Hafner homers, triples

CLEVELAND (AP) — Philip Humber has gone from perfect to perfectly flawed.

Humber couldn’t get out of the third inning Monday as the Cleveland Indians pounded Chicago’s right-hander, who threw a perfect game on April 21, in an 8-6 win over the White Sox in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Humber (1-2) hasn’t been sharp since pitching the 21st perfect game — and one of the most surprising — in major league history last month. Since then, Humber has allowed 20 runs in 13 1-3 innings and gone 0-2 with a no-decision.

“I’m frustrated,” said Humber, tagged for eight runs and nine hits in 2 1-3 innings. “I’m doing my best, it’s just the last two or three times out there, it’s been rough. I’m definitely hoping for better results. I’m doing the best I can to make that happen, but right now it’s kind of a grind.”

Michael Brantley and Casey Kotchman drove in three runs each for the AL-Central leading Indians, five games over. 500 for the first time this season. Travis Hafner homered and hit his first triple in nearly five years as Cleveland, coming off a series win over defending AL champion Texas, improved to 7-3 in its last 10.

Hafner led off the second with his fourth homer, a 403-foot shot into the seats in right. It was Hafner’s 192nd homer, tying him with Al Rosen for eighth place on Cleveland’s career list.

Later, Hafner hit his first triple since May 29, 2007 at Boston — a span of 1,711 at-bats.

“I was thinking double and got forced into a triple,” Hafner joked.

In Game 2, Shelley Duncan’s RBI double in the eighth inning gave the Cleveland Indians a soggy 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night and a sweep of their day-night doubleheader.

Duncan ripped a pitch from left-hander Matt Thornton (1-2) into the left-field corner, scoring Asdrubal Cabrera.

The White Sox have lost six of seven.

Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin allowed five hits in 7-1 3 innings — most of the final three in a steady downpour. He struck out a career-high eight.

allowed two walks and maintained his control despite slick, slippery conditions on the mound.

Joe Smith (2-1) gave up a game-tying single after a lengthy rain delay, but got two outs and was credited with the win after Duncan’s single.

Tony Sipp worked the ninth for his first save.

Tags: sports, baseball, mlb