Carlos Carrasco won his third straight start, helping the Indians to a 5-1 victory Saturday night at Progressive Field that clinched the three-game series for Cleveland.

Carrasco allowed just a run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings, taking a no-hitter through five innings.

The Indians won for the fourth time in six games.

“Where would the Indians be without the bullpen?” was a question posed to manager Manny Acta after his team won a 5-1 decision over the Pirates on Friday.

The answer is fighting to stay out of last place in the Central Division, instead of leading it along with the Detroit Tigers through Friday.

There is no doubt the Indians bullpen has been the strength of the team this season, as it was throughout the second half of last year, when pitchers such as closer Chris Perez (2-2, 2.49 ERA 17 saves through Friday) and left-handers Tony Sipp (2-0, 2.15 ERA) and Rafael Perez (2-1, 1.32 ERA) began to establish themselves as top-shelf big league relievers.

Throw in a surprisingly dominant effort this year from right-hander Vinnie Pestano (1-0, 1.44 ERA, 32 strikeouts, 25 innings) and an efficient one from sidewinder Joe Smith (2-1, 1.29 ERA, three earned runs, 23 games) and you’ve got one of the American League’s best relief corps.

In fact, with three relievers boasting sub-.2.00 ERAs nearly three months into the season, you have one of the best bullpens in the majors.

The consistent performance from the pen has been especially pivotal as of late, with the Indians’ offense sagging to new lows and their starting staff failing to offer up the consistently strong starts they did to start the season.

Cleveland’s pen has preserved a number of leads that had they gone in the loss column, would have the Indians staring up at plenty of teams in the division, and would have harpooned their fast start that allowed them to build a substantial cushion in the standings.

Now, if they could just get their offense going and figure out what’s wrong with ace Fausto Carmona, they’d be back in business.

Smooth move

Recent call-up Cord Phelps has been largely a bust since the Indians promoted him from Triple-A Columbus, thinking he was a better offensive option than scuffling veteran Orlando Cabrera.

Though it’s been limited action — six games through Friday — Phelps had just one hit in 16 at-bats and had struck out five times. It is clear that he was not a better option than Cabrera, who has always been steady at the plate and in the field and didn’t deserve a seat on the bench for the likes of Phelps, a nice prospect, but far from the answer to Cleveland’s recent offensive woes.

If the Indians continue to want to platoon Cabrera, next up could be left-handed hitting Jason Kipnis, another top prospect who has been hot as of late for Columbus.

The Good

Pestano’s opponents’ batting average with runners on (.100) with runners on base ranked first in the American League through Friday, while his overall average against (.143) ranked second. … Travis Hafner was batting .500 (15-for-30) with two homers and 20 RBIs with runners in scoring position through Friday, while Asdrubal Cabrera was at .414 (24-for-58) with two homers and 30 RBIs. … Chris Perez entered Saturday having converted his last 11 save opportunities and 17 of 18 on the season. … Outfielder Michael Brantley entered Saturday hitting .327 (37-for-113) with four of his five homers and 15 RBIs at home. … Smith’s last 14 appearances through Friday were scoreless.

The bad

The Indians were 8-24 when scoring three runs or fewer through Friday. … Third baseman Jack Hannahan was batting .203 (29-for-143) against right-handed pitching through Friday. … Grady Sizemore entered Saturday riding an 0-for-10 skid, while batting .219 (7-for-32) with runners in scoring position.

The ugly

Recently called-up outfielder Travis Buck entered Saturday riding an 0-for-20 skid at the plate. … Former third batter Shin-Soo Choo was batting .180 (11-for-61) with runners in scoring position through Friday, while former cleanup hitter Carlos Santana was batting .190 (11-for-58) in the department. … Adam Everett was 1-for-16 through Friday. … Reserve outfielder Austin Kearns entered Saturday batting .195 on the season with two RBIs in 28 games. He was hitting .136 (6-for-44) without a homer or RBI at home. … Sizemore had struck out 48 times in 38 games through Friday. … Reliever Chad Durbin had allowed 14 earned runs in his last 16 appearances through Friday, with his season ERA standing at 7.39 in 26 games. … Entering Saturday, left-handed batters were hitting .488 (21-for-43) with four homers off right-hander Frank Herrmann.

