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Rays 6, Indians 2: Tribe swept away in Florida

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Evan Longoria drove in three runs and David Price pitched six strong innings to become the AL’s first six-game winner as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2 on Tuesday.

The AL East leaders improved baseball’s top record to 28-11 heading into a two-game series at Yankee Stadium. New York began the day with the second-best mark in the majors.

Longoria, who has 21 RBIs in his past 19 games, had a run-scoring double off David Huff (1-6) in the third and a two-run triple off Hector Ambriz that was the biggest blow in a four-run sixth.

Price (6-1) won his fourth straight decision. The 24-year-old left-hander held the Indians to an unearned run and four hits before turning over a 5-1 lead to the bullpen.

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Four relievers combined to limit the Indians to one run and two hits over the last three innings.

Cleveland shortstop Jason Donald went 2 for 3 with a walk and also scored a run in his major league debut, filling in for the injured Asdrubal Cabrera. Shin-Soo Choo and Matt LaPorta had the other hits off Price, who walked three and struck out five.

The Indians put men on base in each of the first six innings. But they went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position against Price, with Choo driving home Donald from third base by grounding out in the fifth.

Travis Hafner’s RBI double off Grant Balfour trimmed Cleveland’s deficit to 5-2 in the eighth.

The Rays struggled with runners in scoring position, too, going 1 for 7 in key situations before breaking through against Huff and Ambriz in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Reid Brignac snapped a 1-all tie with an RBI grounder, and Jason Bartlett added a run-scoring single before Longoria’s triple put Tampa Bay up by four runs.

Notes

  • Price improved to 11-3 lifetime at Tropicana Field. He’s 5-5 on the road.
  • The Rays went 4-1 on their five-game homestand. Cleveland was 4-4 with series wins over Kansas City and Baltimore on an eight-game road trip.
  • Indians CF Grady Sizemore was not in the lineup for the second straight day because of a bruised left knee. He’s scheduled for an MRI exam on Wednesday.
  • Cleveland manager Manny Acta said it’s likely Cabrera will need surgery on his broken left forearm. Cabrera, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list, was injured Monday when he collided with 3B Jhonny Peralta while diving for a ground ball.
  • Rays LHP J.P. Howell, who hasn’t pitched this season because of a left shoulder strain, will be examined by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. The reliever shut down a simulated game due to discomfort in the shoulder on Monday.

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Rays 4, Indians 3: Indians fall in 11; Cabrera breaks arm

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — John Jaso and the Tampa Bay Rays may have got a break on an 11th inning call and took advantage of it en route to a 4-3 win.

The Indians simply got a break they didn’t need when shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera left in the first with a broken left forearm.

The infielder was hurt when he dove for a Hank Blalock grounder up the middle and Jhonny Peralta, who also was attempting to make a play, tum­bled into him. Cabrera was on the first base side of second, while third baseman Peralta was positioned at short as part of a defensive shift.

On the game-winning play in the 11th, Jason Bartlett laid down a sacrifice bunt to drive in the winning run. Jaso hit a one-out infield single against Jamey Wright (1-2) and went to third on Gabe Kapler’s hit-and­run single to right.

“I was hustling down to first base and seeing if something good would come out of it,” said Jaso, who was called safe on a close play. “Luckily it paid off.”

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Indians manager Manny Acta left the dugout to argue with first base umpire Jerry Layne about Jaso’s hit.

“He had the runner beating the throw, which I thought was absurb,” Acta said. “I hate to see the human element being taken out of the game, but I see why so many people ask about instant replay about every­thing. We played so hard and that guy had no business being on base.”

Bartlett placed the bunt on the first base side of the mound that Wright fielded and was forced to make a desperation toss from his glove hand toward the plate that went over catcher Mike Redmond’s head.

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“A tough loss for our team, a tough loss for me,” Wright said.

Andy Sonnanstine (1-0), the sixth Tampa Bay reliever, struck out two during a perfect 11th, helping the Rays improve to a major leaguebest 27-11.

