Cleveland, OH -- (Sports Network) - Luis Valbuena and Ben Francisco each went 3- for-3, with Valbuena knocking in a run and scoring twice and Francisco adding a two-run homer in Cleveland's 5-2 win over Oakland.
Carl Pavano (7-7) evened his record with 6 2/3 quality innings on the mound, giving up two runs on eight hits and two walks for the Indians, who won back- to-back games for the first time since June 11-12.
Grady Sizemore went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in the win.
Vin Mazzaro (2-4), now winless in his last five starts, yielded five runs on 10 hits and a walk in six-plus innings for the Athletics, who have dropped eight of 10. Orlando Cabrera recorded an RBI and three of the A's eight hits.
"I left a few pitches up in the zone and they took advantage of it," Mazzaro said.
Oakland had a chance to jump on the hosts early but only got one run across in the first inning when Adam Kennedy raced home on Matt Holliday's sacrifice fly. Ryan Sweeney lined out with the bases loaded to end the frame.
Cleveland took the lead in the third. Ryan Garko singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a base hit to left by Valbuena, who trotted home when Francisco followed with a blast over the left-field wall.
Valbuena was thrown out at home in the fifth in attempt to extend the Indians' lead, which eventually moved to 4-1 when Sizemore opened the sixth with a bomb to straightaway center.
Cabrera cut Oakland's deficit with an RBI single in the seventh, driving in Mark Ellis, who walked with one away and stole second.
Sizemore's broken-bat, RBI groundout to third got the run back in the bottom half, while the combination of Tony and Joe Smith hurled a scoreless top of the eighth.
Kerry Wood was spotless on the hill in ninth for his 10th save of the season.
"It's nice to go out and do your job," Wood said. "It's nice to win a couple in a row, win a series again and go for the sweep [on Sunday]."
Game Notes
Pavano had lost three of his previous four starts...Cleveland has won 11 of the last 15 matchups versus the Athletics at home...Francisco had a steal in the game, his 12th of the year...Oakland left nine runners on base...Game time: 2:28.
