GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Jake Westbrook’s positive spring training performance continued in earnest Tuesday at Goodyear Ballpark.

In what was easily his best outing of the spring, the right-hander allowed just a run on two hits, outpitching back-to-back National League Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum in a 7-1 win over the Giants.

Westbrook, coming back from Tommy John surgery with just five appearances the past two seasons, started the outing with three perfect innings.

“I’ve been feeling great,” Westbrook said. “I’m very encouraged with the way I’ve handled these last two outings. I think I’m moving forward and getting into a routine.”

“He’s gotten better with each outing,” said Cleveland manager Manny Acta. “He was terrific (today). The ball is coming out of his hand great.”

Westbrook is expected to start on five days rest over the remainder of camp to set him up for his scheduled opening-day assignment, April 4, against the White Sox in Chicago.

“For me, right now, it’s just fine-tuning my command and being able to throw all my pitches for strikes,” he said. “I feel strong about where I am.”

The Indians went to work early on Lincecum, with Shin-Soo Choo clouting an opposite-field solo home run off the right-hander, who allowed four runs. Choo had never faced Lincecum before and downplayed the long ball — his first of the spring.

“It’s spring training, you know,” Choo said. “During the season, maybe he’s not throwing like that.”

Choo is expected to bat third, which is usually reserved for the club’s best overall hitter.

Injury updates

Acta still doesn’t have a timetable for the return of closer Kerry Wood, who is nursing a strained lat muscle in his right arm, but the manager isn’t concerned. “We’re just going to take our time,” Acta said. “He’s fine. We’re not hiding anything. This is not the time to play through pain.”

Acta said shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (strained left groin) took ground balls, swung the bat and ran prior to Tuesday’s game. He could play by the end of this week. “Cabby’s going to be out there pretty soon,” Acta said.

Jeremy Sowers (left shoulder soreness) is expected to make his spring debut Thursday.

Minor move

The Indians orchestrated a trade Tuesday, acquiring RHP Omar Aguilar from the Brewers for LHP Chuck Lofgren.

Milwaukee selected Lofgren in the Rule 5 Draft, and because he will not make the big-league roster, the Brewers had to compensate the Indians. They chose to trade Aguilar rather than return Lofgren to Cleveland.

Lofgren, 24, was a fourth-round pick of the Indians in the 2004 draft and was considered one of their top prospects for a spell. He went a combined 9-11 with a 4.15 ERA in 25 starts for Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron in 2009.

Aguilar, 25, is a reliever that went a combined 3-1 with a 4.72 ERA and 14 saves in 41 appearances last year for Double-A Huntsville and Class A Brevard County.

Thanks, guys

The members of Akron’s 2009 Eastern League championship team were honored prior to the game. The EL title was the Aeros’ third in seven years.

Akron’s Carlos Santana and Hector Rondon were presented with individual awards, Santana winning Cleveland’s minor league player of the year and Rondon, the club’s minor league pitcher of the year.
Santana spent last season with the Aeros, batting .290 with 23 home runs and 97 RBIs in 130 games.

Roundin’ third

Today, 4:05 vs. Colorado (Tucson’s Hi Corbett Field), 10:05 p.m. vs. Cincinnati (Goodyear Ballpark), no TV/radio for either game. Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 9.00) vs. Colorado’s Jorge DeLaRosa (1-1, 1.00). Fausto Carmona (0-0, 0.00) vs. Cincinnati’s Bronson Arroyo (1-0, 0.00).

Indians (6-3-2) 7, Giants (10-6) 1

Hits

• Jake Westbrook worked his best outing of the spring in three starts. He allowed a run on two hits and struck out one. The right-hander started the outing with three perfect innings.
• Travis Hafner produced his first extra-base hit of the exhibition season, a three-run double that put the game away in the seventh.
• Shin-Soo Choo hit his first home run of the spring off Tim Lincecum in the opening inning.
• Left fielder Trevor Crowe went 1-for-2 with a two-run double and a pair of walks.
• Reliever Jamey Wright tossed a scoreless fifth inning and struck out two.
• Second baseman Mark Grudzielanek made a diving stab on a line drive from John Bowker in the second.

Misses

• Grady Sizemore was one of the few Indians’ starters without a hit. He went 0-for-3.
• Reliever Chris Perez worked a shaky ninth inning. He got the first out then walked consecutive batters.

Cy Young hunting: The Indians handed Lincecum, the National League’s back-to-back Cy Young award winner, his second loss, touching him up for four runs on four hits and four walks over four innings.

