Van Every HR sinks Indians

4/30/2009

CLEVELAND - Jonathan Van Every hit his first major league home run in the 10th inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a 6-5, comeback win over the Cleveland Indians last night.

Van Every, who played in the Indians' minor league system from 2000-07, hit a 1-1 pitch from Jensen Lewis (2-3) to dead center. Van Every got his first big league hit in during the Red Sox's three-run rally in the eighth.

Hideki Okajima (2-0) worked the ninth for the win. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the 10th for his sixth save in six opportunities.

The Red Sox have won 12 of 13.

Meanwhile, Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner was placed on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder, an injury that limited him to 57 games last season.

Hafner, who had surgery on the shoulder last October, is batting .270 with four homers and eight RBIs in 17 games.

"He's been having some soreness and a little fatigue," manager Eric Wedge said. "We've noticed it in his swing the last three or four days. We don't think it's anything serious."

Hafner will visit Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery, next week in Birmingham, Ala.

Hafner, one of the most feared sluggers in baseball before the injury, batted .197 with five homers and 24 RBIs last season.

The Indians will take a cautious approach with Hafner, who did not comment on the latest setback.

"We want to have the best lineup out there we can [for the rest of the season]," Wedge said.