. I look forward to it.”

Putnam (1-1, 6.35 ERA) replaced Huff with two outs in the sixth and tossed
1 1/3 scoreless innings. He earned the victory when the Tribe broke a 2-2 tie by torching Minnesota reliever Francisco Liriano (9-10, 5.09 ERA) for five runs.

“I feel awesome, and I’m glad I was able to contribute to the team getting a win,” said Putnam, who was Cleveland’s fifth-round draft pick in 2008. “This is such a great situation to be in because we’ve got a lot of good guys in this clubhouse. I’m just trying to pitch in.”

Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com.

TODAY

• WHO: Cleveland vs. Minnesota
• TIME: 1:05
• WHERE: Progressive Field
• PITCHERS: Carmona (7-15, 5.23 ERA) vs. Hendriks (0-2, 6.23)
• TV/RADIO:  SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

CLEVELAND – Jim Thome is discovering he means even more to Cleveland than he realized.

Stunned by the Indians’ pregame announcement of a plan to erect a statue at Progessive Field to honor their greatest slugger, Thome gave Cleveland fans one more memory.

So did Carlos Santana, whose pinch-hit homer leading off the bottom of the ninth beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 Friday night.

“Just a magical night,” Thome said. “I didn’t know about the statue. That’s surreal – as good as it gets. I’m speechless on that one.”

Once again, the 41-year-old rendered Cleveland fans breathless, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run homer, the 604th of his career. It extended his team record to 337.

“It takes a special player to do that on an emotional night when he is honored,” manager Manny Acta said. “We wanted to win it badly for him.”

Santana, batting for Lou Marson, drove the first pitch from Matt Capps (4-7) over the wall in right-center for his 27th homer, giving Cleveland its 17th home win in its final at-bat.

“Thome called it,” Acta said. “He was standing right next to me and called it. Amazing.”

Santana couldn’t recall ever getting a pinch-hit homer and was delighted to deliver for Thome.

“This is special for me, too, because we won for such a great player,” said Santana, who was 5 years old when Thome hit his first homer for Cleveland in 1991. “Seeing him hit his was even better.”

Ron Gardenhire, who managed Thome in Minnesota the past two years until the Twins sent him back to Cleveland on Aug. 25, was a bit in awe.

“I have total respect for Mr. Thome,” Gardenhire said. “The numbers are amazing, but that personality he has hasn’t changed since the first time I met him until now. He’s always been the friendliest, nicest guy in the world from the opposing side to having him on your team.”

Chris Perez (4-7) pitched one perfect inning as Cleveland pulled out a dramatic win for Thome, who said he will wait until the offseason to decide if he wants to return for a 22nd season in 2012.

Fans sat through a steady rain to salute Thome before the game, then gave a rousing ovation his first time up. The cheers increased as he lined a run-scoring double into the left-field corner, a two-out hit that got Cleveland within 2-1.

Matt LaPorta, who had three hits for Cleveland, tied it at 2 with an RBI double in the second.

Chris Parmelee’s two-run single in the first off Indians starter Justin Masterson gave the Twins a 2-0 lead.

Parmelee opened the Twins’ third with his third homer. Minnesota made it 4-2 later in the inning with an unearned run on a throwing error by second baseman Jason Kipnis.

Thome’s towering 425-foot shot to straightaway center tied it at 4 in the bottom half.

“I watched it go up and wanted to sort of get a snapshot of it in my mind,” Indians reliever Chad Durbin said. “It’s something I can remember my entire life.

“It started coming towards the bullpen and the guys were scrambling because they wanted to be the one to catch it. But it went a little to our right and past us. What a moment!”

LaPorta’s RBI single in the sixth put Cleveland ahead 5-4, but Rene Tosoni’s RBI double off Rafael Perez tied it again in the seventh.

The Twins, headed for their first last-place finish since 2000, have won just two of their last 18 games. They blew a chance to break it open in the fifth when Masterson walked two and hit a batter to load the bases. Joe Benson hit a one-hopper to Masterson, who turned it into a home-to-first double play before walking Drew Butera to reload the bases.

Reliever Frank Herrmann got Ben Revere to foul out, ending the threat.

Masterson tied a career-high with six walks and hit two in 4 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs and five hits. Acta said the right-hander, who has worked 216 innings, will be shut down for the year.

“He’s had a tremendous season, never hit a rough spot of more than one game,” Acta said. “He has nothing to prove.”

Twins starter Carl Pavano yielded five runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings, including a check-swing infield single by Thome.

“I gave up almost every kind of hit to him,” Pavano said. “He already had a double and he almost hit one of out freaking Ohio. It certainly was Thome’s night, wasn’t it?”

Notable

The start, set back 15 minutes to 7:20 for the pregame salute to Thome, was delayed another 27 minutes by rain.

• Benson made a nice leaping catch at wall to rob Kipnis of extra bases.

• Twins RF Michael Cuddyer left in the seventh with a tight right groin.

• It was Cleveland’s 34th comeback win this year.

• Minnesota has six games left and is four losses from its first 100-loss season since 1982.

• Kelly Shoppach had Cleveland’s last walkoff pinch-hit homer, June 26, 2007, against Oakland.

• Santana’s second walkoff of the year, followed his grand slam April 29 to beat Detroit.

TODAY

• WHO: Cleveland vs. Minnesota
• TIME: 1:05 and 7:05
• WHERE: Progressive Field
• PITCHERS:
Game 1: Huff (2-6, 4.20 ERA) vs. Duensing (9-14, 5.29)
Game 2: Talbot (2-6, 6.33 ERA) vs. Diamond (1-5, 4.81)
• TV/RADIO:  Game 1: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM 1100-AM
Game 2: SportsTime Ohio, Ch. 3; WTAM 1100-AM