GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: AL: DETROIT (66-53) at CLEVELAND (65-54)

Carmona shines as Indians edge Tigers

<h3>CLEVELAND 5, DETROIT 2</h3>By Todd Krepop
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Fausto Carmona and the Cleveland Indiansanswered right back.


Carmona pitched eight strong innings as the Indians came awaywith a split in their two-game series against the Detroit Tigerson Wednesday, 5-2.


With the win, Cleveland (66-54) moved back into a first-placetie with Detroit (66-54) in the American League Centralstandings.


Cleveland held a 2-0 lead in Tuesday's game, but the Tigers cameback and tied it up in the seventh, before winning it in the10th.


Carmona (14-7) snapped his three-game losing streak, allowingtwo runs - one earned - and four hits while striking out acareer-high 10 batters.


The three-game losing streak was a season-high for Carmona, butnot because he had not pitched well. In his previous threestarts, he posted a ERA of 3.00, but had nothing to show for itas the Indians' offense had only scored two runs over thatstretch.


Carmona also became the first Indians pitcher other thanteammate C.C. Sabathia to strike out at least 10 in a game sinceKaz Tadano did so on July 2, 2004.


The righthander was cruising until giving the Tigers anopportunity to come back in the eighth. Carmona had retired 13of the previous 14 batters he faced but gave up a bloop singleto Brandon Inge to start the frame. Curtis Granderson followedwith an RBI triple to right-center field, cutting the Indians'lead to 4-2.


But as quickly as Carmona opened the door for a Detroitcomeback, the righthander closed it. Carmona fanned MarcusThames, got Gary Sheffield to line out to short and forcedMagglio Ordonez to pop out to end the threat.


The Indians added an insurance run in the bottom half on abases-loaded walk to Travis Hafner by reliever Bobby Seay tomake it 5-2.


Cleveland closer Joe Borowski bounced back from Tuesday'sdebacle, when he gave up four runs in the 10th, by working ascoreless ninth to pick up his 33rd save in 37 chances.

After Detroit grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the second, Clevelandanswered with two in the bottom half as Franklin Gutierrez hit atwo-run homer off rookie Jair Jurrjens (0-1), who was makinghis major league debut.


Gutierrez's blast snapped his 0-for-15 skid for the Indians withrunners in scoring position.


Hafner led off the Indians half of the second with a double offof the left field wall. Hafner, who is slowed by a strainedleft hamstring, barely made it into second before the throw.Jurrjens retired the next two batters, but hung a 3-2 pitch thatGutierrez blasted into the right field seats, giving theIndians a 2-1 lead.


Cleveland's Victor Martinez had an RBI single in the third andHafner added another with a double-play grounder in the sixth.

The 21-year-old Jurrjens was 7-5 with a 3.20 ERA with Class AAErie, prior to his recall. The righthander gave up four runsand five hits with three strikeouts through seven innings.

Detroit was playing shorthanded for the second straight night asIvan Rodriguez and Todd Jones became the latest victims to comedown with flu. Craig Monroe and Placido Polanco missed theirsecond game in a row because of a flu that has been making itsway through Detroit's clubhouse.

 

Carmona shines as Indians edge Tigers

<h3>CLEVELAND 5, DETROIT 2</h3>By Todd Krepop
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Fausto Carmona and the Cleveland Indiansanswered right back.


Carmona pitched eight strong innings as the Indians came awaywith a split in their two-game series against the Detroit Tigerson Wednesday, 5-2.


With the win, Cleveland (66-54) moved back into a first-placetie with Detroit (66-54) in the American League Centralstandings.


"This was a big win for us," Indians manager Eric Wedge said."Where we are at in the season you have to put more stock in awin like this."


Cleveland held a 2-0 lead in Tuesday's game, but the Tigers cameback and tied it up in the seventh before winning it in the10th.


Carmona (14-7) snapped his three-game losing streak, allowingtwo runs - one earned - and four hits while striking out acareer-high 10 batters.


"After (Tuesday), when I went home, I felt like it was my job tocomeback (Wednesday) and have a good game," Carmona saidthrough an interpreter. "That way we keep it close with Detroit.We can't let them get away from us. I felt like I needed todo something to help this team."


The three-game losing streak was a season-high for Carmona, butnot because he had not pitched well. In his previous threestarts, he posted a ERA of 3.00, but had nothing to show for itas the Indians' offense had only scored two runs over thatstretch.


Carmona also became the first Indians pitcher other thanteammate C.C. Sabathia to strike out at least 10 in a game sinceKaz Tadano did so on July 2, 2004.


"I wasn't going for the strikeouts," Carmona said. "I was tryingto locate my fastball and I was able to use all my pitches."

The righthander was cruising until giving the Tigers anopportunity to come back in the eighth. Carmona had retired 13of the previous 14 batters he faced but gave up a bloop singleto Brandon Inge to start the frame. Curtis Granderson followedwith an RBI triple to right-center field, cutting the Indians'lead to 4-2.


But as quickly as Carmona opened the door for a Detroitcomeback, the righthander closed it. Carmona fanned MarcusThames, got Gary Sheffield to line out to short and forcedMagglio Ordonez to pop out to end the threat.


"(Carmona) really dug in late there," Wedge said. "You talkabout raising your level of game in a key situation, he did itthere. He was outstanding."


The Indians added an insurance run in the bottom half on abases-loaded walk to Travis Hafner by reliever Bobby Seay tomake it 5-2.


"It looked like we had a sure add-on run in the eighth, but wedidn't get it in and then we gave up a run," Tigers manager JimLeyland said. "If it was 4-3 going into the ninth, maybe itwould have been different. We didn't score and then we walkedthe leadoff hitter, on a breaking ball."


Cleveland closer Joe Borowski bounced back from Tuesday'sdebacle, when he gave up four runs in the 10th, by working ascoreless ninth to pick up his 33rd save in 37 chances.

"We played well enough to win yesterday, but of course, I camein and that didn't happen," Borowski said. "I think it'sdefinitely key for us to split with them and leave tied forfirst."


After Detroit grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the second, Clevelandanswered with two in the bottom half as Franklin Gutierrez hit atwo-run homer off rookie Jair Jurrjens (0-1), who was makinghis major league debut.


Gutierrez's blast snapped his 0-for-15 skid for the Indians withrunners in scoring position.


"Gutierrez got us going," Wedge said. "That was a huge at-bat."

Hafner led off the Indians half of the second with a double offof the left field wall. Hafner, who is slowed by a strainedleft hamstring, barely made it into second before the throw.Jurrjens retired the next two batters, but hung a 3-2 pitch thatGutierrez blasted into the right field seats, giving theIndians a 2-1 lead.


"I missed a couple of pitches," Jurrjens said. "I wish I couldtake back that 3-2 pitch to Gutierrez."


Cleveland 's Victor Martinez had an RBI single in the third andHafner added another with a double-play grounder in the sixth.

"After we scored those runs, I knew it was my game," Carmonasaid.


The 21-year-old from Curacao was 7-5 with a 3.20 ERA with ClassAA Erie prior to his recall. The righthander gave up four runsand five hits with three strikeouts through seven innings.

"I was really excited," Jurrjens said. "I thought I did so-so.It would have been better if I had won. I've spent five yearsin the minors waiting for this."


Detroit was playing shorthanded for the second straight night asIvan Rodriguez and Todd Jones became the latest victims to comedown with flu. Craig Monroe and Placido Polanco missed theirsecond game in a row because of a flu that has been making itsway through Detroit 's clubhouse.