During summer vacation, Josh Barfield would go to SkyDome with his dad and play with Willie Upshaw's and Lloyd Moseby's sons.

"There was a bunch of kids about the same age, and we'd run all over the place," said Barfield.

Monday night, Barfield was back at SkyDome, which is now Rogers Centre, and helped the Indians beat Toronto, 9-7, in 12 innings. Barfield entered the game as a pinch runner in the ninth inning and scored the tying run from second base on Asdrubal Cabrera's single.

Barfield started the Tribe's winning rally with a run-scoring single in the 12th to break a 6-6 tie.

"Coming here is special because I have so much history here," said Barfield. "I always like to play here. I remember coming here when Cito Gaston was my dad's hitting coach. My dad learned a lot from him, and he taught it to me. So it's cool to come back here."

Gaston is now on his second tour of duty as the Blue Jays manager.

Monday was only the second time Barfield has played in a game for the Indians this season. He made the club out of spring training, but he was limited to one pinch-running appearance before getting optioned to Class AAA Columbus.

"Josh had a good game," said manager Eric Wedge. "He really stuck his nose in there . . . And he might have been the only guy on the club who could have scored from second base in the ninth to help extend the game."

While Wedge thought it was a close play, Barfield never had any doubt that he would score.

"There were two out there," said Barfield. "I'm going to score on pretty much any ball there except a rocket right at somebody."

In between the ninth and the 12th, the converted second baseman played left field for the first time in the big leagues. It cost the Indians in the ninth when Barfield got a bad break on Jose Bautista's two-run single that tied it, 6-6, with two out.

"The ball was hit off the end of the bat," said Barfield. "It was a tough play. A tough read.

"But that's the good thing about Baseball: You always get a chance to redeem yourself."

Barfield, according to Elias Sports Bureau, is hitting .611 (11-for-18), in extra innings in his career. It's the highest batting average of any active player.

Testing, testing: Utility man Jamey Carroll, recovering from a broken bone in his left hand, has taken batting practice with the team the past two days.

"Everything feels fine," said Carroll, squeezing a glob of clay with his left hand. "It feels surprisingly good."

Carroll was hit in the left hand in the ninth inning of the final game of spring training. He's been on the disabled list ever since.

He'll take BP today and Thursday in Boston and could start a rehab assignment when the Indians go home.

"It feels like I've been out a long time," said Carroll. "But I think I'm in good shape. The thing about being on the DL is you work harder here than when you're healthy and playing."

Condolences: Joe Corrado, an Indians usher since 1949 and longtime press-box attendant, died Monday night. Corrado, 94, retired after last season.

What about Perez?

In the wake of Tuesday's 10-6 loss to Toronto, featuring another bullpen crash, Wedge was asked how long he can stick with lefty Rafael Perez.

"We'll talk about things," said Wedge. "We're talking on a daily basis about our pen. We have guys down here that we have to count on. We have guys there that have to find a way to get it done."

Perez has a 15.19 ERA. He has allowed 18 earned runs and 19 hits in 10 2/3 innings.

Finally: Jhonny Peralta, who went into Tuesday's game in a 4-for-49 slump, went 3-for-5.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158