Power Poll

1. Philadelphia Phillies: They owned baseball’s best record and had won seven straight through Friday.

2. Boston Red Sox: With the offense beginning to roll, this team is looking like the juggernaut everyone thought it was.

3. New York Yankees: A top-shelf lineup continues to carry a depleted starting rotation.

4. Milwaukee Brewers: Had overtaken Albert Pujols and the Cardinals for NL Central lead through Friday.

1. Detroit Tigers: Red-hot for a spell, the Tigers reduced a substantial deficit to share the AL Central lead with the Indians through Friday.

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

CLEVELAND — Travis Hafner’s return was a triumphant one for him and the Indians.

With Hafner in the lineup for the first time in close to a month Friday night, Cleveland opened a three-game interleague series with Pittsburgh by turning back the Pirates, 5-1.

The win, just the Indians’ fourth in the last 15 games, came in front of one of the largest crowds of the season at Progressive Field (38,549), and with a Detroit loss, returned Cleveland to the top of the Central Division standings.

Hafner had just one hit in three official at-bats (walking once), but it was a big one, with his double that just missed clearing the wall in the eighth driving in one of three runs in a decisive inning for the Indians.

Hafner’s return seemed to breathe life into a Cleveland offense that had struggling mightily in his absence.

“I think it helped,” Hafner said of his return from the injured list, where he was placed May 18 with a strained right oblique. “I just tried to be a presence in the middle of the order. It was a fun night.”

Lost in the fanfare of Hafner’s return was another effective outing for right-hander Josh Tomlin, who allowed just a run on six hits, while striking out five over 6 2/3 innings.

He has pitched at least five innings in each of his first 26 career starts, the only Cleveland pitcher in history to accomplish as much.

“It was a great job by Tomlin, 20 out of 25 first-pitch strikes,” said manager Manny Acta. “That’s how he’s able to get deep into games and give us a chance to win.”

Tomlin snapped a personal two-game losing streak by returning to his efficient nature, throwing 85 pitches — a whopping 63 of them for strikes.

“That’s how I have to pitch,” said Tomlin, who allowed his only run in the sixth on a single from Xavier Paul. “I have to try and get ahead of hitters and put them away. The longer they’re up there against me, they can make adjustments.”

The Indians brought a tenuous 2-1 lead into the eighth inning, but took control against a pair of Pittsburgh relievers, Daniel Moskos and Tim Wood.

Cleveland put the first five runners aboard in the inning, with Hafner’s double scoring the first run. Off the bat, it appeared Hafner’s drive to right was headed for a three-run home run, but it hit the yellow line atop the wall, with umpires reviewing the play and correctly ruling that it was a two-base hit.

Hafner’s hit still sparked a big inning for the Indians, who scored twice more on a base hit from Carlos Santana and a sacrifice fly from Orlando Cabrera.

“Hafner came through,” Acta said of his designated hitter, who was expected to play in three minor league rehab games before being activated, but only played in two, with the Indians in dire need of an offensive lift. “He proved that even a rehabbing Travis Hafner can help our lineup.”

“It was big,” Hafner said of the eighth-inning uprising. “We feel great with CP (closer Chris Perez), but one-run games are tough ones to close. We were able to put some distance between us and them.”

Santana, who has slumped for the majority of the season, had a big night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a solo homer in the fourth that put Cleveland in front 2-0.

“We’ve been seeing some signs of him coming alive,” Acta said. “It’s been up and down. Tonight, he put together some good at-bats.”

Though the Indians celebrated a win, they may have seen first baseman Matt LaPorta sustain a serious injury in the third inning.

