CLEVELAND – It’s safe to say that the 13,832 fans in attendance Saturday at Progressive Field got their money’s worth.

Not only did they enjoy bargain-priced $1 hot dogs and an extended entertaining baseball game, they also took in a victory for the home team – the Indians turning back the Twins 5-4 in 11 innings.

In front of one of the bigger home crowds of the season on “Dollar Dog Night,” Cleveland tied it with two runs in the eighth inning before winning it on Asdrubal Cabrera’s two-out single in the 11th.

If you’re a Cleveland sports fan, it was probably better to be across the street taking in the Cavaliers’ Game 1 victory over the Celtics at The Q, but this was a pretty good consolation prize.

“The offense came back and the bullpen held it,” said Indians starter Justin Masterson, who allowed four runs on 10 hits through 72/3 innings. “It was a great win. It was a good night in Cleveland, with the Cavs winning, too.”

The Indians trailed from the first inning on until rallying to tie it with three consecutive two-out hits off Shaker Heights graduate Matt Guerrier in the eighth. Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo drove in the runs with back-to-back doubles.

All three of the Indians’ final runs of the game came with two outs.

“I would rather do it with no outs or one out,” said Cleveland manager Manny Acta, whose team won for the fifth time in six games at home. “I really don’t want to wait until there’s two outs.

“Asdrubal has been huge for us so far and he got another big hit.”

The Indians squandered a chance to win the game in the 10th inning when Lou Marson was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a single from Sizemore, and they looked like they were headed in that direction again in the 11th.

Cleveland loaded the bases off Twins reliever Alex Burnett before hard-throwing Jesse Crain came on and retired Mark Grudzielanek and Marson. Grudzielanek’s soft liner to left was too shallow to score a run and Marson struck out.

But with everything resting on Cabrera, he came through by ripping a 1-1 pitch from Crain into right-center to score pinch runner Luis Valbuena with the winning run.

“(Crain’s) got a really good fastball,” Cabrera said. “I was waiting for that pitch and I hit it good.”

Like the Twins in the 10th, the Indians also got out of a sticky situation once extra innings arrived, Minnesota loading the bases with one out in the 11th off relievers Aaron Laffey and Jamey Wright. Wright got them out of the jam by inducing backup catcher Drew Butera to bounce into an inning-ending double play.

Masterson remained winless (0-3) despite an acceptable outing that saw the right-hander strike out seven. He has just one win in 15 starts since joining Cleveland’s rotation after arriving in a trade with the Red Sox last year.

Masterson started slowly, allowing two runs in the first on a two-out single from former Indian Jim Thome, then another in the second on a two-out solo homer from Denard Span.

But from there, Masterson was on the mark, shutting the Twins out over the next five innings, before Justin Morneau’s solo shot in the eighth put Minnesota in front 4-2.

“He threw the ball very well after a rough start,” Acta said. “He had great command of his fastball. We continue to believe that if he has command of his fastball, he will be effective, because he has good velocity on it.”

The sputtering Cleveland bats appeared early and often against Twins starter Jeff Manship, who was making his first start of the season after being called up to fill the roster spot of Nick Blackburn, who left the team for a family emergency.

Manship, who made his big league debut against Cleveland last year, allowed just two runs on five hits over six innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked one.

Down 3-0 after the Twins batted in the second, the Indians closed the gap with a run in the bottom of the second on Jhonny Peralta’s second homer of the year and another in the third.

Thome, Cleveland’s all-time leader with 334 homers, was in the lineup after sitting out the series opener. He was booed lustily when he returned to Cleveland as a member of the White Sox, but this time around, he got a mixture of cheers and boos from the Progressive Field crowd.

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

TODAY

• WHO: Cleveland vs. Minnesota
• TIME: 1:05 p.m.
• WHERE: Progressive Field
• PITCHERS: Huff (1-3, 4.10 ERA) vs. Liriano (3-0, 0.93).
• TV/RADIO: Channel 3, SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-A

CLEVELAND – During spring training, Indians manager Manny Acta stressed the importance of getting off to a better start to the regular season.

The Indians didn’t, posting a 9-13 record over the first month, but Acta still wasn’t disappointed by the April results.

“I think we got everything out of every single hit and every single run,” he said. “Taking into consideration the way our offense is right now, I’ll take it.”

Cleveland’s offense, expected to be a strong suit for the club, struggled mightily out of the gate, especially with runners in scoring position, while the starting rotation, considered a weakness, carried the Indians.

