CLEVELAND — There was little home-opener pomp and circumstance for Grady Sizemore on Monday.

Sizemore, who endured an injury-plagued season last year, was scratched from the lineup against the Rangers at Progressive Field, missing his second straight game with tightness in his back.

“He’s feeling much better than (Sunday), but we don’t feel like taking a chance this early,” Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. “With the day off coming up (today), that should help him out.”

Sizemore struggled to a career-low .248 batting average in 2009 with an ailing left elbow plaguing him for much of the year. He was shut down during the final month of the season and underwent a pair of surgeries, one on the elbow and another on his lower abdominal wall.

But he was healthy all spring, producing positive results during the exhibition season and getting off to a good start to the regular season — .273 with two doubles, a triple and five RBIs in five games.

Sizemore, who is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday, was announced during pregame ceremonies for the home opener and drew one of the loudest ovations.

In other injury news, Acta said injured closer Kerry Wood (strained back muscle) was on the verge of throwing from the mound. The right-hander sustained the injury shortly into spring training and was expected to miss 6-8 weeks.

“We have a plan for him mapped out but he’s still in the early stages,” Acta said.

Key offseason acquisition Russell Branyan, who missed all of the exhibition season with a herniated disk in his lower back, went 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI in his first two minor-league rehab games at Triple-A Columbus. He was scheduled to make his first appearance at first base for the Clippers on Monday.

Catching on?

Catcher Lou Marson has had trouble handling low offerings from Indians pitchers, contributing to a wealth of wild pitches to start the season.

“I’m not concerned. It’s only six games,” Acta said. “We all know they’re young and we’ll keep teaching every day. (First base coach and catching instructor) Sandy (Alomar) has been working real hard with him. You’re going to see guys make mistakes.”

Reliever Chris Perez, who is filling in for Wood, threw Marson under the bus after a 9-8 loss to Detroit on Sunday, saying the catcher should have come up with a pitch in the dirt that was ruled a wild pitch and scored the game-winning run. The right-hander reiterated as much Monday.

Acta was asked how he felt about Perez calling out Marson.

“I feel like today is a new day and we’re going to put (Sunday) behind us,” said Acta, whose team owned a two-run lead in the ninth against the Tigers, before Perez allowed three runs in the inning. “My energy is focused on today and not on comments that were made.”

Pace maker

Acta addressed the comments of veteran umpire Joe West, who ripped the Yankees and Red Sox for a slow pace of play.

“I have no problem with the way things are going. I think the pace is fine,” Acta said. “I really don’t want to see a clock in baseball.

“I love baseball, because you can go to the bathroom in between innings.”

Welcome back

Some of the loudest cheers during pregame announcements went to Alomar, a member of the team’s “100 Greatest Players Roster” and a fan favorite for much of his tenure in Cleveland from 1990-2000.

Alomar, who starred on some of the most successful clubs in franchise history, received a rousing ovation from the Progressive Field crowd. He also caught the ceremonial first pitch from Hall of Famer Bob Feller.

Deer tracks

There’s a new addition in the Indians clubhouse courtesy of backup catcher Mike Redmond.

Standing next to Redmond’s locker is a plastic target deer that the veteran calls the “Rally Buck.” He had it in Arizona during spring training and decided to bring it with him to Cleveland.

Young gun

Columbus catcher Carlos Santana was named International League player of the week after going 7-for-16 with four home runs and eight RBIs in his first four games at the Triple-A level.

Santana, 24, is considered Cleveland’s top prospect and is expected to make his big-league debut at some point this season. His promotion could be expedited should Marson continue to struggle.

Roundin’ third

• The Indians are 58-52 in home openers. It was the fourth time Cleveland opened at home against the Rangers, losing all four games.
• Monday was the third home opener that the Indians were part of after beginning the year on the road at Chicago and Detroit.
• Though the game was a sellout, there were plenty of open seats for the first pitch.
• Browns president Mike Holmgren was in attendance and drew cheers when he was shown on the Jumbotron.
• The Indians are off today, and resume their three-game series with Texas on Wednesday (7:05 p.m.).

Grady Sizemore was not in the lineup for the home opener against the Texas Rangers on Monday, missing his second straight game with tightness in his back.

