Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Shelley Duncan recorded his second career multi-homer game and drove in all four Indians runs, leading Cleveland to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the first of three games at Progressive Field.
Duncan finished 3-for-3 with two homers and an RBI single for the Indians, who snapped a brief two-game losing streak. Duncan's previous two-homer game came as a member of the Yankees in 2007 against Tampa Bay on July 22. He also extended his career-high by belting his ninth and 10th long balls of the season.
Josh Tomlin (4-3) was effective over 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk while fanning four to earn the victory. Chris Perez worked a scoreless ninth for his 20th save.
Torii Hunter had two hits and drove in a run, as Los Angeles had a four-game win streak snapped. Scott Kazmir (8-14) had his winless streak stretch to seven starts after giving up four runs, seven hits and three walks in 5 2/3 frames.
Perez came on to preserve a one-run lead in the ninth, but issued a one-out walk to Howie Kendrick. Los Angeles executed a perfect hit-and-run, with pinch-hitter Juan Rivera sending a ground ball to where the second baseman would have been for a single and runners on the corners.
Peter Bourjos, though, struck out looking at a fastball on the outside corner, and Alberto Callaspo flied out weakly to left to end the game.
The teams traded runs in the opening inning. Bobby Abreu doubled with one away, and Hunter followed with another two-base hit to put the Angels ahead. The Indians, though, responded when Michael Brantley singled, stole second with two outs and scored on Duncan's single to right.
Duncan then put Cleveland ahead for good leading off the fourth, sending a home run into a souvenir stand beyond the left field wall. In the sixth, Shin- Soo Choo walked ahead of Duncan's second blast, nearly to the same spot as his first of the game.
Tomlin ran into some trouble in the seventh, when the Angels climbed back into the game behind three consecutive extra-base hits. With two outs and nobody on, Kendrick and Bobby Wilson doubled consecutively to score a run. Bourjos followed with a triple to plate Wilson for a 4-3 game and end Tomlin's outing.
Rafael Perez entered and retired Callaspo to protect the lead.
The Angels would get no closer, as Rafael Perez stayed on to strike out the first two batters of the eighth. Joe Smith entered after a two-out single and got Mike Napoli to ground out to end the inning.
Cleveland leads the season series, 4-3...Brantley extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest for an Indians rookie since 1986...The Angels' eight- game home run streak came to an end...Cleveland starting pitchers have allowed three or fewer runs in 17 of 18 games.