Carmona injured, Indians lose 7th straight

[May 24, 2008]  CLEVELAND (AP) -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his first career grand slam to help the Texas Rangers beat Cleveland 13-9 Friday night as the Indians lost their seventh in a row and pitcher Fausto Carmona to injury.

Cleveland also lost an apparent three-run homer by Ben Francisco. The play was ruled an RBI double, the latest in a string of home run calls botched by big league umpires recently. That's prompted an increasing number of cries for instant replay in baseball.

Indians manager Eric Wedge was ejected and TV replays showed the ball clearly hit a railing above the yellow home run line atop the left-field wall in the sixth inning. Still, third base ump Damien Beal ruled the ball in play.

David Murphy hit a three-run double and Ramon Vazquez had three of the Rangers' club-record nine two-base hits. Texas totaled 17 hits.

Saltalamacchia connected off Jorge Julio, who replaced Carmona during a seven-run third inning.

Carmona (4-2) strained his left hip covering first on a ball hit by Murphy to first baseman Ryan Garko. Carmona was slow to the bag and Murphy beat it out for a single, putting runners on first and third with none out.

The right-hander, a 19-game winner a year ago who came in with a 2.25 ERA, threw one strike to Brandon Boggs, then backed off and called trainer Lonnie Soloff to the mound. Carmona flexed his left leg, threw one practice pitch, then walked off. He is day-to-day.

Carmona allowed six runs, five hits and three walks over two innings, snapping a streak of 32 consecutive games in which Cleveland starters worked at least five innings.

Julio walked the first two batters he faced, yielded Saltalamacchia's slam, then consecutive doubles by Vazquez and Ian Kinsler and an infield single by Michael Young before striking out Josh Hamilton - and receiving a mock cheer from fans.

A sacrifice fly by Milton Bradley made it 10-3. Julio finally got the third out when center fielder Grady Sizemore crashed into the wall to catch a drive hit by Murphy.

Sizemore's eighth homer, a three-run shot, pulled Cleveland to 11-6 in the bottom half.

Rangers starter Kason Gabbard walked six over 2 2-3 innings, allowing six runs and four hits.

Kameron Loe (1-0) pitched 2 2-3 innings for the win in his first outing since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma on Wednesday. The right-hander allowed four hits and one run.

Murphy's three-run double helped Texas take a 4-0 lead in the first. Murphy moved up on a groundout by Boggs and scored on a single by Chris Shelton to make it 4-0.

Francisco had an RBI double and Travis Hafner scored on a wild pitch in the bottom half to make it 4-2. The Indians got four walks in the inning and left the bases loaded when Kelly Shoppach struck out.

Cleveland loaded the bases with none out in the second but got only one run - on Hafner's sacrifice fly to the warning track in center.

Jamey Carroll had a two-run double off Eddie Guardado in the Indians' seventh to make it 12-9.

The Indians had scored only 13 runs in their previous six losses.

Notes:@ Cleveland's losing streak is its longest since a nine-game slide in August 2004. ... Bradley was ejected for arguing a called third strike in the ninth. ... Indians C Victor Martinez was a late scratch with a cut on the middle finger of his left hand. ... Texas 3B Hank Blalock, out since April 26 with a torn right hamstring, now has a sore right wrist. "We've just got to wait it out," said manager Ron Washington, who is expected to shift Blalock to first base. ... Rangers RHP Kevin Millwood, out since May 11 with a strained groin, will throw a simulated game Saturday. ... Indians RHP Jake Westbrook, out since April 22 with a back strain, threw six shutout innings in a rehab start at Double-A Akron.

[Associated Press]

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