Attendance: 5,225 at Goodyear Ballpark.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

Friends of Officer James Kerstetter along with residents who want to pay him tribute are attempting to line Abbe Road with luminaries and flags in tribute to him Friday night.

They hope to line the road from state Route 57 all the way into Sheffield, part of the route Kerstetter’s family will take between their home, the funeral home and a public funeral Saturday at the LCCC field house.

Anyone who would like to help is asked to meet at Kurtz Brothers on Miller Road in Avon at 6 p.m. Friday.

The group especially requests that homeowners along Abbe in Sheffield consider decorating their own lawns.

Donations of flags, candles or luminary bags would be greatly appreciated.

E-mail kthildebrand@hotmail.com for more details.

TENTATIVE funeral arrangements announced yesterday by the funeral home:

• Visitation 2 to 9 Thursday at Bauer Laubenthal Funeral Home, 38475 Chestnut Ridge Road, Elyria.
• Visitation 2 to 9 Friday at Bauer Laubenthal Funeral Home, 38475 Chestnut Ridge Road, Elyria.
• Funeral 10 a.m. Saturday at the LCCC field house.

Check back for confirmation when these details are firmed up.

ELYRIA — Simultaneous fires overnight in Elyria left the Fire Department “stretched beyond thin,” according to Capt. Joseph Pronesti.

Luckily for everyone involved, both fires were vacant homes.

The call for the first fire, in the 900 block of Foster Avenue in Elyria, came in about 3:15, Pronesti said, and firefighters arrived to find the home fully engulfed in flames.

Foster Avenue fire:

Photos of Maple Street fire below.

Firefighters fought the fire defensively, which means they focused on containing the fire and protecting surrounding homes and did not make an interior attack or attempt to save the home itself.

Pronesti said the department did not yet have an address for the home because it had collapsed, but he said it was a 2½-story home. He called the home a total loss but didn’t have an estimate of its value.

A second fire call came in at 3:55 a.m. at 346 Maple Street, also a vacant single-family home, Pronesti said.

Eleven firefighters were on duty overnight, Pronesti said, and they were all on the scene of the first fire, so the department had to rely on off-duty firefighters being called in and mutual aid from surrounding communities to get to the scene on Maple Street.

“We had no resources,” Pronesti said. “We had to call mutual aid for the second fire. There was really nobody able to go, so we had to rely on other towns to go straight to the fire.”

A “reserve apparatus” staffed by three Elyria firefighters called in from home arrived on scene in 6 minutes, Pronesti said.

“But that’s just three guys,” he said. “They had to wait for mutual aid, which took about 10 to 15 minutes to get there.”

Firefighters from Lorain, Carlisle Township and Sheffield Village responded.

The back of that home was fully engulfed, Pronesti said, and the fire spread to the attic and walls.

He estimated damage was about $40,000. A Carlisle Township firefighter was hurt when he got glass in his foot, but he’s OK, Pronesti said.

Causes of both fires remain under investigation, Pronesti said. He’s just relieved no lives were on the line.

“Fire and time go hand in hand,” Pronesti said. “If they were occupied structures, obviously it’s huge. Fire doubles in size every minute. It’s a serious issue.

“We can’t rely on off-duty people coming from their home in a city our size to start a fire attack and rescue,” he said.

View Elyria fires March 17 in a larger map

Indians (6-3-2) 7, Giants (10-6) 1

Hits: Jake Westbrook worked his best outing of the spring in three starts. He allowed a run on two hits and struck out one. The right-hander started the outing with three perfect innings. … Travis Hafner produced his first extra-base hit of the exhibition season, a three-run double that put the game away in the seventh. … Shin-Soo Choo hit his first home run of the spring off Tim Lincecum in the opening inning. … Left fielder Trevor Crowe went 1-for-2 with a two-run double and a pair of walks. … Reliever Jamey Wright tossed a scoreless fifth inning and struck out two. … Second baseman Mark Grudzielanek made a diving stab on a line drive from John Bowker in the second.

Misses: Grady Sizemore was one of the few Indians’ starters without a hit. He went 0-for-3. … Reliever Chris Perez worked a shaky ninth inning. He got the first out then walked consecutive batters.

Cy Young hunting: The Indians handed Lincecum, the National League’s back-to-back Cy Young award winner, his second loss, touching him up for four runs on four hits and four walks over four innings.

Attendance: 5,225 at Goodyear Ballpark.