The effort from his players has been there throughout, according to Acta.

“It hasn’t been a lack of effort,” he said. “It’s been a lack of doubles with the bases loaded.”

Since 2003, the Indians have produced just two winning records over the first month of the season, coming in consecutive years from 2006-07. Cleveland went 14-8 in ’07, its only playoff year since 2001. The Indians finished the first month at 8-14 last season in Eric Wedge’s final year as manager.

Wood’s world

Kerry Wood produced positive results in a bullpen session Friday at Progressive Field, and according to Acta, the right-hander could begin a minor-league rehab assignment soon.

“He could be going out this (upcoming) week,” Acta said.

Acta said it was safe to assume that Wood would need only one rehab appearance before being activated, if things go well. The rehab outing will most likely come at Double-A Akron.

Cabrera errors

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera entered Saturday with four errors in 22 games, including a couple on routine plays.

“He’s made a lot of good plays for us,” Acta said. “I think he’s done a tremendous job defensively for us. Unfortunately, when you make an error, it can be costly.”

Goodbye, Niuman

The Indians traded minor league infielder Niuman Romero to the Red Sox for cash considerations. Romero was on the disabled list at Triple-A Columbus.

He made his big league debut for Cleveland last year, playing in 10 games and batting .143 (2-for-14).

Mauer mash

The Indians caught a break Saturday with Twins catcher Joe Mauer out of the lineup thanks to a sore left heel.

The defending AL MVP has tortured Cleveland pitching during his career, batting .342 with six homers, 30 RBIs and 44 walks. Since Sept. 15, 2008, Mauer is batting .475 (38-for-80) against the Indians, hitting safely in 20 of 21 games.

He went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the series opener Friday.   

Minor details

One of Cleveland’s top pitching prospects, RHP Hector Rondon, has been getting lit up at Columbus. He fell to 0-3 with a 9.13 ERA Friday, allowing six runs on eight hits over five innings of a 9-2 loss to Charlotte. … Converted second baseman Jason Kipnis, a second-round draft pick last year, is off to a hot start for advanced Class A Kinston, entering Saturday with a .380 batting average (second in the Carolina League), two triples, three homers, nine RBIs and 16 runs in 19 games.

Roundin’ third

Jhonny Peralta has heated up recently, entering Saturday with a .385 batting average (10-for-26) over his last eight games. … Indians ace Jake Westbrook (0-2 with a 5.53 ERA in five starts this season) hasn’t won a game since April 8, 2008, when he pitched a complete game to beat the Angels in Anaheim, Calif. … Today, 1:05, Channel 3/WEOL 930-AM/WTAM 1100-AM. David Huff (1-3, 4.10) vs. Francisco Liriano (3-0, 0.93).  

CLEVELAND – For the first time this season, Fausto Carmona looked like the pitcher he was the past two years.

That was bad news for him and the Indians, and great news for the Minnesota Twins.

Carmona sputtered early and Cleveland’s offense followed suit. That was all the Central Division-leading Twins needed to take the series opener 9-3 Friday night at Progressive Field.

Carmona, who had pitched like the Cy Young contender he was in 2007 over his first four starts – 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA – returned to his struggling form of ‘08 and ‘09, allowing six runs on eight hits over six innings.

“He threw the ball better than it showed on the scoreboard,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “When you’re swinging the bat the way we are right now, you have to play clean baseball. We didn’t do that.”

Cleveland committed two errors – both of them coming after Carmona departed, but the right-hander was hurt by a botched a double-play ball that extended Minnesota’s decisive second inning.

Still, Carmona wasn’t absolved from guilt by a long shot. He wasted little time letting the 14,124 fans in attendance know it was not his night, allowing all five of his runs over the first two innings.

A two-run home run from Justin Morneau, which traveled an estimated 444 feet to dead center, gave Minnesota a 2-0 advantage after four batters.

The Twins were back in business in the second, loading the bases off Carmona, who struck out Brendan Harris, before Denard Span bounced into what appeared to be an inning-ending double play.

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera flipped cleanly to second baseman Luis Valbuena, but Valbuena’s throw to first was low, and first baseman Matt LaPorta failed to pick the ball, allowing a run to score.

Minnesota’s Orlando Hudson followed with a two-run single that put the Twins in front 5-0.

“I can’t control that,” Carmona said of the double-play attempt.

Carmona settled in to allow just a run over the final four innings of his outing, but with little run support, suffered his first loss of the year.

