Indians win 6-3 over Yankees with help from their former players

Yesterday morning I admit it. I tweeted that Austin Kearns was the biggest disappointment for the 2011 Cleveland Indians so far. Who could blame me? Kearns, coming into last night's 6-3 victory by the Tribe, was not hitting. He looked sluggish. I thought he needed to retire.

However, last night something sparked in him and he came out of his funk hitting the ball harder than anyone else on the team. His last homerun came last season as a member of the Yankees. Tonight, Austin Kearns wanted to show his former employers that it was a mistake to let him go and re-sign with the Cleveland Indians.

Shelley Duncan also is one that always seems to rise up when playing the Yankees. Last year, I saw him hit a pinch-hit homerun off the Yankees. Tonight, Shelley hit a ball down the right field line to cut the deficit to 2-1 right before Austin Kearn slammed his three run shot.

It is this type of production that the Indians are going to need to develop more consistently if they are going to be able to contend for the division in the second half.