Trevor Crowe, filling in for injured center fielder Grady Sizemore, put the Indians up 3-2 with an RBI single in the sixth. The Rays pulled even at 3 on Blalock’s two-out, runscoring single off reliever Chris Perez in the eighth.

Crowe just missed making a diving catch on Blalock’s game-tying hit.

“When I was in the air I felt it go in clean and I never felt it pop out,” Crowe said. “When I went to look, the ball was rolling on the side.”

Tampa Bay took a 2-0 lead in the first when Carl Crawford had an RBI triple and later scored on Evan Longoria’s single. Longoria has driven 18 runs in his last 18 games.

Peralta pulled the Indians within 2-1 on second-inning run-scoring single. Luis Valbuena tied it at 2 with an RBI single in the fourth.

Fausto Carmoma allowed two runs and five hits over 6 2/ 3

innings for the Indians. The right-hander allowed just one baserunner — a fourth-inning walk to B.J. Upton — from the second through the sixth.

Tampa Bay’s Jeff Niemann gave up three runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings.

“I was lucky I had the team pick me up,” Niemann said.

Cleveland loaded the bases with two outs in the third, but failed to score when Russell Branyan popped out. The Indians also hit into double plays during the fourth and the fifth.

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Indians 5, Orioles 1: Westbrook leads Tribe over Baltimore

Monday, May 17th, 2010

BALTIMORE — Now that Jake Westbrook has put concern about his troublesome elbow behind him, he can start thinking about things that cross the minds of other major league pitchers.

Things such as getting a shutout, throwing a complete game and earning wins for his team.

Westbrook worked around nine hits for his 13th career complete game, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 Sunday for their second straight series win.

Westbrook (2-2) didn’t pitch at all last season while recovering from reconstructive right elbow surgery. He was 0-2 in his first six starts this year before defeating the Royals on Tuesday.

Against Baltimore, Westbrook missed his fourth career shutout when Luke Scott hit a two-out homer in the ninth.

“It’s disappointing because it’s the last hitter almost — would have been if I got him out,” Westbrook said. “Once it’s happened, it happened. Go get the next guy. I still had a chance to throw a complete game.”

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And, although he didn’t get his first shutout since 2006, the right-hander went the distance for the first time since April 8, 2008, against the Los Angeles Angels.

“I feel great right now, and that’s encouraging for me,” Westbrook said. “Even a year or so before my surgery I still was kind of fighting stuff, so it was like I feel better now than then. For me right now it’s a matter of staying in my routine, getting ready for each ball game.”

Westbrook struck out eight, one short of his career high, and walked none.

“Kind of crushing at the end that he couldn’t get the compete-game shutout,” Indians manager Manny Acta. “It was a very good outing by him to give him a big-time boost in his confidence after being out so long.”

Westbrook was aided by two double plays and a fine first-inning catch by center fielder Grady Sizemore. In addition, Baltimore’s Ty Wigginton was thrown out by Shin-Soo Choo trying to stretch a single into a double.

“Westbrook had tremendous movement on his ball today. He mixed in enough sliders so if you went to get on the sinker, the ball is diving away,” Wigginton said. “You get a lot of bad swings when a guy has a good sinker working. He deserves all the credit for today’s game. He was outstanding.”

Matt LaPorta and Russell Branyan homered for the Indians, who took two of three. Cleveland previously won two of three from Kansas City and now has successive series victories for the first time this season.

“We definitely need to win some series, and this is a step in the right direction,” Acta said.

David Hernandez was originally scheduled to start for the Orioles, but was scratched with a sore shoulder. Manager Dave Trembley called upon Mark Hendrickson, who had been used exclusively out of the bullpen this season.

Hendrickson (1-1) gave up three runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.

“I just kind of kept my routine the same and tried to go as far as I could,” the left-hander said.

The Orioles got two on with two outs in the first inning before Sizemore made a sensational diving catch of Wigginton’s liner to left-center. In the Baltimore second, Corey Patterson struck out with two outs and runners on second and third.

In the third, Cleveland’s Lou Marson ran through the stop sign of third base coach Steve Smith and scored on a two-out single by Sizemore.

