CLEVELAND — After taking a break for one day, the Indians’ bats picked up where they had left off over the weekend in Baltimore

In evening the series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at one game apiece, the offense punched out 14 hits, scoring in six of the eighth innings in which it batted, leading to a 9-5 victory.

“We were able to swing the bats well,” manager Manny Acta said. “We were able to take advantage of some mistakes, and didn’t miss them.”

The rubber game of the series will be played at 4:05 p.m. today, weather permitting.

Tuesday’s contest was delayed by rain for 44 minutes with one out in the top of the eighth inning, and again by 57 minutes in the top of the ninth.

Cleveland (41-39) remains two games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central Division race and moved to 2 1/2 games ahead of third-place Detroit, which bowed to visiting Minnesota, 8-6.

The Tribe built a 4-0 lead, let it vanish in one fell swoop, and then immediately bounced back to grab the lead for good.

Zach McAllister (3-1, 3.93 ERA) got the win by going six innings with five runs allowed, all coming in the fifth inning. Two of the runs were unearned because of an error.

Joe Smith disposed of the side on three pitches in the seventh. Vinnie Pestano pitched a scoreless eighth, although it was interrupted by the first break. Esmil Rogers worked a similarly interrupted scoreless ninth.

“Nice job by McAllister,” Acta said. “He was very aggressive with his fastball. Twenty-two of 26 first-pitch strikes.”

The Indians jumped on top quickly against starter Dan Haren (6-8, 4.86) when Shin-Soo Choo led off the first inning with a triple off the wall in left-center field and scored on a one-out hit by Jason Kipnis.

One inning later, Michael Brantley singled with nobody out, advanced to third on a one-out, hit-and-run single by Casey Kotchman and came home on Shelley Duncan’s sacrifice fly.

Jack Hannahan’s double into the gap in right-center drove in Kotchman, giving the Tribe a 3-0 advantage.

Duncan whacked a solo homer well up the bleachers in left to make it 4-0 in the fourth.

However, the Angels (45-36) bounced back with five runs in the fifth. Alberto Callaspo and Howie Kendrick started the inning with singles, and after Manny Aybar lined to third, John Hester hit what appeared to be a double-play grounder to third. But Hannahan uncorked a wild throw that sailed past Kipnis at second base and into right-field, scoring a run and putting men at second and third.

McAllister got two quick strikes on Mike Trout, but the rookie worked the count to 3-2 and then nailed a long line drive inside the left-field foul pole for a three-run homer to tie it.

Acta explained that at this point, McAallister is using mostly his fastball and is still working on developing his secondary pitches.

“I think he made a mistake there,” Acta said. “Throwing a 3-2 changeup, right-on-right, with first base open.”

“If he’d hit it, I didn’t think he’d hit it fair,” McAllister said.

One out later, Albert Pujols belted a fastball into the seats in left-center for a 5-4 edge.    

Then with the weather threatening, the Indians bounced right back with three runs.

Choo started it by lining a double to right-center. After Asdrubal Cabrera flied out, Kipnis was intentionally walked. Jose Lopez (3 hits) followed with a line drive just inside the left-field foul line for a double, tying the contest and putting men on second and third.

Hisanori Takahashi replaced Haren, and then Brantley grounded to Pujols at first. Pujols backhanded the ball and stepped on the bag for the out, but his throw home was wide as Kipnis slid home headfirst. The ball went off of Hester’s glove and behind the plate. Lopez broke for home, and Hester retrieved the ball. His throw to Takahashi was in time to get Lopez, but Takahashi was unable to hang onto the ball when applying the tag.

“It’s always nice to be able to pick up your teammates,” Acta said about rallying in the wake of Hannahan’s error. “Jack has saved us so many runs over the last couple years.

“He didn’t have a very good grip, and rushed the throw a little bit.”

Cleveland scored a run off LaTroy Hawkins to push it to 8-5 in the seventh. Brantley got the RBI on a forceout after Kendrick bobbled an apparent double-play grounder to short.

Lopez set up the run with a perfectly executed hit-and-run single.

With Jordan Walden on the hill, Cleveland tacked on another in the eighth when Kotchman doubled and came home on a hit by Aaron Cunningham.

“Even after (the fifth inning, McAllister) continued to be aggressive, and gave us a very good start,” Acta said.

“I felt good,”McAllister said. “I felt like I had a good fastball. I was able to mix my pitches pretty well.

“The fifth inning was a rough one, but I was able to (bounce back).”

Goldman is a freelance writer from South Euclid.

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