Tony Sipp gives up two runs in the 10th in the final home game at Progressive Field in 2011.
View full sizeJim Thome leaves the field at Progressive Field -- perhaps for the last time -- Sunday after playing third base for one pitch in the ninth inning Sunday against Minnesota. It was his first appearance at third since 1996 with the Indians.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians didn't beat the Twins on Sunday in the final home game of the season, but they did give Jim Thome a proper send off.
Rene Tosoni and Chris Parmelee ruined the festivities in the 10th inning against Tony Sipp as they powered the Twins to a 6-4 victory at Progressive Field
Thome pinch-hit for Shelley Duncan in the eighth and received a loud ovation from the crowd of 22,539. Glen Perkins walked Thome and Lonnie Chisenhall ended the inning by hitting into a double play.
When the top of the ninth began, Thome positioned himself at third base, his position when he first debuted with the Indians on Sept. 4, 1991. Joe Smith threw a pitch and Thome walked off the field to another loud ovation as Lonnie Chisenhall returned to third base from left field and Jerad Head went to left.
It was Thome's first official appearance at third since Sept. 29, 1996 at Kansas City. Thome, 41, is a free agent at the end of the season and is contemplating retirement. The Indians acquired Thome, the eighth man in history to hit 600 homers, in August from the Twins.
Sipp (6-3), who has struggled lately against the first batter he faces, took the loss. Tosoni hit a leadoff homer to break a 4-4 tie. Parmelee drove in the sixth run with a two-out single.
Kyle Waldrop (1-0) pitched the ninth for the victory. Joe Nathan pitched the 10th for his 14th save.
The Indians went 5-4 on this last homestand. They ended the season 11-7 against the Twins. At 80-79, they must win two of their last three games -- a three-game series against the AL Central-champion Tigers that begins Monday night -- to reach their goal of finishing the season with a winning record.
After driving in six runs in Saturday's doubleheader sweep, Duncan hit a two-run homer in the third inning Sunday to give the Indians a 4-2 lead. The Twins, however, worked their way back.
Fausto Carmona, working with two-run lead, watched it disappear as Denard Span tripled and scored on Ben Revere's ground out in the fifth to make it 4-3. Trevor Plouffe tied it at 4 with a two-out homer into the bleachers in left center field in the sixth. Carmona has allowed a career-high 22 homers this year, 12 to right-handers and 10 to lefties.
Travis Hafner, with the score tied, 2-2, walked to start the third. Duncan followed by driving Liam Hendriks' 1-0 pitch just over the railing on the home-run porch in left field. A fan leaned over the fence and caught the ball, but interference was not called despite an argument by Twins manager Ron Gardenhire.
The homer was Duncan's 11th and the Tribe's 32nd in September. Texas is the only AL club that has hit more this month with 37.
The Twins took a 2-0 lead off Carmona in the first. Span opened with a double that Duncan misplayed in left field. Revere singled him home.
Revere moved to third on Parmelee's single to right and scored on Danny Valencia's sacrifice fly.
The Indians, who have rallied time and time again against the Twins battered and untested pitching staff in this series, did it again in the first. Kosuke Fukudome opened with a single, but was forced at second on a grounder by Jason Kipnis. Hendriks struck out Carlos Santana, but Hafner and Duncan singled to load the bases. Chisenhall blooped a two-run single into right field to make it 2-2.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2011/09/shelley_duncans_2-run_hr_gives.html
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