CLEVELAND -- Josh Tomlin waited a long time for Tuesday night. His patience and persistence were rewarded in the form of a stellar start for the Indians and a standing ovation from the Progressive Field crowd when his night was done.Thanks to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, the tedious rehab that followed and a trip back to Triple-A Columbus, it had been since 648 days since Tomlin last started a game for Cleveland. Against Minnesota, the right-hander took advantage of his moment, working into the seventh inning and guiding the Indians to a 4-2 victory.For the first time since July 5, 2012, Tomlin earned a Major League victory. 
Tomlin was one of the final two candidates for the last spot in Cleveland's rotation during Spring Training, but the Tribe went with Carlos Carrasco, who was out of Minor League options. During the past road trip, the Indians changed course due to Carrasco's struggles, sending him to the bullpen and then electing to promote Tomlin from Triple-A on Tuesday.At Columbus, Tomlin took his assignment in stride and excelled on the mound, turning in a 2.06 ERA through five starts. On Thursday, the right-hander spun a shutout against Durham on just 89 pitches, carrying a scoreless streak of 20 innings into his first start back with the Indians.Tomlin continued his early-season success into the outing against the Twins, who managed only two hits off the righty in his first six innings of work. Finally, with one out in the seventh, Tomlin flinched. Minnesota first baseman Chris Colabello belted a 2-1 offering from the starter to left-center field for a solo home run.Cleveland's offense has labored of late, but the lineup ended a 14-inning scoreless drought in the first inning against Twins right-hander Samuel Deduno.Nick Swisher began the rally for Cleveland with a double that snapped an 0-for-11 skid at the plate, and Michael Brantley followed with a run-scoring single to center. Brantley later crossed the plate when Colabello let a ground ball off the bat of David Murphy skip between his legs and into right field for an error.The Indians added another pair of runs in the second inning, when Lonnie Chisenhall led things off with a single to right. Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes followed with an RBI double to left, and he later crossed the plate on a single up the middle by Swisher, putting the Twins in an early 4-0 hole.That cushion was sufficient for Tomlin, who scattered four hits and walked one in 6 2/3 innings, registered 66 strikes within 93 pitches thrown (71 percent). Minnesota's best chance against Tomlin came in the second, when Kurt Suzuki and Eduardo Escobar delivered consecutive two-out singles off the pitcher. Tomlin then froze Chris Herrmann with a 90-mph fastball for an inning-ending strikeout.Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
Tomlin was one of the final two candidates for the last spot in Cleveland's rotation during Spring Training, but the Tribe went with Carlos Carrasco, who was out of Minor League options. During the past road trip, the Indians changed course due to Carrasco's struggles, sending him to the bullpen and then electing to promote Tomlin from Triple-A on Tuesday.At Columbus, Tomlin took his assignment in stride and excelled on the mound, turning in a 2.06 ERA through five starts. On Thursday, the right-hander spun a shutout against Durham on just 89 pitches, carrying a scoreless streak of 20 innings into his first start back with the Indians.Tomlin continued his early-season success into the outing against the Twins, who managed only two hits off the righty in his first six innings of work. Finally, with one out in the seventh, Tomlin flinched. Minnesota first baseman Chris Colabello belted a 2-1 offering from the starter to left-center field for a solo home run.Cleveland's offense has labored of late, but the lineup ended a 14-inning scoreless drought in the first inning against Twins right-hander Samuel Deduno.Nick Swisher began the rally for Cleveland with a double that snapped an 0-for-11 skid at the plate, and Michael Brantley followed with a run-scoring single to center. Brantley later crossed the plate when Colabello let a ground ball off the bat of David Murphy skip between his legs and into right field for an error.The Indians added another pair of runs in the second inning, when Lonnie Chisenhall led things off with a single to right. Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes followed with an RBI double to left, and he later crossed the plate on a single up the middle by Swisher, putting the Twins in an early 4-0 hole.That cushion was sufficient for Tomlin, who scattered four hits and walked one in 6 2/3 innings, registered 66 strikes within 93 pitches thrown (71 percent). Minnesota's best chance against Tomlin came in the second, when Kurt Suzuki and Eduardo Escobar delivered consecutive two-out singles off the pitcher. Tomlin then froze Chris Herrmann with a 90-mph fastball for an inning-ending strikeout.Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
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