Sizemore left the game in the fifth inning with a bruised left knee. Acta said the injury was not serious.

LaPorta hit his first homer of the season after Mark Grudzielanek led off the fifth with a single.

Branyan homered off Alberto Castillo in the ninth following a leadoff double by Austin Kearns. Castillo was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game to replace Hendrickson in the bullpen.

Notes

  • Fifteen of Cleveland’s 22 homers have come on the road.
  • Scott had three hits and is 12 for 28 over his last seven games.
  • Adam Jones threw out Jhonny Peralta trying to score in the ninth, Baltimore’s seventh outfield assist — all of them at the plate.

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Jake Westbrook goes the distance as Tribe takes series

Monday, May 17th, 2010

BALTIMORE (AP) – Now that Jake Westbrook has put concern about his troublesome elbow behind him, he can start thinking about things that cross the minds of other major league pitchers.

Things such as getting a shutout, throwing a complete game and earning wins for his team.

Westbrook worked around nine hits for his 13th career complete game, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 Sunday for their second straight series win.

Westbrook (2-2) didn’t pitch at all last season while recovering from reconstructive right elbow surgery. He was 0-2 in his first six starts this year before defeating the Royals on Tuesday.

Against Baltimore, Westbrook missed his fourth career shutout when Luke Scott hit a two-out homer in the ninth.

“It’s disappointing because it’s the last hitter almost – would have been if I got him out,” Westbrook said. “Once it’s happened, it happened. Go get the next guy. I still had a chance to throw a complete game.”

And, although he didn’t get his first shutout since 2006, the right-hander went the distance for the first time since April 8, 2008, against the Los Angeles Angels.

“I feel great right now, and that’s encouraging for me,” Westbrook said. “Even a year or so before my surgery I still was kind of fighting stuff, so it was like I feel better now than then. For me right now it’s a matter of staying in my routine, getting ready for each ballgame.”

Westbrook struck out eight, one short of his career high, and walked none.

“Kind of crushing at the end that he couldn’t get the compete-game shutout,” Indians manager Manny Acta. “It was a very good outing by him to give him a big-time boost in his confidence after being out so long.”

Westbrook was aided by two double plays and a fine first-inning catch by center fielder Grady Sizemore. In addition, Baltimore’s Ty Wigginton was thrown out by Shin-Soo Choo trying to stretch a single into a double.

“Westbrook had tremendous movement on his ball today. He mixed in enough sliders so if you went to get on the sinker, the ball is diving away,” Wigginton said. “You get a lot of bad swings when a guy has a good sinker working. He deserves all the credit for today’s game. He was outstanding.”

Matt LaPorta and Russell Branyan homered for the Indians, who took two of three. Cleveland previously won two of three from Kansas City and has successive series victories for the first time this season.

“We definitely need to win some series, and this is a step in the right direction,” Acta said.

David Hernandez was originally scheduled to start for the Orioles, but was scratched with a sore shoulder. Manager Dave Trembley called upon Mark Hendrickson, who had been used exclusively out of the bullpen this season.

Hendrickson (1-1) gave up three runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.

“I just kind of kept my routine the same and tried to go as far as I could,” the left-hander said.

The Orioles got two on with two outs in the first inning before Sizemore made a sensational diving catch of Wigginton’s liner to left-center. In the Baltimore second, Corey Patterson struck out with two outs and runners on second and third.

In the third, Cleveland’s Lou Marson ran through the stop sign of third base coach Steve Smith and scored on a two-out single by Sizemore.

Sizemore left the game in the fifth inning with a bruised left knee. Acta said the injury was not serious.

LaPorta hit his first homer of the season after Mark Grudzielanek led off the fifth with a single.

Branyan homered off Alberto Castillo in the ninth following a leadoff double by Austin Kearns. Castillo was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game to replace Hendrickson in the bullpen.

Notes

Fifteen of Cleveland’s 22 homers have come on the road. … Scott had three hits and is 12-for-28 over his last seven games. … Adam Jones threw out Jhonny Peralta trying to score in the ninth, Baltimore’s seventh outfield assist – all of them at the plate.