Indians 2, Athletics 1
David Huff pitched six shutout innings, and Kosuke Fukudome's sixth-inning double broke a scoreless tie as the Cleveland Indians defeated the visiting Oakland Athletics 2-1 on Monday night.
Cleveland, which now trails Detroit by 5 1/2 games in the American League Central, has won three of four. The Indians are a half-game behind second-place Chicago, which defeated Minnesota later Monday.
Carlos Santana hit a solo home run in the seventh for the Indians. Chris Perez, the Indians' fifth pitcher, worked a perfect ninth for his 30th save.
Huff (2-2) held Oakland to three hits and retired 10 straight batters at one point.
Fukudome's clutch hit broke up a pitcher's duel between Huff and Brandon McCarthy (7-7), who lost despite striking out a career-high 10 in eight innings.
McCarthy struck out the first two batters in the sixth, but Ezequiel Carrera singled and scored when Fukudome lined a 1-1 pitch into the right-field corner.
Oakland scored in the eighth. Scott Sizemore started the inning with a double off Joe Smith. Sizemore stole third and scored on Jemile Weeks' double off Tony Sipp. After Weeks failed to take third on Coco Crisp's bunt, Hideki Matsui's fly ball to right was caught in front of the fence by Fukudome. Vinnie Pestano struck out Josh Willingham to end the inning.