CLEVELAND – Matt LaPorta looks like a different player since his latest recall from Triple-A Columbus. He and the Indians couldn’t be happier with this one.

The projected star who has struggled for the majority of his big league career is now producing. His latest effort was a two-out RBI single in the 10th inning to lift the Indians to a dramatic 5-4 victory Saturday night over Oakland at Progressive Field.

With runners on first and second, LaPorta fouled off a 3-2 pitch from former Cleveland reliever Craig Breslow before grounding a ball back through the middle to send the Indians to their sixth win in seven games.

“It was nice to see LaPorta come through again,” said manager Manny Acta.

It wasn’t all good news for the Indians, who announced after the game that they will place their top run producer, Shin-Soo Choo, on the disabled list with an injured right thumb. Outfielder Michael Brantley will be called up today from Columbus to replace Choo on the roster.

LaPorta coming through has been a familiar sight for the Indians as of late. In seven games since being promoted from Columbus, LaPorta, who opened the season with the Indians, is batting .360 (9-for-25) with three home runs and seven RBIs.

“Obviously it makes me feel great that I’m contributing to the ballclub now,” said LaPorta, who went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs Saturday night. “I’m playing well.”

The A’s rallied to tie it with a run in the seventh off Rafael Perez. It was the second time Oakland came from behind, but the Indians kept coming.

Carlos Santana struck out to start the 10th before Travis Hafner laced a double to center to put the winning run on base. Hafner was replaced by pinch runner Anderson Hernandez, with the A’s electing to intentionally walk Austin Kearns. Jhonny Peralta followed with a deep drive to center before LaPorta won it.

“Those were great at-bats from Hafner and LaPorta,” Acta said.

Even without Choo, things appeared to be aligned well for the Indians, who were facing Clayton Mortensen – a right-hander called up from Triple-A to make his first start of the season in place of an injured Dallas Braden.

It took the Indians just two batters to score, with Jayson Nix following a leadoff single from Trevor Crowe with his first home run for Cleveland and second on the season.

But Cleveland scored just two more runs off Mortensen, one on an error from left fielder Gabe Gross, who overran LaPorta’s RBI single in the fourth, allowing Peralta to score from first behind Kearns to put the Indians in front 4-3.

Jake Westbrook pitched well enough to win, allowing two earned runs on four hits over six innings.

The right-hander allowed all of his runs in a three-run third for Oakland, which scored an unearned run on one of two errors in the inning by shortstop Jason Donald.

A’s shortstop Cliff Pennington landed the big blow in the inning, following Donald’s first error with a two-run triple. Pennington scored on Donald’s second error to put Oakland in front 3-2.

“That happens,” said Westbrook of the errors. “I have to do a better job after he makes the first error. I should have done a little better job of bearing down against (Pennington).

“I felt like early on I was pretty good. It was just a matter of locating in the third inning. I feel like I battled and gave us a chance.”

The Indians are in the midst of their most effective stretch of the season. It comes on the heels of a disappointing interleague road trip that saw them lose seven of nine games. They are 5-1 on the homestand.

“I feel like we’re playing pretty good baseball,” Westbrook said. “Even on that road trip, we were in most of those games. We just couldn’t get the big hit. I feel like we’re doing that on this homestand. Hopefully we can keep it going and get on a little roll.”

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

The fans will speak today when starters for the 81st

All-Star Game are announced along with the rest of the rosters for the upcoming Midsummer Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

I will speak now as well, listing my choices and providing the reasons for the picks.

The people’s choice (fan vote) was taken from the final update of ballots in the American and National leagues on June 28-29. Statistics are through Friday.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

First Base

The candidates: Justin Morneau, Minnesota (.343, 16 HRs, 52 RBIs), Miguel Cabrera, Detroit (.337, 20 HRs, 68 RBIs), Paul Konerko, Chicago (.294, 20 HRs, 57 RBIs).

People’s choice: Morneau

The right choice: Cabrera

The reason: Morneau is a fine choice but Cabrera has the edge in homers and RBIs and his batting average isn’t too far behind.

Second base

The candidates: Robinson Cano, New York (.347, 16 HRs, 54 RBIs), Dustin Pedroia, Boston (.292, 12 HRs, 41 RBIs), Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles (.271, 7 HRs, 50 RBIs).

People’s choice: Cano

The right choice: Cano

The reason: There isn’t any other pick here. Cano has overshadowed all of the Yankees’ big hitters and all of the competition at this position.

Shortstop

The candidates: Elvis Andrus, Texas (.292, 0 HR, 24 RBIs, 22 SBs), Derek Jeter, New York (.282, 8 HRs, 39 RBIs), Alex Gonzalez, Toronto (.263, 14 HRs, 41 RBIs).

People’s choice: Jeter

The right choice: Jeter

The reason: No one has strong enough numbers to question a start for Jeter, one of the most popular players in the game – maybe if Andrus had a few home runs, and, certainly, if Gonzalez had a better batting average.

Third base

The candidates: Adrian Beltre, Boston (.346, 12 HRs, 53 RBIs), Michael Young, Texas (.314, 11 HRs, 51 RBIs), Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay (.292, 12 HRs, 55 RBIs).

People’s choice: Longoria

The right choice: Beltre

The reason: All three are enjoying seasons worthy of the All-Star nod, but Beltre’s average is too good to pass on. Notice the absence of perennial All-Star Alex Rodriguez (.278, 12 HRs, 57 RBIs), whose batting average is holding him back.

