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Indians 5 Blue Jays 4 Today What: Indians at Mariners. When: 10:10 p.m. Where: Safeco Field, Seattle. TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100 Pitchers: LHP Aaron Laffey (3-2, 4.27) vs. LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (0-0, 0.00). Toronto - Rookie David Huff has learned something from every one of the 13 starts he's made for the Indians this season. Thursday afternoon he learned it was good to get ahead early in the count and keep the ball down. Chris Gimenez, Huff's personal catcher in the minors, discovered that it's always a good thing to keep track of your passport in a foreign country. The two rookies combined that knowledge to lead the Indians to a 5-4 victory over Toronto for just their ninth series win this season. "Throwing strike one and keeping the ball down really helped me today," said Huff. Huff (5-4, 6.39) allowed four runs on eight hits in 7 2/3 innings. In his first appearance ever against Toronto, he struck out four, walked one and allowed two homers. "He keeps getting better," said manager Eric Wedge. "He did a much better job of working ahead today." The Indians' sleep-inducing offense used a bases-loaded walk for its first run and an RBI grounder by Gimenez for its final run in the sixth. Shin-Soo Choo, who hit a two-run triple to highlight a three-run fifth, provided the only real sign of life by Tribe hitters. Huff retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth, but gave up a solo homer to Kevin Millar to make it 5-4. Joe Smith relieved and retired Vernon Wells. Kerry Wood pitched the ninth for his 13th save. He hit leadoff hitter Alex Rios, but retired the next three batters as Rios stole second and third. The Indians scratched out a 5-3 lead in the sixth. Gimenez, with Ben Francisco on third and one out, sent a chopper to John McDonald at short. McDonald, playing in, thought about going home, but took the sure out at first. "I'll take that every time," said Gimenez. "I was just trying to put the ball in play." Ryan Garko opened by getting hit by a pitch. He went to second on Francisco's single, but was forced at third on Jamey Carroll's botched sacrifice bunt attempt. Reliever Shawn Camp caught Francisco breaking to third, but threw the ball into center field to put Francisco at third and Carroll at second. "We've done a good job creating opportunities for ourselves, but we're still not finishing innings," said Wedge. "We took advantage of a mistake right there." Gimenez made his first big-league start at catcher Thursday. Wedge decided to pair him with Huff because Gimenez caught him from Class A Kinston, N.C., to Class AAA Columbus. But before Gimenez got to Rogers Centre on Thursday morning, he was frantically looking for his passport in his hotel room. He never found it. "I guess it took my mind off catching, but our traveling secretary [Mike Seghi] is ready to kill me," said Gimenez. "I've never done anything like that before. Everybody was talking about playing poker on the flight to Seattle, but I might be in Toronto for a few days." Maybe Gimenez was kidding. Maybe he wasn't. The Indians scored three times in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead against rookie lefty Marc Rzepczynski (1-2, 2.82). After a leadoff single by Gimenez, Asdrubal Cabrera sent a one-out grounder to third that should have been an inning-ending double play. But the ball squirted through Jose Bautista as Gimenez went to third and Cabrera went to second on the error. Choo followed with a triple to left center for a 3-1 lead. Shawn Camp relieved and Victor Martinez sent a hard grounder to Aaron Hill at second. Hill was playing in and it appeared he had a chance for a play at the plate, but Choo got such a good jump that Hill went to first for the sure out as the Tribe took a 4-1 lead. "That was a great jump by Choo," said Wedge. Toronto's Aaron Hill made it 4-3 with a two-run homer in the fifth. The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Francisco drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk. It took the Indians three walks, a single and a hit batsman to score the run. While the Indians took the long way to a 1-0 lead, the Blue Jays took the fast lane. Adam Lind and Kevin Millar opened the fourth off Huff with consecutive doubles to make it 1-1. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158
Tagged: Chris Gimenez, Jamey Carroll, Alex Rios, Blue Jays, David Huff, Asdrubal Cabrera, Ben Francisco, Shawn Camp, Indians, John McDonald, Aaron Hill, Joe Smith

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