CLEVELAND -- No one can accuse the Indians of coasting through this final month of the season as a non-contender.

Certainly, if that were the case, they wouldn't have bothered roughing up Francisco Liriano, rallying back after squandering a large early lead, then winning in a fashion that's been all too rare this season.

Ever heard of a good night's sleep?

At least the Indians can rest easy, especially Victor Martinez, who ended his own lifelong wait by hitting his first career walk-off home run Tuesday at Progressive Field to lift the Indians past the Twins, 12-9, in 11 innings. The lengthy contested lasted four hours, 25 minutes.

"Our guys did a great job of not getting down and not giving into it," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "That's what happens when you have a group of individuals that play like a team and never give in to it until it's over."

Martinez has had every reason to give in during a season that's given him nearly everything a player can handle. From Opening Day, the 29-year-old catcher was hampered by a nagging hamstring injury. He then went on the disabled list for nearly three months after having surgery on his right elbow.

Needless to say, Martinez let it show on this night, enjoying every second as he rounded the bases after his 415-foot long ball off Twins closer Joe Nathan.

"I was just like a little kid running around the bases," said Martinez.

Of course, there wouldn't have been any need for a walk-off, or any cause for extra celebration, had Zach Jackson and the Indians' bullpen been able to hold onto an early seven-run lead.

Staked to a seven-run lead after three innings -- courtesy of a three-run homer from Ryan Garko and a solo shot from Asdrubal Cabrera in the second, along with four more Tribe runs in the third -- Jackson couldn't maintain the game's path toward a runaway.

Jackson ran into trouble in the fourth, when he allowed four runs on a double and four singles to let the Twins creep back within striking distance.

"Every now and again, he gets too fine," Wedge said. "He really was controlling the ballgame, then it looked like he tried to place the ball instead of being aggressive."

It carried over to the sixth, as he allowed back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, which led to his exit after a Nick Punto sacrifice bunt. Juan Rincon let two more runs come in on Carlos Gomez's single to bring the Twins within a run.

That's the lead the Tribe would hold in the eighth inning, when Rafael Betancourt had arguably his longest and toughest-to-watch outing of the season. Working in his trademark slower-than-slow approach, Betancourt walked Denard Span and Joe Mauer before Justin Morneau tied the game with a double. Delmon Young drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly.

"He just didn't have it tonight," Wedge said. "He wasn't able to get it done."

But that's when the Indians showed the most resolve.

Grady Sizemore tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with his 32nd home run of the year off Eddie Guardado -- a solo shot that just barely plunked the foul pole in right.

"Man," Martinez said, "that was close."

That's how the game remained until Martinez rejuvenated what was left of the 21,295 in attendance with his first walk-off tater. For the record, that counts the Majors, the Minors and even Little League.

Facing Nathan, who has picked up 21 of his 197 career saves against the Indians, Franklin Gutierrez led off the 11th with a bloop single to left-center field. He advanced to second on Ben Francisco's sacrifice bunt and stayed there as Jhonny Peralta worked a full count before drawing a walk.

Martinez worked a 1-1 count before belting Nathan's third-pitch fastball deep to right-center field, causing Gomez to frantically chase while Martinez stood and watched.

"I think I just got lucky," Martinez said. "He just left the pitch up and I put a good swing on the ball. When you put a good swing on the ball, good things can happen."

It did, of course, giving the Indians their first walk-off home run of the year and marking just the sixth time they have won a game in their last at-bat this season.

"It's great to see Victor do that against one of the best closers in the game," Wedge said of Nathan, who had not allowed a walk-off home run until Tuesday. "It's great to see him come through for us like that."

And for Wedge, it's reassuring to know that his team, long out of contention, will still come through on nights where it would be so easy to call it quits.

"Regardless of where we're at," Wedge said, "that's what we'll continue to do."