Catcher

The candidates: John Buck, Toronto (.266, 13 HRs, 40 RBIs), Joe Mauer, Minnesota (.297, 3 HRs, 34 RBIs), Victor Martinez, Boston (.289, 9 HRs, 38 RBIs).

People’s choice: Mauer

The right choice: Mauer

The reason: Mauer and Martinez have dealt with injuries that have kept their numbers down, but Mauer is the better defender, so he gets the nod.

Outfield

The candidates: Josh Hamilton, Texas (.340, 19 HRs, 59 RBIs), Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle (.331, 3 HRs, 24 RBIs, 21 SBs), Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay (.318, 7 HRs, 39 RBIs, 29 SBs), Vernon Wells, Toronto (.275, 19 HRs, 48 RBIs), Alex Rios, Chicago (.312, 13 HRs, 44 RBIs, 22 SB).

People’s choice: Hamilton, Crawford, Suzuki

The right choice: Hamilton, Crawford, Rios

The reason: Hamilton is a lock, but there’s plenty of competition for the final two spots, even outside the list of candidates above. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but Rios has the power that Ichiro doesn’t possess.

Designated hitter

The candidates: David Ortiz, Boston (.254, 17 HRs, 53 RBIs), Vladimir Guerrero, Texas (.334, 18 HRs, 70 RBIs), Jose Guillen, Kansas City (.276, 14 HRs, 50 RBIs).

People’s choice: Guerrero

The right choice: Guerrero

The reason: This is an easy one. Vlady’s got the edge in every department.

Starting pitcher

The candidates: David Price, Tampa Bay (11-4, 2.42 ERA), Clay Buchholz, Boston (10-4, 2.45), Jered Weaver, Los Angeles (8-3, 2.82).

The right choice: Price

The reason: It’s going to come down to Price or Buchholz, but Price is right with one more win and a little lower ERA.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

First base

The candidates: Joey Votto, Cincinnati (.314, 19 HRs, 57 RBIs), Albert Pujols, St. Louis (.306, 19 HRs, 59 RBIs), Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego (.295, 16 HRs, 51 RBIs).

People’s choice: Pujols

The right choice: Votto

The reason: Pujols is certainly worthy of the start, but Votto’s numbers are a little better. Philly’s Ryan Howard (.294, 15 HRs, 55 RBIs) is edged out of the top three by Gonzalez’s superior OPS.

Second base

The candidates: Martin Prado, Atlanta (.337, 7 HRs, 36 RBIs), Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati (.309, 10 HRs, 27 RBIs), Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee (.270, 13 HRs, 47 RBIs).

People’s choice: Chase Utley, Philadelphia (.277, 11 HRs, 37 RBIs)

The right choice: Prado

The reason: Utley is having an all right season, but he doesn’t deserve to be among the top three candidates, let alone the starter. It should be Prado with a strong push from Weeks.

Shortstop

The candidates: Hanley Ramirez, Florida (.302, 13 HRs, 52 RBIs, 15 SBs), Jose Reyes, New York (.277, 6 HRs, 32 RBIs, 19 SBs), Rafael Furcal, Atlanta, (.335, 3 HRs, 25 RBIs, 12 SBs).

People’s choice: Ramirez

The right choice: Ramirez

The reason: If not hampered by injuries, Furcal might be making a stronger case.

Third base

The candidates: David Wright, New York (.312, 14 HRs, 63 RBIs, 13 SBs), Scott Rolen, Cincinnati (.302, 17 HRs, 56 RBIs), Placido Polanco, Philadelphia (.318, 5 HRs, 27 RBIs).

People’s choice: Polanco

The right choice: Wright

The reason: Both Wright and Rolen deserve it over Polanco, who is fortunate to be among the top three candidates.

Catcher

The candidates: Miguel Olivo, Colorado (.316, 11 HRs, 39 RBIs), Ronny Paulino, Florida (.305, 3 HRs, 28 RBIs), Brian McCann, Atlanta (.257, 9 HRs, 33 RBIs).

People’s choice: Yadier Molina, St. Louis (.229, 3 HRs, 30 RBIs)

The right choice: Olivo

The reason: If the fans follow through with the Molina pick, it’s a joke. He isn’t even one of the top three candidates in a weak field at this position.

Outfield

The candidates: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee (.294, 11 HRs, 49 RBIs, 11 SBs), Andre Ethier, Los Angeles (.318, 12 HRs, 47 RBIs), Corey Hart, Milwaukee (.286, 18 HRs, 60 RBIs), Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado (.294, 13 HRs, 48 RBIs, 12 SBs), Josh Willingham, Washington (.277, 15 HRs, 45 RBIs).

People’s choice: Braun, Ethier, Jason Heyward, Atlanta (.251, 11 HRs, 45 HRs)

The right choice: Braun, Ethier, Hart

The reason: Heyward is having a solid rookie season but it’s not worthy of an All-Star start.

Starting pitcher

The candidates: Josh Johnson, Florida, (8-3, 1.82 ERA), Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado (14-1, 1.83), Adam Wainwright, St. Louis (11-5, 2.34).

The right choice: Jimenez

The reason: Outside of  dominant numbers, Jimenez also has a no-hitter on his resume this season.

Contact Chris Assenheimer  at 329-7136

or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.