“The ball was up the first two innings,” Carmona said. “You saw after that, I kept the ball down and got groundballs.”

The Indians’ flailing offense, which came in ranked at the bottom of the American League in nearly every category, was in sleep mode over the first four innings against Twins starter Kevin Slowey.

Slowey shut out Cleveland on four hits and owned a 6-0 lead before the Indians produced their entire offensive output in the fifth inning.

The Twins put the game away with two runs in the seventh off struggling reliever Rafael Perez.

There were some positive signs from the Indians’ offense, which matched Minnesota’s 12-hit output. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Jhonny Peralta all produced multihit games, combining to go 7-for-13, while driving in two runs.

Sizemore drove in a run with a hit, with Hafner scoring him on a double – the designated hitter’s fifth extra-base hit of the season. Peralta had three hits, including a rare triple.

“We need those guys to start swinging the bat,” Acta said. “If those guys get going, our offense is going to get better.”

Newly activated reliever Hector Ambriz made his major league debut, working a scoreless eighth inning. But the first batter he faced, Delmon Young, hit a deep drive to center that Sizemore made a leaping catch on before crashing into the wall.

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

TONIGHT

• WHO: Cleveland vs. Minnesota
• TIME: 7:05
• WHERE: Progressive Field
• PITCHERS: Masterson (0-3, 5.68 ERA) vs. Manship (first start)
• TV/RADIO: SportsTime Ohio; WMMS 100.7-FM

CLEVELAND – For the first time this season, Fausto Carmona looked like the pitcher he was the past two years. That was bad news for him and the Indians, and great news for the Minnesota Twins.

Carmona sputtered early and Cleveland’s offense followed suit. That was all the Central Division-leading Twins needed to take the series opener, 9-3, Friday night at Progressive Field.

Carmona, who had pitched like the Cy Young contender he was in 2007 over his first four starts of this season – 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA — returned to his struggling form of ’08 and ’09, allowing six runs on eight hits over six innings.

“He threw the ball better than it showed on the scoreboard,” said manager Manny Acta. “When you’re swinging the bat the way we are right now, you have to play clean baseball. We didn’t do that.”

Cleveland committed two errors – both of them coming after Carmona departed, but the right-hander was hurt by a botched a double-play ball that extended Minnesota’s decisive second inning.

Still, Carmona wasn’t absolved from guilt by a long shot. He wasted little time letting the 14,124 fans in attendance know it was not his night, allowing all five of his runs over the first two innings.

A two-run home run from Justin Morneau, which traveled an estimated 444 feet to dead center, gave Minnesota a 2-0 advantage after four batters.

The Twins were back in business in the second, loading the bases off Carmona, who struck out Brendan Harris, before Denard Span bounced into what appeared to be an inning-ending double play.

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera flipped cleanly to second baseman Luis Valbuena, but Valbuena’s throw to first was low, and first baseman Matt LaPorta failed to pick the ball, allowing a run to score.

Minnesota’s Orlando Hudson followed with a two-run single that put the Twins in front 5-0.

“I can’t control that,” Carmona said of the double-play attempt.

Carmona settled in to allow just a run over the final four innings of his outing, but with little run support, suffered his first loss of the year.

“The ball was up the first two innings,” Carmona said. “You saw after that, I kept the ball down and got ground balls.”

The Indians’ flailing offense, which came in ranked at the bottom of the American League in nearly every category, was in sleep mode over the first four innings against Twins starter Kevin Slowey.

Slowey shut out Cleveland on four hits over the span and owned a hefty 6-0 lead before the Indians produced their entire output for the game in the fifth inning.

The Twins put the game away with two runs in the seventh off struggling reliever Rafael Perez.

There were some positive signs from the Indians’ offense, which matched Minnesota’s 12-hit output. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Jhonny Peralta, three of Cleveland’s biggest slump-ridden players, all produced multi-hit games, combining to go 7-for-13, while driving in two runs.

Sizemore drove in a run with a base hit, with Hafner scoring him on a double – the designated hitter’s fifth extra-base hit of the season. Peralta had three hits, including a rare triple for the slow-of-foot third baseman.  

“We need those guys to start swinging the bat,” Acta said. “If those guys get going, our offense is going to get better.”

Newly activated reliever Hector Ambriz made his major league debut, working a scoreless eighth inning, but not without incident. The first batter he faced, Delmon Young, hit a deep drive to center that Sizemore leapt and caught before crashing into the wall.

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