Martinez leads Indians past Rays

[May 15, 2009]  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Victor Martinez had four hits and drove in four runs, raising his batting average to .400 and helping the Cleveland Indians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 11-7 on Thursday night.

Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera also had four hits apiece, with Choo driving in three runs in support of right-hander Fausto Carmona, who made it interesting after being staked to a nine-run lead.

Martinez hit a two-run double off James Shields (3-4) in the fifth, an RBI double off Joe Nelson in the sixth and a run-scoring single off Grant Balfour in the eighth.

Choo's career-best, four-hit night included an RBI double off Shields and a two-run homer off Nelson that made it 9-0 in the sixth.

Despite the big lead, Carmona couldn't make it through the sixth, when Tampa Bay scored six times.

Limited to just three baserunners in the first five innings, the Rays finally broke through when B.J. Upton singled leading off the sixth. He stole second and third before scoring on a wild pitch.

Willy Aybar and Gabe Gross drove in runs off Carmona, and Tampa Bay pulled within three on Ben Zobrist's three-run homer off Matt Herges.

Coupled with Wednesday's 4-0 shutout of the Chicago White Sox, the Indians have won consecutive games for only the second time this season. They also won on back-to-back days April 15-16.

The Indians scored twice in the fourth on RBI singles by Jhonny Peralta and Mark DeRosa and added three unearned runs after second baseman Akinori Iwamura booted Cabrera's two-out grounder for an error.

Martinez drove in the first two runs of the fifth with a double over Upton's head in center field. Choo followed with his RBI double to make it 5-0 against Shields, who allowed 10 hits in five innings.

Carmona limited the Rays to Evan Longoria's first-inning single until the fifth. The right-hander retired 11 in a row before Gross singled and Zobrist walked with one out in the inning.

The runners moved into scoring position when Iwamura grounded out, however Carmona escaped the jam when he got Michel Hernandez to hit another grounder to third. Carmona allowed five runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Notes: Shields is 0-3 in five career starts against the Indians, the only AL team he has never beaten. ... Rays LF Carl Crawford (bruised right shoulder) and Pat Burrell (sore neck) were both available to pinch hit, but did not get into the game. Manager Joe Maddon said Burrell will have a cortisone shot on Friday and miss the following two games. Crawford said his shoulder was "a little sore, a little stiff," but the Rays are hopeful he'll be back in the lineup Friday. ... With Crawford out, Zobrist started in LF for Tampa Bay. SS Jason Bartlett, who normally bats eighth or ninth, moved up to Crawford's customary No. 2 hole.

[Associated Press; By FRED GOODALL]

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