LaPorta was caught in a rundown between second and third, and after trying to change direction and head back to third, crumpled on the infield dirt clutching his right leg.

He had to be helped from the field with a sprained right ankle, and though X-rays revealed no fracture, LaPorta is scheduled to undergo an MRI today. Ligament damage is a possibility.

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

CLEVELAND — Travis Hafner was expected to play in three minor league rehab games, but the Indians cut it off after two, activating the designated hitter from the disabled list Friday for the series opener with Pittsburgh.

“He felt that he was ready to go,” manager Manny Acta said of Hafner, who spent close to a month on the injured list with a strained right oblique. “He felt he saw enough pitches. He was good in those two games and we could use him over here, so what’s one more game?”

Hafner played in two rehab games for Double-A Akron, going 3-for-6 with a double.

“I wanted to be in Cleveland as soon as possible and I was pushing for that,” he said. “I woke up (Friday) morning and felt pretty good. I’m ready to go.”

The Indians’ offense suffered mightily without Hafner, who was hitting .354 with five home runs and 22 RBIs in 32 games prior to the injury. They went 10-18 in his absence, scoring three or fewer runs in 19 of the games, while his DH fill-ins batted just .183 with three homers and 12 RBIs over the span.

“It was about a month of an issue,” Acta said. “It’s just tough substituting a guy like him. We said from the start that we can’t afford to lose guys like him, Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera for a long period of time. To win, we have to have all those guys healthy and playing to their capabilities, and it showed when he was out.

“People underestimate how much one hitter can change your lineup, especially a guy in the middle like him. It helps lengthen the lineup and gives a people a chance to hit in spots they’re more comfortable with.”

Hafner was in the lineup Friday, batting cleanup. Acta said he would not play tonight, returning Sunday and then playing on a regular basis from there.

All of Cleveland’s offensive woes can’t be traced to Hafner’s absence. The Indians have played much of the season with a slumping Choo and Santana, while the regular production they were receiving from a number of players in the lineup has dried up.

“We expect a few guys to hit consistently and I’m just a little concerned that it’s taken too long for those guys to come alive,” Acta said. “And now that some of those guys that were having success early in the year are not having it, that’s what you have — a team that’s having a tough time scoring more than three runs a game in the last three weeks.”

Outfielder Travis Buck was optioned back to Triple-A Columbus to clear room on the roster for Hafner. Buck, who made the team out of spring training, has hit .226 (21-for-93) with two homers and eight RBIs in 29 games during two stints with Cleveland.

Minor details

To clear room on the roster for Buck, Columbus placed third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall on the disabled with concussion symptoms. Chisenhall, one of the top prospects in the organization, sustained the injury on a slide last Saturday and had missed four straight games through Thursday. … Another top prospect, Infielder Jason Kipnis, has been hot lately for the Clippers, entering Friday batting .538 (14-for-26) with three homers, three triples and eight RBIs over his last six games. He was at .304 with eight homers and 41 RBIs in 63 games on the season through Thursday.

New additions

As of Friday afternoon, the Indians had signed nine of their draft picks, including third- and fourth-round selections, Jake Cisco, a right-hander out of Merced College (Calif.), and Jake Lowery, a catcher out of James Madison University.

Cleveland also signed an Ohio State product in RHP Drew Rucinski, a non-drafted free agent.

Roundin’ third

The series opener with Pittsburgh was the first of 15 straight interleague games for the Indians. … Former Indians Kenny Lofton and Carlos Baerga were in attendance for a meet and greet with fans. … Actress Valerie Bertinelli, of “One Day at a Time” fame and new sitcom “Hot in Cleveland,” was scheduled to throw out one of the ceremonial first pitches, but ran the ball to the plate and delivered it to ceremonial catcher, first base coach Sandy Alomar, and gave him a big hug. … Tonight, 7:05, STO/WTAM 1100-AM/WEOL 930-AM. Carrasco (6-3, 4.09) vs. Maholm (3-7, 3.12).

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