Cleveland won its third straight, beating the Washington Nationals in dramatic fashion 2-1 with a walk-off fielder’s choice in the bottom of the 9th. Joe Smith (3-0) got the win for the Indians by pitching a perfect top of the 9th.
The Indians had threatened several times, including loading the bases against Gio Gonzalez and Tyler Clippard, before the drama in the 9th. Nationals rookie Fernando Abad (0-1), who had been nearly flawless in his major league stint prior to this outing, yielded two singles to Drew Stubbs and Michael Bourn.
Bourn stole second with Stubbs at third, setting the stage for Jason Kipinis, who hit a sharp grounder to Adam LaRoche. LaRoche tried to throw out Stubbs at the plate, but his throw was wide left and Kurt Suzuki could not make the tag.
The Nationals had only two hits all game, their run coming on a wild pitch by starter Masterson in the 3rd. The Tribe tied it in the 4th off a homer by Raburn, and both teams kept the other off the board until the 9th.
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