Cleveland Keeps Its Grip

CLEVELAND — As the ball sliced through the thick summer air, Ben Broussard’s mind cleared. For a moment, he forgot about his two errors and the batting slump that wouldn’t go away.

And when Broussard’s second homer finally cleared the right-field wall, landing in the first row of seats, Cleveland’s first baseman allowed himself a moment to celebrate.

The Indians may remember their victory a lot longer.

Broussard’s tiebreaking three-run shot in the eighth inning Tuesday night sent Cleveland to a 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics and kept the Indians in control of the American League wild-card race.

Cleveland trailed, 2-0, in the seventh when Broussard hit a two-run shot, and it was 2-2 when he delivered the Indians’ biggest homer of the season so far.

“I haven’t had a lot of hits in September,” said Broussard, who was in a one-for-23 slump before homering in the seventh.

“But right now, all I’m worried about is right now. I just want to get to the postseason.”

The comeback allowed the Indians to maintain their one-game lead over the New York Yankees for the wild-card spot, and Cleveland moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the A’s.

“It’s probably our biggest win to date,” Indian starter Kevin Millwood (8-11) said. “This is fun, man. Everybody around here is having a good time.”

The Indians turned a season-high five double plays.

The game was delayed for 21 minutes in the sixth when a computer system shut down and caused several of the toothbrush-shaped light towers above Jacobs Field to go dark.