Less than 24 hours after lighting into his struggling offense, Eric Wedge watched as the Indians defeated the Twins, 4-2, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field.

A four-run total is nothing over which to get giddy, but it qualifies as progress for this club.

quot;We still need to be better than what we showed,quot; Wedge said. quot;We scored four but had opportunities for more.quot;

Since a 22-run punishment of the Yankees on April 18 in the Bronx, the Indians were hitting .220 with 18 runs in six games through Saturday. A 7-1 loss to Minnesota on Saturday night had Wedge fuming.

Asked if he was thinking about roster changes, Wedge said, quot;I'm talking about the people here doing better.quot;

The players remained Sunday, although Wedge did tinker with the lineup. Second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera, among the minority with a good approach at the moment, made his first start in the two-hole after 17 at No. 9. Slumping shortstop Jhonny Peralta, who got the night off Saturday, made his first start in the six-hole after one at cleanup and 14 at No. 5. Struggling Mark DeRosa made his first start in right field and first in the seven-hole after 17 starts batting second and playing third.

Cab ride: Cabrera went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and walk. He also played top-notch defense.

quot;That's the level you want to see him play at,quot; Wedge said. quot;He was outstanding for us in the two-hole in '07. He'll be there [tonight].quot;

Cabrera has hit safely in 10 of his past 13 games, going 18-for-41 (.439) with one homer and eight RBI.

Locked in: Victor Martinez went 1-for-4 in extending his hit streak to six games. He is batting .434 (23-for-53) over his past 13.

Block of Wood: Kerry Wood and his high-octane repertoire have created a buzz at Progressive Field, just as it did for the Cubs at Wrigley Field last season, his first as a closer.

In Wood's four home appearances, the most recent coming Sunday, those remaining in the stands have brought noise to match his mph. The anticipation for each pitch is palpable. Will the batters flail at his aspirin-tablet fastball or knee-buckling curve?

quot;Fans enjoy homers and strikeouts, and it just so happens I get a few strikeouts here and there,quot; he said.

That would qualify as an understatement.

Wood has struck out eight of 15 batters faced in his home appearances. He has 12 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings overall while recording four saves in four opportunities.

Wood fanned 84 in 66 1/3 innings last year, which gave him 1,407 in 1,219 1/3 innings for his career.

The support from his new fans is not lost on Wood, even as he works in a vacuum.

quot;It's nice to know they're on your side, and I appreciate it, but when I come into the game I'm focusing on what I need to do,quot; he said.

Well-suited: Wood, who once struck out 20 in one game as a starter, said it took him a couple of weeks last year to adjust to his new role. Since then, he has thoroughly enjoyed it.

quot;Once you go through every situation a closer's going to be in, you're able to settle in and get comfortable,quot; he said. quot;I like coming to the field every day with an opportunity to pitch, and there's no adrenaline rush like getting the last three outs.quot;

In preparing for his save situations, Wood knows what he wants to do, and how he wants to do it, from the moment he arrives at the ballpark until the moment he takes the ball.

quot;I don't have rituals or superstitions,quot; he said. quot;It's more routine than anything else.quot;