Indians 5, Pirates 2, 11 Innings: Cord Phelps' Three-Run Blast Clinches Indians Sweep

So much for a getaway day. And so much for salvaging something from the series against the Indians. The Pirates dropped a game below .500 in an 11-inning game that also featured a lengthy rain delay and ended up lasting nearly five-and-a-half hours.

The Pirates scored two runs in the first and the Indians scored two in the second, but that was all the scoring in the first nine innings. Jeff Karstens came through yet again, pitching seven innings while striking out four and walking two. The Pirates' offense, meanwhile, seemed to be on base constantly through the first several innings, but they left a huge number of runners on base and didn't take advantage of most of the opportunities they had. 

The Pirates loaded the bases in a 2-2 game in the top of the ninth, but Michael McKenry grounded out to end the threat. Then in the bottom of the inning, McKenry gunned down Shin-Soo Choo at second base in a play that turned out to be huge, as the next batter, Carlos Santana, doubled. (Maybe McKenry was part of some conspiracy to send the game to extra innings.) 

The Bucs got runners on base in the 10th and 11th innings, but couldn't do anything with them. In the bottom of the 11th, Tim Wood came on and allowed a single by Choo, who stole second - McKenry didn't get him this time. The Pirates then walked Santana, who has been killing them. But Cord Phelps belted a three-run homer to right to end it.