CLEVELAND (AP) ― After the final out, closer Chris Perez let out a primal scream and punched the air in celebration.The Cleveland Indians, overlooked and underappreciated ― even by many of their own skeptical fans ― had swept three straight from the Detroit Tigers and their high-priced lineup.Maybe the AL Central will be a race after all.Unless the Indians run away with it.Justin Masterson matched Justin Verlander pitch for pitch for first his career win over Detroit, and the first-place Indians

Slugger Lee Dae-ho is playing in Japan like he wants to be a home run king his first season into the league.The Orix Buffaloes “Big Boy” Lee looks like he is settling in Japan’s Pacific League, after a string of two-run home runs. Lee enjoyed a three-game homer streak before tiring out and finishing the game week with no hits in Wednesday’s contest. Still, Lee clings to second in his league with eight home runs, just one behind the Softbank Hawks’ slugger Wily Pena, and is tied for third in Cent

Korean right fielder goes 2 for 4 with 2 runs, walk and stolen baseCLEVELAND (AP) ― When the bullpen door swung open, Chris Perez braced himself.After criticizing Cleveland’s fans for failing to support the first-place Indians, Perez wasn’t sure what to expect when he came in for the ninth inning with another game on the line.As he entered the field, there was only one sound.The roar carried him.“That’s the loudest I’ve ever been cheered here,” Perez said after earning his 14th save in Clevelan

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ― Gio Gonzalez continued to dominate hitters and the Washington Nationals continued to frustrate the Philadelphia Phillies.Gonzalez allowed three hits over six innings and Ian Desmond homered and drove in both runs to lead the Nationals to a 2-1 victory Monday night.Gonzalez (6-1), a former Phillies farmhand, struck out seven of the first nine batters and finished with nine strikeouts. That upped his total to 35 over his last four starts, all wins, in 25 innings.“Even though th

CLEVELAND (AP) ― All Ubaldo Jimenez could do to try and shake off his slow start to the season was keep throwing strikes. It paid off against the Seattle Mariners.The right-hander pitched six innings, and the Cleveland Indians pounded out a season-best five doubles to beat the Mariners and ace Felix Hernandez 9-3 on Wednesday night.“This is the best Ubaldo has thrown the ball this year,” manager Manny Acta said of the former All-Star, who has been wildly erratic since being acquired from Colorad

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ― Derek Lowe pitched his first shutout in nearly seven years, throwing a six-hitter Tuesday and leading the Cleveland Indians over the Minnesota Twins 5-0.Choo Shin-soo, the Indians’ new leadoff man, scored after a leadoff double in the third inning and then hit the first of three Cleveland home runs in the fifth against Jason Marquis (2-3). Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana also homered to break the game open.The 38-year-old Lowe (6-1) was at his sinker-balling best, walking

Korean hits go-ahead RBI single in 9th inningMINNEAPOLIS (AP) ― Choo Shin-soo hit the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning to back Jeanmar Gomez’s seven superb innings and lift the Cleveland Indians to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.Choo’s base hit off Twins closer Matt Capps (0-2) scored pinch-runner Lou Marson from second base, bailing out an Indians bullpen that squandered a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning.Gomez allowed one unearned run on three hits with three strik

BOSTON (AP) ― Embattled starter Josh Beckett did nothing to help restore his reputation Thursday night, getting booed off the field at Fenway Park in the third inning of Boston’s 8-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians.Jack Hannahan hit a two-run homer and Jason Kipnis had a solo shot off Beckett, who was already in hot water with Red Sox fans for playing golf last week a day after he was scratched from his scheduled start with a sore lat muscle in his back.His return to the rotation couldn’t have gon