“He’s feeling much better than (Sunday), but we don’t feel like taking a chance this early,” said Cleveland manager Manny Acta. “With a day off coming up (today), that should help him out.”

Sizemore endured an injury-plagued season last year that ended with a pair of surgeries on his left elbow and lower left abdominal wall. He hit a career-low .248 in 106 games.

Healthy this spring, Sizemore produced positive results during the exhibition season and was off to a good start this year, batting .273 with two doubles, a triple and five RBIs in five games.

DETROIT — Tigers manager Jim Leyland was feeling pretty lucky after this victory.

Carlos Guillen scored the winning run on fill-in closer Chris Perez’s wild pitch, capping a three-run ninth inning and giving Detroit a 9-8 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

The Tigers became just the second team since 1986 to win a nine-inning game while stranding at least 18 runners. Detroit’s 18 runners left on base matched its most since 1920.

“This is not a game we should have won, but we did,” Leyland said. “We play nine innings, and we hung in there today and got some great breaks.”

Guillen hit a one-out RBI double in the ninth to get the Tigers within one and put runners on second and third. After Brandon Inge grounded out, Perez (0-1) issued consecutive walks to Ramon Santiago and pinch-hitter Johnny Damon to force in the tying run.

More photos below.

“I can’t walk Santiago in that situation,” Perez said. “He’s a bench player, and I’ve got to make him hit the ball with two out, but everything was leaking away from me, and I just couldn’t make the right adjustment. The same thing happened with Damon.”

His first pitch to Scott Sizemore bounced past Lou Marson, allowing Guillen to scamper home.

Phil Coke (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Tigers, who trailed 7-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.

“That was a heck of a comeback,” said Sizemore, who had three hits in a nice finish to his first week in the majors. “I’m glad that I was able to get a few knocks and help us pull that out.”

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Perez is serving as Cleveland’s closer while Kerry Wood is on the disabled list with a strained muscle below his right shoulder. The Indians also were without outfielder Grady Sizemore, who was scratched with a stiff back.

Without Sizemore and facing Tigers ace Justin Verlander, Cleveland still got off to a fast start.

The Indians loaded the bases with no outs in the first and Travis Hafner followed with a sacrifice fly. After Jhonny Peralta struck out, Matt LaPorta walked and Luis Valbuena lifted a 1-2 pitch just inside the right-field foul pole for his first grand slam.

“The Indians have a great team, and you have to make good pitches to get them out,” said Verlander, who has allowed 10 runs over 10 innings in his first two starts. “I didn’t do that today.”

Verlander settled down after the 43-pitch first, yielding six runs and five hits in five-plus innings, but his early struggles made the loss even tougher for Cleveland.

“That’s why this game is such a waste,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “Who knows when we will ever score six runs off Justin Verlander again, if ever? You have to win games when you do something like that.”

Jake Westbrook pitched 5 2-3 innings for Cleveland, yielding three runs and nine hits. He struck out seven and walked three.

He got some help from his defense in the third when right fielder Shin-Soo Choo threw out Don Kelly at the plate to end the inning.

Peralta and Choo homered for the Indians, and Valbuena finished with two hits.

Magglio Ordonez had two hits and two RBIs and Miguel Cabrera went 3 for 3 for Detroit, which finished with 18 hits.

“That’s why you can’t expect to walk eight or nine guys and beat anyone,” Acta said. “We kept rolling their lineup over, and it seemed like Ordonez and Cabrera were coming up in every inning.”

The Tigers cut it to 8-6 in the eighth on Inge’s RBI single and a run-scoring double play.

Notes

• The Seattle Mariners left 18 runners on base in a 5-2 win over San Diego on June 27, 2008.
• Detroit stranded 18 runners in a 10-1 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1926 and again in a 12-2 loss to the Athletics in 1931.
• Acta said that he expects Sizemore to play in Monday’s home opener against Texas.
• Detroit’s Gerald Laird, who had been booed by the crowd of 26,081 throughout the game, received a standing ovation when he singled in the eighth inning, snapping a 0-for-17 start to the season.
• Cleveland’s three homers gave them four for the season – it came into the game last in the American League.